Ok...Latest update
I ran my game last night and so far so good. Since they're trudging across the wilderness I'm basically running through the MAROONED double adventure, altering it to fit my purposes. They got across the grasslands ok and now they've made it to jungle.
On the way I wanted them to bond and such so I went around the table having them tell war stories. One told of a boarding action he had as a marine vs some pirates (which I told him that reminded him of an older commanding officer having a similar encounter with an infamous pirate of the region who disappeared decades ago (a hook I intend to exploit later). Another told about being the only survivor of his unit when they froze to death. The best was a character who was forced to muster out due to wounds (I gave him a prosthetic leg). He explained the reason why he has now 'one sock too many' is one night while drunk he confused a munitions round with a rations cannister
The group got to the Jungle prepared to hack through with machetes at a snail's pace. They've been carrying their extra equipment and such with the modified forklift vehicle, but the terrain is such that they'll have to leave it behind. Deciding what exquipment can be left behind they shoulder their packs and set off on foot. (they were walking up to this point but now they don't have the vehicle to carry their stuff). As they venture on they discovered a path thirty yards wide cut through the forest, like it had been harvested recently. Even the ground foliage was gone. Taking the path of least resistence they followed it. Several kilometers in they discover a herd of massive animals. For scale I told them if we put a loaf of bread by the 25mm (ORIGINAL) Traveller miniatures we were using, that would be the size of the critters. They were big rhino like things with insect like mouths. There were 6-8 of the big ones and about two dozen 'normal' rhino sized young. The huge ones would chew through the trees, and the young would swarm them and eat the wood. All around were flying creatures and smaller herbivores and such eating up whatever plant or small animals were disturbed by the herd. Unfortunately for the players also following the herd were large things like a cross between a hyena and an ape....carnivores. These spot the players and decide they'd make a better meal. A firefight ensues and the players make it out ok, but one had to be dealt with claw vs. blade.
The animals are simply too big to be threatened by most anything so the players actually discover the safest place to be is right in the middle of the herd. The animals pay them no mind and the predators won't venture past the fringes. Safe for once the players have a decent sleep...until morning that is. When they wake up the discover a very unsavory bit about the herd's biology. All the time they were with them they didn't see any animal expell any waste from all this wood they were eating. They discovered that the animals will eat and let their food digest overnight, then get rid of everything all at once...the whole herd. Mountains of excretia are bad enough, but the the vast quantities of methane gas released was creating a suffocating layer at ground level. In order to escape a rather unusual end the party had to climb....and the only things high enough were the large animals themselves. Using grappel hooks and rope they climb up one (the animal is too big to really notice and/or care). Later they have to double back for their gear though.
Since the critters paid them no mind they decided to ride and had a leisurely excursion through the jungle as these beasts cut a highway for them. As the game ended the herd reached the edge of a huge lake. Not stopping, one by one (adults and calves alike) waded into the the lake and disappeared under the surface. From their perch the players saw a river on the far side of the lake heading off in the direction they're needing to go, so the next time we play they'll be building a raft and we begin the water portion of this little adventure
