Icy Pool

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Encounter Conditions

None

Initial Text

Your reflection comes across a frozen-over pond in the forest. The ice looks thick enough to walk across if you're careful, but if nature shows have taught you anything, it's that you're wrong and will inevitably fall in and die.

Summary of Choices

1. Slide across - With >? reflexes ~ Gain 3 XP in Reflexes
2. Stare into the depths - Gain 4 XP in Will
3. Toss in a torch - At the cost of one reflected torch, this encounter is replaced with Forest Pool (Winter)
4. Pass it by - Walk Away

Choice Text and Results

Slide across

You guide your reflection out onto the ice, having a grand old time navigating across the thinner sections. You can't hear the creaking, but you can see spidering lines stretching out under your reflection's feet, which is all the creepier.

Eventually, with a gentle touch you make it across. Ha! Those nature shows have nothing on your skills… or your reflection's skills… however that works.

You've earned 3 XP in Reflexes

Stare into the depths

You settle your reflection on top of a particularly stable part of the ice shelf and stare into the depths. Periodically you think you can see something moving down there, like a fish or a great serpentine mass. Naw, that's probably just some roots.

You've earned 4 XP in Will

Or, with Ocean Sight:

You settle your reflection on top of a particularly stable part of the ice shelf and stare into the depths.

You can feel the water down there, somehow, like that residue of memory that lets you move around your place in the dark. A cold north wind rattles through the familiar corners of the room, stirring things here or there.

You've gained 25 duration of Numbing Chill. (only if you have Numbing Chill already)

You've earned 6 XP in Will

Toss in a torch

You press the torch-reflecting shard against the mirror and the torch bleeds back through, appearing in your reflection's matching hand.

From there it's a simple matter of dropping the torch on the ice. It melts through in seconds, which doesn't surprise you, but the way the water steams and boils after it falls in is a little alarming.

When it's finally done, the pond is open water spotted with chunks of ice.

Pass it by

You turn your back on the mirror for a moment, ignoring the reflections.

See Walk Away