Pah d'Reco is enraged by the sight of the wounded animal but forces himself to calm down and think, hoping his animal trainer instincts kick in.
How can he help the bear without getting mauled...? A wounded bear is a dangerous foe...
He's stumbling, so probably a lesser danger, but still...
Guys, let me try to handle this but keep me covered. Not sure I know what I'm doing...
d'Reco takes some food from his rations, holding it in his hand, and moves towards the bear slowly, not letting him out of his sight for an instant, checking for reactions.
The trajectory is a bit to the side, so the bear has to turn on his wounded flank to attack. Once he's closer but still "safe" (20-30m I guess) d'Reco shows him the food and tosses it towards him.
If the bear takes it and starts eating, d'Reco keeps approaching.
Certain that this is a death defying stunt but also a trial sent by Zirchev to test his mettle, d'Reco is determined to see it through.
If he can get close enough without startling the bear, the plan is to lay hands on his flank slowly, with no sudden movements or signs of aggression. If the bear allows that contact, d'Reco pulls out the arrow and gets out of there in a hurry.
Rizana watches. She stays silent as she knows stories of bears. She also knows a few recipes with bear. The strangeness is could she survive the bear attack, kill a bear ans eat it?
She pushes that aside ans just watches waiting for a chance to flee and to pounce.
Pah d'Reco cautiously approaches the wounded bear, his heart racing with a mix of concern and determination. Moving slowly, he keeps a vigilant eye on the bear's every twitch and grunt. As he gets closer, he extends a portion of his rations, hoping to persuade the bear with food rather than provoke it with fear.
The bear, sensing no immediate threat from d'Reco, watches him with wary eyes. Its nostrils flare as it catches the scent of the offered food. Emitting a low, rumbling growl, the bear shifts slightly, clearly in discomfort from the arrow lodged in its side. Around its feet lie scattered remains, unsettlingly resembling the remnants of a human leg.
Carefully, d'Reco tosses the food towards the bear. The morsel lands nearby, and the bear hesitates before cautiously sniffing at it. Hungry and cautious, it tentatively begins to eat, its attention split between d'Reco and its meal.
As the Cleric takes a few steps further, the bear reacts again, first lifting its head from the food, then letting out a more forceful and intense growl.
d'Reco halts and speaks in the most soothing voice he can muster, arms alongside his body, knees bent slightly to make himself seem smaller and less menacing
Hey that's alright brother bear... I feel your pain and just want to help. I'll take out the stick in your flank so you can heal. Let me closer, I won't hurt you.
If the bear quiets down, he tries to move forward. Otherwise he just waits for a bit longer, making himself look even smaller.
The bear hesitates, its muscles tense and ready to react. It lets out another rumbling growl, deeper this time, and shifts its stance. Its ears flatten against its head, and it lowers its head slightly, readying itself to lunge or defend if d'Reco moves any closer.
After finishing the morsel, the bear gingerly picks up the remains of the human leg with a cautious glance towards d'Reco. It takes a few steps back, still watching him closely, before turning away. With deliberate motions, it starts moving into the underbrush, the wounded flank making its gait uneven but determined.
"That is either the bravest or dumbest thing I have ever seen!", the warrior says to Riz with a look of respect for the priest and his attempt to help the wounded bear.
"I know which one I think it was..." Kallum grumbles while shaking his head.
Rizana laughs as the bear runs away and then speaks. " That was entertaining, though cpuld of used more action. Like the near attacking or the bear getting pissed at the arrow getting removed!!!"
She giggles as she then takes a swing that would of met the bears face. As she does she giggles even more." Caise I wanted to boop its snoot with my mace!"
You're probably right.
But hey, if you wanted to be smart you'd be at home knitting or gathering firewood, not out in the woods chasing bandits..., d'Reco says rather matter-of-factly while he lowers down and tries to follow the bear's trail in reverse.
A wounded bear leaves an easy trail I'd expect, and my money's on both that arrow and leg being former possessions of the very bandits we're chasing.
Probably a good time to meet the bandits. They should be in a desarray because of the bear. Move on guys.
Hmmm ok... d'Reco begrudgingly agrees, the curiosity to follow the bear's trail weighing heavily on his mind.
He looks around intently, aiming to memorise this location. He looks for reference landmarks and so on, does the best he can, and ultimately follows the group towards SE.
Unlike her town demeanor Rizana was upright and walking as she chokes up on the Mace eagerly. A smile creeps across her dace almost looking like a little girl given sweets.
The party again sets off towards the southeast, moving cautiously through the increasingly marshy terrain.
It has now been a few hours since you left the keep. The air becomes heavier with humidity, and the smell of stagnant water fills your nostrils as you wade deeper into the marshlands. The ground beneath your feet squelches with each step, and the buzzing of insects is nearly deafening.
The further you venture, the more challenging the path becomes. Pools of stagnant water dot the landscape, some shallow and others deceptively deep. The sound of buzzing insects fills the air, and the occasional splash surely indicates hidden creatures moving just out of sight.
After some time trudging through the swampy terrain, the group realizes the trail has become too difficult to follow. The wet ground and dense vegetation obscure any clear signs of passage.
I think we should backtrack NW till we find the trail again and then make a search for signs in dry land. No One Will make camp in such a wet land. I'm afraid we'll get Lost on here.
Also we can go back to the trail and wait for them to pass there again.
" Frogs and lizards...the Lizard men could be put here" she says not quiet dejected.
Yes and don't think it a good idea to get into one of their villages by chance and infuriating them
"I agree. Let's stop wallowing around in this swamp and try to find the trail. I really do not want to wander into a lizardman encampment!!"
Dobin pulls his feet from the slurping, gooey mess that they have wandered into.
" Yeah I really wanna bash something. Whicj aside from frogs doesnt seem likely. Though froglegs....No you're right we beed to break some bandits" she says almost fighting against the idea of kilking a frog for food or hopefully killing a bandit instead of just torturing them.
Regnar turns to Rizana
Hmm, mayhaps the wee one could scurry up a tree and scout for signs of our quarry. Keep an eye out for wisps of smoke from a campfire or glimmers of light piercing the shadows. - he then adds with a chuckle - Mind ye, I said climb, no bashin' this time
"Possible, I suppose." Kallum says to Draven's musing. "Although the tracks we were followin' were boots. I've never known lizardmen to wear boots. No matter, I suppose. Let's get out of this f#@!in' swamp."
"Ooo could you make boots out of a Lizard man, and if so would a Lizard man wear boots made of a Lizard man?" Rizana asked as she walked as best as she could, a bit more bogged down then the others.
The group decides to double back, realizing the marshlands are becoming too treacherous to navigate effectively. Retracing your steps, you leave the squelching, boggy ground behind, the buzzing of insects fading slightly as you move away from the stagnant pools of water.
The journey back is slow but steady. The heavy humidity lessens as you approach drier ground, and the oppressive stillness of the air gives way to a more familiar forest ambiance. Birds chirp intermittently, and a light breeze rustles through the trees, providing a welcome contrast to the suffocating marshland.
With the sun beginning its descent, it's around 6 PM when you reach the more solid terrain where the bear's trail first intersected with your own. The spring evening is cool and refreshing after the stifling swamp air.
Hey look, it's the bear trail! It's getting late but I'm sure we can spend a few minutes following it along?
So, anyone up for a bit more tracking before dinner?
If we find nothing we can double back and camp here tonight.
I agree Draco althoug the bear was probably moving away from the bandits... but I see nothing better to do[ - adds Lan as an afterthought.
Backtrack the bear tracks' guys?
Rizana nods. " Sure, lets find who shot it and smash them"
The party decides to backtrack along the bear’s trail, hoping it might lead them to whoever shot the bear and left the unsettling remains. The evening air is crisp, and the dimming light of dusk casts long shadows through the forest as you follow the path westward.
After an hour of travel, the sky is painted in shades of twilight, with the approaching nightfall. The trail leads you to a small clearing, where signs of a struggle are evident. Broken branches and disturbed underbrush suggest a recent scuffle. You notice patches of dried blood on the ground and several footprints, indicating a group of humanoids. The tracks suggest they might have been caught off guard by the bear.
Amid the trampled vegetation, you find a few scattered items: a torn piece of cloth, possibly from a cloak, and a broken arrow shaft, matching the one found in the bear’s flank. The signs point towards a confrontation that ended hastily.
To the west, not very far, you can see a stream running northwest to southeast. Beyond the stream, you notice a forested area rising into the distance, suggesting higher ground.
d'Reco looks around intently to see if there's any clue as to where the entry and exit points to the clearing were.
In other words, both the bear and the group of humanoids came into the clearing from one spot and exited from one spot, potentially the same. We know where the bear exited, we just came in through there. So the other three remain and d'Reco wants to locate them.
To achieve this he looks for footprints, dropped items, torn garment remains, blood trails and so on.
Be careful mates, there may be others still around...
"Which one bears or idoits who don't finish off bears?" Rizana laughs excitedly now once more choking up on her mace.
"Higher ground sounds like a fine idea." Kallum says, agreeing with Draven.
The old rogue shrugs at Riza's question.
"Probably not more bears, more likely the not so idiotic that decided they didn't need to be faster than the bear, just faster than some of these other poor bastards." he says, gesturing toward the obvious signs of a fight.
Kallum proceeds to search the outer edge of the clearing looking for tracks of anyone or anything that left the scene.
Dobin follows along quietly, not having anything to add to the conversation, but glad they are leaving the squelching swamp behind for some clear, solid woodlands.
Pah d'Reco carefully examines the ground around the clearing, spotting a set of humanoid tracks coming from the southeast into the site of the struggle. He sees no other tracks apart from those left by the bear when it exited the area. Kallum, searching the outer edge of the clearing, finds traces of blood leading west, towards the stream.
As the group considers their next move, the light continues to fade, and the first stars begin to twinkle in the spring sky. The air is cool and crisp, a welcome change from the muggy swamp.
I think we better eat something and prepare for the night. - says Lan to his companions - And set some watch rotation, maibe two at a time.
I agree rest is in order, but maybe not in this clearing lest the bear comes back. Let's find another spot?
"This is indeed a good place to rest for the evening, but like Pah d'Reco says maybe a bit away from where the bear was. I shall look for firewood for the evening as we decide on a spot."