Astrid's fingers dipped into her belt pouch, and into the sand* which lay therein.

She was prepared to weave a spell of sleep;  if the ursine could be made to slumber, there would be no need to harm it, and they could take a look at that collar. However, just before she did, she peered at the animal, striving to get a sense if this was simply a matter of foraging and hunger, as it appeared to be...

Astrid Silverveil rolled 10 using 1d20.  Animal lore @16.

PHB:  This proficiency enables a character to observe the actions or habitat of an animal and interpret what is going on. Actions can show how dangerous the creature is, whether it is hungry, protecting its young, or defending a nearby den.

I'm trying to get an idea, quickly.   I will cast sleep, unless anything I see suggests it may not be a good idea.

*Don't ya just hate sand?  It's dry, coarse, and gets everywhere...   
This message was last edited by the player at 00:41, Tue 07 Dec 2021.

Spear in hand, Ulle turns away from the camp and begins to look for anyone with the bear.

Astrid senses that the bear is simply hungry, looking for food like he's starving. He keeps an eye on Astrid and Ulle but keeps eating!

It has been some years since Cal was in the military -- and he wasn't a very good soldier.  So, being alert while asleep is not his forte.  He does not get up at the single cry warning of the ursine menace.

Dain is up in an instant, a hand axe appearing in his hand so fast that one might think he slept with it.

As he looks about assessing the threat, he reaches for his battle axe with his free hand.

In reply to Dain Strongaxe (msg # 53):

You see a glint on the bears neck, something hanging from a collar.

In reply to Nerull (msg # 54):

It 'talks' to you with a bear growl but continues to eat. Completely non-threatening!

Astrid waffled; uncertain whether to cast the sleep spell or no.

She made a scrunch face expression, and an upturned hand gesture in Ulle's direction, silently asking what do you think we should do here?   

It was a splendid animal.  Albeit bears made dire opponents, and could grow angry very quickly.   This one, however, might well be trained to some degree, what with the collar.

An unusual animal companion, for any normal person.  It could've suggested a druid, save for the collar.   They didn't adorn their animals with the trappings of civilization, and domesticity, usually...

"Has collar, not alone. Look for others now." Ulle said to Astrid, as he did just that.

Astrid nodded once to the stout hearted tribesman, and continued to keep an eye on the ursine.  Ready to cast if it became needful.

While it was of course possible the bear's master was unfriendly, she was beginning to suspect not.  Its comfort around people suggested that it was both well cared for, and not encouraged toward aggressiveness.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 03:44, Wed 08 Dec 2021.

Ulle's short shout was alarm enough to pull Kestrel to fully awake. He was standing in an instant, sword drawn, as he surveyed the situation.

Seeing Ulle watching beyond the perimeter of the camp, Astrid and Dain watching the beast, but not taking hostile actions, and then spotting the collar, Kestreal asks, "Is it tamed?"

As he watches the bear munching on food in the camp, Kestrel, says "I have an idea."

Fashioning a lasso with his rope, he places the loop on the ground, and then drops some open rations within the circle of rope. He then tries to draw the bears attention to rations.

---

If bear eats rations, tighten lasso and hope that it is leash-trained! Rope Use as NWP, not sure if I need to roll anything?

Always a light sleeper, the hub-bub awakens the good Sister, and she rubs her eyes as she looks around to see what is going on.

The bear goes for the rations, very hungry.

What do you do?

Astrid pushed her fingers into the sand within her pouch, and then let it trickle through them.  Making a slow, repetitive gesture with the other hand, and whispering in the arcane tongue.

Casting sleep on bear.    She said to Kestrel:

"Clever, but risky. Let's just put him down, gently. We won't lose too much food this way, and can have a close look at the collar."   
This message was last edited by the player at 16:24, Wed 08 Dec 2021.

In reply to Astrid Silverveil (msg # 62):

The bear yawns and lays down quite comfortably and goes to sleep. You go to see the collar and what it says, but you don't understand, it is in another language than Astrid speaks. Dain and Kestrel have a look,

[Language unknown: Wilvenortous k ted whe, il Eareratra.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:33, Wed 08 Dec 2021.

I do know Gnomish, if it's in that tongue.   My languages changed slightly after I learned you aren't making us pay NWP for all the racial tongues. 

In reply to Astrid Silverveil (msg # 64):

Then you can read it now.

Astrid glanced to Pie, indicating the bear with a hand.

"Isn't he just a darling, handsome fellow?  Such a profile - and that coiffure!"

In general: "Perhaps we should leave him the food that was in the snare, for when he wakes up?  And then move the rest of it."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:29, Wed 08 Dec 2021.

Kossoth continued to sleep as he had before the bear showed up, or at least it appeared to be that way.

"Hmmph," Dain says.  With this crisis averted he says, "Wonder if anyone's lookin' fer 'im."

Crawling over, Piestar also gives the bear, and the collar, a look.

Pleased that there would be no need to hurt the bear, Ulle tries to find it's tracks, and see if he can follow them back some short way to maybe see where he came from.

Kestrel nods at the mage's suggestion, but does not move his rope. Once the bear has fallen into slumber, Kestrel asks Astrid, "How long will this last?"

He will slip rope through the collar and tie it off at the nearest large tree or boulder.

"With only a few minutes before the spell ends, and given how dark it is, we are best to move far enough that Boddynock, here cannot reach our packs. Perhaps we should build our fire up too?

Astrid, when the bear wakes, I suggest you speak to him in gnomish, it may calm him."

Looking to the other ranger, Kestrel calls out, "Don't wander too far, Ulle, the night is still young."

As he moves his own things away from the bear, he leaves the rations next to the bear. He also gives Kossoth a gentle shake, to wake the warrior. "Kossoth, be aware, we have a bear for company!"

As he settles back to rest, he ponders, "A bear tamed by a gnome...I wonder if Boddynock's owner has run into problems with the kobolds that Birahu mentioned?"

---

If the watches run from 10pm to 6am; this all occurred at 1am so it is probably pitch-black! Also given that the DM has said that elves require only 4 hours of reverie Kestrel can be part of watch 3 as well as 4.

Nodding to Kestral, Ulle continues to check for tracks. He has no intention of going too far, but even a sense of the direction the bear came from would be useful information.

In reply to Ulle (msg # 72):

Too dark to track him Ulle, with a torch you can see he was wandering and smelled your fire and food. He came to tuck away as much as he could.