Эрин Хантер - Battles of the Clans

Special Note:Although ShadowClan as a whole can sometimes be secretive and difficult to deal with, they are not by any means evil cats. In fact, the individual cats of ShadowClan are as varied as those of any Clan. It is entirely possible that some, or even all, of the players in your game have cats who are from ShadowClan. If so, these cats get a +4 bonus to any Intelligence, Spirit, Focus, Hiss, or Ponder Check made while interacting with other ShadowClan cats in this adventure.

Narrator Tips:As the cats get closer to the bottom of the hill and the Lake, they enter the most populated part of ShadowClan territory. It’s always nerve-wracking going uninvited into another Clan’s territory, and ShadowClan has a reputation for being especially protective of its borders.

The land itself seems well suited for ShadowClan. The trees grow close together, blocking out the sky and casting shadows everywhere. A cat who knew the territory well could be hiding nearby and a stranger would never even know it.

Do what you can to play up the mystery and danger of the scene, and then have a patrol of ShadowClan cats arrive, seeming one instant to be a part of the shadows and the next stepping out for all to see. There are a number of cats in the patrol equal to the number of players’ cats (not counting the Narrator’s cat). They are bold and aggressive and the largest of them, Ratscar, steps forward and challenges the players’ cats. He demands to know what they are doing in ShadowClan territory and ordering them to leave immediately. The ShadowClan cats arch their backs and hiss, but do not actually attack. It is clear, though, that they are challenging the players’ cats to make the first move.

What Happens Next:The next step is up to the players and how their cats choose to react.

If they want to talk to the ShadowClan cats to tell them about the danger, continue with 6.

If they want to accept the ShadowClan cats’ challenge and start fighting, continue with 18.

18. Border Skirmish

Read Aloud:“‘Now we see your treachery!’ yells Ratscar. ‘ShadowClan, attack!’”

Narrator Tips:This scene centers around a battle between the players’ cats and the ShadowClan patrol (and uses the standard fighting rules as described in Chapter Five of the game rules). There is one member of the patrol for each of the players’ cats (not counting the Narrator’s). All of the ShadowClan cats have the same game statistics.

ShadowClan Patrol Cat: 20 moons old; Strength 6, Intelligence 3, Spirit 1; Skills: Arch +1, Jump +2, Sneak +2, Swat +2; Knacks: Belly Rake, Leap, Mighty Swat, Stalk, Track, Yowl.

You may want to write down the ShadowClan cats’ game stats and track each of them separately on a piece of paper for easy reference during the fight.

After three rounds of fighting, have all the cats (including the ShadowClan patrol) make Listen

Checks. Any cat whose total is 7 or higher hears the deep, wet “schloomph” sound of the pools above collapsing. Any player’s cat who hears this knows there is a flash flood coming down the hill somewhere near here. The ShadowClan cats are a little worried by that strange sound but seem ready to go on fighting.

What Happens Next:If two or more of the players’ cats were knocked out during the fight, continue with 7.

If the cats decide to go on fighting, let them do so for one more round, then the chapter ends.

Hand the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 15.

If the cats decide to stop fighting and try to warn other members of ShadowClan of the impending danger, this is the end of the chapter. Hand the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 11.

19. Here Comes the Sun

Read Aloud:“The next morning, representatives from all the Clans come into ShadowClan territory to help them recover from the flash flood. A long, slimy, foul-smelling streak of mud stretches from high on the hill down to the waters of the Lake, and there are branches and large rocks strewn all about. Only a few cats were hurt, though, and no one was killed, so it is not an exaggeration to say that a tragedy was averted—thanks in good part to your actions.”

Narrator Tips:ShadowClan will not let the other Clans spend very much time here, not wanting them to learn too much about their territory. But it is important for them to prove that the flash flood has not weakened their Clan in any way—they are still as strong and capable of defending themselves as ever.

Blackstar, the ShadowClan leader, will give a brief statement of thanks to the players’ cats, admitting that if not for their efforts the situation would have been much worse. The members of the other Clans might be more effusive with their praise.

What Happens Next:The players’ cats should be proud of what they accomplished. But the nature of life as a warrior is that there is always another calamity waiting to happen. And, as good a job as the group did here, they should know that they’ll have to do even better next time. Because it is a warrior’s job to not just protect his or her Clan from one threat but from all of them!

20. Not Good Enough

Read Aloud:“The next morning, representatives of all the Clans come into ShadowClan territory to help them recover from the flash flood. A long, slimy, foul-smelling streak of mud stretches from high on the hill down to the waters of the Lake, and scattered around are the bodies of cats who were killed in this tragic event.”

Narrator Tips:The players’ cats have ended up in this scene because somewhere along the way they did not do enough to help the cats of ShadowClan.

It’s entirely possible that they proceeded with good intentions, but the results are no less catastrophic. No one really blames them—the flash flood was not their fault, and chances are good that they at least wanted to help—but it seems likely that at least some of those hurt or killed by the waters could have been saved if the players’ cats had been more deeply involved. If they were helping to rescue drowning cats, but didn’t succeed in rescuing very many, some members of ShadowClan might think that the group wasn’t trying hard enough.

On the other hand, it may be that the cats chose to ignore the problem because of some bias against ShadowClan. If this is the case, or if the players seem too unaffected by this tragedy, have a cat who they respect—perhaps their Clan leader—come over and talk to them about the events. Have that cat focus on the fact that part of the warrior code is to protect kits, no matter what Clan they belong to, and that can easily be imagined to mean any Clan cat who is helpless and in danger. The Clans may sometimes be at odds, but they must act together for the good of all if they are to survive the many dangers of the world.

What Happens Next:This is the end of the adventure, and it is not a good end. 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 next time.

AFTER THE ADVENTURE

After the last scene of the adventure has been played, the game itself is not necessarily over. There still are a few things you can do if the players want to keep at it.