Ironsworn: The Unspoken Vow

There lives an Oracle with the power to change the flow of the world written here. 

 

A Novel Both Written and Played:

The Oracle is a random dice roller for the gaming platform, Discord, and Ironsworn is a tabletop roleplaying game. And I’m a novelist. What I have created for you is not a novelization of a game, nor is it a creative explanation of a throw of the dice. This is something unique which weaves a path amidst the two.

This is the Ironlands. The gods are many; magic is rare and dangerous. Monstrous beasts stalk the wild areas, but they can be tamed. In these lands when one swears with their hand upon iron, it becomes a vow of solemn determination treated with utmost gravity. The Ironsworn make a living of it. Powerful, traveled, and often gifted with magic, they journey as they please, finding those who are seeking help, or perhaps in service to their own needs.

 

Plot:

Proklis is a Slayer, an Ironsworn whose vows focus on killing elder beasts and corrupted horrors. Yet he isn't rugged, burdened, and grim like Ironsworn are expected to be. Calm, determined, and with a social yet deadpan sense of humor, Proklis is self-assured in a world where survival is a constant balance between violence versus the kindness of others.

After a series of absolutely horrific rolls, Proklis limps into the elven city of Deepwater. He finds safe haven, strong friendships, and forms Bonds with the people there, but the city is unaware that a wall has broken deep in the bat warrens and corruption has begun to leak into their home.

 

About the tone and about the author:

The Ironlands I constructed is reminiscent of Glorantha. The amalgamation of cultures, themes of travel, and Proklis’ demeanor have a somewhat Samurai Jack feel. And the tone follows the typical Shakespearian structure of cutting drama with deadpan humor. I approached the setting from a socialist perspective, painting it on a feminist canvas. For all my works, reader feedback has consistently said that my descriptions and immersion are vivid and powerful. They are my greatest assets. I have a degree from the University of Illinois with a major in classical Latin and a minor in astronomy; an odd combination for sure but basically, I majored in fantasy and minored in science fiction. With all my heart, I hope you enjoy this work.

• 157 Pages.
• 53,000 Words.
• 9 Pages of Adventure Statistics.
• Teaser for the second book. (Some sequential rolls are not included in the teaser.)

 Content Warnings:

Fantasy violence, gore, animal death, spiders, medical procedures, imagery of ritualistic suicide, character act of ritualistic self-harm, cannibalism, PTSD, reference to sexual assault, descriptions of sexism, descriptions of racism, curse words. Bear.

This work is based on Ironsworn, created by Shawn Tomkin, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Also available here: https://shawn-tomkin.itch.io/ironsworn

Map by Ben Hooley: www.benhooleyartist.co.uk 

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