1BA: Wild Guardians
You begin your work by drawing upon centuries of connection with the local wildlife. A series of carefully placed markers—scents and signs that have guided the mountain's predators since long before the settlers arrived—will bring nature's guardians to your aid.
You move like a ghost through the underbrush, precisely placing each lure. The warm scent of a deer trail here, the marking of mountain lion territory there. The Life Stream pulses softly through the ground as you work, awakening ancient patterns of predator and prey.
Within hours, the air changes. The settlers grow uneasy as bird calls cease. Shadows move between the trees – a bear's massive form glimpsed briefly, the silent passage of a mountain lion. Not close enough to threaten, but near enough to awaken primal fears.
The professor's attention shifts from his measurements to the wilderness around them. His scientific interest conflicts with instinctive caution as the forest seems to come alive around their small group. The young woman's sketches take on a different character—quick, nervous strokes capture glimpses of wildlife that shouldn't logically be gathered in one place.
They depart before sunset, their wagon wheels rolling quickly along the trail. You've successfully protected the Underground Lake's entrance without revealing yourself and created new questions. The professor's notes now include observations about unusual animal behavior, adding another layer to the mystery of Kolob.
As darkness falls, you send the gathered wildlife back to their territories. Tomorrow, you'll need to observe how this experience affects the settlers' plans and how they interpret this seeming convergence of nature's guardians.
Nature's warnings carry weight that no human word can match.