Armonia - Lily's Survival Midterm

A natural calm hangs over the forest as a gentle, chilled breeze blows through the trees. Winter was fast approaching, and the first snowfall had already fallen. Despite the dropping temperature, several animals continue to traverse across the forest floor, quietly but frantically trying to gather up any and all food that they can scavenge. The winter will be long, after all, and every seed and berry will be vital for making it to the end of their three months of hibernation. And so the woodland creatures continue with their efforts, their struggles a notable example of survival in nature.

An example forever immortalized as the frog's pencil lifts from the page.

Lily gently sighs, her mind at ease as she watches the tiny critters dance about below her. The ghostly frog shifts slightly upon the branch she is resting upon, making herself a bit more comfortable before resuming her sketch as she moves on to more subtle nuances in the shading. A stroke here, a bit of cross-hatching there. Mmm, better lighten that patch there just a tad. After a few more minutes of careful and meticulous work, the Greninja sticks the pencil behind her ear-fin and takes a moment to admire her handiwork. Another fine sketch of the forest life here on Faraway Island. With a small sigh of satisfaction, she starts to flip backwards through the sketchbook to look at some of the other drawings she had created since setting up this base camp.

As a student in the Survival class at Armonia Institute, Lily was not exempt from completing the midterm, despite her ghostly nature. She is still required to demonstrate her ability to endeavor in the wilderness, and with a small gathering of supplies, she set out into the woods to build a small camp for herself. In line with her upbringing, the ninja built a base in the trees, the undercanopy hiding the tiny camp from prying eyes and giving her a vantage point from which she can observe anything or anyone coming or going. Its location in the branches was ideal, protecting her from larger predators and providing very basic protection from rain, snow, and wind. What protection they do not provide from the elements is covered by a tarp spread between several of the upper branches, giving the frog a dry place to sit and watch the forest below. For warmth, she has an insulated sleeping bag tucked into a hidey hole in the upper trunk, where it sits until she is ready to curl up and sleep. Of course, this only traps heat, not create it. For the latter case, a makeshift fire ring remains hidden underneath some foliage a few meters from the tree, in the open where she can unveil it and use it when necessary. It is more of a novelty than anything to the ghostly frog, but heck, maybe she'll get extra credit for the forethought.

As she continues to flip through her drawings, she glances at some of the ones she had previously made. Among them are multiple drawings of the local flora and fauna she had spotted within a hundred meters of her perch, a good record of what food and dangers were in the local area. Flipping to the next page reveals a map of the area, well detailed with information such as the location and distance to water sources as well as where some creatures have decided to make their dens; you never know when you might have to disturb some animal's winter slumber in order to aid your own survival. Another page flip reveals not a drawing but a list of supplies, those she had brought with her and those she had procured on site. Among those she initially brought are the tarp, the sleeping bag, a few kunai to use as tools and weapons, and a medical kit as an initial source of emergency treatment. Those she had found on-site included berries, medical herbs, and vines from some nearby trees and vegetation. The vines make for good ropes and, in a pinch, for bandages or slings. Additionally, she had brought a cloth sack to carry everything in, a sack that now acts as a food bag which hangs now from an upper branch. Good luck to any hungry creatures who should attempt to get into that suspended sack.

As Lily goes over a mental checklist in her head as to the aspects her camp has captured, her thoughts rest upon the final requirement: attention. Her camp must in some way catch the notice of a rescuer so that she could be rescued. To this end, she has made two efforts. The first hung from the bottom branches, a series of sticks suspended from vines in a most peculiar way. To any wandering rescuer who would see it, it would certainly appear unnatural and prompt investigation. Rescue from above, on the other hand, would see a Blizzard-birthed icy spire rising from the tip of the tree, another unnatural sight that would likely catch some form of attention whether seen from either the air or ground level.

Satisfied that her preparations are adequate, the frog reclines on the branch, pulling the sleeping bag over as she curls up a bit in its warmth. With luck, the professor will come by soon, and she'll be cleared to return to the castle where a warm meal awaits.