Hoarfrost Trial

## Event

*"Colbjorn the Betrayer, you are to survive in the forest, with neither sustenance or warmth."*

*The elder of Clan Eyebright awaits you both at the edge of the "Grim Wilds" - a glacial forest of blizzards, beasts and treachery.*

*"If the ancestors see you through this night, you are forgiven."*

*You place your foodstuffs into a basket.*

**The player loses all of their Food.**

*The elder can't help but look longingly at the charming miniature pies you recently bought. "I don't want to beg, but many in the clan go hungry each night..."*

1) Keep your food.

*"So be it. Each crumb will be returned to you should you return tomorrow."*
2) Give your food to the Elder.

*"For your kindness, a reward."*
**The player acquires a Blessing.**
*With little ceremony, Colbjorn descends into the Grim Wilds.*

*He gives you a word of warning. "The Grim Wilds will offer us no refuge from the cold - we must keep moving if we want to survive."*

## Time periods and places of interest

For an example of what could happen during this Encounter, see chapter ("Early afternoon").

This Encounter is divided in various time periods, each of which lasts several turns:

* Early Afternoon (2 turns)
* Late Afternoon (2 turns)
* Night (8–10 turns)
* Dawn (2 turns)

During each time period, several events may happen:

* Frozen Pond event
* Stone Shrine event
* Talking Crow event
* And subsequently, Treasure Cave event
* Keep moving (will lead you to any of the first 3 events, if not discovered yet)

The thing is, depending on the time period, the events differ, especially at night.

### Afternoon

The afternoon is relatively safe. Finding a specific place you've already visited is fairly easy (**Dice Gambit** : 12, otherwise you will meet a hostile Northerner party and fight).

* You can safely drink once (apparently) from the Frozen Pond to **gain some Health**. After that, you take damage instead.
* You can spend some gold at the Stone Shrine (and lose 2 Gold) to **gain some Health**. If you have already met the Talking Crow and irritated him, you might also receive a **Curse**.
* You can offer a piece of **Equipment** to the Talking Crow. Depending on the ensuing **Card Gambit** (1 Huge Success, 1 Success, 2 Fails), if the crow is happy (Huge Success) it will lead you to the Treasure Cave. He could also reward you with some **Health cards** (Success) or curse you by adding **Curses** to the Shrine event (Fail).
* If you've already met the the Talking Crow and made him happy, you can explore the Treasure Cave before dark to loot **4** **Equipment cards** and one **Gold Gain Card**.

### Night

The night is dark and full of terrors. At night, you **lose Health** every turn. At night, finding a specific place (Shrine, Pond, Crow or Treasure Cave) is harder (**Dice Gambit** : 14). A failed Gambit (while keeping on moving or searching a specific place) might result in a Northerner fight or a severe injury (**losing Max Health**) involving a Bear Trap.

* You shouldn't drink from the Frozen Pond at night for the freezing water would damage you (random **Pain card**).
* You can spend some gold at the Stone Shrine (and **lose 2 Gold**) to summon some eyeless ghost able to **bless you with** **Thunaer's Boon** in exchange for blood (4 Pain Cards) or some Equipment (1 card). Subsequent offerings to the Stone Shrine should only get you a **Health Gain Card** and possibly **a Curse** (if you've displeased the Talking Crow).
* You can offer a piece of **Equipment** to the Talking Crow. Depending on the ensuing **Card Gambit** (1 Huge Success, 1 Success, 2 Fails), if the crow is happy (Huge Success) it will lead you to the Treasure Cavern. He could also reward you with some **Health cards** (Success) or hex you by adding **Curses** to the Shrine event (Fail). If you've already explored the Treasure Cave by night and found the Shining Scale, you can give it to the Talking Crow in exchange for an **Equipment Card**.
* You can explore the Treasure Cave at night to find the **Shining Scale**. Ignore the treasure chest for it turns into a harmful Mimic (**lose Health**).

### Dawn

The nightmare is nearly over. Finding a specific place you've already visited is now easier (**Dice Gambit** : 12).

You can safely drink at the Frozen Pond again to get some **Life** back.

## Recommendations

This **Brimstone Encounter** is very complex and harmful since you shall lose Health during every single Night turn.

1. You should try to maximize your Health before night by visiting the Pond once and/or using the Shrine multiple times during the afternoon.
2. The incredible loot from the Treasure Cave is only available before night. You should meet the Talking Crow early and let him guide you to the Cave before dark. Then, to maximize profit you should try to return to the Treasure Cave at night to find the Shining Scale, then try to find the Talking Crow again to get his last reward (possibly the very piece of equipment you sacrificed to him in the first place).
3. If you're interested in **Thunaer's Boon Blessing**, pay a visit to the Stone Shrine at night, but be ready to sacrifice one piece of **Equipment** (of your choice). Maybe you can't afford to **draw 4 Life Pain** cards! Be aware though that you can use the Shrine again to regain life, multiple times, for a cheap 2-Gold fee.
4. In my experience, trying to find the Frozen Pond again after your first drink is fruitless until Dawn (it has always been harmful after the first afternoon sip, even before dark, but at dawn it seems healthy again).

## Early Afternoon

*It is still bright out as you delve further in. The metal handle of your weapon chills your side.*

1) Keep moving.

*The intense cold makes it hard to think - it is difficult to remember whether a path or tree is familiar or new.*

**Dice Gambit** (Target: 12)

Success : either of 3 possible events (Stone Shrine, Pond, Talking Crow – see previous chapter, "Time periods and places of interest"). In this example, the player encountered the Stone Shrine.

*You stumble across a small stone shrine. A roughly chiseled figurine of a vulture (Or is it a human?) sits within.*
*Colbjorn drops a few coins into the shrine and prays.*
1) Give gold and pray. (Lose 2 Gold)
*You drop a few coins into the frozen offering bowl and bend your head in prayer.*
**The player loses 2 Gold.**
*The shrine spirit answers your prayer as it sees fit.*
**The player draws a Life Gain Card.**
2) Explore someplace else.
*The hours pass...*
Failure

*Colbjorn silently gestures for you to hide, but it is too late. A group of Northerner warriors crash through the thicket and confront you.*
**The Dealer draws 2 Frost Monster Cards.**
*The Northerners recognise your companion immediately. One of them spits in your direction. "So, you've come to side with the Empire?"*
*"If we don't kill you today, slink back to your keepers, kings of their mud flats, and tell them that the snow is coming to cleanse them all."*
**The player enters Combat.**
*Colbjorn cleans his swords in the snow.*
A) Explore someplace else.
*The hours pass...*
B) Ask who they were.
*Colbjorn inspects the markings on the warriors' chests. "They are clan Mugwort, of the West Forest."*
*He has little else to say after that.*
## Late Afternoon

*The sun is setting, bathing the Grim Wilds in warm orange. If you were not knee-deep in icy snow, you could perhaps enjoy the beauty of it.*

*Colbjorn stands like a morose statue, ignoring the sunset.*

1) Keep moving.

*The intense cold makes it hard to think - it is difficult to remember whether a path or tree is familiar or new.*
**Dice Gambit** (Target:12)
Success
*A crow cocks its head at you and speaks in the common tongue. "How now, wanderers in the Grim. Are the wanderers lost? Do they require assistance?"*
A) Appease the crow. (Lose 1 Equipment)
**The player must choose 1 Equipment Card.**
*You place the [equipment] at the crow's feet.*
**Chance Cards Gambit** (1 Huge Success, 1 Success, 2 Failure)
Huge Success
*The crow flaps its wings exictedly, tapping the [equipment] with its beak. "Yes, this is perfect! For acquittance, to the treasure cave I will lead."*
*Then, it flies off into the forest.*
*Tree by tree it flies, like an inky black beacon, leading you to a cave.*
*"Treasure awaits," the crow squawks. "If you find a shining scale, that is mine. Only appears in the night, it does."*
*Beneath a fallen overhang of immense rock you find a small opening leading to a treasure cave.*
*Colbjorn's torch throws shadows around the stone cave, revealing a solitary chest surrounded by animal bones.*
If it is night: *Something sparkles in the corner.*
1) Loot the chest.
*As you reach for the lid, it opens and - snap! it closes painfully on your hand. It's a mimic!*
**The player draws a Life Pain Card.**
*You decide to leave it alone for now, exiting the cave quickly.*
2) Investigate the sparkling object in the corner. (only available at night)
*The sparkling object turns out to be a lizard scale the size of your hand, its glassy green surface faintly luminous. You wonder what enormous creature it belonged to as you slip it into your satchel.*
3) Explore someplace else.
(insert text here)
Success
*The crow taps the item violently with its beak, and then looks at it with a beady eye. "Yes, this is a goodly thing". The talking bird cocks its head at a strange angle. "You look broken - I can fix you a spell".*
**The player draws 2 Life Gain Cards.**
*Then it slowly drags the equipment into the forest.*
Failure
*The crow moves the equipment distastefully with its foot. "What bavin rubbish is thus?"*
*The talking crow's eyes glow red. "From now, until the Great Winter takes all, when you pray at Thunaer's shrine, accursed."*
*It flaps away haughtily.*
B) Give the scale to the crow. (after acquiring it from the cave)
*The crow rubs its beak affectionately against the scale. "Thank you, adventurer, for returning my love to me."*
*"You may have one of my trinkets." It flaps away and quickly returns, dragging something through the snow.*
**The player acquires an Artefact.**
*You leave the crow to click and coo over the scale.*
C) Explore someplace else.
(insert text here)
The hours pass...
Failure
(insert text here)
2) Try to find the shrine again.

(insert text here)
3) Try to find the talking crow again. (after finding it)

**Dice Gambit** (Target: 12)
Success
**Repeat crow event.**
Failure
(insert text here)
## Night

*The pitch black of night has arrived in the Grim Wilds. Bitter cold seeps into your bones, wracking your limbs with pain as you move.*

**The player draws a Life Pain Card.**

*Even Colbjorn struggles to kindle a torch, let alone keep it alight against the biting winds.*

1) Keep moving.

*The intense cold makes it hard to think - it is difficult to remember whether a path or tree is familiar or new.*
**Dice Gambit** (Target:14)
Success
(insert text here)
Failure
*As the wind snuffs out Colbjorn's torch, you hear a growl behind you. Something strikes you savagely in the darkness - claws? Colbjorn relights his torch, but whatever attacked you is long gone.*
**The player draws a Life Pain Card.**
2) Try to find the shrine again.

**Dice Gambit** (Target: 14)
Success
*You stumble across a small stone shrine. A roughly chiseled figurine of a vulture (Or is it a human?) sits within.*
*Colbjorn drops a few coins into the shrine and prays.*
1) Give gold and pray. (Lose 2 Gold)
*The gold glimmers in the torchlight as you drop it in the shrine and pray.*
**The player loses 2 Gold.**
The first prayer at night:
*There is a mournful sound of wooden flutes in the distance, and suddenly before you stands a spectral figure - a woman with no eyes.*
*Colbjorn continues to bow his head in prayer - he seems unperturbed by this sudden apparition.*
*Barefoot, with a thin shawl clutched around her, she stands before you and speaks in a deep voice, each word ringing out like a gong. "Mortal, you summoned, but I smell no blood, nor enemy slain, to honour me."*
A) Offer something and pray.
*"Yes, there is power in this. It has killed many and will kill many more." The spirit blesses you before fading away.*
**The player acquires Thunaer's Boon.**
B) Stab yourself and pray.
*Feeling strangely compelled, you take your dagger from your belt and drive it hard into your gut.*
**The player draws 4 Life Pain Cards.**
*The spirit smiles as your blood splatters onto the snow. Immediately, you feel frost touch the wound.*
*The ghost blesses you as it fades away.*
**The player acquires Thunaer's Boon.**
Subsequent prayers:
*The shrine spirit answers your prayer as it sees fit.*
**The player acquires a Curse.**
**The player draws a Life Gain Card.**
C) Explore someplace else.
2) Explore someplace else.
*The hours pass...*
Failure
(insert text here)
3) Try to find the talking crow again. (after finding it)

**Dice Gambit** (Target: 14)
Success
**Repeat crow event.**
Failure
*You can barely make out where you're going in the darkness.*
*As you trudge through the darkness, you step straight into the jaws of a bear trap! The pain is excruciating.*
**The player draws a Life Pain Card.**
4) Try to find the treasure cave again. (after finding it)
*You've lost your bearings.*
*The hours pass...*
*You try to keep moving through the pitch black forest. Sharp pains wrack your limbs as you move.*

**The player draws a Life Pain Card.**

**Repeat main options.**

## Dawn

(insert text here)

*"The elder should find us soon." Colbjorn grunts.*

(Same main options, but Dice Gambit targets are 12 again).

*As day breaks, the elder of Clan Eyebright greets you with a tin cup of steaming tea. You gulp it down quickly, sighing with relief as the elixir's warmth spreads through your body.*

*"The ancestors have judged you worth, Colbjorn." The old Northerner places a wrinkled hand on his chest and bows.*

**The player gains 8 Fame.**

**The player gains this card's token.**

*The elder watches as a small bird alights on the tree beside him. "...I fear our clan is no more, but the hearth of Clan Eyebright may still burn true in the Endless Halls. Restore our honour, Colbjorn. Avenge us."*

*"In the weald, by our village, lives a shaman. Appeal to her mercy, see if she can tell us more."*

## Token Unlocks

*For surviving the Hoarfrost Trial...*

Shaman of Eyebright Weald