Recovered in White Stead, Zahn is weaponless. He summons the Ravens to perform an Augury and find the weapon that will defeat the Great Raptor Spirit.
Augury: Strong hit:
The ravens tell of a curved dagger, once wielded by the Firstborn, that lies in a hidden battlefield to the north. Zahn must travel there and treat with the spirits of the Firstborn to prove he is worthy of the blade
Swear an Iron Vow: Weak hit: More questions than answers
Zahn swears an Iron Vow to the Ravens to retrieve the weapon at all costs, but is wracked with doubt – will he be able to get the Blight Talon before the Raptor Spirit attacks Bleak Frost again? He has already lost time at White Stead (Start a 6 segment clock, -1 Weak Hit, -2 Miss)
Undertake a Journey: Strong hit: Troublesome journey
Zahn sets off north, moving quickly through the trees as he heads into the mountains, looking for the valley and the battlefield – the Field of Strife – shown by the Ravens. (3 Progress). He stops at an empty cave, known by travellers as Caernest – Sanctuary in the Old Tongue
Undertake a Journey: Weak hit:
The snows begin again, as the howl of Hhurn plagues Zahn once again. He reaches the Fields of Strife, an ancient battlefield where legend has it, the first settlers clashed with the last of the Firstborn. (6 Progress, 1/6 Clock, -1 Supply)
Make Camp: Weak hit:
Exhausted he tries to make camp, but the weather and the … presence of the battlefield unsettles him. (2/6 clock)
Undertake a Journey: Weak hit:
The going is tough, and when Zahn does find somewhere to rest, he realises he has exhausted what meagre supplies he had left. Hungry and UNPREPARED, he presses on>
(9 Progress, supply -1, causing UNPREPARED, 3/6 clock)
Reach Your Destination: Strong hit:
With a rumbling belly, he reaches the centre of the battlefield, a bony monument to a last stand by the Firstborn. (Journey complete, Vow progress 3)
Secure an Advantage (with bonus and raven): Weak hit
Zahn sends Old One Eye out to find the Blight Talon, but when the bird returns with the location of the blade, the spirits of the dead firstborn rise.
Compel: Strong hit: using Iron
Zahn is not afraid of spirits – he is a Scourge and one with the Ravens. He threatens the spirits, reminding them that the Iron Landers hold this place now … and the spirits are suitably cowed.
Gather Information: Strong hit: with match: Defend Peace.
Listening to the spirits, Zahn realises that the route to victory here is not violence, but peace. He can win over the spirits, and gain the Blight Talon, by sharing time with them, and building bonds that have been long lost.
Sojourn: Strong hit:
Zahn spends time talking with the spirits, regaling them with tales of his exploits and also his loves and his mishaps. For once, it is pleasant to not have to be the stern Scourge and to almost … relax? As he does so, he gathers useful bits and bobs from the battlefield. At the end of his testimony, he is offered the chance to bond with the Blight Talon. (Vow Progress 6, remove UNPREPARED, +2 Supply)
Face Danger: Weak hit:
He battles with the spirit of the blade, constantly mocked from the spirit world by the dark soul of Hhurn, who continues to plague him. He is dispirited and afraid….
Endure Stress: Strong hit:
However, he embraces the darkness and bolsters himself against the fear. He is a Scourge! (Vow progress 9)
Resolve Vow: Retrieve the Blight Talon resolved. Strong hit: +1 Experience
Now he has the Blight Talon, but Bleak Frost is on the verge of attack again – does Zahn head for the nest or defend the village?
