Piled Blocks Of Ice

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Encounter Conditions

Christmas (2019 onwards)
ice carving chisel equipped

Initial Text

Not far from their ever-growing display of snowmen, some students have begun to pile blocks of ice. It looks more like the preparation for an ice carving contest, but that might just be your chisel talking.

Summary of Choices

1. Check the ice - learn Unmelting Ice Brick recipe
2. Carve a swan - gain 2 XP Will, or with 4+ bricks installed, carve a swan and gain 20 XP Will
3. Add an ice brick (with an unmelting ice brick) - lose unmelting ice brick
4. Leave it be - walk away

Choice Text and Results

Check the ice

2019-2021:

Although it's cold enough to keep the snow on the ground here, it doesn't seem to be cold enough for this ice to really stand up. You'll probably need something stronger than what the students are offering to make a proper ice sculpture.

You've learned a new chemistry recipe: Unmelting Ice Brick - Compress and fuse four handfuls of Unmelting Snowflakes

2022 onwards:

You're fairly confident you could make this ice with the right type of snow, but you could probably substitute in some dry ice as well.

You've learned a new chemistry recipe: Unmelting Ice Brick - Compress and fuse four handfuls of Unmelting Snowflakes

You've learned a new chemistry recipe: Unmelting Ice Brick - Fuse two handfuls of Unmelting Snowflakes with a lump of Dry Ice

Or, subsequent times:

You don't think these bricks are going to do a particularly good job. Even as cold as it is, they're pretty rapidly dwindling and they have all sorts of bubbles in them, so they'd probably split the moment you tried to carve them anyway.

You've earned 2 XP in Perception

Or, after adding some unmelting ice bricks:

Yeah, the bricks you added really stand out. There's no hope of carving with the ice the students brought, but you've got a real chance.

You've earned 4 XP in Will

Carve a swan

You carve into the bricks that students left, finding them crumbling at your chisel's slightest touch.

You've earned 2 XP in Will

Or, after giving 1 Unmelting Ice Brick, sometimes?:

You're pretty sure you could carve bricks like this into a pretty good swan, but aren't good enough at delicate work to do it all in one brick. A two-by-two arrangement would probably be enough, though.

Or, after adding 4 Unmelting Ice Bricks:

You carve into the bricks you've left here, revealing the beautiful swan that was hiding there all along.

You've earned 20 XP in Will

Add an ice brick

You carefully slot in an ice brick. It's clearly not like the ones the students brought, both higher clarity and not starting to sweat.

(Lose 1 Unmelting Ice Brick)

Leave it be

Are ice swans abominable?

It's pretty hard to make an argument for them to be counted as scary for the contest, so maybe focusing on snowmen will be for the best.

(Walk Away)