Эрин Хантер - Fading Echoes

There are two other bits of information that will become clear to the cats as they investigate the situation. First, there’s a smell of food in the air—not good fresh-kill but definitely food. Second, there’s a new sound on the wind—the sound of Twolegs as they chatter away somewhere nearby.

What Happens Next:If the cats decide to investigate the smell of food, this is the end of the chapter. Pass the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 6.

If the cats decide to investigate the sounds of Twoleg activity, this is the end of the chapter. Pass the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 7.

4. The Fading Voice

Read Aloud:“As darkness draws near, the sound of the yowling fades away completely. You’ll have to find somewhere warm to spend the night and continue searching in the morning.”

Narrator Tips:The cats were unable to find the source of the sounds, though they’ve come close. Still, with the light fading, they will have to camp for the night. Take this as an opportunity to let them do some more talking among themselves or perhaps a bit of hunting for fresh-kill to eat; then have them get what sleep they can.

If they want to set up a watch during the night, have each cat attempt a Listen Check during his or her turn. They do not hear any more of the yowling. However, if you as the Narrator want to improvise some excitement during the night, perhaps one of the cats can hear an owl or encounter a skunk or a raccoon. While such an encounter can be fun, make sure the players and their cats remember that the focus of the adventure is finding the source of the yowling.

In the morning, the cats smell a bitter, meaty scent on the wind. It’s not fresh-kill, but it’s definitely food. What’s more, they hear a new sound—the sound of Twolegs chattering away in their strange voices.

What Happens Next:If the cats decide to investigate the smell of food, continue with 6.

If the cats decide to investigate the sounds of Twoleg activity, this is the end of the chapter. Pass the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 7.

If the cats decide to avoid both of these opportunities and keep looking elsewhere in the woods for the source of the yowling, continue with 5.

5. Lost in the Woods

Read Aloud:“The woods grow thick, and although you hear many sounds, none of them are the yowls for help that you were sent to investigate.”

Narrator Tips:Let the cats investigate a bit further. Perhaps they find a grove of trees where some squirrels are scampering about, or a pond filled with leaping fish. But the one thing they do not find is any new sign of whoever was responsible for the yowls in the night.

After a little while make it clear to them that they have wandered so far off track that they’ve lost the trail entirely. There is no way they will ever solve the mystery.

What Happens Next:The cats will have to return to their camp and tell the Clan that they failed to find the source of the yowling. The Clan leader will tell them that the yowling has stopped, so maybe there was nothing to worry about in the first place. Still, the night guard will be doubled for the next moon, just in case the yowling returns.

Although they tried hard, the cats do not get any Experience rewards for this adventure. The group can, however, play the adventure again, hopefully changing some of their tactics so that they get a better result the next time.

6. A Strange Den

Read Aloud:“The food smell is coming from a peculiar pile of leaves. At first you thought it was a small bush, but no bush actually grows like that. It looks like the leaves and branches were torn off the plants from which they came and placed here intentionally like some kind of nest. But why? And why is the food smell coming from within this nest?”

Narrator Tips:Although the cats can’t figure it out for certain yet, the leaves and branches were put here by humans in an attempt to camouflage a cage. The food smell is from a small mouse that has been placed inside the cage as bait. To Clan cats it is obvious the mouse has been dead too long to make a good meal, and it smells strange—unnaturally clean and with a lingering scent of Twolegs.

Let the cats poke around and investigate as they like. Depending on what they do, you may want to allow them to try Ponder, See, or Smell Checks to see if they notice particular details (in general, a total of 6 should be enough to allow them to observe interesting details, all of which should point to the involvement of Twolegs). Remember not to use words like “cage” or “metal.” Try to describe the scene in terms that the cats would use—words like “den” or “thicket” or “nest.”

The cats can pull the leaves off the “den,” peek inside, sniff the food from a distance, or explore in any other way the players can think of. There is only one way to enter the cage and a particularly brave, curious, or foolhardy cat may try it. Other cats may avoid the cage and begin looking farther away. Those cats will discover more nests of leaves that have the same bitter food scent.

In addition, the cats now hear the sound of Twoleg voices chattering in the distance.

What Happens Next:If any cat decides to go into the cage, continue with 8.

If the cats decide to investigate the other food smells nearby, continue with 9.

If the cats decide to ignore the food smell and investigate the sounds of Twoleg activity, this is the end of the chapter. Pass the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 7.

7. The Twoleg Camp

Read Aloud:“Following the sounds of the Twolegs is easy. They apparently know nothing about stealth or subtlety. The question isn’t whether or not you can find their camp; the question is what you’ll do once you’re there.”

Narrator Tips:Finding the camp is so easy that the cats do not even have to make any Skill Checks. They can simply follow the chattering sound of the Twolegs calling out to one another. After a short journey, the cats find themselves atop a ridge that looks down on the Twoleg camp. It is a strange sight, not like a usual Twolegplace.

Two of the Twolegs’ monsters (larger than average) sit there, and both appear to be asleep. There is also a strange den of some sort. It’s made of some kind of soft skin that blows and flaps in the wind. And Twolegs are everywhere . There is also a faint cat scent coming from the Twoleg camp—enough cats to make up a small Clan—but no matter how hard the players’ cats search, they can’t see any cats down there.

The description above covers how the cats will see the scene, but as the Narrator you should have a clearer understanding. This is a temporary camp set up by people who work for a regional animal shelter. They have come to the woods to capture some of the wild cats, give them shots and other medical treatment, and take some of the healthier cats back to town where they can be adopted. In other words, these are good people who have only the best interests of the cats in mind, but the cats will think they are terrible threats.

The Twolegs have come in two vans (one contains supplies; the other has cages to capture, hold, and eventually transport cats). The Twolegs have also erected a tent where they’ve set up a makeshift animal hospital.