Inkwell will take to the air (30') and fly towards the shrine as silently as possible, using his draconic blindsight (60') to watch out for danger.
Sure, you have geared up and dismounted from the phantom steeds.
; blindsight 60'
You put on your snowshoes and other gear and cast preparatory spells. Inkwell flies up to height to begin scouting, but with the distance and their coloration, he doesn't immediately spot the threats until they begin to move. However, they clearly hear the PCs, because a pair of polar bears emerge from behind the hill. One of them has a large blue shawl wrapped awkwardly around its head, while the other's face is covered in what appears to be blood.
Initiative order
LifeLover (18)
Loxx (17)
Bear 1 (blue - has blue shawl)(16)
Bear 2 (red - has blood on face)(16)
Fetch (15)
Inkwell (10)
Lilybeth (7)
Sickly (7)
Mason (3)
Bertha (2)
LifeLover and Loxx are up!
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I assess the situation, not knowing if these bears are the "killer bear" that has been told of or the "Winter's Favored" we're looking for. I've never seen a bear wearing a shawl which confuses me.
"Are those the Winter's Favored? That one is wearing a shawl, so unusual. What should I do?"
I'm going to delay until someone tells me what they are or if they are hostile.
Round 1
LifeLover delays, uncertain of the bears' intentions.
Loxx casts barkskin.
The bear with the bloody face lopes forward cautiously, then stands on its hind legs and roars at Mason (who's in the lead).
The bear wearing the shawl stumbles forward, the shawl awkardly catching its leg. It stops to tear at the cloth with one massive paw, tearing it in half and sending porcupine quill beads flying in all directions.
Initiative order
LifeLover (18)
Loxx (17)
Bear 2 (red - has blood on face)(16)
Bear 1 (blue - has blue shawl)(16)
Fetch (15)
Inkwell (10)
Lilybeth (7)
Sickly (7)
Mason (3)
Bertha (2)
Those in bold are up!
"I do love a blank canvas!"
Inkwell flies down and sneezes black ink over the white bears.
Affected creatures are treated as though they had failed a saving throw against glitterdust, except that affected creatures don’t take a penalty on Stealth checks, and can remove the blinded condition automatically as a standard action. The save DC is Charisma-based.
then it uses dimensional steps to get back up to 30'
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Sickly look back at Bertha, with a worried frown, as he shakes his head vigorously.
"Please no." He mutters, worriedly... the mere thought of a bear enough to get his eye twitching even more. Clearly the idea of a large fury bear as a pet does not appeal in the least.
He quickly moves forward to stand beside Mason... though you think it's more to get away from Bertha and her terrifying ideas, then an urge to join the fight.
He remembers the villagers saying that the Winter's Favored were giants of some sort, not bears. Though perhaps they were giant bears... the one in the back certainly seemed rather large. Or maybe they were shapeshifters of some sort?
In the end, he's not sure... so his swing is a little more tentative.
, for non-lethal damage.
Round 2 (continued)
Inkwell flies down to spray the bears with ink. They howl in rage at the tiny buzzing gnat that disappears before they can swat it.
Lilybeth flies over the bears and scopes out the shrine. There appears to be some scattered food and various puddles of red in the snow, which seem to have come from several broken jars and bottles that lie in pieces around the pine tree on the hill.
Sickly moves forward and takes a tentative swing at the red bear. He connects, and the bear grunts with the impact. Its eyes bore into Sickly's as it focuses its attention on him.
Mason moves in and slashes the bloodied bear with his polearm. Red blood stains the snow, steaming as it pours from the wound in the creature's side. The bear drops down to all fours again and roars in rage.
By the time Bertha reacts, her chosen target is engaged in combat. Despite this, she expertly sends her beam directly between her two colleagues and hits the bear. The crackly black miasma briefly washes over it, leaving it reeling from the necromantic energy.
Round 3
Initiative order
LifeLover (18)
Loxx (17)
Bear 2 (red - has blood on face)(16) (-20 hp, 25 nonlethal; 7 Str damage)
Bear 1 (blue - has blue shawl)(16)
Inkwell (10)
Lilybeth (7)
Sickly (7)
Mason (3) - Bodyguard
Bertha (2)
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"Sure Zey, not at all harsh to let man killers live. Even if these aren't the Shaktu the travelers spoke of, are you going to risk it? Mason sneers a response back to Lilybeth.
"Although these creatures might be a threat to hunters that go out here, they are part of the local ecosystem. Currently we don't have proof these are killers and they are no threat to us. Needlessly killing them seems wrong, even more so on holy ground. Remember those Pilungak we are supposed to stop, they killed without gratitude!"
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Round 2
LifeLover casts a fireball at the bears, who both roar in anger and pain as the flames wash over them. The snow and ice flash-melt into water and steam, turning the affected area into a muddy mess.
Loxx casts a spell empowering his staff and moves into the front line.
Red bear stumbles forward and lashes out at the nearest target - Sickly. Mason helps to defend the other dwarf, throwing himself into the path of the bear's incoming claw!
The blue bear shakes its head and rubs its face with its paws to clear the ink from its eyes , then lumbers forward.
Initiative order
LifeLover
Loxx
Bear 2 (red - has blood on face) (-40 hp, 25 nonlethal; 7 Str damage; grappling Mason)
Bear 1 (blue - has blue shawl) (-20 hp)
Inkwell
Lilybeth
Sickly - AoO on blue bear
Mason (grappled)
Bertha
Inkwell charges the blue polar bear
for
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As the bigger bear closes in, Sickly takes a swipe at it, bringing his hammer down in a powerful swing!
, for damage.
He then steps back and turns his attention back to the one taking clawing at him... taking two more swings, breathing shallowly through the white mask on his face.
, for damage.
, for damage.
, for an additional damage.
Round 2 (continuned)
Red bear stumbles forward and lashes out at the nearest target - Sickly. Mason helps to defend the other dwarf, but can't stop the creature from biting poor Sickly.
claw #1, 7 Str damage, +5 AC: 1d20 + 15 - 3 ⇒ (15) + 15 - 3 = 27
claw #2, 7 Str damage, +5 AC: 1d20 + 15 - 3 ⇒ (5) + 15 - 3 = 17
bite, 7 Str damage: 1d20 + 15 - 3 ⇒ (16) + 15 - 3 = 28 -
The blue bear shakes its head and rubs its face with its paws to clear the ink from its eyes (standard action), then lumbers forward. (AoO from Sickly and Mason)
Initiative order
LifeLover
Loxx
Bear 2 (red - has blood on face) (-40 hp, 25 nonlethal; 7 Str damage)
Bear 1 (blue - has blue shawl) (-20 hp)
Inkwell
Lilybeth
Sickly (70/75) - AoO on blue bear
Mason - AoO on Blue Bear
Bertha
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Shield ringing from the bear's powerful blow, Mason grins as he sees Sickly's devastating retaliation. Happy with the flow of this battle his attention returns to Zey "Local ecosystem my sweaty parts!! Bears are meant to be out on the ice, far from here!"
Mason lunges out at the well dressed bear as it leaves itself open, then returns his attention to the red-faced scavenger.
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Bertha reaches into her satchel and pulls out a gnarled wand that looks more like a dead branch than a magic item. She then points it at the LEAST damaged bear, before uttering an incantation and giving the wand a small flourish.
Nothing obvious appears to happen. Bertha smiles and seems pleased with herself.
Round 2 (continued)
Sickly smashes the bear as it moves forward, catching it right in the forehead and nearly knocking it over. Mason's glaive follows, leaving the bear gravely wounded.
Inkwell delays until Lilybeth summons a rhino, and then moves forward. The thick snow and ice make charging impossible (difficult terrain all around) but the rhino still moves forward and gores the blue bear, which collapses with a groan.
Sickly brings his longhammer around and strikes the other bear.
Mason follows up on the red bear as well, skewering it in the side. The bear cries out once, a long, mournful groan, and slumps to the ground.
Bertha draws her wand but finds no target.
Inkwell will walk to the place the bears came from and will use the rhino's scent ability to smell if there is something funny.
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"I don't want wounded hungry bears behind us, or left behind to prey on hunter families. Say what prayer satisfies your God or conscience, then put them down..."
Pragmatic talk aside, Mason leaves the bears be and strides towards the shrine.
"They're out cold for now, let's investigate this shrine first and worry about those creatures later."
Out cold, how appropriate!
Lilybeth will examine the shrine
; scent
Both bears do appear to be alive, but unconscious. The shrine itself is little more than a small pile of stones once arranged in a pattern, but then knocked over recently (likely by the bears). Food and small offerings of cloth, bone and ivory are scattered across the top of the hill and around its base.
Inkwell smells nothing beyond the bears, and everything appears clear to Bertha as you investigate the shrine.
As you poke around, a deep voice calls out from the west. "Sihk toñazıtkhtarğa barguw üşin swih, tündar tañdaysız!"
To the west stands an immense horned humanoid, who seemingly sprouted directly out of the snow. It carries a huge axe casually balanced on one shoulder, which seems to be made of solid ice or crystal. Its white fur is matted with snow, but you can still see that its flesh is covered with black markings that look like letters. This is clearly a saumen kar, one of Winter's Favored you were told of.