[Ongoing Story] Ironsworn: Starforged - The Voyages of Fletcher Hadley

[HotsuSama]

IRONSWORN
STARFORGED

THE VOYAGES OF FLETCHER HADLEY

In the system rulebook's own words In Ironsworn: Starforged you are a spaceborne hero sworn to undertake perilous quests. You will explore uncharted space, unravel the secrets of a mysterious galaxy, and build bonds with those you meet in your travels. Most importantly, you will swear iron vows and see them fulfilled—no matter the cost.

Ironsworn: Starforged is a sci-fi spacefaring RPG; the original Ironsworn has gained a cult following for its quest-driven narrative and array of tools for solo play. I played quite a bit of solo Ironsworn back before I found RPGX, and now that the sci-fi version is becoming a thing I've gotten the itch again.

In the past, the narrative I've written out from my solo play has either gone into dusty Word docs or crammed into posts on the Ironsworn subreddit. This time I figure, why not post it here? I received the preview rules from being a kickstarter backer, so I've already got everything I need to roll a character up and set them off on a scrappy space adventure.

Everything in the initial character/setting establishment will be randomly generated from the numerous oracle and keyword tables provided with the Preview Edition. The Truths - which cover the general standards of medicine, settlement, precursor technology, magic, etc. - have also been rolled. I will not be copy-pasting these truths here - they should become evident as they're relevant within the narrative.

Some opening notes:

• I'll be rolling moves as per normal game rules to determine outcomes, results and new complications. I'll generally try to be faithful to the results of random generation via the oracle keyword and prompt arrays, while reserving the right to ignore oracle roll results if they don't fit the narrative. All action moves will be made in the site's dice roller. I will not be recording oracle rolls for rolling innocuous details such as character names.
• I'll have no set schedule to updating this - I may not touch it for weeks then do a flurry of posting over a free weekend.
• I welcome any commentary here - I'll be keeping my narrative updates visually distinct (even if I probably won't be bothered curating images like with my main games) so OOC chatter shouldn't get in the way of a skim-read. But if you just want to real along, that's fine too.

Contents RESERVED FOR CONTENTS

[HotsuSama]

OPENING CHARACTER DETAILS AND SECTOR MAP

Character FLETCHER HADLEY Callsign: Badger Ship: The False Hope EDGE: 1 | HEART: 2 | IRON: 1 | SHADOW: 3 | WITS: 2 Health: 5/5 | Spirit: 5/5 | Supply: 5/5 Momentum: +2 (Max: +10 | Reset: +2) Impacts: None ASSETS Starship Command Vehicle Integrity: 5/5 Your armed, multipurpose starship is suited for interstellar and atmospheric flight. It can comfortably transport several people, has space for cargo, and can carry and launch support vehicles. When you Advance, you may spend experience to equip this vehicle with module assets. Sidekick Companion Rokuro 'Jester' Velez ║ Expertise: Negotiation ║ Health: 4/4 Your sidekick has a helpful expertise. When you make a move outside of a fight directly aided by their expertise, you may reroll your action die if its value is less than your sidekick’s health. If you then score a strong hit with a match, mark 1 tick on your bonds legacy track. Agent Path When you make a move to break into a secure site, infiltrate a protected area, or hack or manipulate a secure system, add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit. Tech Path When you make a move to configure, optimize, hack, or disrupt an electronic system, add +1. On a weak hit, you can choose to press your luck. If you do, reroll all dice and add +2 (instead of +1). VOW RANK PROGRESS Find the Exalt Engine Epic Protect my contact, Nassar, from a bounty hunter Dangerous LEGACY XP PROGRESS Quests 0/0 Bonds 0/0 Discoveries 0/0

1: Silvana Station (Deep space installation) 2: Clarion (Ocean world) ║ Settlements: Bulwark (Civilian settlement) 3: Tana (Volcanic world) ║ Settlements: Eventide Base (Temporary camp)

[HotsuSama]

ARCHIVE

Reserved for any universal details compiled for characters, settlements, etc.

CHARACTER	OVERVIEW	RANK	CONNECTION PROGRESS
Nessar Stark	An eccentric spacer who used to work as a surveyor and scout for research expeditions. Now works freelance.	2 (Dangerous)

[HotsuSama]

001: PYRO

SILVANA STATION

Fletcher needs a drink, but anything aside from recycled 'water' is in short and overpriced supply out here. "Come again, Nessar?" Next to her, Rok curses under his breath.

Nessar Stark fidgets as he repositions himself on his rigid metal stool. The surveyor still has a smile that could warm any corner of the featureless and frigid expanse of the outlands, but right now it's a mask. The guy's running scared. And now Fletcher knows why. "It's not really going back on my word, Fletch. It's just asking a favour before we finish our business."

"It's jacking up the price if we want to put labels on it," Fletcher snaps back, folding her arms and burrowing a little more into her thick, insulated jacket. "You have your payment. Now you tell me there's a bounty hunter that needs dealing with as well?"

Nessar shrugs helplessly as he looks around the cantina, which is mostly abandoned. Silvana Station is a sliver of scrap in the middle of a featureless void, a comms spire surrounded by rings of service centres and living strips. Some say the station is a relic of the first voyages into the Forge from the old space. As far as Fletcher is concerned, 'they' can say whatever they want. Silvana's a ghost town crammed into a beat-up old communications array that lost contact with half the settlements it was supposed to connect to in the first place. And this cantina is emblematic of that rot. The trouble with making everything automated is that the automation, if programmed well enough, becomes ruthless in keeping itself as efficient as possible. No room for luxury or indulgence. What would an automated station expecting next to no regular visitors need a cantina for?

Being at the end of the line for the inter-sector transit into Sundered Focus, it's not even an especially good place to hide in its obscurity. But this is where Nassar Stark has been keeping his head down. Relatively speaking.

"Not to put too fine a point on it, but it was while I was gathering the very information you now want to buy from me that I had a price put on my head. Turns out there's some clandestine sites in this sector. All connected to your Holy Grail, I assume?"

"Dunno," Fletcher says gruffly, intent on giving nothing away. Her face is mostly hidden by a combination of furry hat, goggles and a thick frame of curly hair. "Figured you would want to plead ignorance, right?"

"Good point," Nessar concedes. "At any rate, someone thinks I stuck my nose where it doesn't belong, and here I am. I've learned a little about the main rake on my trail. His name's Ragnar, but he goes by Pyro in the biz."

"Aw frak, I've heard of the guy," Rok grumbles. "Nasty piece of work. Not the kind we can just swat away."

Fletcher grimaces. Rokuro is her co-pilot, and her only companion aboard her ship, the False Hope. He looks eternally underfed but his big mouth makes up for it - he has an opinion on everything. She's flown with Rok for a while now, and his instincts are usually on point. Even if she's never heard of Pyro, she now knows to take him somewhat seriously.

Her first impulse is to ditch the whole deal. If Nessar won't give up the data he owes her while this bounty hunter's sniffing around the outlands, then she could just walk before what was meant to be a simple transaction becomes more trouble than it's worth.

But where's the thrill in that?

Rok groans - he knows Fletcher's mind before she gets to speak, and a pained smile twitches across his thin face when she flicks out her iron combat knife and runs her finger along the flat of the blade. Nessar exhales in relief - he knows the meaning of the gesture. The iron knife is the centrepiece of a ritual. For the Ironsworn that travel the region of space known as the Forge, it's a binding promise.

 

Swear an Iron Vow: Protect Nassar from the bounty hunter [Dangerous] Dice Challenge: d10 6 d10 8 Dice Heart: d6+2 (5)+2 Total = 7 Result: Weak Hit +1 Momentum Vow progress: 0/10

Fletcher sheathes the blade without taking her eyes off Nessar. "There, satisfied? I'll figure something out. But I'm not the gunner type, you know that. We'll need a plan before Pyro catches up with you."

(Continuing ...)

 

Character FLETCHER HADLEY Callsign: Badger Ship: The False Hope EDGE: 1 | HEART: 2 | IRON: 1 | SHADOW: 3 | WITS: 2 Health: 5/5 | Spirit: 5/5 | Supply: 5/5 Momentum: +3 (Max: +10 | Reset: +2) Impacts: None ASSETS Starship Command Vehicle Integrity: 5/5 Your armed, multipurpose starship is suited for interstellar and atmospheric flight. It can comfortably transport several people, has space for cargo, and can carry and launch support vehicles. When you Advance, you may spend experience to equip this vehicle with module assets. Sidekick Companion Rokuro 'Jester' Velez ║ Expertise: Negotiation ║ Health: 4/4 Your sidekick has a helpful expertise. When you make a move outside of a fight directly aided by their expertise, you may reroll your action die if its value is less than your sidekick’s health. If you then score a strong hit with a match, mark 1 tick on your bonds legacy track. Agent Path When you make a move to break into a secure site, infiltrate a protected area, or hack or manipulate a secure system, add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit. Tech Path When you make a move to configure, optimize, hack, or disrupt an electronic system, add +1. On a weak hit, you can choose to press your luck. If you do, reroll all dice and add +2 (instead of +1). VOW RANK PROGRESS Find the Exalt Engine Epic Protect my contact, Nassar, from a bounty hunter Dangerous LEGACY XP PROGRESS Quests 0/0 Bonds 0/0 Discoveries 0/0

 

1: Silvana Station (Deep space installation) 2: Clarion (Ocean world) ║ Settlements: Bulwark (Civilian settlement) 3: Tana (Volcanic world) ║ Settlements: Eventide Base (Temporary camp)