The people who settled the Ironlands have survived in this dangerous, harsh place, but none can be said to thrive. The winters are long and harvests are always uncertain. Monstrous beasts are a constant threat, and travel between the isolated villages is perilous. Life isn't easy, and death is never far, even with the magic that flows through the land like an unseen river. Vows, though, vows are something else, something sacred, especially vows sworn on iron.

Iron like the iron pillars that dot this land. The pillars are older than any know, and are mysterious even to the Firstborn that, so far, have tolerated our presence here these past few generations.

My father knew I would be Ironsworn, as the seer had predicted it. He told me that I would spend my life away from my home, consumed by my vow, and likely consumed by the land.

When my sister succumbed to the path of power she walked, my father knew before I did that my time had come, and that like my sister, I would leave for places he couldn't follow. When I swore my vow to find her, to save her or to end her, he watched, resigned. We both knew this was coming.

When my journey took an unexpected turn, and a conflict didn't go my way, I expected to die out here in the Deep Wilds, alone, my vow forever unfulfilled.

I didn't expect to find warmth out here. I didn't expect to find you.

Are you a former Ironsworn, surprised to find in my character a reason to pick up your sword again? Perhaps you're one of the wolf-like varou, who unexpectedly finds himself with a bond to a human? Or maybe you're a lone woodsman who finds himself with an unexpected and injured visitor, far from civilization? Let's discuss!

This prompt is heavily inspired by the norse-ish fantasy TTRPG Ironsworn. I'd love to build up and explore this setting together. No experience with Ironsworn is expected or necessary!

My DPPProfile has a lot more about me, and I have a KinkList (and with details), but the short form is that I like traditionally masculine men, adult to middle aged, especially with body hair (bears are great). I'm looking for someone to develop and tell stories with, stories involving romance, intimacy, and sexual tension as well as character development and detail; if you're looking to get right to the banging, I'm not your guy. Worldbuilding is also great fun. I'm generally vanilla and versatile (but I tend to prefer the bottom role), and I'm into daddy-boy themes (as the younger man), mild submission, and primal play. Not into crossdressing or feminization, humiliation, heavy BDSM, animals, fisting, blood, scat or watersports.

I aim for at least a paragraph or two in my responses, and I'd hope for the same, depending on the way the story's going. I can usually get at least one message out on weekdays during business hours (Eastern). I like to get a little bit of discussion done before hopping into a role-play, to make sure everybody’s on the same page. I prefer to stick to reddit messages, but we can discuss.

Here are some other scenario ideas I'd like to explore!

• It was a weird offer to get from a rando on Growlr: an invitation to a ten-day cruise; sun, exotic locales, good food, free drinks, and what seemed like good company. There was just one catch - I'd have to pretend to be the fiancé that recently left you, so you can impress your competitive siblings and appease your worried parents who are also going to be there. I didn't expect you to be so handsome and charming, and you didn't expect to feel something real about your pretend fiancé. Maybe you didn't expect your real ex to be on his way, either. Hijinks? Hijinks.
• Perhaps our relationship started out strictly professional; you hired me for my services a few times a week. But soon things started to change, and you stopped thinking of me as an escort, and I start wondering if you're for real...
• I left the bustle of the city to get some quiet time at a cabin. When the blizzard hit, I figured I'd be spending a little more time than I thought alone up there. That is, until a mysterious, maybe even dangerous stranger showed up at my door...
• I’m getting married soon. We meet again after years apart, and old feelings come flooding back in this old hometown of ours. You have one week to make me see what I already suspect: that I should say I don’t to him, and I do to you. Bigger twist? You’re not just some guy I used to know. You're someone in my fiancé's life.
• You're an (imaginary) actor drawn to a guy you've met who's not really a fan. Maybe people don't know you're gay, and you don't think your career is ready for you to come out of the closet. But maybe this guy is someone who might end up being worth risking it all for...
• I’m a reporter tasked with writing about the superhuman activity in the city. I’d thought my days of being involved in the stories were over, until the city’s preeminent hero sweeps me off my feet - literally. With your archnemesis looking for weaknesses, our hearts and your secret identity is in danger - and you're not the only one with a secret.
• It’s not the end of the world; that’s already come and gone. The shattered remains of humanity are doing their best to survive in the new world, and maybe you have a solution for all of the madness. You’ll need a guide to help get you through the dangerous trek to the west coast, and along the way maybe we’ll find that there's more to living than just surviving. If we make it that far.

I’d be interested in exploring any of the above scenarios (or variations!), or discussing others if there's something you have in mind, so get in touch if you're interested, and let's have some fun telling a hot story together.