### 334

You are deeply suspicious of entering this jungle, but you are equally reticent to remain on the beach where there is no cover. You can hear the distant cries of unknown creatures circling in the high clouds above and you know that it can only be a matter of time before the wreckage of your canoe is discovered.

You decide to explore the perimeter of the undergrowth and have walked almost a mile along its edge before you come across the remnants of a path which leads into the jungle’s dark interior. Cautiously you advance along this overgrown trail until you are forced to a halt by a thick curtain of hanging creepers. You are about to unsheathe your weapon and cleave a way through them when suddenly your advanced Kai senses detect tiny movements among these moss-covered vines. It is as if they are shivering with fear. Using your Grand Pathsmanship skills, you command the mossy creepers to move aside and the reaction to your order is immediate and dramatic. There is a deafening noise, like the sound of heavy tropical rainfall, and suddenly the mass of hanging vines rises up and flails the air. They lash out at you with stunning ferocity, forcing you to retreat along the trail before their stinging blows. Rapidly your sense of surprise is surpassed by a rising fear when you realize that these vines are not plants at all; they are hostile living creatures.

If you wish to attempt to evade their attack, turn to 35.

If you decide to try to fight your way through them, turn to 46.