We continue to explore Deadrock this week and meet our connection Cole Hammond.
- 📖 Arden traversed the corridors of Deadrock with a clear goal. The internal structure of this settlement almost was a maze. Multiple levels of metal claustrophic corridors, with the occasional bigger hall, were constructed into the ice. Artificial light and the taste of metal filled the stagnant air. As an outsider he was observed on his every move. He responded in kind. He knew what this place was and its reputation, so he strode carefully.
- 📖 "I'm here to see Cole Hammond." The guard mustered him, typed something into the computer and studied the answer. "Visitor for Prisoner 5811", he barked to another guard, then let Arden through the iron gate.
- 📖 They escorted him to a small room, not much different to any other room Arden had seen so far in this place. He took a seat in one of the chairs next to the bolted down metal table in the middle of the room.
A short time after the door opened again and with shackles on both hands and feet Cole entered the room, flanked by two other guards. He was shoved to the seat oppossite of Arden. His arm shackles then got secured to the table. "15 minutes!" The metal door closed with a loud thud. They sat together in silence. - 📖 "This is not how I imagined how and where we meet. What happened?", Arden broke the silence.
"I was framed. Wrong place at the wrong time. If you want the Navdex, you've got to help me get out.", Cole responded.
"What are the charges?"
"Murder."
🎲 Swear an Iron Vow (Dangerous): 3(1+1+1) vs 5/8 (Miss) - 📖 Arden weighted his options. Not getting the navigational data from this Runner would set his travels back several years. On the other hand, he was new in the settlement and judging how his every move was watched, made him think that this wouldn't be easy. He was playing a game he didn't knew the rules of.
"I'll accept. My word and the iron in my blood shall bind." Arden came to a decision. "Do you have any information that might help me?"
"This is were I must disappoint you. As soon as I saw the body, I was seized and put behind bars. Judging by how quick they got me, the authorities - if you can call them that - must have been alerted before. Maybe by the real culprit."
Arden sighed. Maybe this was a bad idea. But now he was in. Maybe to deep.
"Time's up!" - 📖 His visit to the prison was abruptly ended. Without any lead in the case, Arden steered directly to the next watering hole. Blending into the local folk might give him more information. And tongues tend to be looser when drunk.
- 📖 The bar was bustling with people. He ordered whatever swill they offered and sat down at one of the few tables still left empty. The drink packed a punch and stung as it found its way down Ardens throat. Not as bad as he thought. Then he let his eyes wander and listened carefully at the conversations.
🎲 Gather Information: 8(5+3) vs 8/4 (Weak Hit)
What better way than to start of the action with a good old Miss. In retrospect, having a low heart didn't help either. But just rolling a plain 1 is a bit harsh. Second roll didn't go that much better - stron roll on the action die, but the challenge dice had something against it. All in all a typcial result to be expected from Ironsworn.
So there's two things I introduce here: Navdex and how Vows work in my setting.
First, the Navdex is just some fancy word for a navigation codex or navigational data. From the character background of Cole I imagined that he would have some secret passages that he kept in such a Navdex and it was a coveted item amongst either other runners or explorers such as Arden to maybe navigate around certain shifty sectors.
Second is the Vows: I feel that the only thing that all of the humans in the Forge have left in common is the blood that flows in their veins. Blood contains iron (we learned that all in school, right?) so it feels natural that such vows would be sworn on your own blood. An old tradition that got rediscovered. Failing a vow would also mean that ones bloodline is tainted, so it becomes also a matter of honor.