3/7 Session Recap

June rode off almost literally into the sunset with Umet from the Hahnet tribes, but the party was fairly certain she'd catch up with them eventually. Roveles was looking a little distracted, but agreed to lead the party north into the lands of the Ten Clans. He made a detour into his new territory, Fallwood, to check things out. The track grew smaller and more difficult for the wagon, and finally the other three party members complained. Cyrus threatened to blaze a trail with fire if Roveles didn't lead them out of the woods immediately, so Roveles complied.

On the way out, they came across a woodcutter. He warned them about Old Bertha, a mean brown bear in this part of the woods. Sure enough, a little way further on, a brown bear charged from the surrounding trees and attacked.

It made for Dolan first, since he was the only outrider, and started to maul him out of the saddle. Cyrus started casting a spell while Melicertes stared intently at the bear. Dolan was ripped from his horse and pinned to the ground by the bear, which knocked him unconscious and left him bleeding to death from deep claw wounds. Cyrus finished summoning a huge dog, which immediately attacked the bear. Using the flanking bonus, Cyrus moved up and took a few good swings himself. Occasional weird noises emanated from Melicertes' vicinity, and the bear appeared to become even more enraged. It turned and mauled Cyrus, nearly knocking him unconscious, but the dog distracted it by biting and tearing at it's rear. Melicertes continued to stare as the bear lifted the dog in both massive paws and delivered a fatal bite to its neck and shoulders. The dog winked out of existence instantly. During the distraction, Cyrus healed himself, and launched one more time at the bear. A final crunching blow to the head brou ht it low. Dolan was stabilized and healed by the power of Phazorra, and Roveles, who was ahead of the party when the encounter started, came back and asked what was holding them up. He seemed crestfallen to find that his forest had contained a bear (and free xp) and that he had missed out on it.

The party continued out of Fallwood, an onto the Northern track to the Ten Clans.

During the voyage, it became clear that Dolan also had some knowledge of this area, as he originally lived here. Apparently when someone who is otherwise honorable is about to bring dishonor to his clan or family, they can choose to take service with the monks or nuns. This restores their honor while removing them from the circumstances that may have led them to dishonor. Dolan let the party know that when other, more dishonorable men were cast out from their clan, they often become roaming bandits. He also said that the undead problems suffered immediately following the war had mostly been cleared up, but that trolls and ogres had moved into the ruins in their place.