Westra answers the first question, "With the poison removed, we will stop worsening, but it will take rest to fully heal the damage." Alwanzatar answers the second, "I'm not too bad at the moment, and nothing's killed me so far. But those scorpions are nasty." (Alwanzatar has -2 to max hp and a fairly decent constitution. Westra has -5 max health and slightly lower, but still good constitution.)

"All right! I'll rescue the garden snail." Flutterwing drops her load quickly and turns about. A minute later, she meets the sprinting Ryudo, just as his steps start to falter. (Ryudo fails constitution save, gains a second level of exhaustion: speed halved and disadvantage on ability checks.) She lifts him up with her left arm and sprints back the other direction. "This is almost fun!" she says cheerfully.

Flutterwing quickly catches up with the party and loads all but Aldridge back up. "You've got the most functional legs at the moment," she says, smiling. "I'll see your legs again in a few minutes!" She grins and takes off, leaving Aldridge behind.

She runs for a few minutes until she nears the camp. She slows and sets her load down. "That flower sure has a kick to it!" (The effects of the flower have expired.)

The party waits a few minutes for Aldridge to appear.

(Poison saves for Westra: Pass, Fail (-1), Pass, Pass, Fail (-3), Pass, Fail (-1), Pass, Fail (-1), Pass, Pass: A total of -7 max health. Westra is still poisoned.)

(Poison saves for Alwanzatar: Pass, Fail (-1), Pass, Pass, Pass, Fail (-1), Pass, Fail (-1), Pass, Pass, Pass: A total of -3 max health. Alwanzatar is still poisoned.)

(The rest of the party has 6 minutes worth of time to pass if they wish to do anything while Aldridge catches up. The clan is nearby, attending to the regular course of the day. The party is 390 feet from the camp. To get any closer without attracting notice will require stealth.)

"Okay," Aldridge gasps. "Good work. Go team, and all that. Let's... Let's go stealthily now. The village is right over there, and now would be a really good time not to be noticed." He indicates that everyone travel as quietly and unnoticeably as possible (Stealth 23). When they are within 300 feet of the village, he signals to Westra to begin Pass Without Trace, then directs the party in a route away from the camp, obscured by the trees.

Before they head to the village, Westra grabs some Snakefright she sees growing nearby. "This can make an antitoxin for our scorpion poisoning, but it needs an hour to steep once we are able to stop. In the meantime, I will patch up myself and Alwan as best I can." (Healer's kit - 5 hit points to Westra, 8 hit points to Alwan)

Once they are within 300 feet of the village, Westra casts Pass Without Trace (+10 to all Dex throws to all within 30 feet of Westra).

The party circles around, just out of sight of the villagers. They're not all that terribly stealthy, but Westra's spell seems to fix even the worst of their blunders.

They hunker down, waiting...

All of the sudden, from the other side of the village, a huge ashen bear bursts through the trees! The villagers start to scatter every which way, but the bear attacks with a speed and viciousness that nigh unto beggars belief.

All the young men in the camp are away on the hunt, so the women, old men, and children are left. Every single one of them takes up arms against the beast.

On the other side of the camp, a single figure withdraws rapidly, directly toward the party. His stature marks him as a Bear. He wears brown bearskin furs around his body and carries a warhammer and a rough stone shield. A moment ago both were stowed neatly on his back, but as quickly as the bear appeared, they seemed to leap unbidden into familiar hands. He seems conflicted as to whether he wishes to join the battle or withdraw.

(Combat will begin shortly, with or without the players. I must now stat out an entire village. I'll update when ready...)

Aldridge turns to Westra from behind the shrubbery. "How many 6-year-olds do you think you could take in a fight? Five, six?"

He receives a unified glare from the rest of the party as a response.

"Less than that? Okay."

He notices the barbarian. "Flutterwing, do you recognize him?"

The barbarian hefts his hammer and begins to back warily away from the camp. [Language unknown: "Ilal pro nceon heivmo sononsbleiou maleul ll sanresich, lar."]
This message was last edited by the player at 15:49, Fri 26 June 2015.

Flutterwing takes a good look at the barbarian approaching her. "His face is familiar. Definitely not from my tribe, but I may have seen him. I don't recall specifically, which means if we have met before, he did nothing to earn my notice. Still, his form does bear noticing, does it not?" She smiles and winks at Westra.

"Was that an intentional pun?" Westra remarks, her face unsmiling.

"I do not like the idea of hiding in the bushes like a coward while women and children face this monster," she says to the group. "Maybe these people more readily allow their women to learn combat than mine do, but if they were that experienced, they would have gone with the hunting party, wouldn't they?"

"Well, I don't know about you all, but I want to find my drake. The sooner we can brew you some anti-venom, the better, and we still have another 30 minutes or so left to travel without leaving footprints." He looks to the melee. "I am curious to see this creature in action, though, in case it does walk away from here. But we are in no condition to take it. We can attempt to get help from the men, but I suspect this will be all over by then. Or, we can simply abandon the hunt, as I said before. Unless they cripple the monster, I realistically don't see combat as a option."

Aldridge looks to the wary Bear, and considers if he can get his attention without the attention of the rest of the villagers. He seems in well-enough condition; the party could use a bodyguard right about now.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:30, Thu 25 June 2015.

Before the village can react, the bear swipes at a young lady attending to the cookpot. "Grat!" an older man shouts, but he is too late. The bear swipes Grat from behind.

As his claw rips her back open, flames sprout from her body. Grat falls to the side, dead. Her infant son, still wrapped against her now burning body starts to scream. (The baby will burn to death if the fire is not extinguished next round.)

(End of surprise round.)

The village quickly arrays against the bear. Half of them grab bows and fire arrows, the other half use stone spears, axes, and hammers. The bear swipes at Buomaugh, an older man with a spear in his hand. The old man narrowly dodges both of the bear's claws and his bite.

Varthurg, a boy who can't have seen his fifth summer yet, runs to grab his infant brother from the burning body of his dead mother. He manages to rescue Bruul, but burns his leg in the process. He hobbles away toward a tent.

(End of round 1 for the village. Any players who wish to act, may. If not, post that you stay put. This is an individual decision, your characters do not have time to discuss at length. The party is 200' away from the commotion. Ethic is 100' away.)

"I can't abide this any longer," Westra whispers. "Follow me or not. On your own head be it."

Westra transforms into a brown bear for the second time that day and bursts out of the bushes, sprinting towards the village (80/200 ft away).

"No!" Aldridge whispers harshly, practically shrieking. "You're going to give us away!" He attempts to tackle the druid, but is quickly knocked aside by her transformation. "Dammit!" he whisper-shrieks. "Now they're going to know we led it here!" He looks helplessly at the rest of his companions.

"Clans live and die," he stated plainly. "I've seen enough death in my life that it doesn't faze me, but that doesn't me I'll hurry mine." He crouches back down to watch the new combatant enter the fray.

"I had thought to have help in bringing down the beast, not to trigger a massacre." Alwan dashes after Westra. (60 feet)

Ethic looks about him warily and continues to withdraw from the village. They have made it perfectly clear they want no interaction with him.

Without a word, Airdsgainne dashes toward the village and the bear. Thrusting out an arm, he shouts a word of power and harrowing briers ripple out of the ground toward the bear, stopping as they reach its paws. (Spike Growth, 20 feet just reaching the bear, difficult terrain and 2d4 per square moved)

“This is your plan‽” Ryudo says, incredulous. “The bear is scary, yes, but I don't call four-year-olds in for backup.” The Ostrich sprints off toward the ursine rampage, his legs still burning from the previous run. (Move 45' toward the bear.)

Flutterwing starts in with the rest of the party. “Why are there no warriors here?” Flutterwing is distressed and confused. (60' toward the bear.)

The bear continues his rampage, starting with a swipe that lands squarely on Buomaugh. The claw tears his pelvis in half, sending his leg flying. What remains of Buomaugh collapses in a heap on the ground, quietly burning.

The bear stands for a moment by the fire, surveying the area. He looks toward the “heroes” charging in. Deciding they are apparently not worth its attention, it turns toward Varthurg carrying Bruul. Yotul and her son Burub, however, step in the way, giving Varthurg a moment to escape.

The bear steps toward the pear and bites Yotul on the left arm, but not mortally. Her son isn't quite so lucky. The bear's claw rips through his intestines. His flaming form falls into the snow, dead.

Varthurg escapes with his brother to the edge of the village. He sets Burub down and a cold expression comes over the four-year-old's face. He grabs a bundle of small axes, the heaviest he can lift, and starts toward the bear.

Spears and axes from the clan rain down on the bear. Most bounce harmlessly off, but a few seem to leave a mark, if only a light one. (7 damage from spears, 4 damage from ice spikes.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:39, Mon 29 June 2015.

Alwan slows his pace, but continues to approach. He fits a stone to his sling as he does so, depending more on luck than skill as he launches it across such a great distance. (Approach to 110 feet, 12 vs. AC, 4 damage if hit)

Airdsgainne continues dashing toward the bear.

"It had to go after the infant first," Aldridge mutters to himself. "Bunch of bleeding hearts. About to be literally." He would have rathered the village warriors actually be present for the bear attack, but karma comes on its own time.

Aldridge can't help but laugh at his magic-reliant allies, particularly the sorcerer's thrown pebble. He also can't help but laugh at the startled barbarian as he is caught off guard by the rushing bear from his other side. With their luck, Westra would die at the hands of the defenders rather than the bear.

"Idiots," he mutters. Worst of all, they had to approach from the wrong side of the village. If any of the villagers had the foresight to check their tracks... Aldridge kicks himself for suggesting they stay and watch instead of continuing on to find the hunters.

The onslaught of moderately-capable warriors appears to offer some cushion, however. Maybe death wasn't the inevitable conclusion for all involved. Aldridge sees the youngster return to avenge his mother, and can't help but feel somewhat protective of the walking dead. With a resigned sigh, he breaks his cover and sprints after his suicidal compatriots. (60' toward village)

"[Language unknown: K, Enpl]," he yells to Ethic. "[Language unknown: Ecatpa ec th n be, sipatr e?]"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:21, Mon 29 June 2015.

[Language unknown: "No topa sonng atplce. Es p ec venet ektona ectithred ar entevethu me tire?"] Ethic yells back.

"[Language unknown: Ter esrat ai eiutdi elelun, o ek ofant setlinpre?]" Aldridge responds. "[Language unknown: K evehouill ilnt er eere for sanverhoueen oulromany ndiv om atisonardwhe. Adicll pamilo ssthev, se ndan heica prulpr eenwhe-virnot ceha, be m ekmael me prweun his atisanicaall es eveicaica Undard-tinrateve. Oerineoveessdinstr, stihasconall nte o ol roelun nte korereons p ndalus evpa son elnaom entviryin ilnirihe'paof. Les to thi vorkorder, illratnti evend canehe estwheles?]"

Westra continues running toward the bear, careful to avoid Airsdgainne's spikes (160/200ft).

Ethic stops his steady withdrawal. [Language unknown: Vorionare. Icaon Astthoverstrlin verac ineiiv u fierio. Lani ol tiieal nte os towil.], he said.