How to play, Chapter 12
Skarvold
In short
At level 12 you climb from the forest up to the Ashen Horn (D) and face Skarvold. Win, and you get dragon gold and a dragon blessing, then start over at level one. Your blessings, dragon gold and titles are yours forever.
The climb
Only at level 12 does the path up appear in the forest: D to the Ashen Horn. The climb uses a forest fight, even if you turn back at the top. Up there you decide whether to attack (A) or turn back (U). Running from the dragon works less often than in the forest, 40 times in a hundred without blessings.
Skarvold breathes fire, lashes with his tail and bites. Every so often he draws a deep breath, and then you had better be ready. Come on a day when he sleeps deeply and you get the first blow for free. If you die up there, you lose your gold like with any other death.
The hoard
The hoard starts at 50,000 gold and grows with every hero who dies: part of their gold makes its way up the mountain. During the restless days at the end of the year it grows faster. Whoever slays the dragon gets dragon gold, and the bigger the hoard, the more of it. After that the hoard starts again at 50,000 gold. You keep your dragon gold forever and can donate it at the building site.
The dragon blessings
After every victory you choose one blessing out of 3 that the dragon's blood offers you. There are 12 blessings, each with 3 stages, and they work in every run that follows. Once all blessings are full, you get 5 dragon gold instead.
| Blessing | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toughness | +2 maximum hit points per hero level | +4 maximum hit points per hero level | +6 maximum hit points per hero level |
| Stamina | Forest fights per day: +1 | Forest fights per day: +2 | Forest fights per day: +3 |
| Gold Nose | +8% gold from fights | +16% gold from fights | +24% gold from fights |
| Eagerness | +6% experience | +12% experience | +18% experience |
| Lucky Child | Good finds in the forest 25% more often | Good finds in the forest 50% more often | Good finds in the forest 75% more often |
| Herb Lore | The healer is 15% cheaper | The healer is 30% cheaper | The healer is 45% cheaper |
| Keen Blade | +3% damage | +6% damage | +9% damage |
| Thick Hide | 3% less damage taken | 6% less damage taken | 9% less damage taken |
| Vigilance | Whoever raids you in your sleep hits 7% weaker | Whoever raids you in your sleep hits 14% weaker | Whoever raids you in your sleep hits 21% weaker |
| Art of Escape | Escape succeeds 8 percentage points more often | Escape succeeds 16 percentage points more often | Escape succeeds 24 percentage points more often |
| Trader's Eye | Weapons and armour 8% cheaper | Weapons and armour 16% cheaper | Weapons and armour 24% cheaper |
| Class Master | Skill uses per day: +1 | Skill uses per day: +2 | Skill uses per day: +3 |
The next run
After your victory you start over: level one, no experience, no gold in pocket or bank, bare fists and rags, your skill back at the beginning. That sounds harsh, but you are not the same hero any more. You keep your dragon kills, your dragon gold, your blessings, all titles and the hunter's book. For 3 days you are protected from raids.
In return Skarvold grows 1 per cent stronger with every one of your victories. And from your second run on, some monsters in the forest bear the mark of the Horn. What that means, you will find out for yourself.
Every victory is recorded in the Hall of Heroes, and whoever wins first in a year earns a title with the year on it.