Pathways of the Kingdom (Navigate 1)

by Harding Springfoot

Ho, wanderer! I have spent most of my life as a ranger and a woodsman in the service of the king, and now I find my career is drawing to a close. The forests of the kingdom are dark and vast and teeming with giant spiders and tenacious groups of brownies looking for their next kill, and my joints quite simply aren't what they used to be. You have made the wise choice of buying this book - my book - and I will make sure you won't regret it. First up are the basics of navigation.

First you should learn how to orientate yourself through the position of the Sun. First you have to learn the cardinal directions that were established by Garadric the Voyager - that of north, south, east and west. On the following page you will see a drawing of these cardinal directions. If you have been fortunate, then you might have seen or own a compass, which is a great tool to use when navigating the realm.

After you understand that, you should learn to orient yourself by using the landscape. Follow the contours of the land and realize where elevation lies, where brushes or woods might conceal hidden enemies, where the mud underground might not be as steady as you might think. If you are careful, then you are on the right path, as it is important to stay focused when finding your way.

If you get lost, do not panic and simply relocate. Try and get a better grasp of your surroundings from a different viewpoint. I have found this has saved me many times as an anxious youth. My advice would also be to learn to navigate during night time or bad weather in order to master the art more quickly. It is more difficult, and you risk serious injury and worse, but it pays off in troves.