Skull Tree

This is a **Forest** exploration event. It can occur multiple times per play through and offers the chance to gather  Bones,  Rope and  Fresh Fruit. The participating survivor might relieve some of their  Hunger, but failure can result in  Depression,  Fatigue,  Injury and the permanent negative trait Claustrophobia.

**Note**: Alternatively, if you encountered the Floating Chest exploration event, and chose to *Bury* the chest, this event will have an additional red option. Choosing this option nets a wealth of treasure:  Ancient Knowledge,  Angelica Ointment,  Celandine Ointment,  Fire Crystal,  Hoder's Armour,  Kola Nuts,  Mead,  Tyr's Gauntlets,  Verbena Ointment,  Wormwood Ointment, and  Yarrow Ointment, at the cost of some  Fatigue.

## Inspect

A very large, ancient tree. A number of skulls are hanging from the branches, gently swinging with the breeze. You notice that a big opening in carved in the trunk. You wonder if the skulls serve as a warning, or as scarecrows.

## Take Some Skulls

Relevant Skills: **Agility**

Most of the skulls seem human. Some from adults, the smaller ones from children. A very few skulls look like animals ones but you couldn't tell which.

* **Take them**

Success
You keep your calm, and untie some of the skulls. Nothing happens.
+  Bones  Rope
Failure
You keep your calm, and untie some of the skulls. One is tangled. You manage to untangle it and it's like an avalanche of bones falling on you. You're knocked out for a minute. When you recover, you have plenty of skulls to gather. Was worth the bump on your head.
+  Bones
+  Injury
## Search the Tree

**Note: This is a 'red' option, meaning the 'entity' will disappear once this action is taken!**

Relevant Skills: **Courage**, **Agility**, **Harvesting**

The opening in the trunk is rather big, you almost can stand up inside. The tree itself is not very tall although climbing it can help you reach taller trees nearby.

* **Climb.** (**Agility**)

Failure
The branches make cracking noises under your weight as you climb up. You take a break to catch your breath and notice fruit hanging from branches of another tree at the top. It tastes so good! You need more. With regained energy you choose to reach the fruit tree nearby. Your feet cling to a rope and you lose your balance. You fall flat on the ground.
-  Hunger
+  Injury
+ The participating survivor gains the wound Broken Ribs temporarily.
Success
You climb the trees with the agility of Ratatoskr, the squirrel carrier of divine messages. You reach the canopy in no time. The sight is breathtaking: it's so full of life! Green leaves grant shelter to gorgeous colourful birds. And fruit!!! So much fruit! You take one bite. Your mouth is filled with tasty juice. You gather some to share with everyone.
+  Fresh Fruit
-  Hunger
+ Harvesting experience.

* **Get inside.** (**Courage**)

Failure
You can almost stand up inside the tree. As soon as you enter it, you are struck with a horrible sensation, paralysing every muscle of your body. You begin to feel very cold, and hot at the same time, and your heart is racing. You begin to hear a morbid litany coming from very far, or dangerously close, you can't tell. Your breathing intensifies and becomes ragged. You crawl into a ball, crying. Rocking yourself back and forth. Worried you were not coming back, your comrades went looking for you. They find you here, with puffed red eyes, sitting in your own urine and feces... They get you back to camp without a word...
+  Depression
- Courage Experience
+ The participating survivor gains the negative trait Claustrophobia permanently.
Success
As soon as you enter it, you are struck with a horrible sensation, paralysing every muscle of your body. You begin to feel very cold, and hot at the same time, and your heart is racing. You begin to hear a morbid litany coming from very far, or dangerously close, you can't tell. It takes you a formidable amount of willpower to break the spell and run away from this cursed tree.
+  Depression  Fatigue
## Dig

**Note: This is a 'red' option, meaning the 'entity' will disappear once this action is taken!**

Relevant Skills: **Constitution**

You don’t know how, you don’t know why, but you KNOW that something is hidden in the ground in front of the tree. You start digging with your bare hands, as if you were possessed by an evil spirit, and finally you uncover a large chest filled with loot!

+  Ancient Knowledge  Angelica Ointment  Celandine Ointment  Fire Crystal  Hoder's Armour  Kola Nuts  Mead  Tyr's Gauntlets  Verbena Ointment  Wormwood Ointment  Yarrow Ointment
+  Fatigue