Arnuuk is surprised by your report - but definitely intrigued to learn that the mountain holds a dragon. A dragon whose primary defender is now dead.

"An interesting discovery, warrior. There have long been rumors of old Khazanaak The Blue in the mountains; but it had been thought he had fled to some other ice floe hundreds of years prior. This is good to know - and you have earned your reward..." He presents you with the blade you selected - and with some negotiation, the additional reward of the Devil-Spy trinket. He's also good enough to explain to you what your spoils infact do!

When you return to your thralls, they are recovering around a fire while Thrud has been taken into the hospitality of the owner of the longhouse; the same who took you in, when you were fished out of the snow in a similar condition. She will be in recovery for some time; and likely receive local aid restoring her home.

Byjan looks over your spoils breifly with his one good eye, before striking up a conversation with you.

"...Joruun... What happens, now? Are we going west, to Skjold, to find out why there has been no vengeance for our clan from the rest of the Bjornling tribe? Or further into Skaeling territory, to take vengeance ourselves...? Or ... do we need money first, before anything?"

It's a fair question. The blood of your people lies unavenged under the snow, crying out for reprisal - but then, those were people who refused to name you, and did not respect you. What do you owe them? The Skaeling are a powerful tribe - a small group could perhaps raid and plunder from their edges, with obvious risks. But a little more wealth - enough to outfit yourself properly and to clothe your thralls so you do not lose them to the teeth of winter - would also be useful. That would entail looking for work the hard way - tasking around to see if anyone needs a job done, probably a dangerous one, for decent recompense. Otherwise, you could try to steal a ship and make for another tribe's port, hoping to sell it there for a great prize of silver.

But on top of this decision, Byjan is certainly beginning to act as if you are partners, and as if he did not have a thrall-brand on him. So far you've been able to operate in this vague 'pretend to be my thrall' space; but it will not last. Soon you will either have to declare him a free man - a process that will require the surgical removal of the brand on his skin, and then you will have to see how this changes the micropolitics between your remaining thralls -... or you will have to put him in his place, forever cementing the nature of your friendship having changed to one of master and servant.

Spoiler: Loot!
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I like the little imp-telescope. But if there's a non-specified reward on the table, feel free to pitch it to me in the OOC before we chuck it on the record - it'll save a weird rollback if it turns out not to be the kind of thing available, or conflicting with some story element not yet revealed, or something like that!

But you have the Devil-Spy, a pocket, evil-powered spyglass. And you also have a new sword...

Witherbrand is a Good Quality hand weapon (shortsword). It is a Chaos Weapon - infused with dark magic, though not a daemonic spirit. In addition to being a hand weapon it has the following qualities:

Magic Destroyer - When this weapon strikes a character with a positive Magic Characteristic, the victim must succeed on a -10% Willpower Test or lose 1 point of Magic for 1d10 hours. Effects are cumulative.

Bound Spell - Once per combat, you can invoke the spell bound into the blade as if you were casting it with a Magic Characteristic of 3. The spell bound within is Lure of Chaos (Target takes a willpower test or you decide its actions next turn). If your casting provokes the curse of Tzeentch, you endure the effects just as a mage would. This is a sophisticated action and cannot be performed during a frenzy.