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Mira watches as Katnis studies the compass and points out the direction toward the next checkpoint.
She moves beside her teammate, eyes scanning the snow for signs to confirm the direction Katnis indicated — wind patterns, disturbed frost, and the subtle dips in terrain the compass alone can’t show.
Her blue-fletched arrows sway gently as she crouches low, brushing aside a thin layer of ice.
“Let's double-check the ground… just to be sure,” she says softly.
She step right behind Katnis, keeping her gaze sharp on the path ahead.
It takes Katniss a moment, but she is able to make a critical insight into the terrain. Elara didn't need the advice and was forging her own critical path but the advice made perfect sense. Only Purrlock falls behind to a significant degree. Still, the team overall makes excellent progress.
You reach the checkpoint before the other teams. After set up your tents at a designated spot, you see the Fangs of the Rhemoraz arrive. The droomar waves hello as he pulls out some pots and pans. You'd like to talk but it's more important to clear the event first.
The tall pines ahead are heavy with snow, and the forest is quiet. Ahead, officials for the Balgirdtrek stand around a roaring fire. Several campsites have been cleared nearby as clerics stand ready to examine and treat any injured racers. Beyond the fire and campsites, in a small, raised clearing, is a tall, thin pole carved with the intertwining necks of a Tarn Linnorm. Atop the pole rests is a small platform, an oval shape resting within it.
Dahila waves you all over. ”Enjoying the race? Good, your first major challenge is up ahead. Balgrid got hungry while searching for a Linnorm. He scaled a giant tree and snatched an egg from the top without bending the tree or angering the momma bird.” She laughs.
”That pole over there is a tree. There are some eggs on top. You can’t damage the tree or the eggs. You can climb up yourself or aid your friends, but not both.”
A gentle breeze blows some leaves across the snow. You see the leafless tree tilt ever so slightly, futilely keeping its prize from you. A dozen eggs lie on top.
"So, who is leading the climb?" Dahila asks, waiting for you to assign roles.
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"Let's have a big hand for our very first volunteer, Katniss Everdream!" Yohann calls out as he dismounts from Kabayo, offering an exaggerated slow clap while he approaches the other ranger. He glances at the onlookers, curious to see if they will join in the applause.
Regardless of how much support the crowd gives, he encourages Katniss forward. "May the odds be ever in your favor!" he quips, handing her a coil of rope. He helps her secure it around herself and the tree, guiding the placement as she begins her ascent. Yohann keeps the line steady, offering tension and leverage to assist her climb.
Hero Point!
Yohann ties a rope around Katniss, but it's a bit too tight and she spends precious energy trying to loosen it up. While she's doing this Purrlock shoots right up the tree, plucks the egg from the top, and skitters back down without a problem.
Dahila approaches Purrlock. "You hopped up like there faster than a bear. I'll need that egg to make things official." She takes the egg and inspects it. "Not even a crack... good job. That's an extra point for you. Alright, head back to camp and enjoy watching the other teams struggle." She waves you off as the officials take the egg and start climbing the tree to return it.
As you return to camp you find that your tents have been disassembled and your other tools disabled. You'll need to spend extra time setting up again and that will slow you down. The other teams aren't back yet, they must be at the tree climbing site, waiting their turn.
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Seeing their campsite in disarray, Mira pauses, her brows lifting slightly.
“Oh… they really took everything apart.”
She kneels beside one of the tent frames, fingertips brushing over the loosened knots and scattered metal pins. Her blue-fletched arrows shift softly as she leans in to inspect the damage.
“I can try to fix the fastenings… I’ve handled traps and locks before. This is similar.” Mira rolls up her sleeves, taking a deep breath as she focuses on the knots, clasps, and delicate pieces of the tent
Mira sees the amateur attempts at sabotage and has no trouble putting it back together.
By the time she finishes, the other teams start to return to the camp, starting with the Fangs of the Rhemoraz.
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Katniss tries to assess the best course of action for her team. When Yohann asks her, she says:
"It's better if we find out the mastermind behind this sabotage this early on. I suggest we confront Hjeldr and try to coerce him into giving us information that will help us determine the culprit. But I'm not good at coercing people. Is there anyone who would like to give it a try? You seem intimidating to me Yohann."
She looks back at Yohann and waits for his reply.
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Elara steps a little closer to the group, “Rushing to confront Hjeldr could backfire. We don’t know if he did this, or if someone is trying to stir trouble. I suggest we approach carefully—observe first. A direct accusation might make him clam up or lash out.” She suggests as she tries to observe unusual behavior in Hjeldr and the other teams.
As the other teams arrive to their tents, the officials also return to check the teams for injury. Most of the teams are exhausted from the day's travel, although Elara notes some of the Bluetongue's Brawlers are moving slowly- she suspects they may have suffered injury from falling. Hjeldr from the Without Trace or Fail team seems to be pretty active around the camp, like he's searching for something.
Eventually the organizer Dahila reaches you.
"Take the time you need to talk to the officials about the next leg of the journey, or you can talk to the other teams and see what's up with them." She glances at Purrlock. "Or rest up for tomorrow. We don't penalize you for resting."
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"Ok, before you all head off for this next leg, I got these to help Purrlock and I keep track. I followed some poor child halfway back to her tent before I realized it wasn't Elara. Yes, even you Yohann, with your fancy fur...er, hair. Besides, it's probably a good idea out in the snow to have something colorful to find you should the worst happen." Savan hands out some colorful bandanas to the Rangers: Blue, Yellow, Pink, Red, and Green.
"Don't all fight over the Green one."
Savan trudges off to see how the Two Houses team is doing. "Hey, how did today go? Any problems with the egg?"
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Mira simply accepts the blue bandana with a quiet nod, her gaze following Savan as he explains. Her eyes move from bandana to teammate, noting who picks which color, how they tie it, how it shifts against their gear.
When Savan jokes about the green one, Mira’s lips twitch faintly, but she doesn’t comment as she continues to quietly observing the investigation.
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Elara’s eyes immediately light up when Savan reveals the colorful bandanas. Her gaze lingers on the soft, vibrant pink one—bright enough to stand out in the snow, and cheerful enough to lift her mood in the biting cold. “I’ll take the pink one. It’s… cute,” she says, flattening the fabric against her gloves before tying it securely around her upper arm. The color pops vividly against her winter gear. “If we’re doing this, I guess that makes me the Pink Ranger of the group.” She then throws a glance toward the others, smirking.
Bandana secured, she moves back to her tent area, reorganizing her pack and checking her winter gear—preparing carefully and thoroughly. Elara doesn’t even attempt to mingle—she knows it is not her strong suit, and the last thing she wants is to accidentally offend an official or start a rivalry with another team by saying something awkward so she just carefully analyze and observe the other teams from a distance and focuses on what she can control: preparing for the next leg.
Purrlock ponders "What does it take to win the Balgirdtrek?" and begins searching for clues. Most of the officials stay quiet, but one nervous official is glad to speak to someone about it. "Watch out for thin ice. And watch out for snow fall. And watch out for dead drops, and watch out for-"
While she rambles on for a while, Purrlock does get some good advice on how to help with the next day of travel.
Savan approaches the Two Houses team, noticing a man and woman in the midst of a lively discussion. "The Dovetail has such lovely tea." The woman muses.
"But those beds. Ugh!" The man shudders. "We should go to the Groovin' Moose. At least the music is lively."
"Why don't we ask the competitor, then?" The woman turns to Savan. "Do you have any recommendations for places to stay once we reach Frostgarten?"
The man sighs. "Let's not forget our manners. Hello, I'm Steen, this is my wife Unn. Leif and Oluf are collecting wood for the fire. And you are... Savan?"
Unn chuckles. "The egg fell off the tree as I was climbing. Someone told me to take a good look at the treeline from the top and it distracted me."
"But it was a pretty view. So pretty she forgot to hold onto the egg!" Steen laughs. "Oh well. At least she climbed down. The Bluetongues were so heavy the tree broke under their weight."
Savan finds a good conversation with them. They seem Indifferent to the teams overall but he feels another conversation like this will make them Friendly.
The next morning you can see snowfall. Dahila sticks her head into the tent. "Wake up, sleepy heads! You have to travel through snow today." She leaves and you can hear her yelling at the other teams. The Fangs of the Remorhaz are out of their tents first, with the Without Trace or Fail team stumbling out afterwards.
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Dahila’s yelling snaps Katniss awake. She notices the bandanas and without hesitation, she reaches for the green one. She ties it over her hair and whispers to herself, "This green bandana seems like a perfect match for my evergreen hair."
Before stepping outside, she puts on her winter clothing. The cold climate will be a challenge, far different from the forests she’s used to. She pauses, trying to recall useful knowledge during snow and harsh weathers like this that might help her in traversing the landscape.
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Mira stirs at Dahila’s shout,blinking against the cold air seeping into the tent. She sits up, tightens her cloak, and reaches for the bandanas stepping outside, she squints at the fresh layer of snow. The wind is light, the drifts uneven, the ground soft in places. She crouches, touching the surface with the back of her hand.
“Snow’s shallow but tricky,” she says quietly. “let's be carefull around the softer spots.” guiding the group through the snowy trail.
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Prior to leaving, Purrlock finds Savan at his tent. "Oh therre you arrre. I found these tokens with a symbol similarrr to the legend of the five lions. I thought you should have one too!"
Savan heartily accepts the token. "Must be a symbol of power." He turns it over and finds a small inscription, Activate Interlocks He doesn't know what that means, but finds a way to pin it to his armor.
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"Snow hides everything… but it can’t hide from me"
Elara steps ahead of the group, gaze sharp and alert. She watches how the wind pushes the treetops, reads the faint indentations where animals—or other teams—have walked, and notes which stretches of snow seem suspiciously smooth (the kind that hides holes).
“I can help us find the safest route. And if anyone gets lost, well… at least you’ll see the pink ranger from a mile away."
It takes a little bit of effort, but you are able to make it to the next checkpoint in a decent amount of time. Yohann realizes it would have been even slower if he hadn't pushed through the snow.
A small, frigid stream runs between the dense pines, opening onto a frozen pond. To the east, a few small columns of smoke rise above the trees from several small campfires. To the north, a dozen caribou walk along the surface of the ice, snuffling and pawing at the thin grasses poking up from the snowy shoreline. As a race official watches over the small herd, the wind carries the gentle sound of bells.
Dahila watches the crossing with a smile as warm as the summer. ”Balgrid’s pack horse was lost in a blizzard. So what did he do? He tracked a herd of caribou for an entire week. They almost trampled his brains out. But let me tell you, when you tame one of ‘em they bond with you for life. Reminds me of Old Tucker...” She loses her professionalism for just a moment before resuming.
She turns to you. ”Listen up. There are a dozen caribou on that ice. Four of them have bells around their necks. You need to be kind or quiet as you approach them and get those bells. You need at least one bell to proceed, and you’ll earn more points for more bells. Just… don’t get trampled in the process.”
Bells should be louder, right? You don't hear a thing from them.
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Mira steps forward her gaze sharpens, scanning the caribou for the subtle glint of metal.
Mira squints, but the herd shifts and the faint sound of bells is swallowed by the wind. She frowns, frustration flickering across her face. “No clear sight… the wind drowns it out. Someone else should try.” her pulse quickens as she retreats a step, steadying herself before rejoining the group’s watchful line.