From the introduction:
Song of Swords is a historical and fantasy tabletop role-playing game that puts its emphasis on realism. It's a game about intense life and death conflicts, adventure with peril around every corner, deep stories, involved characters, and no holds barred combat.
Song of Swords isn't a game with hit points or ablative health. Here, injuries are devastating, debilitating, and dead-serious affairs. Even blows that don't kill immediately can kill with blood loss or infection from sloppy treatment. Survivors may suffer limps, lameness and even crippling disability. You will need sharp wits, thick armor, quick feet, great martial skill, or a combination of several of them, to survive.
You decide your character's goals, and through the Arc Points system, your character grows by progressing toward these goals, in addition to those chosen by the Gamemaster to give structure to the game's narrative. Violence may be a means to an end, but its danger means that you must pick your battles wisely, instead of charging headfirst into every combat situation.
Whether you fancy a campaign as 15th century Englishmen fighting in France under Henry V, or a desperate last stand against the Mongols in Hungary, Song of Swords can provide your historical role-playing experience. Perhaps you’re more interested in fighting Grues in the hideous depths of the Kaselreich, or fighting Goblins in the brutal tunnels of Cross Way beneath the iron hills of Dace. Again, we’ve got you covered. Welcome to Song of Swords.