Now explain to the players that their cats are on an important mission to track down a fox that has been stalking the Clan territories for a couple of days. Once they find the fox, they are supposed to chase it out of the area permanently. The Clans are all working together on this mission and every able-bodied warrior who isn’t needed to protect the queens and kits is out doing the same thing the players’ cats are.
Let the players act out the scene where they received their orders from a Clan leader (their leader, if they are all from the same Clan, or whatever leader you, as the Narrator, prefer if the cats in the group come from different Clans). This is a flashback scene, but it is also a chance for the players to ask questions and gather background information.
There isn’t a lot that the leader can tell them. The fox’s scent was first discovered a couple of days ago, but it seemed to be staying on the edges of the Clans’ territories, avoiding the places that warriors and other Clan members went most frequently. Then, about a day or so ago the fox was scented and even seen near all the Clan camps—particularly close to each Clan’s nursery. The Clan leaders thought the fox might be trying to steal kits, so they called for this massive hunt.
When the players are finished asking questions, the flashback is over and it’s time to go back to the fox hunt. Tell the players that their cats started searching at dawn, finding nothing but stale scents of cats, mice, voles, and other creatures. But then they came across a reasonably fresh trail, and that’s what they’re following now. The scent is getting fresher, and the fox seems to be trying lots of tricks to throw off anyone that tries to follow her. That means there’s a good chance she knows the cats are after her—she might even be nearby.
What Happens Next: The next phase of the adventure depends on the Smell Checks the players made at the very beginning of the scene.
If none of the cats’ Check totals was higher than 5, continue with 17.
If the best of the cats’ Check totals was between 6 and 10, continue with 6.
If some, but not all, of the cats’ Check totals were 11 or higher, continue with 4.
If all of the cats’ Check totals were 11 or higher, continue with 5.
Read Aloud: “The scent grows stronger as you come to a small meadow—where the trail ends. This is the spot.”
Narrator Tips: Let the cats look around briefly, perhaps making See Checks to try to spot the fox. After a few moments it will become clear to them that there is nowhere in this meadow for a fox to hide. However, there are a few rabbits here, munching contentedly on the grass. As yet, they have not noticed the cats’ presence.
What’s happened is that the clever fox ran along a path used regularly by the rabbits, hoping that the appetizing smell of a potential meal would distract the cats from noticing that the fox scent is not particularly fresh. Unfortunately, the cats seem to have taken the bait and fallen off the fox’s current trail. Now they are in a meadow full of rabbits, and they’re starting to feel a little hungry.
Although the cats know that their duty is to rush back onto the fox’s trail, their stomachs are beginning to grumble. Would anyone notice if they took a very brief break to catch a quick meal?
As the Narrator, your job here is a little complicated. You should make the players aware that their cats are tempted to take a break and hunt the rabbits, but also that they all know the proper thing to do is to get back to the fox hunt. It is up to the players to decide what the cats actually do.
What Happens Next: If the cats want to stay here and try to catch a quick meal, continue with 7.
If the cats want to get back on the fox’s trail, this is the end of the chapter. Hand the adventure to the next Narrator and tell him or her to continue with 3.
Read Aloud: “Suddenly, you realize why the trail has been so difficult to follow. Not only did the same fox run over these paths multiple times, there is also the scent of a second fox along the trail! Between the pair of fox scents and the scent you cats are leaving on the trail, it’s a big mess. But now you’ve got the scents straight!”
Narrator Tips: The insight the cats have made is going to make tracking down the fox much easier. However, things are about to get more complicated for the cats. After the players have finished processing this new information, tell them that their cats hear another warrior calling out their names.
A moment later, Ashfoot, the WindClan deputy, comes bounding up to the group. She has important news—two kits are missing.
A pair of WindClan kits—a brother and sister—have gone missing. They were last seen in the WindClan camp very early this morning. They’re a rambunctious pair who often find trouble in unlikely places. This time, though, it seems like trouble found them. When the queens went to the far corner of the WindClan camp, where the two usually go to hide, there was a hole in the camp’s thorny wall and the kits were gone. What’s worse, on the outside of the wall, they found fox scent everywhere. The Clans are now worried that there may be a pack of foxes moving into the territory.
Depending on how well the players’ cats did on the earlier Smell Checks, the cats may already have some information about this. They may know that the fox has three cubs, and they may know that there is a WindClan kit out there somewhere. Let them share their knowledge with Ashfoot and talk about the best way to proceed.
When the discussions have ended, Ashfoot will tell the players’ cats that they are doing well. She will go off to deliver her message to the groups of cats who are searching elsewhere. If the players’ cats have given her any information, she will bring it back to the Clan leaders.
The cats now have a clear choice, based on the scents they’ve identified: They can either follow the adult fox or follow the new fox. (If they know about the fox cubs, or previously identified the scent of the WindClan kit, that will also help inform their decision.)
What Happens Next: If the cats follow the scent of the original fox they’ve been stalking, continue with 12.
If the cats follow the new scent (of the fox cub), continue with 14.
Read Aloud: “This is definitely the right scent trail! You’re clearly getting closer to the fox. But wait… there’s more than one scent in this trail!”
Narrator Tips: It becomes clear to the cats that there’s more going on here than just a single fox running around in the Clan territories. The scent trail indicates that there are several foxes, but one scent is clearly dominant over the others. And there’s another scent mixed in there but the cats can’t immediately tell what it is.
Have each cat make either a Ponder or Smell Check (player’s choice). These Checks may be boosted by the Animal Lore or Track Knacks, if the players like. Rather than working alone, a cat may decide to help one of the other cats with his or her Skill Check. To do this, the helping cat makes a Focus Check. The cat being helped then gets a bonus to his or her Check equal to half the total of the Focus Check. In this way, the cats can work together to get the best possible result.