Itka protects herself, and determines that the mirror is controlling the beara, and that neutralizing it would revert the bear to his natural animal instincts.
In order to do target the mirror, you need to either be above the bear (flying or climbing the nearby terrain - though this could be hazardous because of the weather) or Climb its hide using Athletics. The mirror can be damaged as any object or Disabled.
The bear lumbers toward the group, but does not do more than snuffle at them yet.
Round 1-2 - bolded may go!
Itka (mage armor)
Krakazh (sustaining a spell?)
bear...
Jayma
Ulrich
Dreadfang!
Avonatha
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Jayma had half-hoped the bear would come charging in for a fight as its mighty roar had suggested. She'd prepared a nice opening attack spell and was itching to release it. But instead, the creature snuffles up to them and does nothing. Jayma stomps her foot in frustration. "Oh, poo!" And then recovering, she adds, with the merest soupçon of sarcasm, "Good job Krakazh. Looks like whatever spell you cast on the beast has tamed it. Not sure what we should do about it now though."
When Itka indicates that the mirror is controlling the creature, Jayma examines it more closely. "The bear is so large that the mirror will be impossible to destroy without getting above it somehow. Any takers for climbing the creature's back to reach it?." Climbing anything, let alone the back of a huge and potentially deadly bear, was out of the question for her. On the other hand, flight was an option, but she doesn't like the look of the nasty weather above them. Visions of her fragile gnomish body being smashed to bits against one of the surrounding hillocks come unbidden to her mind. She shivers.
In the mean time, she refreshes her magical shield and prepares to run if the bear decides to attack.
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Itka relays what she discovered: "Hmp! The mirror on its back is controlling the bear! If we neutralize the mirror, we'll just have to deal with a normal bear. Hmp. Bad enough."
She does have one spell prepared that might work , unless she's going up against a witch far beyond her own abilities (which is extremely likely, given the circumstances). Even so, she's itching to try. "Hmp!" Making a decision that she's surely going to regret, Itka shuffle-strides over to the nearest tree and begins to clamber up into its limbs. If I fall... She doesn't let herself finish the thought.
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Itka relays what she discovered: "Hmp! The mirror on its back is controlling the bear! If we neutralize the mirror, we'll just have to deal with a normal bear. Hmp. Bad enough."
Dreadfang narrows his eyes at the bear’s back. ”An evil curse!”, he declares. ”Then the mirror dies today!”
He springs at the bear, tiny wings flapping as his claws gain purchase on its thick fur. Then he starts climbing, heading for the shiny artifact.
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"I am not the climber type" says Ulrich He looks around and spots the rocks "Some of us can climb those rocks and get better view on the mirrors"
He steps a bit further away and tries to recall what he could know about such bears and their weaknesses
"Any idea who could control that bear? And at what distances?"
Ulrich and Avonatha study the beast. They recognize that this creature is a grizzly bear, an animal, but much larger than normal. In addition to being very powerful, a grizzly bear can charge at higher than normal speed and make a strike afterwards. Ulrich also realizes that this bear would be able to trample Medium or smaller creatures by rolling over them, though such creatures could use the opportunity to try to grab its fur.
Jayma prepares to get out of the way if the bear takes an offensive action.
Dreadfang scales the bear about halfway to the mirror, though this definitely upsets the creature enough that he cannot make it the rest fo the way.
Itka shimmies up a tree.
Krakazh continues to maintain the calming effect of the spell, though it does not appear that it will hold out.
And it does not. It positions the mirror so that a focused ray of sun shines on Dreadfang.
And then moves towards the other Pathfinders and takes a hack at Ulrich.
Round 2-3 - bolded may go!
Itka (mage armor, in a tree)
Krakazh
BEAR!
Jayma (+readied move)
Ulrich (-16 HP, +1 action)
Dreadfang! (-27 HP, halfway up a bear)
Avonatha (+1 action)
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When the bear advances to within smelling range of Jayma and then attacks Dreadfang, she quickly backs up and positions herself in the tight canyon between hillocks, hoping the bear can't reach her there.
Magic Missile can be aimed at the mirror.
From her new vantagepoint, Jayma catches sight of the flashing mirror burning away at Dreadfang. Oh, no. That won't do at all. She quickly brings her staff down onto the ground six times "<Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!> Missiles mangle malevolent mirror."
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"Hmp." Noting how badly the bear's attack on Ulrich must hurt, Itka sincerely hopes it won't decide to attack her. Maybe if she scares it enough it'll stay back. She shouts: "Hmp! Bear!" to get its attention, then casts Evil Eye on it.
She immediately follows it up by casting Dispel Magic on the mirror.
Unfortunately, the branch bearing her weight shifts as she's casting the spell, breaking her concentration. She glowers menacingly at the bear, ruing the wasted spell.
Now on the bear’s back, Dreadfang brings both fists down on it, in an effort to smash it.
Jayma sends a barrage of missiles at the mirror, but they do not seem to be powerful enough to break it.
Quete tries to sink its teeth into the mirror, but can't pierce the surface either. Avonatha's fire passes over it harmlessly, though Dreadfang gets a brief respite from the weather.
Krakazh's tinny tarrasques join the parade of not damaging the mirror.
The orc in the tree is surprisingly intimidating.
Round 2-3 - bolded may go!
Itka (mage armor, in a tree)
Krakazh
BEAR! (frightened 1)
Jayma
Ulrich (-16 HP, +1 action)
Dreadfang! (-27 HP, on a bear, awaiting clarification)
Avonatha (+1 action)
Dreadfang pounds on the mirror, but it resolutely refuses to be damaged.
Ulrich pounds on the bear, but it also resolutely refuses to be damaged.
The bear tries to laser Dreadfang again.
Ulrich is also still annoying it.
Avonatha appears snack sized.
The Pathfinders resolutely refuse to be damaged.
Round 3-4 - bolded may go!
Itka (mage armor, in a tree)
Krakazh
BEAR!, mirror (-13 HP)
Jayma
Ulrich (-16 HP)
Dreadfang! (-27 HP, on a bear)
Avonatha
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Krakazh frowns as the mirror resists the damage aimed at it and tries a different spell
She also casts Forbidding Ward on Dreadfang.
Jayma's missiles again smash into the mirror.
Ulrich hits the bear twice with the back sides of his weapons.
Quete still can't quite sink its teeth into the object.
Itka's pinecone flies harmlessly past Dreadfang's ear.
Dreadfang sinks his claws into the mirror. A deep crack appears in the surface. The bear looks up, confused, for a moment, then shakes like it has just gotten out of the water. Dreadfang flies off its back and lands in a snowbank, chilled but not further injured, and the bear lumbers off into the forest.
Ulrich (-16 HP)
Dreadfang! (-27 HP)
The silver harness falls to the ground as the bear leaves. A shard of the mirror lies nearby.
There is also a secret Arcana check for anyone interested.
The harness is made of delicate silver chains and is valuable, but has no special properties.
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Once the bear is well on its way, Jayma slips out and goes to check on the remains of the mirror.
She looks at the shard of the mirror that Dreadfang is pointing to and says, "If you crush the shard you'll feel the cold less for a little while."
She then examines the rest of the mirror and the silver harness to determine its function and origins.
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"Hmp." Thank goodness her team is more capable than she is, and thank goodness the bear chose to leave rather than maul the lot of them. Itka takes her time climbing down from the tree, not wanting to make an even greater fool of herself. Once down, she tag teams healing with Krakazh, healing Ulrich while she's healing Dreadfang, and vice versa.
Of course, since she dallied in the tree, she doesn't have as much time to work on Ulrich's wounds before it's time to switch.
Jayma recalls that silver chains are used to bind lycanthropes, so the bear you fought earlier is likely to be a werebear.
The Pathfinders continue along the pass as long as possible, making notes as they go, until dusk. They make camp, then continue the next day. By midday, they descend from the mountain pass, and by nightfall they enter the forests of Irrisen proper. Dark conifers loom ominously around them, and nightingales sing above their heads. The full day is spent traveling.
The next morning, trouble arrives just as Ogthup is finishing making a meal of snared rabbit and gritty porridge.
One moment, the forest is silent under its shroud of white. The next moment, humanoid figures rise and brush snow off their clothes. Two ruddy-faced individuals in heavy coats and fur-lined boots stand, breath steaming. Each one carries a full quiver and a strung bow, but more curiously, also what looks like a piece of piping with a spearpoint socketed above it and a wooden handle at the other end. A man steps forward and addresses the travelers. He wears a strange cloth uniform with red lapels and a tall sheepskin hat.
“Good morning, comrades! I see you are enjoying a bit of an unauthorized picnic, yes?” The mustachioed man smiles, but the expression doesn’t quite reach his sharp eyes. “A lovely stroll in the woods, looking for mushrooms, perhaps?”
He makes a small gesture, and one of the other men levels his curious weapon at Ogthup. The speaker continues, his words oddly accented in a manner that doesn’t match any of the languages of the Inner Sea region.
“You most certainly are not another group of the witch’s enforcers,” the man says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “So, no murder is planned, no killing of livestock, no arson, nothing of that sort. Just mushroom picking, right, comrades?”
Everyone is aware that there are more soldiers in the forest.
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Hmp. 'Unauthorized picnic'? Is it *this area* that's off limits, or are all people supposed to stay *penned in*? Itka puts forth a conscious effort to avoid scowling (more than usual, that is). Instead of talking, which is sure to end up as successful as her attempts to fight that werebear earlier in their trek, she turns her focus on the odd weapons held by these folks.
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"A werebear, huh? That's a new one."
Once they encounter the strange soldier, and notice many more of his fellows in the forest around them, Jayma puts on her best smile and taking Twyl in her hands, steps forward. "I assure you that my companions and I are not witch's enforcers, nor are we planning on creating any form of mayhem here. I do admit that neither are we here to pick mushrooms, despite my colleague's assessment of their quality." She adds a tinkly little laugh at her joke. "My name is Jayma and this is Twyl; we are all members of the Pathfinder Society on an exploratory mission to find a new pass through the mountains. We come in peace." She makes a small bow in greeting, then looking up again, she adds, "And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?" The whole time she's talking, Twyl is giving the men his patented I'm harmless and so is my mistress look.
Dreadfang recognizes the hallmarks of a well-trained military unit.
Ulrich stands up and wants to aid Jayma, but seeing how well she is doing he just stands and observes their reactions.
Ulrich is not familiar with the strange weapons, but he does sense that these soldiers, while nervous, are not looking for a fight if they can avoid it.
Instead of talking, which is sure to end up as successful as her attempts to fight that werebear earlier in their trek, she turns her focus on the odd weapons held by these folks.
Itka, however, can recognize that the weapons the troops are holding are firearms, which look far more sophisticated than the muskets from Alkenstar in the far south, though they also look quite old and worn.
"Who are you all and what brings you into the forest today?"
Once they encounter the strange soldier and notice many more of his fellows in the forest around them, Jayma puts on her best smile and taking Twyl in her hands, steps forward. "I assure you that my companions and I are not witch's enforcers, nor are we planning on creating any form of mayhem here. I do admit that neither are we here to pick mushrooms, despite my colleague's assessment of their quality." She adds a tinkly little laugh at her joke. "My name is Jayma and this is Twyl; we are all members of the Pathfinder Society on an exploratory mission to find a new pass through the mountains. We come in peace." She makes a small bow in greeting, then looking up again, she adds, "And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?" The whole time she's talking, Twyl is giving the men his patented I'm harmless and so is my mistress look.
“I’m hurt you don’t recognize me. I thought Chesjilawa and I were friends now. I am Есау́л—you might say Captain—Semyon Gavrilovich Gubkin of the Don Host, formerly of His Majesty Nicholas II’s Imperial Russian Army, currently retired,” The man performs a mocking bow. “At your service.”
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Jayma looks the captain over with a practiced eye to determine the best approach to dealing with people like him.
Jayma smiles broadly when the captain introduces himself. "Oh, you're a Captain, how exciting! For being retired, you seem awfully young and active. Do not be hurt that I did not recognize you, Captain Gubkin, but being outsiders we've never heard of your King Nicolas, or Russia, and we have yet to make the acquaintance of this Chesjilawa you mention. Perhaps you could enlighten us a little on how you and your men came to find yourself in this frozen land and who Chesjilawa might be?"
Meanwhile, Jayma racks her brains for any mention of who the Chesjilawa that the captain mentioned might be.
... and if all else fails, there's always:
Avonatha agrees with Itka's analysis of the weapons, but knows no more about them.
Jayma is sure that these people are not native to Golarion, but can observe enough about their behavior to make a guess about the best way to interact with them.
Most of the Pathfinders recognize the name Chesjilawa as the leader of a town in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, but little information beyond that has made its way to Absalom.
Semyon answers Jayma sardonically, “It is, comrades, an exceptionally long story. Suffice to say this land is not the home of our birth, and we have come a long way.”