The last time we met, we agreed to kill the rest of the warriors who attacked Stilthouse. But to even have a chance to do that, we need to Undertake a Journey. It will be only a Troublesome one: actually finding the stragglers is not our biggest challenge. We make a roll (Weak Hit, 1+3+1 vs. 5, 2). and immediately lose 1 Supply (+2). That could have gone better, but I'd rather not burn Momentum at this point. At least the Journey Progress goes to +3.
After leaving the village, I realized I hadn't eaten anything this day. After speaking to Mira, I planned to have breakfast, but then the Tyrant's men attacked. Besides, every child knows it's risky to eat just before a battle: if you get a gut wound with a belly full, you're sure to perish. I really should have taken care of it afterward, but the issue of the missing crown seemed more critical. And then I learned I was to embark on another journey.
An hour of following the tracks later, I felt weak; my arms were shaking, and my legs felt weak. I sat down and munched through my emergency rations: two fistfuls of dried berries and some meat. However, now I wasn't sure if I had enough to stay full until I met my quarry.
Fortunately, the Tyrant's men decided to travel through one of the most abundant patches of the swamp surrounding Stilthouse. Vegetation was plentiful here and, while it wasn't a season for berries yet, ducks especially loved this place for some reason. Other animals frequented this part of the swamp: martens, fitches, and foxes were common. I had even spotted a moose here once.
It sure would have felt nice to hunt down a moose. They were dangerous, but one could feed the entire circle for many days. Its tough skin could make an excellent armor, antlers made a decent improvised shovelhead, and its bones could serve to make arrowheads in a pinch. However, what didn't feel nice was the perspective of getting back to the village and getting several men to bring the carcass back, then making sure they skin and butcher it correctly. No, a realistic plan involved shooting a duck and not even bothering to pluck and butcher it, just tying the carcass to my belt and moving on.
I squeezed between several raspberry bushes, trying not to get pricked by thorns. I barely avoided stepping into a deceitfully shallow-looking puddle, which would suck my boot in ankle-deep at least. Briefly checked a fallen tree for edible mushrooms feeding on its trunk. Finally, I reached the small lake overgrown by reeds, where I usually heard rustling and an occasional quack.
But I heard no quacking at that moment. In fact, the swamp seemed unnaturally silent. No birds were singing, nothing rustling in the bushes, no crack of a twig that was stepped upon. Only my own breath and a quiet gurgle of some fish in the lake.
Because the Oracle said we're in an Abundant Swamp, this seems like the perfect moment to Resupply. We roll (Miss, 3+3 vs. 7, 7, Complication)—terrible, but... Not today, Satan! We only need to burn this Momentum we were stocking, which is precisely at +7, and we'll change it into a Strong Success with an Opportunity!
Wait a minute. Precisely at +7... I don't Burn Momentum often. Did it need to be equal to the roll or higher? Let's consult the sourcebook: "If both challenge dice are less than your momentum value, you may cancel them both for a strong hit. If you burn momentum when only one of the challenge dice is less than your momentum value, the result of the other die stands—giving you a weak hit."
Oh. All right then.
The water gurgled louder, and I saw large air bubbles touching the surface of the lake. Something dark moved there, too large to be a fish. An orb appeared in the water, yellow and vibrant. They were moving closer and closer.
A giant, flat head emerged from the depth.
Enter the Fray (with Wits) (Weak Hit, 1+3 vs. 2, 8). Yes, it's the wounded basilisk we were seeking with Glain. It's a Formidable foe, not Extreme, as it's missing an eye and can't mesmerize as effectively. Let's at least progress its Vow, as we actually found it!
I jumped away before I even realized what was attacking me. A jaw, large enough to snap my body in half and full of razor-sharp teeth, closed with a loud clack. The beast hissed in frustration, setting its gaze on me.
The basilisk looked like a giant snake with dull yellow and brown skin. Its head was larger than my chest. One yellow eye glistened in weak sunlight; the other was milky white, a horizontal slash cut through its entire length. The scales on the creature's neck were shredded, with an ugly-looking scab underneath. Its long body started to coil, preparing another attack.
But at this point, my body reacted by itself. An arrow hit the creature's neck, only inches from its wound. It made an angry, bull-like scream, mashing the water with its tail.
Strike with Edge (Weak Hit, 1+2 vs. 5, 2). No, we can't afford to lose initiative now. Burn Momentum! Progress +3.
My mind worked faster than ever as I fought for my life the second time that day. I needed to gain distance because fighting a basilisk from close would be suicide. I'd never gain enough ground, seeing how fast that creature was, unless I use its weakness somehow. Its blind left eye couldn't see, so it was evident to me to jump left.
It didn't let me. Its head turned faster than I could maneuver on the muddy ground. I felt a cold shiver across my shoulders. I was going to die there. It was certain.
We try to Secure an Advantage with Shadow (Miss, 1+2 vs. 5, 10), but the dice obviously want us dead. I consult the Oracle to Pay the Price and, it responds that "It is stressful." We lose 1 Stress (0) and 2 Momentum (0). We need to Endure the Stress (6+1 vs. 1, 10), Weak Hit). What's worst, we lose initiative.
Sensing my hesitation, the creature looked into my eyes. I felt my legs getting heavy. Suddenly I felt completely calm. There was no point in fighting. My death was inevitable.
The heaviness spread into my left shoulder. Then the right. Then to the chest and neck.
The beast approached. I no longer could look at anything else, but its yellow right eye.
With the last burst of defiance and strength, I took off my backpack and threw it into basilisk's head. The beast dodged it skillfully, but our eye contact was broken for a brief moment. This was enough.
I think the basilisk would at least try to use its gaze, so perhaps this is the right moment. I Face Danger with Heart (Weak Hit, 5+1 vs. 10, 4). I lose Supply (+1), as it's the one thing I can afford to lose at this point. Still no initiative. I didn't even get any Momentum from that.
That's when I decide to Turn the Tide and Strike with Edge (Weak Hit, 2+2+1 vs. 2, 9). At least not a miss, but less than I need. I immediately lose initiative, but at least get the progress to +5. I'm ending this fight as soon as I get a Strong Hit again because I can't afford to prolong it.
That was the moment where I needed one good shot. Either I'd be able to take out the creature's eye before it reaches me, or I die there. I notched another arrow, said a short prayer to any god that could listen, and waited for the inevitable moment where the basilisk's head stopped moving to calculate the distance before its attack.
I swear it must have guessed my intentions because it moved its head when it heard the bowstring. The arrow meant to hit the pupil in the center of its eye rammed into its corner, only nicking the eyeball and striking the bone. The monster screamed again, louder and higher than before. It thrashed violently, bringing the rest of its body from the water.
I thought it would have given me time for another shot. I barely got enough. The beast charged in my general direction, biting blindly. Its graceful precision was gone. Most likely, the basilisk knew its death was coming and decided to take me with him from this world.
Fuck it. Let's Clash with Edge one more time, then we'll use Iron. Provided that we survive
Strong Hit, 6+2 vs. 3, 6. YES! +1 Harm! Progress goes to +8! We have the initiative!
End the Fight! End it! Strong Hit, 8 vs. 5, 1. Progress the Vow to +6! You're dead, snake!
But I had an opportunity for one more shot, and it was enough.
The arrowhead struck into the dead center of the creature's milky white eye. It went through the eyeball like it was butter. The beast shuddered one more time, then fell, its fanged snout still open.
I killed it. I couldn't believe it, but I killed it. It was dead.
I looked at its teeth, each as long as my forearm. One bite, and it would have been over. It would have gone through my ribcage and my back, then one slight move of its neck would have ripped my upper body apart like it was straw. But it didn't.
I needed to take one of these teeth as a trophy. Otherwise, the circle would never believe I killed such a monster alone. I reached for my knife, realized that I didn't have it, and wondered where had it gone. Had I put it in the backpack?
I could barely reach it. My legs were shaking. Even thinking was difficult. I had had so much strength only a moment before, and I briefly wondered what happened to it. I fell on my knees, starting to gather the spilled berries, looking for the knife to pry the creature's tooth out.
Something scraped behind my back.
I slowly turned my head.
The basilisk's still bleeding corpse shuddered several times. It shook its head, like a groggy drunk after a feast, then raised it. Its previously limp forked tongue snapped to life, springing from its mouth and disappearing again.
"No..." I said.
I watched in terror as the creature arduously turned back towards the lake. It slithered, its body shaken by convulsions in random moments but otherwise unbothered. It left a trail of thick dark blood.
"No!" I screamed. "Fuck you! You're dead! I killed you!"
I reached for my bow, but my hands were shaking so much that I couldn't notch an arrow.
"Get back here! You've lost! Fair and square!" I cried. I felt like a child who was given a sweet cake, only to have it immediately snatched from their hands and eaten. The giant snake plopped into the water stiffly, making a large wave. Its blind head emerged one more time. And then it was gone.
"Please get back here..." I whispered.
What happened here? We had to Fulfill Our Vow (Miss, 6 vs. 6, 9). We simply didn't have enough progress in doing that safely, as the basilisk appeared prematurely. This is where the dice decided that if they didn't manage to kill us, they could at least rob us of our victory.
The next time we'll have to decide if pursuing the basilisk later is even worth it anymore. It will clear our progress leaving us with two boxes and upgrading it to Formidable. Or we can Forsake Our Vow, getting even more Stress, getting us into negative Momentum and potentially getting us a debility.
That's Ironsworn.
No comments:
Post a Comment