The Signal Fire
A thin column of smoke rises from behind a ridge about three hundred meters off the trail. It's the wrong color for a campfire - too white, too steady. Signal smoke. Someone is trying to be found.
The question is whether they want to be found by you.
Escolhas
- 1
Investigate the signal. Could be someone in trouble.
sem requisitoSucessoBehind the ridge, a lone traveler sits next to a small fire, feeding it damp sage to keep the smoke visible. She broke her ankle on loose scree two days ago and has been rationing her last water. She's grateful - and she's carrying trade goods she insists on sharing.
FalhaYou crest the ridge and find an abandoned fire pit, still smoldering. Whoever was here left recently - maybe they saw you coming and didn't like the look. The only thing remaining is a scorched tin can and the uncomfortable feeling of being watched.
- 2
Keep moving. Signals in the waste are as likely to be bait as distress calls.
sem requisitoSucessoYou note the smoke's position and keep walking. Smart caution has kept you alive this long. Whatever's behind that ridge, it can wait for someone with more free time and fewer survival instincts.
Falha - 3
Before approaching, study the smoke pattern and the surrounding terrain for signs of ambush.
SucessoYou scan the ridge line. No secondary tracks, no concealed positions, no disturbance in the scrub brush. The smoke pattern is irregular - someone feeding the fire by hand, not a maintained signal station. This is genuine distress. You approach confidently, help the injured traveler, and she gives you her entire remaining supply pack as thanks.
FalhaYou scan the terrain and spot what looks like a second set of tracks behind the ridge - possible ambush position. You decide to approach from a flanking angle, which costs you an hour of careful maneuvering. When you finally reach the fire, the traveler is gone. She gave up waiting and crawled toward the main road on her own. Your caution cost someone their rescue.
UUID