Chronicles of the Crimson Tusk 01

04 Aug, 2025

These are the notes for the first session of my Campaign The Last Annals of the Crimson Tusk.

This is a campaign that will be using the Ironsworn system to tell the story of the Crimson Tusk, a famed mercenary company located in the Ironlands.

This will run a bit differently than most, as I intend to use multiple characters and perspectives to tell the story of the Crimson Tusk in its final days.

What that fate will look like is to be determined.

Each session will include four phases

1. The Faction Phase - determining what is occurring at the top level on down from the perspective of the Factions, of which the Crimson Tusk is only one. This will use the rules from (Feat & Favors)[https://satan-bouchuncoin.itch.io/feats-favors]

This will look at things from a top down perspective.

2. The Community Phase - this will be the internal workings of the Company using the rules from the supplement (Reign)[https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/419256/ironsworn-reign]

3. Mission Phase - Where individual characters are given tasks to fill out

4. Epilogue - Where the outcome of the session is determined and written into the Annals

I am hoping this larger picture will give a few advantages:

• More varied characters
• Very possible to go hard on individual characters, as they are only one person in a larger story, and anyone can die at anytime
• I can look at different levels

My notes will be necessarily somewhat curt, and I will expand on them as needed.

As for my playing method, I largely play analogue. The notes you read have been scanned and converted to Markdown via Claude, so there might be errors or missing bits here and there.

In addition, another main supplement I will use is (Iron Atlas)[https://jaderavens.itch.io/iron-atlas-omnibus] by Jade Ravens, as the story is intended to be cover different areas of the Ironlands.

Touchstones for this campaign:

• The Black Company by Glen Cook
• The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
• The Deeds of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon
• Game of Thrones by George RR Martin
• Deadwood
• MAS*H (Film 1970)

Campaign Name: The Last Annals of the Crimson Task

System: Ironsworn

Supplements:

• Ironsmith
• Reign
• Feats and Favors
• Mythic GME
• Adventure Crafter

Date Started: July 28th/2023

Premise: The Tale of a mercenary company in the world of Ironlands, as told through the perspective of multiple characters.

Session 1: Establish World Truths

The Old World

• When the Necromancer Tyrants arose, the Plague of Undeath was unleashed across the land.
• Although many fought, it soon became clear that victory was impossible
• Finally, the Last Remnant had no choice but to flee, and the Exodus

The Exodus

• The Exodus was a ragtag fleet, fighting against the sea, starvation, disease, piracy, internal conflict and the harrying of the Calcinate Throne
• Only by the luckiest of Fates did they reach the shores of the Ironlands.
• Upon arrival, it was greatly feared they had been followed by the Calcinate Throne, or would be. The Priests decided a great magic was needed. At the cost of sacrificing seven human lives, willing men and women, to protect the Ironlands against invasion, a deal was made with the God of the Sea.
• Thus was created the Seal, a ring of protection around the Ironlands that would prevent any invasion for seven generations.

Iron

• Iron in the Ironlands is infused with mystical energies. It is known that any blew sworn upon it binds the truth of it to the one so blessed.
• Iron Pillars, called Sentinels, are spread throughout the Ironlands. These pillars tend to attract monster/weather.

Legacies

• Before even the so-called First Born, there were The Precursors. No one knows who they are or what they look like. The Only thing they agree upon is that they came on ships of light from the Outer Darkness arrived in the Far Past. They performed experiments on the inhabitants. Then left, died or disappeared.
• It is said the Broken Ones are the descendants of their Thralls, forever marked by the depravities inflicted upon their forebearers
• Some have tried to make their fortunes seeking the Vaults, where wondrous technologies indistinguishable from magic, are said to exist. The very few who have returned did not have their sanities intact.

Companies

• Many companies are large and well established. | Rail Oracle:
• A few are exceptionally large, struggling to deal | Crowded: Apple with crowds and people
• Most have some sort of Chieftain in charge
• There is usually a quorum, representing various community interests
• Heralds often travel between communities, bringing news of the wider world

Leaders

• Chieftains are usually chosen as either demonstrating prowess in battle, through lineage, or sheer force of charisma
• Communities will have a Quorum of individuals representing disparate interests
• Some communities are religious based.
• The vast majority of communities have a large hall of gathering place where business is done

Military

• Nearly every community has a formal or informal militia of some description
• There are several large and small bands of mercenaries, such as the Crimson Task. These bands are often hired as protection by communities under threat.

Mysticism

• The animating spirits of nature are summoned by Volva: shamans and seers
• Some are called "Dragonbloods". These sorcerers wield powerful, if chaotic magic.
• Some God-Touched wield power granted by their Gods: by faith, fate or accident.

Firstborn

• The majority of First Born live in the Realusian
• Sometimes a maddened Varou or curious Giand will tread close to civilization
• Obsidian Elves live deep beneath the earth in caves. They are rarely seen
• Sometimes elves leave the Reclusion for enigmatic reasons.

Religion

• Most worship, or at least respect one of the Thirteen
• Some communities form around the worship of one or several gods
• Altars are common to the Thirteen
• There are occasional charismatic cults
• Little is known about Firstborn gods or religion

Beasts

• Beasts are believed, by the First Ones, as the World Spirit's response to the Precursors.
• They target avoid obliteration, but may attack cattle or even man when desperate
• There are those who hunt beasts for their body parts, which can induce great power.

Horrors

• Horrors are said to be a result of the Precursors meddling.
• Some say that horrors descend from those who sought power in the Darkness, and paid the Ultimate price.
• There are societies of hunters who have sworn to rid the Ironlands of horrors

Session 1: Day 1 of Spring

Faction Phase:

| Faction Name: Company of the Crimson Task

• Type: Martial
• Ideology: Prosperity
• Tenet: Always + Action + Theme
  • Assault + History
  • Go down in history as the most dangerous of all the Mercenary companies.

Community Phase:

Name: Brokenhelm
Settlement Type: Hamlet
Disposition: Unwelcoming
Settlement Projects: Hunting

Location: Veiled Mountains (16)
Condition: Abandoned
First Look: Hastily Improvised Defenses
Trouble: Reckless Warmongering

The Situation:

• The Crimson Task has been hired by a local Chieftain of considerable influence to protect Brokenhelm.
• Upon arrival it is mostly abandoned!
• Fareye has been send on a hunting expedition

Mission:

• Fareye, Archer
• Sent to find hunting grounds and scout the area

| Undertake a Journey: WEAK HIT

• Weather: Gentle Showers
• Nightmare: Spider
• Does the spider spell fall? No.

| Gather Information: MISS!

• An edged symbol is scratched into the trees

| Undertake a Journey: MISS!

| Undertake a Journey:
MISS!

• You are beleaguered by someone
• Everyone sees someone he knows
• When he calls out the soldier pulls out a bow and fires at Feek's eye.
• He appears not his normal self.

| Enter the Fray:
STRONG HIT!

Secure and Advantage:

• For Eye Has up his shot

| Strike:
MISS!

• He moves more swiftly than expected

| Close:
STRONG HIT!

• He shoots his enemy in the leg and is slowed

| Secure an Advantage:
STRONG HIT!
WEAK HIT!

• He takes aim - going to a killing blow

| STRIKE
STRONG HIT!

| Secure an Advantage:
STRONG HIT!

• He distracts the attacker with the hawk

| Strike:
WEAK HIT

• He beats off the hawk throwing an axe - And it miss seal

| Turn the Tide:
MISS!
Burn Momentum:
WEAK HIT!

• He shoots an arrow through the eye, and he drops.
• Will the Company believe he was attacked?

| Gather information:
MISS

• There is nothing to suggest anything important.

| Make Camp:
WEAK HIT!

• He takes camp in a far house.

| Undertake a Journey:
STRONG HIT!
Waypoint:
Empty + Ambush

• In the area it is empty
• There is no reason evident for to ambush

Undertake a Journey: MISS

• MISS!
• Raise hazard: torrents
• -1 momentum

| Resupply
MISS: