To escape a hostile tribe of Outsiders,
a squad of Lawkeepers retreats into the cover of nearby - but unmapped - woods, where they are soon lost in its darkness and deceit.
Treatment
To escape hostile denizens of the Wilderness, a squad of four soldiers has retreated into the cover of nearby woods. Three roles are named - Captain, Keeper, and Maker.
The Captain states their orders: to find “the Relegy” and map their location. The Keepers are armed but are discouraged from engaging in combat with the Outsiders, despite one of them having been seriously wounded. Driven further from the woodland edge by the sounds of apparent pursuit, they find themselves lost in the woods, which the Maker discovers have been improperly mapped.
The wounded Keeper vanishes and, to the alarm of the Captain and Maker, the second Keeper appears to begin hallucinating about the first’s capture and “going under,” then runs into the dark maze of trees. The Captain and Maker give chase until stopped in their tracks by the sight of ominous structures. They attempt a course reversal but find vegetation has suddenly overgrown to cover the spaces between trees, blocking their escape.
The Captain arms the Maker with a handgun, and with the recitation of a call-and-response blessing - “Founders’ eyes watch us; Watch us all” - they haltingly proceed together into the deepening gloom.