I speak to the woman in front of me that I can help defend the village, but I need a moment to treat my injuries. The situation is dire.

This chapter was played in coop mode with a friend of mine. She created her character to play a one-shot with me, so I didn't wrote everything as detailed when I'm playing solo. This will be written similar to how it was done before, but more abridged.

Character Setup

She created her character with my assistance, and we came up with some ideas for how her character would enter in the story and help with the situation. 

Kanda

Description: She is a woman about 40 years of age, with long and braided hair, and of american indigenous appearance. She has various bracelets, and details in her clothes that are made with hunted animals furs, and bones. She is great at hunting, and amazing as a healer for the Aironkru community. She is respected by the people in Krocvil, and often travels to Metro.

Stats: Edge +3, Heart +2, Iron +1, Shadow +1, Wits +2.

Assets

• Banshee (Companion): His name is Hawk, and we changed the appearance to be a hawk similar to the same asset from Ironsworn core. When you make a move astride your banshee to detect a threat or avoid a fight, add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit. On a strong hit with a match, you're gone in a flash; take another +1 momentum.
• Healer (Path): When you give medical care to Heal yourself or another character, add +1. If you are treating someone other than yourself, take +1 spirit or +1 momentum on a hit.
• Archer (Path): Changed to work better with Starforged. When you Secure an Advantage by studying a distant situation, or Gain Ground by readying your shot and taking careful aim, you may sacrifice time in exchange for greater certainty. If you do (decide before rolling), Lose Momentum (-1, -2, or -3) and add that amount. Then, take +1 momentum on a strong hit.

Equipment

• Survival kit, bottle with alcohol, things to help with injuries, heavy coat, bow, quiver with arrows, machete, poorly drawed map of the Zone, medicinal herbs.

Scene One

I sit on the ground, and start opening my medic kit to try to treat my injuries. Blood is on my forehead, I have some cuts and bruises, and my left eye is red because of the blow the mutant hit me. I hear a noise in the window of the house, and as one of the kids open it, a dark brown hawk appears and enters the house. I try to reach my weapon, but the kids seem to know the animal, they pet it, and a few moments later, there is a knock in the other side of the house, in the back.

The woman seems to know who that is, they both start speaking softly, as a new woman enters the house trying to calm down the woman with the kids. Her name escapes to my ears, she is Maria, and the new woman is Kanda. This woman, who looks like a hunter of some sorts approaches, and greets me. I explain to her I'm a Ranger that came here to defend the village from these Raiders. Kanda explains to me she was coming back when the attack happened, and she is going to help me deal with the situation.

She is kind enough, and starting picking some medicinal herbs, as well as some bandages from my medical kit to patch me up. She points to Boy, and I say he needs rest, he can recover fast because of his breed. I took my bullet pendant, and look to all these people besides me at the house, and swear an iron vow to defend the village from the raiders.

Kanda says she has a plan, and we need to prepare for a big fight, because it seems there are many other raiders trying to invade the house of the local Monark, Gabe Dick. She asks Maria to prepare a coffee, and mix with some herbs. We both start making preparations. Night is coming.

Scene Two

I let Boy sleep inside Maria's house, and trek to the Monark's house with Kanda at my side. We cross some houses fast, and even as we see some people being attack on the streets, Kanda says that we need to press on, Mr. Dick have the most soldiers at his side, we need his help to turn the tables and save the village. We press on, and arrive at the big house, it has walls with some gardens in it, and many raiders attacking, and trying to break in. We count 15 fucking mutants, and some people quartered, scattered in the street besides the house. Some few raiders are eating the dead people, maniacal look in their eyes. This is fucking disgusting.

Her pet, a hawk oddly named Hawk, flies to get a better view of the place. This is not the strangest, because somehow Kanda can explain everything Hawk sees as like she was him. I think to myself, maybe she has some strange powers, she's a witch? maybe a mutant? Focus, I need to help her protect these people, and find out what happened to Uncle Krin.

We go to a vantage point, above a house, and plan on what to do to deal with all these raiders, because we can't fight them alone. She picks a piece of paper, and write in it, so she will send the letter to the people barricaded inside the big house, for them to let we enter when we approach it from behind. Her bird fly off, and arrive at the second floor. We hear a whistle from inside the house, and some of the people there start fighting back the raiders, some of them firing some guns, some of them shooting arrows, and others throwing things to create a diversion.

We take the diversion to maneuver around the house, climbing at the walls, and crossing the garden. I pick up the rope in my gear, throw to the people on the window of the second floor, and starting climbing it. As I prepare to help Kanda climb too, I see some raiders that broke into the gardens running towards us. I pull her with all of my strength, and one javelin almost hits Kanda, but she climbs safely. I pick my crossbow and shoot an arrow into the mutant, dropping him dead. Other people shoots arrows at the other mutants around the house, droving them off.

Kanda asks about the Monark, and we see that there are many people inside this house, there are some families there, children, and women, as well some guards. Mr. Dick appears, a big man above the ideal weight with a big mustache, and wearing a cowboy hat. He greets Kanda as he says people are too afraid to deal with the situation, they pretend to barricade themselves, defend the house, and wait for them to leave the village.

Then I ask "do any of you people knows about the Ranger Krin? He went here to do a mission, but never returned to Metro". Then, Gabe Dick looks furious at me, cursing me, and my fellow Rangers. He starts coming to me like he was going to punch me in my face, but Kanda gets in front of me and tries to calm down the situation, saying we don't have time, there are people in need of help. Gabe explains that Krin is a traitor, and a thief, he stole the power cells of Krocvil's water purificator, and ran away. I want to call this bullshit, they are mistaken, but my head is spinning, and I need to maintain my cool against this Monark coward piece of shit.

I speak calmly to Mr. Dick that I swear an iron vow to bring Krin back, and make him face justice if he indeed has done heinous crime against the village of Krocvil. He appears to be a little more satisfied, but not so much. He curses again about the Rangers saying they ask for tributes to protect the village, but they do nothing, they let raiders attack Krocvil.

Kanda starts gathering the people, and raising their spirits so they fight to defend their beloved peers, and fight for their land against these fucking mutants. People look afraid, and some of them starts reading their weapons, but a big explosion is heard on the first floor. The mutants invaded the big house, and are surrounding everyone very fast. We are caught unprepared.

Scene Three

Hawk appears screaming to alert Kanda, as we go to protect the second floor, where most of the kids, women, and people who can't fight is. We stand beside each other in near the stairs, and begin raining down arrows against the raiders on the first floor. A massive battle ensues, many raiders fighting the guards, and some of them begins to reach the stairs.

Kanda fights with great agility, and downs many mutants, as I try to hit them, but unsuccessful. We stay between the first and second floors, but one of the mutants, a man with legs that looks like froglegs jumps from the first floo to where I am, hiting me, and dropping me to the ground. He tries to hit me with his sword, but I pick my machete, and blocks his attacks to the best of my aptitude. Kanda calls Hawk, and he hits the mutant with his claws, making him fall to the first floor. She continues to rain down arrows to them, as they try to reach us.

I pick my crossbow, and hit some of them, but not so good as Kanda. We see that they are picking up some firebottles to burn down the house with us inside, so Kanda screams I need to protect the stairs, as she is trying to focus on the raiders with the firebottles. I fling more arrows, but they are many, and very resilient, some of them reaches me, and I wield my machete against them. This position is difficult, we struggle against each other in the stairs, and I begin to lose the fight.

Most of the raiders in the first floor are killed, so Kanda focus her arrows in the mutant scrapping with me in the stairs, and as she rallies the people defending the house, she wields her machete with dexterity, liking many of the mutantes. I get up, and follow her helping deal with the ones she can't reach, as we both gain terrain.

We win the fight against the mutants, and many of them ran away from the big house. There are many villagers dead, the people who fought besided us against the raiders, and others that could not defend themselves. I hear a scream of pain coming from the Monark. As we run to get to him, we see that his wife has a big slash in her stomach, bleeding to death. Kanda runs to try to give her medical attention, trying to save her.

I take a look around, and see many wounded people, seeing that somehow in the fight, some of them managed to get to the second floor. The guards protecting our rear did their best, but it wasn't enough.

I wasn't enough. Am I truly a Ranger, or a failure that can't do what I was trained to do, and to be?

Some Statistics

Current Progress Tracks

• Vow: Protect the people from Krocvil (Troublesome) = 6 boxes.
• Failures: 3 boxes, and 3 ticks.

Current Stats

• Health = +2.
• Spirit = +2.
• Momentum = +1.
• Boy's Health = +0.