In Search of Adventure 4: Castle Caldwell and Beyond

July 2, 2026 ◇ 7 min read

Variel and Harol made a deal with the traders camping in the castle and survived kobold's ambush. Exploring castle's corridors, they discovered a mysterious magical rune enscribed on one of the castle walls. Where does it lead and what secrets hide?

• Part 1: In Search of Adventure 1
• Part 2: In Search of Adventure 2
• Part 3: In Search of Adventure 3
• Part 4: You're here

Resources (purchasing items using the links below is a great way to help me maintain this blog):

• Ironsworn: Sundered Isles
• Spellforge - Magic for Ironsworn
• In Search of Adventure
• Ironswornified: Castle Caldwell and Beyond: An adaptation of Castle Caldwell and Beyond into something more Ironsworn friendly (Patreon bonus)

Preparing for the Chapter

Variel Evanara
Relaxed, Hot-tempered elf Academic
Assets: Augmented, Necromancer, Sorcerer
Edge: 1, Heart: 3, Iron: 2, Shadow: 1, Wits: 2
Health: 4, Spirit: 4, Momentum: 10

Harol Brightbell
Dangerous, Incompetent halfling Scavenger
Assets: Gearhead, Healer, Musketeer
Edge: 2, Heart: 1, Iron: 1, Shadow: 3, Wits: 2
Health: 4, Spirit: 3, Momentum: 8

Shared supply: 3
Treasury: 5

Current vow: Clear the Caldwell Castle (dangerous), 4/10

Ruin Castle Caldwell
Progress: 8/10

Beyond the magic rune

Undertake an Expedition (Variel)
Miss: 3 + 2 (wits) = 5 vs 7, 9.
Pay the Price: You are delayed or put at a disadvantage. -2 momentum.

Ruin Castle Caldwell's waypoint
Feature: Barren Outpost, Imposing statues or idols
Descriptor focus: Blocked Hazard

Experiencing a painful shock when activating the rune was only the beginning. Tinkering with the rune triggered an anti-trespassing response and locked Variel and Harol inside the lab. At first glance, there's no way back. They will have to figure out another way to get out of here.

Is there anything of value left in the lab?
Ask the Oracle (50%): 20, Yes. Treasury +1.
Treasure value: Trifle.
Treasure value detail: One Precious Item.
Treasure precious item: Charted Vault.

They started by thoroughly searching the room for anything that could be useful or hold some value.

Previous rolls didn't hint at any enemies in this room, so I checked whether, since one of the room's features is Barren Outpost, rogue wizard scavengers had ended up locked inside the lab too.

Are here any remains in the lab?
Ask the Oracle (50%): 14, Yes.

Are those rogue wizard's apprentices?
Ask the Oracle (Likely): 62, Yes.

They had and were unable to escape. The lab became their tomb. This also means that another milestone was reached, as another dangerous element eliminated itself.

Reach a Milestone: Clear the Caldwell Castle.
Rogue wizards didn't survive
Progress: 6/10

Now Variel and Harol need to look for a way to disable the barrier and figure out how to escape. The rogue wizards didn't survive, but maybe they at least know something about this lab, or what felled them.

Gather Information (Variel)
Strong hit: 6 + 3 (heart) = 9 vs 6, 3. +3 momentum (necromancer).
Story clue: Evokes a vision or prophecy.

Variel summoned the spirit of one of the scavengers. From the spirit, they learned what caused their demise and how to exit the room without triggering any lethal side effects. The statues are the keys to different locations, but once again, one needs to be careful how to attune to the portal and activate it.

Undertake an Expedition (Variel)
Weak hit: 4 + 2 (wits) = 6 vs 4, 6. -2 spirit.
Progress: 10/10

Endure Stress (Variel)
Weak hit: 3 + 3 (heart) = 6 vs 5, 6.

With memories of the shock still fresh, picking a key and properly activating it required an iron will. With shaking hands, uncertain of their next destination, the exit activated.

Ruin Castle Caldwell's waypoint
Feature: Ravaged supplies or equipment, Concealed mechanism or trap
Peril: Disturbing evidence of a dark history
Descriptor focus: Frozen Book

The chamber was dark and cold. Once their senses grew accustomed to the new area after teleportation, it turned out to be a tomb, with lines of sarcophagi along the walls. On one side stood a pedestal with a book on top of it.

What the book is about?
Descriptor & Focus: Barren Medicine.
Action & Theme: Bolster Cure.

Does it involve magic?
Ask the Oracle (50%): 44, Yes. Event: Falter Disease.

Looking at the oracle results, including the match event, it's definitely some sort of tome of healing or restoration, probably a powerful one too. And if it's so valuable, let's be extra careful.

Secure an Advantage (Variel)
Weak hit: 1 + 2 (wits) = 3 vs 5, 1. Add +1 on your next move (not a progress move)

The tome looks valuable, displayed on its own pedestal. It's probably protected against thieves too. Preparing to remove the tome, Variel scanned it and the pedestal, looking for traps or wards.

Face Danger (Variel)
Weak hit: 1 + 2 (wits) + 1 = 4 vs 10, 3. -1 supplies.

The tome was warded, as predicted. Removing it without triggering any effects required dispelling the magic, in turn consuming some spell components.

Reach a Milestone: Clear the Caldwell Castle.
The spirits left the tombs and the tome they were bound to protect
Progress: 8/10

Once the ward was broken, all around them, the spirits bound by the spell to guard the treasure were freed from their duty and could finally rest, leaving their sarcophagi and skeletal remains behind.

Undertake an Expedition (Harol)
Miss: 2 + 3 (shadow) = 5 vs 9, 10.
Pay the Price: You face the consequences of an earlier choice.

Ruin Castle Caldwell's waypoint
Feature: Rubble-strewn path, Broken statues
Descriptor focus: Violent Storm

Violent Storm inside a castle, rubble, and broken statues. That's definitely a battle. Variel and Harol took the book and moved toward the noise.

If there's a battle, there are two sides. From the list of key locations, I decided to pick the Chapel. It fits well with the broken statues, and there's an acolyte present. I created a new character, picked the Devotant role, and rolled everything else:

NPC Aurora Frostmantle
First look: Concealed, Alluring
Species: Human
Role: Devotant
Role detail: Inquisitor
Goal: Dismantle an unjust power
Activity: Gathering Strength
Disposition: Indifferent
Motivations: Betray Stranger, Oppose Danger, Overwhelm Possession

A concealed and alluring acolyte. Sounds like an armored cleric or paladin. What is her quest?

Action: Preserve.
Descriptor: Inaccessible.
Focus: Resource.

Her activity and quest point to the relic, and she's currently in combat with...

d6 (1) and d10 (6): Table 1, Kobolds.

Kobolds again. Looks like it's not an accident that kobolds are infesting this castle. They are after the relic too, on a mission from their master.

Turns out the tome from the tomb is important, with rogue traders, kobolds, and the inquisitor all after it. Let's give it a name. I used the Delve oracles to roll something fun:

Description: Ashen
Detail: Twilight

The name of the relic is "Tome of Ashen Twilight".

"Who are you!? How did you came from there? You have the tome!"

The kobolds immediately turned their attention to Variel and Harol. The last kobold encounter was Formidable. This time they have an ally of sorts on their side, so let's make it Dangerous instead.

Combat with Kobolds
Rank: Dangerous
Progress: 0/10

Enter the Fray (Variel)
Miss: 3 + 3 (heart) = 6 vs 6, 10.
Enter the Fray (Harol)
Strong hit: 6 + 1 (heart) = 7 vs 5, 2.

The kobolds noticed the tome in Variel's hands and immediately rushed to attack her, completely ignoring Harol. Being naturally stealthy helped a bit too.

React Under Fire (Variel)
Weak hit: 2 + 2 (iron) + 2 = 6 vs 5, 10. -1 health.
Endure Harm (Variel)
Miss: 2 + 3 (health) = 5 vs 6, 7. -2 momentum.

Combat tactic: Ready an action.
Combat method: Shove.
Combat target: Ferocity.

With her hands occupied, Variel did the only thing she could at the moment, shielding herself with the book and using it to bash away the attacking monsters.

Strike (Harol)
Strong hit: 6 + 2 (edge) = 8 vs 1, 1. Match event: Capture Direction. +1 momentum.
Combat with Kobolds
Progress: 4/10

Harol attacked, making full use of the advantage he had. Free from any attention, he could fully focus on his targets. The loud blasts, smoke, and fire from the musket added to the chaos, confusing and frightening the kobolds.

Strike (Harol)
Strong hit: 5 + 2 (edge) = 7 vs 6, 5.
Combat with Kobolds
Progress: 8/10

While Aurora and Variel kept the enemy busy in close combat, the halfling quickly changed positions and fired, scoring a hit each time.

Clash (Variel)
Weak hit: 3 + 2 (iron) + 2 = 7 vs 10, 4.
Pay the Price: You are stressed. -2 spirit.
Endure Stress (Variel)
Weak hit: 4 + 3 (heart) = 7 vs 9, 6.
Combat with Kobolds
Progress: 10/10

Combat tactic: Destroy something, or render it useless.
Combat method: Aim.
Combat target: Ground.

Variel was still being pushed relentlessly by the remaining kobolds. In a desperate attempt to turn the tables, she commanded the necromancy construct to rush and ram into the enemy. The attack was successful, but the construct itself didn't survive the impact and crumbled into pieces.

Take Decisive Action (Harol)
Combat with Kobolds resolved. Strong hit: 10 vs 4, 4. Match event: Defeat Loss. +1 momentum.

A few last blasts, and all the remaining kobolds that survived the encounter scattered and ran away.

Reach a Milestone: Clear the Caldwell Castle.
Defeat kobold looters
Progress: 8/10

Finish an Expedition
Castle Caldwell completed. Weak hit: 10 vs 10, 9. +1 tick on discovery legacy track.

The tome is in their hands. The monsters are either defeated or driven off. The expedition's complications are obvious. First, there's the magical tome Muln, Variel, Harol, and Aurora are all after. Second, the kobolds wanted it too, for their tribe or master, and this could mean Variel and Harol will eventually encounter them again.

Aurora saw the now-crumpled summoned skeleton and has no doubt that Variel is some kind of necromancer. There's no chance she's giving up on that tome and leaving it in the hands of some suspicious stranger.

Does Aurora know Variel's mentor?
Ask the Oracle (Unlikely): 70, No.

Since we don't know either, let's create that mentor with some basic information and make him a connection.

NPC Larmon Harandal
Description: Heartbroken, Lycanthropic
Species: Elf
Role: Academic
Role detail: Naturalist
Motivations: Overwhelm Nature, Scheme Wealth, Lose Warning
Connection (formidable): 0/10

Looks like a druid or some sort of nature-oriented mystic.

Compel (Variel)
Weak hit: 5 + 3 (heart) = 8 vs 10, 7.
Action: Inspect.
Theme: History.

Variel negotiated with Aurora. She can deliver the book to her mentor, but Aurora and her organization want to keep a watchful eye on the research to make sure the tome is secure.

Make a Connection (Variel)
Aurora Frostmantle (dangerous)
Miss: 1 + 3 (heart) = 4 vs 6, 6.
Burnt momentum. Strong hit: 1 + 3 (heart) = 8 vs 6, 6. Match event: Manipulate Idea.

But this is not the end of their problems.

A familiar voice sounded from the dark entrance to the chapel. "I see you acquired the promised relic. As per our agreement, I believe the tome belongs to us."