Survival

Game Master J4RH34D

"I don't believe I have. Let us walk some more and see if we find it."

"Living outside the box makes my feet hurt." Jester complains.

"I think it's a good idea to find something to drink first, before we give in to tiredness," Lamb offers.

"But my feet hurt." Jester complains again. He stops to take a look at his right front paw. But as he lifts it up to take a look the box slides to the right and pulls jester with it.

Now the little dragon lies on his side and even though he struggles he can't get up again. "Box decided it's time for a rest. And I can't persuade it otherwise. It won't get up again." he says panting.

"The li'le one needs a west. 'ewhahs so'e food."

Lamb puts down the box of fish. "Make sure no beetles make off with this box, would you, dear Wolf?" She asks of Wolf. Then she moves over to Jester, unties him and helps him put the box back upright. She looks around for some soft plants or undergrowth to place on the box's floor.

Jester jumps into the box and snuggles himself into it on the hay, the shells and the sea glass. (It's no gold but it will do for now :)

As Lamb can spare some attention on the box of fish again, Wolf moves over to Jester. "Rest, little dragon. We will stand watch."

"Aren't you tired too?" Jester asks yawning.

"Not yet, little Jester." Lamb answers

Jester curls up sticking his head besides his belly and dozes off.

Lamb places the box of fish next to Jester's box, where Wolf can look after both, and makes special note of which way they were heading in respect to how the box is standing now. She then looks for fruit or other possible edible things. She also looks to see if there are any large leaves or other containers to catch water with should rain come. She walks in widening circles, making sure to always keep one eye on the Jester and Wolf so as not to get lost in the woods.
Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

There is very little on the ground in the way of fruits or even animals. However there are multiple fungi to be seen. Patches of mushrooms grow in clusters: some short and white; others with elongated caps on tall thin yellow stalks; some are red capped with white spots; others have short fat bases and are green to brown in colour.
As there are minimal plants there is also no way you can see to catch rain.

As the group sets up camp for the night it starts to get even gloomier in the forest and soon becomes pitch dark.
As night falls the forest does not sleep however. The birds quieten down but other animals take their place; bats calling in the night for their prey, night time hunters silently fluttering after the creatures they call food.

As the temperature has gone down again to more manageable levels, Lamb starts humming tunes and reciting poetry again.

Wolf occassionaly prowls the enviroment, looking if he can catch anything, but does not stray too far from the other two.

After some hours of sleep Jester wakes up again while it is still night. But as he is not fond of walking again he simply listens to Lamb's songs and poems.

Only when his stomach complains about being empty after a while he says "I'm hungry."

"And thirsty."

"So am I," says Wolf.

"You can eat some of your fish," Lamb replies. "Wolf and I need some rest as well, can you look over us and the fish while we sleep? You can wake us when anything goes awry."

"I can do that." Jester replies and hops out of his box. "If you want you can sleep in my box." he offers Lamb, totally ignorant of the fact that Lamb would probably not fit.

"That's fine, but thank you," Lamb says. She lies down as Wolf snuggles up to her, having him in an embrace. "Sleep well, dear Wolf." As she falls to sleep, you see Wolf turning to smoke and being 'absorbed' into her, about at the same time as the glowing runes on their foreheads disappear.

Jester walks around the box and Lamb and Wolf investigating the environment and licking the dew from the leaves. As Wolf suddenly disappears into a cloud of smoke that disappears it makes Jester jump. First he looks anxiously around what the cause might be. Then he quickly approaches Lamb shaking her "Lamb, wake up. Lamb, Lamb, Wolf is gone!"

Lamb startles awake and sees Jester in a panic. "What is it, Jester?"

"Wolf is gone! He simply turned into smoke and disappeared!" Jester explains in terror. "Has he met his end?"

"No, we are right here, Jester. We are Kin." Lamb replies calmly.

Jester stares at her dumbfounded.

Lamb extends her hand as an invitation to come close, and says "Really Jester, it's nothing to worry about."

"Will Wolf come back?" Jester asks.

"Of course! We were just resting." Lamb replies

Jester doesn't really understand what that means and where Wolf went. But if Lamb is calm and not worried about that then it's probably alright. "I'll go back to my watch then."

He goes back to walking around Lamb and the box. Always looking back where Wolf was. And looking into the darkness if he hears some noise. After a while he walks to the surrounding trees one tree at a time. From the 'camp' to the tree, around the trunk and back again. Then to the next tree and so on. Now and then he sticks his head into the box of fish to take a bite.

As morning light starts to show through the trees a bit, Lamb wakes back up.
"Good morning, Jester."

Jester leans at a tree. As Lamb calls him he is startled. "Oh, hello. You're awake again. What are we doing now? Will Wolf come back now? Where do we get water? What do you eat for breakfast?"

Lamb smiles softly at the barrage of questions. "First I'll call Wolf, then we go looking for some water. I think we're both quite in need of some.".
She sits up straight.
"Wolf, are you there?"

A low, growling voice seems to come from Lamb, though she isn't moving her lips.
"I am, little Lamb."
a pause follows
"Is it time?"

Lamb replies."Yes, dear Wolf. Awaken from this pale slumber."
The glowing rune on her forehead appears again, and a dark grey smoke seems to ooze from Lamb.

A similar rune appears in the air close to Lamb, and the dark smoke moves slowly towards it, until it coalesces into Wolf, with his forehead right where the rune was hoovering. "Let's hunt... for water." he says. He grins at Jester, which looks pretty menacing when done by a wolf.

Jester is fascinated. "Wolf! You are back!" he jumps for joy. "Are you made of smoke?" He walks over and sticks his index finger into wolfs side. As he finds Wolf is solid he is wondering. "That's magical!"

Then he places himself besides wolf imitating his pose and his grin. Until he got another idea. "But water won't run away. Is that a hunt at all?"

"A scavenger hunt, perhaps", Lamb replies in Wolf's stead.

Wolf is amused by Jester's enthusiasm and nudges his nose into the dragon's flank. "Let's go on a scavenger hunt, little one."

"Yay. Scavenger hunt." he jumps for joy again. "Where to first?"

"What do you think is wisest? Continue the way we were headed, into the valley, so that we stay low? Water always runs to where it is low."
Lamb says. "Or we can head up the mountain and get a greater view of the surrounding area. Except walking up a mountain is likely more tiring and less likely to find water."

"I don't like tiring." Jester replies.

Lamb looks at how the box is standing and what direction that means they should be heading (as she remembered about it last night). Then she puts the crate of fish into the box, picks them both up, makes sure the length of rope is carried along as well but not in the way and a tripping hazard, and says "Well, following the valley it is then!"

The landscape doesn't change much as they walk, At least for the first few hours. After what feels like an age the forest starts to thin and the ground becomes rocky.
Continuing to walk, they soon leave the forest completely and see a clearing in front of them. Within the clearing no vegetation grows and large boulders litter the ground. On the far side of the clearing stands a cliff face that rises about 500 ft into the sky forming a culdesac.

Walking into the clearing and turning around it can be seen that the cliffs extend back and away from the clearing. The valley has been narrowing between the cliffs for about half a mile.

Even standing on the edge of the forest a few interesting things can be seen. There is obviously a cleared path leading between the edge of the forrest and the center of the cliff on the far side of the clearing. Looking at the end of the path a carved set of stairs is visible.

The forest ends in a roughly straight line. The cliff forms a half circle so the clearing is kind of shaped like this C|

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
"Well..." Jester says looking around.

"We could go there." he adds pointing in the direction of the path and the stairs but his paw sinks as he realizes that this means more walking and this time even upwards. "Stupid cliff. Why is here no water." Jester pouts.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

"Well, stairs do mean others have been here. They would need water too, so perhaps there's water up there." Lamb says lightheartedly, and walks towards the steps.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Wolf doesn't trust such a strange clearing. He keeps an eye out for danger as he makes his way towards the steps, and plans to make sure he's the first one to climb them if the steps only allow one abreast.

"Come, little Dragon. Let's not leave Lamb to climb alone."

Jester trots after the other two with a hanging head. Hours of walking to get nowhere. This is so frustrating.

After a while Jester looks up. "How long do these stairs go. And where do they lead?"

The steps are cut deep but narrow into the surface of the cliff, so the rise is slow but easy. They can only walk one across as they are narrow.

As Jester asks how far to go they are half way up, but it is difficult to tell as the view of the top of the cliff is blocked by the stairs up the cliff from them.

As they continue to climb they gain a breathtaking view over the forest below. The sounds of life still reach them, but much much quieter than before. The sun begins to beat down on them while they climb, but after a short while longer they reach the top of the stairs.

As they stand there a plateau spans across to their right west before reaching the mountains proper. the mountains span across in front of them and to their right. They can see a valley in front of them again with a forest dense from one side to the other. As they look to their right they can see that the path leads away in that direction. As they look to see where it goes they see a town in the distance.

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Stairs do that but are cut back from each other
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That is how they look from the side

Would you give me a description of the size of this town?

Jaster falls flat on his belly but that doesn't help. So he struggles to roll over on his side. "Aaaargh my back."

Steep stairs are no good for quadrupeds. "How can you stand that." he asks Wolf.