The Redemption of Brynn - session 17

The Shape of Her Silence

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The Shape of Her Silence

Art by Andy ‘onegraydot’ Gray

Their voice rustled like dead leaves stirred by a wind that didn’t touch the trees. “You have carried the weight of her longer than she should have borne it.” They took a single step forward. The trinkets on their necklace clinked like distant chimes. “Now you must choose: keep her tethered... or set her free.”

Willa looked at the figure, then at the girl. At Maela. Or what eerily looked like Maela. Then at Brynn. With pain in his eyes—pain, that only a father, who’s lost a daughter knows. He turned back to face The Griefkeeper.

“I...” his voice broke. Brynn saw how he desperately tried to steel himself to be able to finish the sentence.

“What do you want from me?” he managed to croak.

“I want nothing.” They paused, letting the weight of the words settle. “But she does.” They turned their pale eyes to the flickering figure beside them. “The girl who lingers is not bound by will. She is bound by what you could not let go.”

They stepped aside now, a subtle gesture—opening the space between Willa and the ghostly presence of Maela.

“She cannot walk the path while you carry the chain.”

The chain.

The half of the pendant. The promise forged and broken. The last thing Maela ever held onto. Willa’s hand rose slowly to the charm at his neck. He didn’t unclasp it. Instead, he clutched the pendant desperately like a drowning man some driftwood, and shook his head in hard denial.

“She left Maela. Said she couldn’t help. And then she... took it. Maela’s part of the pendant I made. Like it meant something to her. Like it was hers to carry.”

Brynn interrupted his outburst:

“Let it go, Willa. Ashvine has passed already.”

“How would you know that?!” Willa cried, tears streaking his face.

“I found her, but I was too late. She was beyond saving. I held her in her last moments.”

The ashen, hollow look in Brynn’s eyes shut down any further questions Willa might have had on the subject.

“But it wasn’t hers to take! She stole it!”

The echo of Maela looked at Willa, almost as if beckoning, but remained silent.

“Blame not Ashvine for carrying grief she did not cause. Your daughter knew, Willa. She protected you from clinging to false hope, because she knew you wouldn’t accept the truth. And so she asked another to carry that truth until you were ready to hold it.”

The Griefkeeper slowly presented the other half of the pendant. When they did, a hopeful flicker lit up in the eyes of the echo of Maela.

“What once was split in two, must be whole again, Willa of Hollowmere. Like your heart is in pieces, so is hers.” The Griefkeeper took Maela’s hand in theirs. “She cannot cross as long as you cling to your grief.”

“Do the right thing,” Brynn beckoned. “Give her peace, even if it hurts.”

Willa briefly turned to look at Brynn, as if contemplating what he said. Then nodded barely visibly, defeated. But understanding. He slowly raised his hands to his neck, and unclasped the chain that held the pendant.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, brought the pendant to his lips, and planted the ghost of a kiss on it, feeling the warmth of his body lingering on it. Then, he steeled himself and took a unsure, wobbly step towards the Griefkeeper.

The Griefkeeper did not show any emotion, but held out their hand. Willa closed the distance and let the pendant and the chain fall into the bony fingers of the Griefkeeper. He took a step back, then fell on his knees, and let out a soulchilling howl of agony that would torment Brynn forever.

The Griefkeeper took the pendant halves, and slowly joined them together, mumbling something incoherent at the same time. After a while, the rejoined pendant started glowing with a soft glow, as if it was back in the forge again. Maela’s echo took a step towards Willa, the ghost of a smile painting her beautiful face. She reached out a hand, and whispered:

“Thank you.”

The pendant kept growing brighter and brighter until Brynn could no longer look at it directly, then suddenly, it turned to dust that ran through the fingers of the Griefkeeper. The Echo of Maela was no longer there. All that was left was a father, on his knees, sobbing for his daughter. Bryn stepped forward, touched Willa’s shoulder, trying to comfort him.

“It’s done, Willa. You can let go now.”

The Griefkeeper stood still, emotionless like a statue.

“No one should carry grief alone like you have, Willa of Hollowmere. You shall find your steps be lighter from hereafter.”

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Fate move: Ask the Oracle
Is the trip back to Hollowmere without incidents? (50/50)
70 - Yes

The journey back to Hollowmere was uneventful. Where previously, the silence between them had had an awkward quality from time to time, now it was different—tranquil, even. And true to the Griefkeepers’ words, Willa’s steps did indeed seem lighter, as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Brynn even spotted the occasional smile creep into the corner of Willa’s mouth when he watched two squirrels climb up a tree in a spiral motion.

As the forest opened up to reveal the moss-covered stones of the walkways of Hollowmere, the familiar sounds of of the settlement greeted them: wood being chopped, soft conversations of villagers, a dog barking, children playing.

When they arrived at the forge, Willa turned at the door to face Brynn. He looked straight into Brynn’s eyes, and opened his mouth to say something. But then closed it again. Instead, he took a step towards Brynn and took him into a hug that felt almost suffocating to Brynn.

“Thank you.” Two small words, whispered into the ear of Brynn, as he stood there with the bear of a man holding him tight.

Quest move: Reach a Milestone
I will prove myself worthy of the iron, and reclaim the right to swear an oath upon a pillar: 1,25/10

Move: Forge a Bond (+Heart)
Miss: 1 + 2 + 0 = 3 vs 5 | 5

Fate move: Pay the Price
Pay the Price: 11 - You are separated from something or someone.

As Willa stepped back from the hug, his hands lingered a second too long on Brynn’s shoulders. There was something in his voice—something hollow, not empty, but cleared out, like a hearth after the embers have cooled.

“Thank you,” he repeated. But his eyes didn’t quite meet Brynn’s anymore.

He opened the door to the forge behind him, and stepped inside without looking back.

Probably as exhausted as I am, Brynn thought as he left to rest and try to replenish his dwindling supplies.

Relationship move: Sojourn (+Heart)
Add +1 (Bond with Hollowmere)
Strong Hit: 6 + 2 + 1 = 9 vs 1 | 4
Equip
Consort
+1 supply = 1
+2 spirit = 4

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Afterthoughts

I considered rolling for whether Willa would give up the pendant willingly or not, and if not, I would roll a compel. But I could not for the life of me figure out what I would have come up with if that compel would have been a miss, especially when I didn't have any momentum to bail Brynn out in case of a miss. And even on a weak hit, Willa would have had to ask for something in return, and I couldn't think of anything that he could ask for.

I also considered ending the episode right then and there, after the Griefkeeper episode was done, but it felt too short and incomplete, not to mention, there wasn't a single roll up until that point, so I decided to add the return to Hollowmere as well. I kind of wish there was a "base Ironsworn" move like "Set a Course" in Starforged or "Escape the Depths" in the Delve expansion so you could return from an expedition like this without either skimming over it or making it a longer journey requiring multiple rolls. I might make that choice anyway in future sessions as a small mod.

The miss on the Forge a Bond roll was quite devastating. I'm not sure what the dice have in store for Willa, but considering that there was a match, it might not be good...

This also marks the end of the little detour from doing stuff that gets us closer to getting Marou back. There might even be delve upcoming in the near future, so if you’re not subscribed yet, now’s the time to press that button so you don’t miss that!

The next session can be read by clicking the following link: Before the Howl