119
Read to everyone:
You’ve felled your first tree and are snacking from your wrapped bundles when one of you notices the glint of metal coming over a far hill. The distinctive shape of a long-necked Watcher, followed by at least one Strider, can be seen in the distance.
Pren is hesitant to move on to the next tree, until the machines stop and begin grazing while the Watcher begins to circle them on patrol. They are far enough away that you eventually convince Pren and the others to continue, mainly by invoking the inevitable disappointment of Grethe, and by promising to keep someone watching the machines at all times.
Two hours pass, in which time two more trees fall to the ground and are leveraged onto the lumber carts. You’ve mostly finished your lunch as the Oseram woman, Nalender, turns to the group. “They’re heading this way.”
The machines do not seem to be in any hurry, and they are not heading directly for you, but their path looks to be too close for comfort. You convince Pren and the others to begin moving the lumber back toward Mother’s Watch, while you hold off the machines if they get aggressive.
The machines come to a stop a few dozen yards away — not close enough to notice you yet, but they would if you resumed your work on the trees.
There is one Watcher, patrolling around a number of Striders equal to the number of player characters. A stand of red-tipped tall grass covers much of the ground between the tree line and the machines:
- C
- Lumber carts (moving toward the road)
- P
- The party
- S
- Striders
- W
- Watcher
The lumber carts will eventually make enough noise to draw the attention of the machines, but you likely have a minute or two to prepare. If you move quickly and quietly, you have enough time to sneak to the tall grass.
Using your System Adapter, resolve a daytime encounter with the machines. They are not alerted to your presence, but will be drawn toward the carts if they have not been engaged within 60 seconds. Remember that a Watcher alerted to your presence will immediately alert all other machines in the area. In this case, there are no additional machines beyond those you can see.