Night Whispers

Narrator Tips: There are several scenes that can lead to this bad ending, so you will have to improvise the specific details of this scene. All of the possible lead-ins, though, are similar in that after following tracks around in circles for the better part of the day, the cats ended up focusing on the wrong one. They’ve now gone far enough away that it will take the rest of the day to get home, and by the time they do, other warriors will have resolved the situation.

What Happens Next: Not every adventure can end in success, and this one hasn’t. Although they tried hard, the cats failed to solve the problems being caused by the fox in Clan territories. They do not get any Experience rewards for this adventure. The group can, however, play the adventure again, hopefully finding a way to get a better result next time.

18. Making the Trade

Read Aloud: “As you enter the small clearing, you can see the fox perched in her den within a hollow log. She’s looking right at you, as though she has been expecting you.”

Narrator Tips: The fox has the she-cat kit beneath her paws, but luckily the kit is free to call out to you. She says that she is all right, and she is happy to see her brother. Although she struggles to get free and come over to you, the fox maintains her hold.

The fox cub will immediately run to its mother unless the players’ cats stop it, which they can do easily. It will whine and keep trying to go, but there is nothing it can do to overpower the cats.

The fox will not let the kit go until the players’ cats let her cub come back to her. She does not like or trust the cats, and so will not release the kit until it is absolutely clear that they are not trying to trick her. The cats may want to talk to her or try to negotiate a situation where both the cub and kit are released at the same time. However, while the fox is clever, she at best only understands the very basics of what the cats are saying.

This might be a tricky scene for you, as Narrator, to improvise, but try to make the fox’s meaning and intention as plain as possible without actually putting words in her mouth. It is up to the players to figure out how to solve this situation, but if they are having too difficult a time of it, allow their cats to make Ponder Checks (using the Animal Lore Knack, if they wish). If the Skill Check total is higher than 8 (the fox’s Intelligence score), they understand the situation and know what the fox is demanding.

If the cats are not willing to release the cub, nothing will change. The only other option is to start a fight with the fox, though it’s doubtful anyone really wants that to happen.

Once the cub is free and very close to the hollow log, the fox will let the she-cat kit go and move to nuzzle her pup. At that point, the kit will run directly over to her brother.

What Happens Next: If the cub and kit are both back with their families, continue with 19.

If the cats won’t let the cub go, choosing instead to start a fight, continue with 8.

19. The Stare Down

Read Aloud: “The kit dashes across to her brother and they roll about with wild enthusiasm. Meanwhile, the fox nudges her cub into the den with its siblings, then steps out and glares at you angrily.”

Narrator Tips: The fox has gotten just what she wanted, but she’s still not very happy about the situation. The cats know where her den and, more important, her cubs are. Now she will have to take her cubs and go find a new den, preferably far away from the Clan territories. The angry glare is her way of saying “Leave my family alone… or else!”

As with the previous scene, there really isn’t any way to have direct communication between the fox and the players’ cats. Through an improvised scene and a few well-placed Ponder Checks, though, you should be able to get the players to understand what’s going on.

The big question is how the players’ cats will respond to such an aggressive stance. The fox doesn’t want to fight; she just wants the cats to know that she will if it’s necessary. If the cats are feeling aggressive, though, that might be enough to get combat started. If they simply acknowledge the fox’s anger and concern, though, she will gladly let the tension ease.

What Happens Next: If the cats accept the fox’s message without escalating to violence, continue with 21.

If the cats decide to take the tension up to the next level and start a fight, continue with 8.

20. Climbing Down

Read Aloud: “The kit is so relieved that the situation with the raccoon is over that he almost leaps off the branch. It’s then that he realizes just how high up he and the cub are. ‘H-how do we get down from here?’ the kit asks.”