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After a couple days of rest, a cold, clear day dawns on the Sambord fort. Our adventurers prepare to return to Knob Forest. If they need to provision, they should do so now. Sucks and Beelzebub are readied at first light, knowing they have 8 miles or so to travel to the abandoned town. Galan looks particularly weak, having not eaten for a couple days now.

All, please deduct two days' rations. I will update later today.

Date: 4 Culling, Year 42
Time: 07:00
Conditions: 23F, clear, slight breeze from north, 2 inches of ice-crusted snow on ground
Known Spells in Effect: None
Light bearers: Sun
Intended Direction of Travel: Town No-Go (Knob Forest), 345 degree bearing, 1.2 mph through forest
Injury Status: None

Yenny would have continued to provide food, including for Galan, unless he is intentionally fasting.

Tempus will walk huddled in his fur cloak. He will keep a look out for any wild animals about on his way.
"Unseasonably nice and clear today," the little dreadlocked halfling says happy to be out in the fresh air and countryside once again.

Galan will pick up 7 days if rations

Hellebore and Tempus scout out ahead of the party as they head mainly north towards town No-Go. Much of the snow has melted, and the rest is covered by an icy sheen from the refreezing. Fragmented conversations break the monotony of the crunchy sound of snow underneath.

Walking through the thick forest, Tempus seems to move through the vegetation with a newfound ease. Several hours pass, and the sun shines brightly in the sky, bringing some welcome warmth to our adventurers.

Four hours after departing, the group suddenly hears huffing and a chirping-like sound to their right, very close. Tempus and Hellebore had already passed the sounds, but immediately recognize them to be from black bears, perhaps emerging from their winter slumber. 50' to their right, they see a large black bear with two slightly smaller ones. Likely a mother and her nearly full-grown cubs. Thin with hunger, they sniff the air. They are aware of the party's presence, but have not yet located them. The main group is 50' from the bears. Tempus and Hellebore, having passed them, are about 110' away.

Surprise? party 1-2 [1d6] = 6 Others 1-4 [1d6] = 2

The party has two surprise segments.
For the druids:
Date: 4 Culling, Year 42
Time: 10:40
Conditions: 32F, clear, slight breeze from north, 2 inches of ice-crusted snow on ground
Known Spells in Effect: None
Light bearers: Sun
Intended Direction of Travel: Town No-Go (Knob Forest), 345 degree bearing, 1.2 mph through forest, 4.8 mph traveled today
Injury Status: None

Tempus will throw out some of his rations to the Bears to help feed them. Once feeding he will begin his animal friendship spell on mama bear

Angus backs up a few paces and readies his bow as quietly as possible. "I reckon the tree-hugger menagerie's about to expand," he whispers, "but just in case that don't take, best keep our distance if we ain't fixin' on fighting them."

Eyes fixed on the bears, Chet begins to meditate.

Sorry to be brief, I am out of town.

Hellebore sees Tempus begin casting and waits to see if it begins to take. If so, she circles around to tell the main party to stand down and get comfy for an hour.

Ain't never fought a bear, no, Hyde's eyes bulge wide. After a moment of staring his head swivels about, keeping a lookout. Ya think that bear-eating Lady might be close?

Dandelion holds an arrow ready to go but hopes she doesn't need to fire.

Arnulf giggles at Angus' discomfiture.

"I suppose we'll just have to grin and bear it."

He leans up against a tree to watch. After a time, he unconsciously begins rubbing his back against the rough bark as if trying to locate a particularly bothersome itch. When he realizes what he's doing, he stops.

FWIW, Angus isn't uneasy—he's just suggesting that it's wise to keep back from mama bears with their cubs unless you want to fight them.

"You ever think you might be part bear, magic boy?" Angus asks with an amused grin. "Between scracthin' your back like that and what we already know you do in the woods—well, puts a mind to wondering, it does."

"This is great--it must mean there are no orcs or undead or other nasties around." Yenny says quietly as she tucks against a tree with her shield at the ready. (It ousnds like we're not between the mama and the cubs. If we are even close to that, Yenny moves back out of the way.)

Tempus acts quickly, pulling rations from his pack and scattering a day's worth of food on the ground (well, a day's worth for a halfling, anyway). Chet meditates, an action he commonly takes before interacting with animals. The others retreat, readying weapons in case they need them.

The bears, aware of the party now, hungrily munch on the food. Tempus, with mistletoe in hand, begins incanting to the largest bear in his druidic tongue. The bears snap up the food quickly.

Bear saving throw [1d20] = 16

Sorry, Storm

DM rolls dice

The presence of so many strangers seems to have left the bears ill at ease. The mother rears up on her hind legs and pounces on the ground in front of her, emitting a loud *HUFF*. Her size, speed and strength is terrifying.

Hellebore and Tempus only: Actions?

Date: 4 Culling, Year 42
Time: 10:41
Conditions: 32F, clear, slight breeze from north, 2 inches of ice-crusted snow on ground
Known Spells in Effect: None
Light bearers: Sun
Intended Direction of Travel: Town No-Go (Knob Forest), 345 degree bearing, 1.2 mph through forest, 4.8 mph traveled today
Injury Status: None

Chet begins huffs and gulp-chirps to the bears, focusing on the others. He claps his hand over the scar on his face.

Yenny backs away, trying to avoid flashing reflections from her shield at the bear.

Angus takes another step back—now he is starting to get a bit "discomfited."

"I take it you ain't made a new friend?" asks Angus. He keeps his bow ready but pointed at the ground, looking to Hellebore or Tempus to signal the group's next move.

Between scracthin' your back like that and what we already know you do in the woods—well, puts a mind to wondering, it does.

Hyde manages to stifle a guffaw with a revolting snort. A foot-long tendril of yellow-green goo immediately unravels from one nostril and sways in time to the Half-Orc's back-stepping. This can't be good, no, this can't be at all good, He breathes to Angus. Not wanting to spook or anger the bears, he will refrain from drawing his bow unless anything charges.