When Da Torches Burn Cold

The windswept Shetland Islands are a cold comfort for Erik Haldorson, a man haunted by a past he can't remember. He's returned just as the fiery Up Helly Aa festival is controversially cancelled, a decision that ignites more than just local gossip. Unbeknownst to anyone but his secretive grandmother, this cancellation has severed an ancient magical seal, unleashing something primal and terrifying from the ocean's depths. Now, unnatural storms lash the coast, and an ancient battleaxe above his grandmother's hearth begins to hum with an undeniable pull. Touching it plunges Erik into vivid, nightmarish visions of a forgotten history, revealing a monstrous sea creature and a lineage he never suspected. The festival was never mere tradition, but a fiery ritual to bind malevolent forces now stirring beneath the waves. Led by the ruthless Morag Tidebane, these witches weave dark blood magic, their ultimate goal to summon a terrifying Norse entity capable of devouring the islands. With the help of a loyal boat builder and a skeptical island warden, Erik must navigate the escalating elemental chaos, piece together the forgotten history, and embrace a destiny that will demand everything from him. As the islands teeter on the brink of destruction, Erik must resurrect a ritual of flame and iron, not as a performance, but as a desperate war against an ancient evil. Can he rally a community bound by tradition to fight a war no one else can see, or will Shetland be consumed by the rising darkness?