Jake Morrison - Voice Guide

Voice: Speaks quickly, interrupts, voice cracks with emotion. Can't stand still. Uses scouts' first names obsessively.

Key Phrases: "Billy and Tommy would never just wander off," "I checked the trail markers twice," "This is my fault"

Sample Exchange

Camp Director Holloway - Voice Guide

Voice: Measured, authoritative, trying to maintain control. Clasps hands behind back. Uses titles ("Counselor Morrison," not "Jake").

Key Phrases: "Let's remain calm," "We follow protocol," "The scouts are watching us"

Sample Exchange

Pacing: Keep this tight—15 minutes max. Get key info out and move to search.

Key Information to Convey:

• Troop 7: 9 boys, ages 10-11, Jake's charges
• Route: Northwest trail to Twin Oaks clearing, 2-mile hike
• Timeline: Left Saturday 9 AM, due back Sunday 7 AM (now 9 AM)
• Weather: Clear all weekend, no storms or obvious dangers

If PCs Ask About:

• Troop 7's experience: Competent hikers, earned wilderness merit badges
• Jake's competence: Good counselor, maybe overconfident but not negligent
• Previous issues on this trail: None that Holloway knows of; Park Ranger Earl might disagree
• Radio contact: Troops don't carry radios on overnight hikes

Transition: Once search party is organized (ideally all 4 PCs), cut to them heading up the trail.

Mess Hall - Single large room with long tables

• Zones: Kitchen (staff only), main seating (40 scouts + counselors), entrance/exit (screen door)
• Tactical Notes: Scouts can overhear everything; nowhere private to plan
• Features: Wall map of camp and local trails, bulletin board with schedules

Nearby: Counselor cabins (get gear), Director's office (supplies, radio), Main camp grounds (where other scouts will be during search)

1. Trail becomes increasingly difficult to follow; landmarks Jake remembers are wrong
2. PCs find evidence of impossible growth: massive trees that weren't there last week
3. Discovery: carved trail markers are now 15 feet up tree trunks, as if trees grew around them
4. Jake realizes: "The forest has changed. This isn't the same trail."

• Clue 1: Trail Markers Elevated - Carved markers from last year now 10-15 feet up tree trunks; trees show centuries of growth rings; impossible growth rate
• Clue 2: Troop 7's Passage - Faint child-sized boot prints heading northwest; broken branches at normal height now buried; candy wrapper (Billy's favorite) caught in roots
• Clue 3: Absence of Wildlife - No bird calls, no insects, no squirrels; animal tracks all lead away from trail toward camp; deer carcass untouched by scavengers, half-buried in roots
• Clue 4: The Forest Feels Wrong - Trees lean slightly toward trail, as if watching; bark has strange patterns that hurt to look at; occasional deep groaning from earth like something breathing

Jake Morrison (growing panic):

"I've hiked this trail twenty times. There should be a stream crossing in another hundred yards. These trees—these massive oaks—they weren't here. I swear they weren't here."

PC Counselor: [Example: "Jake, focus. Can you still find the way to Twin Oaks?"]

Jake: [Grips map tighter] "I... yes. Northwest. We keep going northwest. They're at Twin Oaks. They have to be."

Pacing: 25 minutes—balance investigation with forward momentum.

Goals:

• Establish supernatural element clearly
• Build dread through environmental details
• Give PCs agency to investigate and draw conclusions
• Keep Jake functional but clearly stressed

If PCs Want to Turn Back:

• Jake refuses: "Nine kids are out here!"
• Allow discussion but emphasize: turning back means abandoning search
• If they truly want to retreat, allow it but Jake goes alone (forces choice)

Transition: When PCs push deeper, describe forest becoming ancient and overwhelming. Cut to Scene 3 when they see the clearing ahead.

1. Camp is pristine: tents up, gear arranged, fire cold but recently used
2. No signs of struggle, panic, or violence—boys simply vanished
3. Investigation reveals eerie details: food half-eaten, games mid-play, lanterns carefully extinguished
4. Discovery: The two oak trees that gave the clearing its name are now surrounded by dozens of ancient trees that shouldn't exist
5. Jake breaks down; PCs must investigate and decide next steps

• Clue 1: Camp Layout - Nine tents in perfect circle; gear stowed properly; food stored correctly in bear bag; camp was made properly
• Clue 2: Timeline Evidence - Fire cold (out 12+ hours); dew on sleeping bags; dinner dishes washed and stacked; boys disappeared Saturday evening after dinner
• Clue 3: No Signs of Struggle - No torn tents or scattered gear; lanterns carefully extinguished; card game interrupted mid-hand; boys left willingly or calmly
• Clue 4: The Footprints - Nine sets of child-sized boot prints leaving camp heading north; evenly spaced (walking, not running); trail disappears after 30 feet into underbrush
• Clue 5: Jake's Journal - Last entry Saturday 6 PM: "Boys excited for night hike. Ranger Earl's warning was just superstition."; note about new moon; Billy heard "singing" during setup
• Clue 6: The Trees - Two original oaks (normal, ~50 years); massive ring of ancient trees (200+ years of growth); fresh roots breaking through ground; bark patterns form symbols
• Clue 7: The Singing Stone - Flat stone near firepit with carved spiral pattern; touching it causes faint humming; may have appeared after boys left

Jake Morrison (breakdown):

[Jake drops to his knees by the cold firepit]

"They had dinner. They cleaned up. They did everything right. Where... where did they go?" [Picks up a tin cup] "This is Tommy's. He dented it on the first day of camp and I told him—" [Voice breaks] "I told him to be more careful with equipment."

PC Counselor: [Example: "Jake, we'll find them. They walked out of here. That means they're somewhere we can reach."]

Jake: [Stares at PC] "They walked? They just... walked away from a perfect camp into that?" [Gestures at ancient forest] "Why would they do that?"

Pacing: 30 minutes—this is the session's investigation heart. Let players explore and theorize.

Goals:

• Deliver major clues about what happened
• Establish boys left willingly/calmly (not violently taken)
• Hint at forest entity and its nature
• Show Jake's guilt and desperation
• Set up choice: push deeper or return to camp

Key Revelation: Boys weren't taken by force. They were called. Something in the forest made them want to go.

Transition: When PCs decide next action (push deeper or return), transition to Scene 4 if returning or Scene 5 if pushing deeper.

Forest Advance Measurement: 20-25 feet of new growth toward camp overnight

Timeline: At this rate, camp has 10-14 days before uninhabitable

Park Ranger Earl's Warning: "Woods don't forget. New moon's the trigger. Forest gets hungry, starts singing."

Earl: [Approaches PCs away from Jake/Holloway] "Found 'em?"

PC: "We found their camp. Empty. They walked into the deep forest."

Earl: [Nods slowly] "New moon. Happened before. Forest gets hungry, starts singing. Kids hear it best. Adults too, sometimes, if they're listening." [Long pause] "Forest's been here longer than the camp. Longer than the town. Knows what it wants."

PC: "What does it want?"

Earl: "To grow. To take. To add to itself." [Taps measuring stake] "Used to stop at the ridge. Now it's past the ridge. Tomorrow it'll be past this stake. Week from now?" [Looks at cabins] "Camp'll be in the forest, not next to it."

1. Trail leads deeper into impossibly old forest
2. PCs hear singing—beautiful, wordless, compelling
3. Discovery: carved symbols on trees, leading them forward like breadcrumbs
4. Brief glimpse: one of Troop 7 boys in the distance, walking calmly deeper
5. PCs pursue, then forest surges—roots erupt, trees shift, path collapses behind them
6. CLIFFHANGER: PCs trapped in deep forest as night falls; can't retreat; forest is alive around them

Before Ending Session:

• Ask players how they feel (safety check-in)
• Preview Session 2: "Next time, you'll push toward the heart of the forest and discover what wants Troop 7—and whether you can stop it."
• Let players discuss theories and plans (builds engagement)
• Collect any Canon_Tracker notes about decisions made

• Surviving the Night: GRIT group check (DC 8) - determines party condition
• Managing Jake: CHARM (DC 8) - keep him stable and cooperative
• Resisting Dawn Singing: GRIT (DC 8) - resist forest's call
• Preparing Resources: BRAINS/BRAWN (DC 8) - gather supplies

• PCs follow Troop 7 deeper through impossible space
• Navigation checks (FLIGHT DC 10) to keep following without getting lost
• Attempts to grab or stop the boys fail—they phase through or gently evade
• Forest's call intensifies (GRIT DC 10 to resist)
• Discovery: ancient ruins, carved stones, evidence of previous "joinings" from centuries past
• Jake's breaking point: he may attempt to grab a boy and fail, leading to desperation

The Forest Entity reveals:

• It is the forest—ancient, conscious, lonely
• It has existed since before humans walked this land
• It doesn't force anyone; it calls, and those who feel lost or lonely answer
• The boys heard its song and came willingly because they wanted to belong
• Transformation makes them part of the forest forever—ageless guardians
• Camp Pinewood was built on land the forest once claimed; it wants that land back
• The entity grows with each joining, becomes stronger, can reclaim more territory

Questions PCs Can Ask:

• "Can we take the boys back?" - Yes, but there must be an exchange. The forest needs balance.
• "What do you mean, exchange?" - Nine given, nine must remain. Or one given willingly who understands.
• "What happens if we fight you?" - You will lose. This is my place. But fighting would traumatize the boys.
• "What happens if we leave?" - The boys complete their transformation. The forest continues to grow. Your camp has days remaining.
• "Why did you take children?" - I called. They answered. They were lonely. I offered them home.

Approach: Try to bargain with the entity for Troop 7's release

Check: CHARM or BRAINS (DC 10), multiple PCs can contribute

Possible Terms:

• Camp Pinewood relocates; forest reclaims the land peacefully
• One volunteer (Jake or a PC) joins the forest in exchange for all nine boys
• Promise to protect the forest and prevent future development
• Partial release: some boys freed, some stay (if entity feels partial obligation)

Outcome: Depends on success level and terms offered → See Endings

Approach: Attack the entity or attempt to physically take the boys

Challenge: The forest fights back—roots, vines, the Avatar itself

Reality: PCs cannot "win" traditional combat against an entity that IS the forest

Possible Results:

• PCs hurt/weaken the entity enough that it withdraws, releasing boys (traumatized)
• PCs grab some boys and run, forest pursues (partial success)
• PCs are overwhelmed; entity offers one final chance to negotiate or leave

Consequence: Boys rescued this way are traumatized; forest becomes hostile; camp must evacuate immediately

Jake's Sacrifice: Jake may volunteer to join the forest in exchange for the boys

• Jake feels responsible; sees this as redemption
• Entity accepts willingly—one who understands for nine who don't
• Boys are released immediately, transformation reversed
• Jake becomes a Changed One—the forest's guardian, aware but transformed
• PCs can try to talk him out of it (CHARM DC 12) or allow it

PC's Sacrifice: A PC may volunteer instead

• Ultimate player agency moment
• Entity deeply satisfied—a guardian who chose with full knowledge
• All nine boys released, transformation fully reversed
• PC becomes Changed One (can be played as NPC in future, or permanent retirement)
• Other PCs must accept this choice

Approach: Abandon Troop 7 and escape

Check: FLIGHT (DC 12) group check to outrun forest's grasp

Outcome: PCs escape, return to camp, evacuate everyone

Consequence: Troop 7 lost forever; PCs and Jake live with guilt; forest continues growing; camp abandoned

Note: This is valid player choice, not a "bad ending"—survival and accepting limits

Table 6: Physical Characteristics - Freckled, Tall/Short for age, Glasses, Red hair, Curly hair, Buzz cut, Chubby, Skinny, Braces, Scar, Athletic build, Band-aids, etc.

Table 7: Quirks - Collects rocks, Whistles constantly, Writes everything down, Afraid of dark, Lucky item, Talks to self, Neat freak, Snacks constantly, etc.

Table 8: Family - Both parents with/without siblings, Single parent, Grandparents, Large family, Military family, Farm family, City family

Table 9: Fears - Darkness, Heights, Water, Insects, Being alone, Loud noises, Getting lost, Snakes, Failure, Fire, Abandonment, etc.

Table 10: Hopes - Earn badges, Make friends, Go on adventure, Make parents proud, Learn to be brave, Win competitions, Help others, etc.

4. Jeffrey Clark (Age 11) - Quiet bookish kid, wears glasses, good at knot-tying

5. Paul Anderson (Age 10) - Enthusiastic, red-haired, always has band-aids, loves swimming

6. Gary Davis (Age 11) - Athletic, competitive, buzz cut, wants to win camp competitions

7. Kenneth Miller (Age 10) - Funny class clown, freckled, tells jokes to cope with fear of dark

4. Michael Brown (Age 11) - Enthusiastic singer, freckled hands, always cheerful

5. Richard Clark (Age 10) - Perfectionist, neat freak, good at camping setup

6. Dennis Garcia (Age 11) - Mischievous prankster, dimples, tells stories around campfire

7. Ronald Lewis (Age 12) - Athletic swimmer, buzz cut, competitive with Gary

Featured and background scouts for Troop Wolves use same generator structure. GMs can customize based on PC counselor personality.

Featured and background scouts for Troop Bears use same generator structure. GMs can customize based on PC counselor personality.

1. Billy Hughes (10) - Leadership skills, good at knots, afraid of dark. Heard the "singing" first.
2. Tommy Chen (11) - Medic training, asthmatic, collects rocks. Forgot inhaler at camp.
3. Marcus Davis (10) - Strong swimmer, competitive, younger brother at camp.
4. Sean O'Malley (11) - Fire-building expert, tells jokes, diabetic.
5. David Kim (10) - Naturalist, bird watcher, quiet observer.
6. Carlos Ruiz (11) - Navigator, reads maps well, was homesick.
7. Peter Jackson (10) - Artist, draws in journal, afraid of bees.
8. James Wright (11) - Athletic, scouts ahead, can be reckless.
9. Andy Patterson (10) - Cook, organizes supplies, rule-follower.

All nine were competent hikers who had earned wilderness merit badges. They followed proper procedures at camp. Something called to them.