The Fourth Apprentice

If the cats decide to go directly into the deep part of the woods, continue with 7.

5. You Give Me Fever

Read Aloud: “Despite the fact that it’s a warm day in the middle of greenleaf, you feel cold. In fact, you find yourself beginning to shiver slightly.“

Narrator Tips: Although the cats seemed completely fine at the start of the adventure, the truth is that they were already infected with the fever that is ravaging the Clans. But out here in the middle of a strange land, there is no medicine cat to take care of them, nor a comfortable nest to lie down in. The cats must press on. If they are successful in their mission, they will have feverfew to cool their brows. But until then, they must muddle through as best they can.

This isn’t a dramatic scene so much as it is a time when the cats have to muster their willpower and press on despite the fact that their own bodies are working against them. Whenever the cats reach this point, each must make a Spirit Check.

The first time a cat plays through this scene, if the total of the Spirit Check is 5 or higher, nothing happens. If the total is 4 or lower, though, he or she is feeling ill and must lose 1 chip of the player’s choice—as though the cat had taken damage in a fight (see Chapter Five of the game rules for details).

Each time the cat plays through this scene, the difficulty of the Spirit Check increases by 1. So the second time it must total 6 or higher in order to succeed, and it must total 7 or higher to succeed on the third time. This continues until the cat is cured of the fever.

What Happens Next: If the cats have just finished following the river or climbing the Twoleg path, this is the end of the chapter. Pass the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 15.

If the cats have just left one of the wrong ponds or successfully climbed the cliff, this is the end of the chapter. Pass the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 16.

If the cats have found the right pond, go back to 20 and follow the additional instructions.

6. Down by the River Side

Read Aloud: “As you go up the hill, the rocks grow bigger and the streams get wilder. So just as the climbing gets tougher, the rocks also become harder to navigate.“

Narrator Tips: Your job in this scene is to give the characters some information, and then let them choose their path. There are three main paths the cats may take. They can walk along the slippery rocks, dangerous as it may be. They can move away from the stream to the forest’s edge, but since the rocks along the stream are growing bigger, it will be impossible to see the water and the cats won’t know if the streams point to anything important. Finally, the cats can decide that walking along the stream is not the way they want to go after all, and they can try one of the other ways up.

You should give the players a chance to discuss the matter. Each course of action has its own ramifications and possible dangers. Your job is to make sure they understand that all the choices have their own element of risk.

What Happens Next: If the cats decide to walk along the slippery rocks, continue with 13.

If the cats decide to move to the edge of the woods, continue with 11.

If the cats decide to leave the stream and go into the deep woods, continue with 7.

If the cats decide to leave the stream and go up the Twoleg path, continue with 8.

7. Into the Woods

Read Aloud: “The woods are unusually dense, with trees growing close together and the ground covered in a thick underbrush. Still, you’re able to make steady progress.“

Narrator Tips: This scene is about the cats moving through the woods on the lower part of the hill. The going is tougher than they might hope because they have to push their way through underbrush and wind their way between trees. However, the cats still seem to be making good time, which seems odd. Have the characters each make a Ponder Check, and anyone whose total is 3 or higher realizes that the reason things are going quickly is that they don’t really seem to be going uphill very much—which is strange considering that they’re supposed to be climbing a very tall hill.

Once the cats realize this and the players have had a chance to talk about what it might mean, continue below.

Read Aloud: “As you push through the underbrush, suddenly you find yourself stepping into a clearing. A short field of grass leads up to a sheer wall of rock that is nearly as tall as the trees themselves.“