What is “A Tome of Fire Or Ice”?

Question

Has anyone figured out how the room for "A Tome of Fire Or Ice" works, by chance?

I'm only on the third floor, so I figure it's not that difficult, but unless my Google-fu was just being weak, I didn't have much luck finding it.

I simply don't know what it is or does.

There are two pulsating orange-rimed tiles, two obvious ice and fire (left to right) wall decorations, and the book seems mostly useless and just mentions dishes.

Any assistance on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much in advance.

Answer 1

Yeah -- you stepped on the fire side (you can tell by the color of the torch). The ice side gives the same buffs, but for Hyperborean damage/resistance. If you break the shelves to the north of either glowing square, they both burn out instantly.

Answer 2

if you step on either side it gives you a buff related to the appropriate element. The flavour text when you click the book is a reference to the "A Song of Ice and Fire" books by George R.R. Martin, which revolve mainly around the nobility of a fantasy world and features lengthy descriptions of the meals they eat.

Answer 3

Okay, so I took a chance and took my adventurer across the fiery-side orange-rimmed tile and received a buff to his fire damage output (+2) and his fire resistance (+6).

Good enough for me... oh, and I didn't die!