recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Surprise Reunion

## Event

*Approaching Draiper's gates, you notice a woman of enormous stature dressed in a blue tunic and leather apron. Three smithing hammers hang from her waist.*

**The player draws The Blacksmith.**

*"You!" she bellows, striding forward. "I warned you not to go steal from that ogre, and look what's happened!"*

*The woman embraces Hubie who is bleeding heavily through his head bandage, still happy as a clam. "You've got this poor thing hurt."*

*As she pauses for breath, you seize your chance to interrupt.*

1) Ask who she is.

*"I'm Ariadne, the blacksmith's daughter," she says, surprised. "We met at the Black Ale Pub, the night before you set off to steal Edesia's Charm? I almost broke your wrist arm wrestling, remember?"*
2) Ask about the Edesia's Charm.

*She pokes at the broken ornament gingerly. "Forgive me if I don't take it! The curse of the Edesia's Charm only affects the wielder. If it makes you feel any better, the ogre is probably starving now too! From the looks of the silver work this is an old relic indeed."*
**Food does not heal.**
3) Ask about the ogre.

*"Draknar," she says. "Or, 'Draknar the Mighty', as he is known, has lived in these parts for an age.*
*"Many have tried to fell the beast before you two misfits, that's for sure," she explains. "But few live to tell their tale."*
*"The ogre is notorious for ambushing travellers and traders alike. Not even Empire soldiers are safe in these parts. Accumulated a wealth of treasures plucked from his victims, including that cursed relic you have now."*
4) Continue on your journey.

*Ariadne shakes her head. "One blow from Draknar's club would crush you. You won't survive it unless you get a good set of armour on you."*
Increase your Defence in order to survive the Ogre.
*"Listen, I help run a travelling forge. It's currently heading here..."*
**The King's Road is revealed on the map.**
*"...come see us! We'll sort you out with some good and proper armour."*
*The piece of the Edesia's Charm weighs heavy in your pack. You wish to fling it into the mire, but some strange magic stays your hand.*
*Starving and injured, you rest a while in town.*
Skulls

The Suit of Skulls was originally one of the four major suits of the original *Hand of Fate.* Here, they are simply one of the Minor Suits.

This suit represents the undead or anything related to it, reanimated skeletons, ghosts, and even necromancers. Referred to simply as "Undead", in the game, these enemies are weak against Holy damage.

## Unit Types

### Returned

*Raised from endless sleep to fight once more.*

The most basic unit of the Skulls suit, represented by plain,
numbered Skulls cards. These are simple reanimated skeletons. They are
weak enemies, but can carry a variety of weapons, which can make
preparing for combat difficult.

### Horde of Skulls

(insert text here)

The Horde of Skull is an elite version of the basic Skulls card. While still skeletons, these enemies will carry large shields and spears, making them similar to the Phalanx of Steel.

### Shade of Skulls

*Spurned on eternally by rage and sorrow.*

The Shade of Skulls card represents Wraiths. Wraiths are an undead spirit that will drain life with an unavoidable spell, and they must be attacked quickly in order to interrupt them. Rather than using pips, the illustration on this card is reversible, so there is only ever one wraith per card.

### Necromancer of Skulls

*The Necromancer revels in this land tipping evermore into chaos.*

This card represents necromancers, or "Death Mages".

## Notes

In the original Hand of Fate, and early in development for 2, the cards for the wraiths and the necromancers were not connected to the Skulls suit. The former was simply labeled "Shade" and the latter was labeled "Death Mage".

## Gallery

A Basic Skulls cardA Horde of Skulls card with four pipsThe original Shade card. See Notes.The Original Necromancer card, previously Death Mage. See Notes.
The Dealer (Valenos)

*"Note closely, this does not put me in your service."*

--The Dealer

The Dealer, also known as Valenos, is an extra Companion in *Hand of Fate 2.* Originally, the Dealer simply served to oppose the player through the challenges as he did in the first game, and he was not a companion. However, a free Content Update was released that added him as a companion, accessible only after completing the game's main story.

The Dealer's card is unlocked by completing The World. It is a Platinum Card when first obtained, and therefore does not upgrade to anything.

## The Dealer (Valenos)

### Information

*He is but a distortion of your memory - do not trust him.*

*Do not trust him.*

### Special Combat Ability: Stun Blast

When activated, Valenos summons a magical blast that causes a long Confusion to a single target (Stun boss enemies). Cooldown 22 seconds.

### Gambit Ability: Retry Gambit

Optionally, reroll a failed Dice Gambit or retry any other Gambit, but lose your Companion for 5 Turns.

## Trivia

* Rather than his card being unlocked via the gold token for The World, the Dealer's card is unlocked via a unique token.
* Valenos was killed in the conclusion of the first game, but was summoned into the world by the ritual seen in the conclusion of The Star, by mages trying to resist persecution at the hands of the Empire and indirectly by Kallas.
* Valenos appears almost the same as he did in the first game; the differences are his cloak, which is white rather than black, and his skin, which shows the signs of early-stage Blight.
* Based on the words of Malaclypse in A New Beginning, the fortune teller's words in A Stiegal Pumpkin, and the events seen in The Star, the ritual brought him back from the dead, and in so doing brought the Corruption into the world.
	+ This probably explains why he shows infection with the corruption, but has not succumbed to it like the enemies of the suit of Blight.
Wetland Ambush

*"You must be ready for whatever will come. The Usurper will give us no warning."*

## Event

*A slight rustling in the reeds is all the warning you get that your life is in grave danger.*

*You've been ambushed!*

**The Dealer draws 1-3 Monster Cards.**

**The player is ambushed into Combat.**

*With the [enemies] defeated, you search the area for supplies.*

**The player gains 2-8 Fame.**

**The player draws 1-2 Food Gain Cards.**
The Devilish Forest

This is a challenge-specific encounter card of The Hermit, as well as the initial encounter.

## Event

*While exploring the wildlands, you arrive quite suddenly at the fringes of a curiously-enchanted winter forest.*

*Where you stand it is a warm summer afternoon, yet only ten steps away the cedars are grey with frost and the ground is blanketed in thick snow.*

*"Horrendous." You turn in surprise to face Ariadne, but it is not she who spoke.*

**The Dealer draws a General of Steel**

*An Empire General in an impressively-plumed helm approaches you - a sizable company of Empire soldiers are arrayed behind him. "Horrendous, isn't it? This smear of obstinate mage filth staining the land.*

*"You and your squire," he glances at [your Companion], "should leave. This frozen waste is no place for common folk - the ground changes underfoot and the blizzards tear your skin to shreds."*

*He gestures and his troops split into small parties and head into the wasteland. He turns to you and bows deeply before following the last party in. "Never fear, citizen. This mage will meet the blade of the Empire's justice."*

1. Enter the hermit's forest.
* *Ariadne gestures rudely to the Captain's departing back. "Le's go save this old doddy from these bastards."*
* *Hubie excitedly rushes into the snow, immediately clambering into a tree.
You take your first steps into the strange winter forest.*

2. Ask Ariadne about the hermit.
*Ariadne shrugs. "Didn't Malaclypse say that the hermit keeps this forest in perpetual winter?"*
Prison Mage

*"Soon, you and I will allow mages to walk in peace once more. We are close."*

## Event

*A brilliant light catches your attention in the gloom of the palace prison. You track it to the source, and witness a group of mages mid-incantation, conjuring a spectacular orb of arcane fire.*

*One of them shouts, triumphantly, "I knew our power could not be extinguished! Even under the dampeners of this prison, we are strong.*

**The Dealer draws a Brimstone Seer of Arcane.**

*You may be able to leave unnoticed.*

1) Intervene.

*"Even in prison we are not free of interruptions. No doubt you're here to break our tribune. We cannot allow this."*
**The player enters Combat.**
*You check the fallen for anything of value.*
**The player gains 2 Fame.**
**The player draws 2 Gain Cards.**
2) Try to leave.

**Wheel Gambit**
Huge Success
*As you sneak away from the assembly, the fiery orb begins to violently throb. The mages have a brief minute to exchange looks of surprise before they are disintegrated in arcane fire.*
Success
*You back away from the mages, unnoticed. The fiery orb unleashes lances of arcane flame, immolating parts of the prison.*
**3 Encounters are revealed on the map, then inactivated.**
Failure
Same as **Intervene**.
Sharptooth

*"A creature of confusion, but no malice."*

## Event

*A small blue imp materializes on the path ahead of you. It grins, revealing rows of needle-like teeth.*

*"I am Sharptooth."*

*The creature rushes at you, arms outstretched. You back away from its enthusiastic embrace.*

*Undeterred, Sharptooth merely grins. "I will move the forest around?"*

1) Say yes. (Empire will fall 10 days behind)

The forest spasms and the trees on the horizon shift back and forth, as if moved by an invisible hand.
**The Empire falls 10 days behind.**
(Map is shuffled and all revealed tiles are hidden again)
2) Say no.

**Dice Gambit** (Target: 12)
Success
*Sharptooth blinks its large, glassy eyes. "What does doomed one need?"*
A) Ask for directions.
*Sharptooth gleefully points out what awaits you beyond the treeline.*
**2 (?) Encounters on the map are revealed.**
*Seemingly content, Sharptooth simply fades from view, waving cheerfully all the while.*
**Encounter ends.**
B) Ask for food.
*Sharptooth pulls a bright blue turnip from the ground - you presume it's edible.*
**The player draws 1 Food Gain Card.**
*Seemingly content, Sharptooth simply fades from view, waving cheerfully all the while.*
C) Ask for coin.
*Sharptooth pulls a gold-flecked turnip from the snowy ground.*
**The player draws 1 Gold Gain Card.**
*Seemingly content, Sharptooth simply fades from view, waving cheerfully all the while.*
D) Ask where the hermit is.
*Sharptooth merely gnashes its teeth excitedly.*
Failure
"I will move it around."It nods helpfully,before completely defying your wishes.
The Hanged Man

> *"It is so tempting, is it not, to divide the world into good and evil. If the Empire is a bastion of civilisation, the North must be filled with barbarians. Or perhaps it is the other way around. Perhaps the noble northerners have a true connection to the land, and the Empire is lost."*
>
>

This is the thirteenth challenge of *Hand of Fate 2.*

## Quest Summary

The North is invading the Empire and the Imperial Army is nowhere to be seen! Keep ahead of the Northern horde as it sweeps toward the capital, evacuating as many villages as you can.

**Map Reveal:** Find peaceful villagers to save using Map Reveal.

**Gambits:** There are many paths to swaying the minds of the peasants. Be proficient at any or all of them.

## Deck Composition

Companion: 1

 Max Platinum
 Max Brimstone

## Objectives

* X of 10 Villages Saved (Starts at 0)
* X Villages Lost (5 Limit) (Starts at 0)

## Challenge-Specific Cards

* Rumours of War
* Peaceful Village
* Province Border
* The Horde
* Reluctant Allies
* General Store
* Empire Fort
* Devastation
* Northerner's Camp
* Rickety Bridge
* The Capital
* Carnage in the North

## Token Requirements

### Gold Token

* Save all 10 villages
* Defeat the boss

### Silver Token

* Save up to 5 villages
* Defeat the boss

## Rewards

### Gold Token

*For saving every village from the Northern raid...*

### Silver Token

*For defying the fury of the Northerners...*

#### Equipment

* Holy Mace
* Pillager's Pride
* Champion's Platemail

#### Encounters

* Wandering Tracker
* Empire Fort
* The Far North
* Inn by the Sea

## Notes

* This card shares artwork with an Encounter of the same name in *Hand of Fate*.
Spiked Boneguard

*"A suit of armour suited to your temperament."*

## Armor Ability

**Bleed Bash:** Charged Bash causes Bleed to a single target when activated. Bleed causes damage over time and Slow. Excludes Undead and Corrupted. Basic Bash causes a brief Stun. Requires 5 defends.

**Easy Escape:** Escape from Snare more easily.

**Dispel Curse:** Discard and ignore the first Curse that you draw.

## Statistics

Armor Type: Medium

Defence: 20

Value: 35

Fame Required: 5

Endless Points: 40
Strength

> *"It seems you too, are hasty. Here is our evidence of your eagerness to leap into difficulties you cannot face. You must know yourself. Hone yourself. Sharpen your wits and your sword against the challenges ahead."*
>
>

This is the ninth challenge of *Hand of Fate 2.*

## Quest Summary

Stealing half of an ancient relic from an ogre has left you dying and cursed. Gear up and claim the other half of Edesia's Charm.

**Grievous Wounds:** Start with 10 Life. Eating Food does not heal.

**Draknar the Mighty:** A high defence will help reduce damage from the Ogres devastating onslaught.

**Dice:** There be dice!

## Deck Composition

Companion: 1

 Max Platinum
 Max Brimstone

## Objectives

* Defeat Draknar the Mighty
* X of 60 Defence

## Challenge-Specific Cards

* Left for Dead
* Half of Edesia's Charm
* Stirring in the Mire
* Wetland Ambush
* Swamplands
* The King's Road (x2)
* Surprise Reunion
* Blacksmith
* Shattered Forge
* Test of Strength

## Token Requirements

### Gold Token

* Defeat the boss
* Gain 60 or more defense before facing the boss

## Rewards

### Gold Token

*For armouring yourself fully against Draknar the Mighty...*

### Silver Token

*For defeating the orge Draknar the Mighty...*

#### Equipment

* Edesia's Charm
* Sisters Of Vengeance
* Ward of the Innocent

#### Encounters

* Stirring in the Mire
* Wetland Ambush
* Toshers

### Supplies

*For defeating the ogre Draknar the Mighty, your Supplies have been added to.*

* Battered Helm

### Companion Unlocked

*For befriending Ariadne...*

* Anders the Drunkard
* Ariadne the Blacksmith

# Strategy

Strength Challenge is much harder than all the previous ones and also the following three-four ones, so it's important to choose the right cards. Some tips on how to make your life easier:

* Bring Colbjorn as companion and Gambler's Jewel equipment: There are lots of Dice gambits that will be made much easier with these choices.
* Take with you Armors, Helms, and Shields with 10+ defense: This is pretty much needed to acquire the golden token at the end, plus it helps in the final fight.
* Selects encounters that increase your Life and Max Life: Not being able to heal through food is what makes this challenge hard, so increasing your health will help you survive. Avoid adding encounters that include combat or life sacrifice. Also, depending on your skills, it's advisable to avoid attempting difficult token cards.
* Take Healing Spirits and Max Life +5 as starting items: Same reason as above. Also use all the three potions as soon as possible so you can later throw it in the Man-Eating Tree for free.
* Practice on not being damaged: This is the first challenge where you need to be really careful on how many times you get hit in combat, so you must become able to win combats with little to no damage. Frost, Blight, and Skulls are usually the easiest ones to dodge, so try to pick those when you have a choice.
* If it becomes too frustrating, skip this challenge and come back for it later.
The King's Road

*"Let us see what the next town holds."*

This is an Encounter Card specific to both The Empress and Strength. For both challenges, it acts as a transition between one map and another.

For The Empress, the text for this card will always be the same after the first time it is used, except for the name of the next village in sequence. For more information, see A Village Burns, which always follows this card.

For Strength... (fill in text here)

## Event (The Empress Map 1)

*Following the Talos Elder's instructions, you find yourself on the road to Braedon.*

1. Continue to the next village.
*Dusk falls as you continue on your quest.*

**The player proceeds to the next map, starting on A Village Burns**

2. Turn back.
(insert text here)

## Event (The Empress Map 2 and Onwards)

*You find yourself on the road to [VILLAGE NAME].*

1. Continue to the next village.
*Dusk falls as you continue on your quest.*

**The player proceeds to the next map, starting on A Village Burns**

2. Turn back.
(insert text here)
Traitor's Lair

## Event

*You sight the end of your quest...*

1) Advance.

*The bandit camp is quiet as you approach the traitor's lair, deep in Campion Forest. Suddenly a voice calls out - you have been spotted!*
**The Dealer draws a Captain of Steel and 2 more Steel Monster Cards.**
*"Join us!" Daniels cries as he and his troops pour out of the fortress to confront you. "The Empire is run by corrupt officials. You are a slave of a tyrant Emperor while you accept their coin!"*
**The player enters Combat.**
(insert text here)
*The local villagers thank their gods for sending you to rid them of the brigand threat.*
**Trial completed.**
**The player gains X Endless Points.**
**Empire are now stronger in combat.**
2) Leave.
Soldier's Sword

This is a weapon in *Hand of Fate 2,* and is part of the player's Supplies.

## Weapon Information

*Every hero must have a heroic sword by their side. This, however, is utterly ordinary.*

## Weapon Ability

**Critical Strike:** Perform a powerful strike that causes 250% Damage on a single target when activated. Requires 8 hits.

**Riposte:** Against Northerners, Riposte deals 150% Damage.

## Statistics

Weapon Type: One-Handed

Damage: 15

Value: 8

Fame Required: None

Endless Points: N/A

## Unlocked By

Complete The High Priestess (Silver token)

## Token Requirements

Riposte 25 Northerners by attacking immediately after defending an attack to unlock this token.

## Token Unlocks

*For your combat prowess with your Sword...*

Fine Sword
Iga's Wrath

## Event

*The ground here is cracked and blasted. Magma boils from great fissures and the air shimmers from the dreadful, stifling heat.*

*A rumbling comes from deep within the earth, like something huge and terrible waking from a slumber.*

*A voice from below trembles with rage. "You think I cannot crush you to dust from my prison? Heresy! Fool! Snake! Advance, and you let your blood bless my grave."*

**Chance Cards Gambit** (1 Success, 2 Failure / Huge Failure, 1 Huge Failure)

Success

*The magma boils, then subsides. The voice sighs. "I will let you live, worm. Spread word of my mercy. Perhaps then I will be free of this prison..."*
*The heat dissipates and you pass through without further incident.*
Failure

*The voice roars in rage, shaking the ground underfoot. A great fissure opens up beneath you!*
**The player draws a Life Pain Card.**
*Searing, blinding liquid fire boils out of the earth.*
**A Hellfire Card is placed atop an existing Encounter on the map.**
*You manage to scramble to safety.*
Activate Hellfire Encounters to reveal the Encounter underneath.
Huge Failure

*The voice roars in rage, shaking the ground underfoot. A great fissure opens up beneath you!*
**The player draws 2 Life Pain Cards.**
*Searing, blinding liquid fire boils out of the earth.*
**A Hellfire Card is placed atop an existing Encounter on the map.**
*You manage to scramble to safety.*
Activate Hellfire Encounters to reveal the Encounter underneath.
Sometimes, after Failure or Huge Failure:

*The boy captain Hali appears silently at your side. "I'd visit the statue of the priest if I were you."*
*He draws a transparent telescope and surveys the landscape. "The god imprisoned under here will kill you if you don't know the way."*
Use Riddles to avoid some of these Encounters.
*He nods politely and disappears.*
Town of Corruption

## Event

*On the outskirts of a small village, you see a crowd of angry peasants confronting a squad of Imperial soldiers. The soldiers are desperately trying to keep the peace. As you push your way to the front, you learn the village has been overrun by the corrupted.*

*An Imperial officer addresses the crowd. "We can't spare any soldiers to take back the town, but we can equip you to take it back yourselves."*

*The officer reveals a cart stocked with equipment. "One piece of equipment only. That's all the empire will spare!"*

**The player gains 1 of 2 Equipment Cards.**

*The villagers ready themselves for the assault.*

**The player draws a 3 of Toil.**

**The Dealer draws 2-3 Blight Monster Cards.**

**The player enters Combat.**

If some of the Rabble survived Combat:

*At the centre of town, you find a man sobbing over the body of a loved one. As he wails incoherently, you notice the corpse begin to stir beneath him.*
**Precision Gambit** (1 small moving Success)
Success
*With a swift blow from your [weapon], you cleave the head from the body - halting its attack.*
*The man continues to sob, ignorant of your intervention.*
**The player gains 4 Fame.**
Failure
*With a swift blow from your [weapon], you cleave the head from the body - halting its attack.*
*The man stares at you, eyes wide with disbelief - then rage. "That was my child!" He tries to stand, but exhaustion and grief send him crashing to the ground.*
*He spits at your feet while muttering in a tongue you do not understand. He draws a dagger and cuts his palm, saying, "May the Dark Dwellers bring me retribution."*
**The player gains 2 Fame.**
**The player draws 1 Curse.**
Huge Failure (with the curse to upgrade failures)
"Insert Text"
**The player gains 2 Fame.**
**The player draws 2 Pain Cards.**
**The player draws 1 Curse.**
If all of the Rabble died in Combat:

*You have cleared the village of corruption, but few of its inhabitants remain to occupy it.*
The Emperor's Chamber

*"What surprises still lie before you?"*

This is the initial Encounter of the fourth map of The Sun Challenge.

## Event

*With all your might, you force the oversized metal doors apart. Air hisses into the room as you crack the stubborn seal.*

*The chamber that awaits is vast, its outer reaches lost in the cold and gloom.*

*You remind yourself that not so long ago you stood in this room as the Empire's agent. Now you intend its execution.*

M*alaclypse strides forward purposefully, exclaiming, "Is this it? I was expecting a welcoming party of a hundred armed guards. I've been working on a spell that would have blown them into a thousand pieces! Or a thousand frogs, who can remember..."*

*Colbjorn kneels and examines the ground, swiping his finger along the dusty floor.*

*"This is no throne room. This is a tomb."*

*Estrella strides into the room. "It is time to make amends," she says through gritted teeth.*

*You catch Ariadne admiring the metalwork on the doors. "Sorry," she says, shifting her hammer from hand to hand. "Once a blacksmith, always a blacksmith!"*

*From the darkness you hear a throat cleared with calculated intent, and the group snaps to attention.*

**All Encounters on the map are revealed.**
The Peace District, Main Gate

## Event

*You arrive at the main gate into the Peace District.*

*A slow-moving line of townsfolk shuffle along as Empire soldiers check for your face.*

**The Dealer draws 2 Steel Monster Cards.**

1) Join the line into the Peace District. (Go to next level)

*You join the line of grumbling citizens and merchants and hope that you are not spotted.*
**Chance Cards Gambit**
Success
*Somehow, by some miracle, the soldiers do not notice you.*
*In fact, one even stops to ask if you have seen the "treasonous snake coming to assassinate the emperor".*
A) Say that the culprit has an exceptionally long chin. (Lose 4 Fame)
*"The crux of evil lies within the chin," the soldier recites. "Yes, I think I've heard that before."*
**The player loses 4 Fame.**
**The player moves to the next map.**
**Patrolling Soldiers are revealed on the map.**
B) Say you have not.
(insert text here)
Failure
*Hey! They're right here!" A soldier, holding a crude draw*
ing of your face, gestures wildly as his comrades press through the crowd toward you.

**The Player Enters Combat.**
*The crowd backs away in fear. You step over the bodies and press on into the Peace District.*
**You gain 4 Fame.**
2) Continue exploring this district.
Worker's Hammer

*"A simple weapon that clearly establishes your preferences for brutality."*

## Weapon Information

*There are subtle weapons, there are weapons for delicate and skilled hands, and then there's this.*

## Weapon Ability

**Critical Strike:** Perform a powerful strike that causes 225% Damage on a single target when activated.

**Ignore Defence**: Weapon deals full damage to enemies regardless of Defence. Useful against Empire and Ogres.

## Statistics

Weapon Type: Heavy

Damage: 23

Value: 10

Fame Required: None

Endless Points: N/A

## Token Requirements

Bash 40 Empire enemies as they Block to unlock this token.

## Token Unlocks

*For proving no shield is an obstacle against a Hammer...*

Spiked Mace
Wheel of Rage

*"Anger - you and I must both cultivate our anger, for Kallas lies at the end of our quest, and we will need to be white-hot in our rage to defeat him."*

## Event

*Harro appears before you in a vision of silver.*

*"People claim that they fight for freedom, for coin or to protect the weak.*

*"The truth makes liars of them all. They fight because inside their hearts burns an unquenchable rage.*

*"If you are to free us, you must be not just a skilled warrior but prepared for whatever fate may set in your path."*

**Wheel Gambit** (6 Monster Cards)

*"No righteous battle is without a limitation on time - a lover in peril or a comrade suspended from the hangman's noose.*

*"Fate will decide the sand in the hourglass."*

**Wheel Gambit** (1 30 Seconds, 2 60 Seconds, 2 90 Seconds, 1 120 Seconds)

*"You are not the first hero to attempt these trials. What separates you from the others?"*

**The player enters Combat with the drawn Monster Card with the drawn timer duration.**

If the player defeats the enemies before the timer ends:

**The player draws 2-3 Gain Cards.**
*"Well done," Harro cheers. "You have proven yourself capable of besting fate itself."*
**The player gains 4 Fate Shards.**
**The player gains 4 Fame.**
Otherwise:

*Harrow cannot hide his disappointment.*
*"You must master both the deadly arts - combat and fate. Withoyt both, you are a man with only one leg, destined to walk in circles."*
**The player gains 4 Fame.**
Wheel Gambits

## Cards that can influence Wheel Gambit outcomes

### Companions

* Malaclypse - **Respin Wheel:** Optionally, respin any Wheel Gambit, but lose your Companion for 3 Turns.
* The Dealer (Valenos) - **Retry Gambit:**Optionally, reroll a failed Dice Gambit or retry any other Gambit, but lose your Companion for 5 Turns.

### Equipment

* Dead King Scales - **Duplicate Card:** Optionally, duplicate a card in each Wheel Gambit.
* Felvin's Favour - **Remove Card:** Optionally, remove a Card from each Wheel Gambit.
* Grifter's Companion - **Wheel Nudge:** Optionally, nudge the result onto the next card during a Wheel Gambit.
* Ring of Preparation - **Wheel Peek:** View the Cards in the Wheel Gambit before it spins.

### Blessings

* Deft Eye - **Slower Spin:** Reduce the speed of a Wheel Gambit.

### Curses

* Wheel of Confusion - **Reversal:** All Wheel Gambits rotate in the reverse direction.

## Cards that can be triggered by Wheel Gambits

### Equipment

* Frontier Barbut - **Map Reveal:**After every encounter with a Gambit, Reveal 1 random Encounter Card on this level.

### Blessings

* Braggart - **Fame:** Gain +[5-20] Fame until you lose any Gambit, then discard this card.
The Fool

> *"The fool steps into nothingness, because they know no better. In the same way, you must step into the void. You are a blank slate, and together, we will write your history."*
>
>

This is the first challenge of *Hand of Fate 2,* and serves as a tutorial level for the game, introducing players to the mechanics of movement, resources, battle, encounters, and character customization.

## Quest Summary

Every journey begins by stepping into the unknown.

## Deck Composition

Companions: None

 Max Platinum
 Max Brimstone

## Objectives

* Find the leader of the Thieves
* Retrieve your Amulet
* Get Gold for Vignus

## Challenge-Specific Cards

* Forest Ambush
* A Friend in Need
* The Royal Road
* Carnival
* Dead Drop

## Rewards

#### Equipment

* Cardinal Blade
* Bastion of Purification

#### Encounters

* Market Thief
* Tarts, Pies, and Exotic Lies
* Fork in the Road
* Arm Wrestling

*Shadow beasts have entered the realm...*

* A Fiend in Need
* The Peasant's Son

### Companion Unlocked

* Malaclypse's Problem
* Malaclypse The Trickster

## Notes

* Because this is the game's basic tutorial, the cards you encounter and where they are placed on each level is the same for all players, rather than being random like all the other challenges.
* If the player does not succeed on it the first time, the Finding Forest Folk encounter is also given to them in addition to the other rewards.
* Despite not being part of the official rewards for the challenge, the cards Distressed Damsel and Deep Water, which appear here, are added to the player's deck.
The Lovers (Encounter Card)

*"True love transcends life. True revenge, also."*

## Event

*With a shout of relief, Oswin announces that Nightshade Copse is just over the hill.*

1) Go forth to Nightshade Copse.

*The village looks abandoned.*
*The sky darkens. In the town square stands a beautiful woman, her skin gray and mottled. You feel a sudden chill in the air.*
*The woman's voice grates and hisses as if long unused. "Dearest Oswin, you have come for me."*
*Entranced, the potato farmer takes a step. You grab his shoulder, breaking the spell.*
*The woman squints in your direction. "Oswin, who is this?"*
*Your companion looks to you, still in a daze. You notice that, somehow, he is clutching a potato.*
*Oswin grips the potato in both hands. He looks back at his lover in defiance. "This is my friend."*
*A heartbroken screech wrenches from the woman and she doubles over in pain.*
*Horrified, you watch as her face twists and hollows and her limbs lengthen, until before you stands a Shade, swirling with fury.*
**The Dealer draws a Shade of Skulls and 2 more Skulls Cards.**
*The ghostly figure lifts her arms and she begins to rise into the air.*
**The player enters Combat.**
*Oswin kneels over the body of the wraith and begins to weep. As a soft rain falls on the village square, you quietly leave the man to his grief.*
2) Continue exploring.
Silver-Tipped Saw

## Weapon Ability

**Area Stun:** Causes Stun to an area when activated. Stunned enemies take +150% Damage when hit. Requires 10 hits.

**Riposte Damage:** Ripostes deal 200% Damage.

**Kill Stunned Bonus:** Defeating Goblins affected by Stun causes 30 Damage to all enemies affected by Stun.

## Statistics

Weapon Type: One-Handed

Damage: 16

Value: 40

Fame Required: 12

Endless Points: N/A
Wine of the Gods

*"Caution here. The offerings are strange... and dangerous."*

This is a Brimstone Encounter Card in *Hand of Fate 2.*

## Event

*"Are you a god? Or a mere mortal?" A sharply dressed peddler points you out from a crowd. "Come forth and be judged worthy by this wine - brewed from grapes fallen from the very sky itself!"*

*He strokes a tall bottle of black wine.*

*"Your blood will boil or your toes will curl into your feet. If they don't, you'll win one hundred gold coins!" The peddler runs his hands through a bowl of shining gold with a sly smile. "Do you dare try it?"*

1) Drink.

*He unstoppers the wine with a hiss, and pours the glittering black liquid into a goblet.*
*"Try pinching your nose!" Somebody in the crowd shouts, as you tip back the smoking drink.*
**Wheel Gambit** (100 Gold Gain, 5 Life Pain, 15 Life Pain, 50 Life Pain, 25% Max Life Pain, 30% Max Life Pain, 50% Max Life Pain)
100 Gold Gain
*The wine goes down smooth and is almost pleasant - a sweet, charred taste.*
*You stand awkwardly before the breathless crowd as the peddler gasps at you. "Oh my! You did it! Most people die!"*
**The player gains 8 Fame.**
**The player acquires the 100 Gold Gain Card.**
**The player gains this card's Shard.**
Life Pain
*The wine tastes icy cold and bitter.*
*"There he goes!" You feel a sharp pain in your stomach and the ground rises up to meet you.*
**The player suffers the Life Pain.**
2) Leave.

*The peddler has already moved onto his next target - a small boy clutching a sugared apple. "Hello, little man. Are you a god? Or a mere mortal?"*
Spider Trap

## Event

*Looking to avoid trouble with a local gang of Thieves, you duck into an abandoned warehouse.*

*Creeping among the broken crates and smashed furniture, you suddenly sense movement above you!*

*An enormous spider hangs among the dusty rafters of the building, attending to the still form of a hapless adventurer wrapped in silken web.*

*As you watch, the terrible creature finishes its gruesome meal and, fully fed, retreats into the deeper shadows.*

*You climb up onto a sturdy ceiling beam and work your way towards the silent and still cocoon.*

**The Dealer draws 1-4 Equipment Cards with Faction traits.**

**Wheel Gambit** (1-4 Equipment Cards, 2 Gold Gain Cards, 1 Failure, 1 Huge Failure)

Equipment Card

*You cut down the remains of the hapless victim only to find nothing more than some old boots and a piece of equipment.*
*The boots melt away before your eyes under the strength of the spider's caustic saliva, while the equipment smokes and hisses until you clear it off with water.*
If the Equipment Card is a weapon:
**Weapon Damage reduced by half**
**The player gains the Equipment Card.**
*You determine the [Equipment] is damaged but still usable. You scurry away from the infested warehouse.*
**The player gains this card's token.**
Gold Gain Card

*You cut down the remains of the hapless victim only to find nothing more than some old boots and some gold pieces.*
*The boots melt away before your eyes under the strength of the spider's caustic saliva, while the gold smokes and hisses until you clear it off with water.*
**The player acquires the drawn Gold Gain Card.**
*The gold is tarnished by the effects of the spider bile, but still usable you decide as you scurry away from the infested warehouse.*
Failure

*As you hack at the silken cocoon, the beastly arachnid stirs and sprays a jet of caustic saliva at you!*
**The player draws a Life Pain Card.**
*You flee the infested building having gained naught but a fresh wound.*
Huge Failure

(insert text here)

## Token Unlocks

*For venturing into the spider's nest...*

Imperial Helm
Wandering Tracker

This is an Encounter Card in *Hand of Fate 2.*

## Event

*One day you meet a Northerner displaced from her homeland by warfare.*

*She explains she is a tracker for hire, working for those who can pay.*

*She speaks at length about the nearby terrain.*

**An Encounter Card is revealed on the map.**

*"For 5 gold, do you want me to take you directly there now?"*

1) Accept. (Lose 5 Gold).

(insert text here)
2) Decline.

*She continues to relate tales about her journeys.*
If there are no unrevealed Encounters on the map:
You learn nothing new from her tales.
**Encounter ends.**
Otherwise:
**An Encounter Card is revealed on the map.**
"*For 8 gold, do you want me to take you directly there now?"*
A) Accept. (Lose 8 Gold)
(insert text here)
B) Decline.
*She continues to relate tales about her journeys.*
If there are no unrevealed Encounters on the map:
You learn nothing new from her tales.
**Encounter ends.**
Otherwise:
**An Encounter Card is revealed on the map.**
*"For 11 gold, do you want me to take you directly there now?*
1) Accept. (Lose 11 Gold).
*You pay the gold and set off at a brisk pace.*
**The player moves to the revealed Encounter.**
**The player gains this card's Shard.**
2) Decline.

## Options and rewards

She will reveal 3 encounter cards, one after the other. You can pay her to be taken directly to the last one revealed for increasing amounts of gold. (2, 5, 11)
Weave of the Warden

## Armor Ability

**Stun Blast:** Charged Bash causes Stun to an area when activated. Basic Bash causes a brief Stun. Requires 6 defends.

**Resist Traps:** Damage from Traps is reduced by 50% (min. 1).

**Extra Reroll:** Gain an extra reroll during Dice Gambits.

## Statistics

Armor Type: Light

Defence: 5

Value: 25

Fame Required: 6

Endless Points: 35

## Unlocked By

Acquire the token for Weave of the Protector.
The Shaman's Phophecy

*Drenched in Northerner*
blood, Colbjorn’s swords grow warm in your hands. The red-hot blades begin to
smolder. The heat becomes unbearable. You release your grip to avoid permanent
injury.

*The twin blades*
hit the ground like a clap of thunder. When the smoke clears, your companion,
Colbjorn the Wanderer, lies before you.

(If current companion is Ariadne): *Ariadne laughs and claps her hands. "I knew it! That witch was playing us all the while! I just knew you were in those swords. That's why they were so damn heavy."*

(If current
companion is Malaclypse): *Malaclypse screams at the top of his lungs before*
settling down with a cough. “Rather unexpected. Moved my lunch around a bit.
Shouldn’t you be dead?”

The reborn Northerner lies on his back, looking into the sky. "Where am I?"

Tell him he is dead

*“If that’s the case,” Colbjorn glances at*
Malaclypse, “why is he here?”

*He blinks at his surroundings. “These are*
not the Great Halls. Where is the ocean of honey mead? And my sons to greet me…”

*He sighs. “Everything was white, for so*
long. Painful. I couldn’t move…”

A) Ask what happens now.

*Colbjorn lies in silent contemplation.*

*“It was not so difficult in the end. I*
died to save you…and that is why the ancestors spared me.” Colbjorn looks
different, bigger somehow. Calmer.

*He gets to his feet and you hand him his swords.*
The blades continue to smolder, ready to burst into flame at any moment.

*He tests the weight of them in his hands and*
nods. “I’m ready now. Rogvir will die as I have died, and my sons have died.
Then we shall be avenged. ”

B) Tell him he was inside the swords.

*“The shaman,” Colbjorn touches his swords.*
“She wished me to die with honour so that I could be reborn.”

*“It was not so difficult in the end. I*
died to save you…and that is why the ancestors spared me.” Colbjorn looks
different, bigger somehow. Calmer.

*He gets to his feet and you hand him his swords.*
The blades continue to smolder, ready to burst into flame at any moment.

*He tests the weight of them in his hands and*
nods. “I’m ready now. Rogvir will die as I have died, and my sons have died.
Then we shall be avenged. ”

2)  Tell him he was dead

*He sighs. “Everything was white, for so* long. Painful. I couldn’t move…”

A) Ask what happens now.

*Colbjorn lies in silent contemplation.*

*“It was not so difficult in the end. I died to save you…and that is why the ancestors spared me.” Colbjorn looks different, bigger somehow. Calmer.*

*He gets to his feet and you hand him his swords. The blades continue to smolder, ready to burst into flame at any moment.*

*He tests the weight of them in his hands and nods. “I’m ready now. Rogvir will die as I have died, and my sons have died. Then we shall be avenged. ”*

B) Tell him he was inside the swords.

"The shaman," Colbjorn touches his swords. "She wished me to die with honour so that I could be reborn."
The Eternal Liberator

> *"Corruption continues to our steps and delay our progress."*
>
>

This is a Trial Card in *Hand of Fate 2.*

## Trial

**Wheel Gambit:** At the end of the current Adventure face a challenging Wheel Gambit.

## Outcomes

### Success

For success, keep the Gain Card from the Wheel Gambit.

### Failure

For failure, keep the Pain Card from the Wheel Gambit.

## Event (Opening)

*Drunken tales in the shipyard taverns speak of "The Eternal Liberator", an Imperial warship once laden with treasures - now perched precariously on the rocks below the Cliffs of Oblivion.*

*Many a daring - or foolish - soul has already perished trying to reach it. You decide to journey there and see for yourself.*

## Event (Closing)

*You arrive at the Cliffs of Oblivion and risk a peek over the edge.*

*A sizable Imperial vessel has indeed dashed against the rocks below; reaching it won't be easy. Escaping with any loot will be even more difficult.*

*With little more than a rope and a prayer to the ancient gods you make your way down the Cliffs of Oblivion to the marooned ship.*

**Wheel Gambit (8 cards, variable mix of Gain Cards and Pain Cards, with variable speed depending on difficulty level)**

Success (A Gain Card)

*With skill and daring, you make your way back to solid land and less treacherous pursuits.*

**The player receives Endless Points and their chosen Gain Card**

Failure (A Pain Card)

(insert text here)
The Winds Return

*"A challenge for your skills. Handled well, little else is more deadly."*

## Weapon Information

*This weapon was crafted by the Lizardmen in order to halt the wave of Imperial expansion. The effort failed, but the weapon is effective nonetheless.*

## Weapon Ability

**Deatharang:** Aim and throw a weapon and cause 400% damage and Stun to a single target when activated. Catch the blade to gain +6 Weapon Charge. Requires 14 hits.

**Stun Mages:** Causes Stun to all Mages when the Weapon Ability is used against a Mage.

**Light Special:** Ignore enemy Defence.

## Statistics

Weapon Type: Light

Damage: 10

Value: 42

Fame Required: 9

Endless Points: 60

## Shard Requirements

Defeat 12 Mages with this item to unlock this Shard.
The Hermit's Death

This is a challenge-specific card for The Hermit. Rather than being placed on the board, this card only appears if the the "Empire is X Days Away" objective counter is allowed to reach 0, and thus failing the challenge.

## Event

*It happens in an instant.*

*From an indeterminate point in the forest, a sweep of green melts away all traces of winter.*

*You find yourself blinking in the heat of the summer sun.*

* *Ariadne, with little tact or nuance, gives voice to your fears. "Ah, rats! They've gone and gotten him! He's dead."*
* *Colbjorn turns his doleful face to yours. He utters a truth you don't wish to hear. "The hermit is dead."*

**Challenge Failed**
Statue of a Priest

## Event

*A few sparse tufts of grass grow at the base of the statue - a rare sign of life in the Mournful Wastes.*

*One hand is raised in prayer. The other holds out a worn offering bowl.*

1) Pray for a riddle. (Lose X Gold) (X = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 24, 26, 30, 32, ...)

*With a cascade of dust, the statue's face begins to animate.*
* *"Beware the intersect of tree and tower."*
* *"Walk the bloodied hill 3 times in order to reach the gateway."*
* *"Beware the step east of the bridge."*
* *"Find treasure between twin oaks."*
* *"South of the chest, fire and brimstone awaits."*
* *"Find the goat between twin towers."*
* *"All steps west of the goat lies only wrath."*
* *"The shadow of a tower brews sorrow."*
* *"A pirate seeks shelter under wide branches."*
* *"Find mercy 3 steps from the bridge."*
* *"A pirate waits north of the bridge."*
* *"3 steps from the holy man waits the bloody hill."*

Review collected Riddles at the Campfire. Although the Map may change, the Riddles will always be true.
2) Pray for mercy. (Lose 20 Gold)

*With a cascade of dust, the statue's face begins to animate.*
*"You are not the cursed pirate. Why do you help him? His fate is his own and deserved." A hissing sound escapes the statue, almost like laughter.*
**The player loses 20 Gold.**
* *"Deckhand Rillen's soul is released. May you sleep well with this decision."
The spectre of a small, grubby boy steps out from behind the statue. He gives you a little wave before setting out into the Wastes.*
* *"Gunner Immor's soul is released. May you sleep well with this decision."*
*A ghostly woman, tall and gangly, steps out from behind the statue. She playfully cocks a pistol at you before turning away toward the Wastes.*
* *"Navigator Tok's soul is released. May you sleep well with this decision."
A hollow-eyed apparition steps out from behind the statue. He scans the horizon with a ghostly telescope and, having found something of interest, sets off at a brisk pace.*
* *"Quartermaster Barrelcloak's soul is released. May you sleep well with this decision."
A towering woman, her face deeply lined with age, steps from behind the statue. She frowns at the landscape before striding out into the wastes.*
* *"Beloved Yurna's soul is released. May you sleep well with this decision."
A spectral young woman in a ragged dress steps out from behind the statue. She gives you a heartbreaking smile before choosing a direction and heading into the wastes.*

**The player gains 2 Fame.**
3) Leave

**Encounter ends.**
*The statue begins to return to lifeless stone.*

* *"I watched as the goddess of the hearth slew her own sister. The skies rained blood for a hundred days."*
* *"Once we numbered more than the stars. Now only six true gods remain. The rest are dead - or imprisoned, as I am."*
* *"I do not remember how I came to be here. Whether I was imprisoned by mortals or my kin, time has worn my rage, my greed, and my memories to nothing."
The stone face grimaces. You can't tell if it's laughing or weeping.*
* *"We were fools. The mortals fell to their swords and greed and we thought we would not."*
The Peeler

## Weapon Information

*Weapons of this design left the Knights of the Tract shattered and dispersed.*

## Weapon Ability

**Shatter Armour:** Perform a powerful strike that causes Stun, 300% Damage and completely removes Armour when activated. Requires 7 hits.

**Armour Breaker:** Bash causes additional damage to Armour.

## Statistics

Weapon Type: Heavy

Damage: 23

Value: 41

Fame Required: 8

Endless Points: 200

## Shard Requirements

Destroy the armour of 15 Armoured Empire to unlock this Shard.
The Doors of Jeronym

*"And so the final door between you and the Emperor is before you."*

## Event

*You arrive at the door to the Emperor's chamber.*

1) Enter. (Go to next level) (only available after retrieving Ragnar's Cursed Blade)

2) Return to the courtyard.

*[Your companion] reminds you, "There's no point in us entering the Emperor's chamber if we don't have the means to kill him. We have to collect the sword from the vault.*