The Party Follows Monster's Trail

Summary

In Session 4, after discovering the frozen nilik, Cat proposes that the party follow Monster's trail to investigate the source of the mysterious freezing phenomenon. Cat warns the group that pursuing this investigation might be dangerous, noting the temperature differential and deducing that the freezing could not have occurred long ago. Vasso, Safia, and Sucks all agree to the diversion from their original path to New Smoke. The party follows Monster for several hours through rolling hills with forest to the left and distant mountains visible, ultimately arriving at The Frozen Waterfall where the trail goes cold and Monster loses the scent.

Details

After examining the frozen nilik, Cat steps out and compares the temperature differential between the frozen creature and the surrounding environment. Cat proposes to the group: "hey, guys, do you want to go on an adventure? Also it might be dangerous because cat steps out of the nilik and is like, compares the temperature differential and is like, I feel like it couldn't have been that long ago otherwise it would have. Unless it was really cold, would have melted more."

The other party members quickly agree to the pursuit. Vasso responds "Oh, yeah, I'm down to go," and Safia confirms "Absolutely."

With the party committed to following Monster, they hustle to keep pace with the kitten, who despite being small proves surprisingly fast. The journey takes them through terrain of rolling hills with forest stretching to the left and mountains visible in the distance. They travel for several hours following Monster's tracking.

The pursuit ends at a frozen waterfall, approximately 12 feet high, with rushing water still flowing underneath the ice. The ice continues to crackle and settle as the party arrives. At the edge of the frozen river, Monster loses the trail entirely, beginning to circle in confusion, sniffing around and walking in circles, unable to determine where the scent went.

Participants

• Cat — Proposes following the trail, analyzes the temperature differential at the nilik, and leads the group's decision to investigate
• Monster — Tracks the scent from the nilik to The Frozen Waterfall, ultimately losing the trail at the frozen river
• Vasso — Agrees to follow the trail
• Safia — Agrees to follow the trail
• Sucks — Accompanies the party on the pursuit

Consequences

• The party commits to investigating the freezing phenomenon rather than traveling directly to New Smoke, accepting a detour from their original route
• The party discovers The Frozen Waterfall, a second location affected by the mysterious freezing
• Monster loses the trail at the frozen river, leaving the party without a clear path forward in their investigation
• The party gains knowledge that the freezing occurred recently enough that ice has not fully melted, suggesting an ongoing or recent threat