Keely paused to check herself over.  Often, she found she wasn't aware of her injuries until the battle was already over.  In this case, she couldn't seem to find any.  "Perfect as ever," she said, twisting this way and that to check behind herself.

Brankx looked at the goliath with a nod. "Few small scratches, but i'm ok. Most o' the big hits happened to th' elf."

He looked at Vang. "fer a poet, ye pretty lethal there Vang."

Vang smiles at Brankx. The monks of the Dragon Brotherhood are as renowned for their martial arts as they are for their teachings. While we abhor violence and killing, there are times it cannot be avoided.

He turns and lays out his bedroll before lying down with his staff beside him. Goodnight, Master Brankx.

Rorek's smiled widened for a second at Keely's statement, "Good". With the adrenaline of the fight quickly fading, he let out a massive yawn. "We should try to get some more rest. If the rest of the journey is like this, then we will need it".

Finally satisfied that everyone had come through the fight relatively unscathed, Rorek sat back on his bedroll, wrapped his blanket over his shoulders and rested his back against the wall. His light grey eyes quietly scanned the rest of the group, gauging their reactions to the fight and each other. Eventually though sleep found it way back, and he soon nodded off.

"For little stick creatures, they know how to get you where it hurts. I wonder if that's the kind of creature that was killing all of the livestock around the abandoned farms? I can see how that would make it difficult to be a farmer, and nearly impossible to tell what was doing all the killing, unless you were able to witness it for yourself firsthand."

"The healing spells did their job on me, I'll be just fine. A little muscle soreness will settle in within the hour, and I'll be feeling it while I move around tomorrow, but the day after that it'll be like nothing ever happened.

Vyn'al called his familiar back from the pocket dimension they called home, and asked them to watch the house from outside the door and alert him to any plant-things moving from one place to another.

The rest of the night went silently, except for Brankx and Rorek's snoring, and the morning light saw the group waking up rested, after that quick fight in the middle of the night. After a quick breakfast, the group took the road again, going north, under a gray sky, threatening rain. It was after the mid-day rest that the rain started, a light drizzle that was more annoying than anything.

As the party was adjusting their cloak, a bright light pierced the clouds and fell straight on Lerrisa, the tiefling gasping in surprise and pain. Her form started to elongate, like attracted by the hole in the sky while keeping her feet on the ground, before flying off in the sky. But the light didn't stop there, as another shape seemed to tumble down the light tube, compressing until it got its shape, an unnatural angular form that fell on it's knees as the light dissipated.

In Lerissa's place was a humanoid creature made of wood and metal...

Vyn watched the spectacle, impressed by the sight, "Spontaneous benign transposition!? Miraculous!" He then moved closer to the seemingly constructed creature, "The craftsmanship is marvelous, as well."

B.E.A.R. Stood up almost silently & brushed themself off. They looked around at the pile of people they found themselves in the middle of.

What was going on?

B.E.A.R. Is a mostly matte black steel warforged with ebony wooden joints. They sit at about 6’2” with elongated, elegant forms (many long tear-drop shaped.) Their eyes, a glowing aqua blue, sit right above a glowing simplistic aqua mouth. “B.E.A.R.” is written across the chest of the automaton, & black leather armor is permanently affixed to its body.

“Hello. I am B.E.A.R.. I am very sorry to have fallen into the middle of you all. I hope I did not cause any harm.

Also, can someone kindly tell me where I am?”
This message was last edited by the player at 00:27, Wed 08 June 2022.

"Not far from the village of Oakhurst," Keely said, with a very puzzled look on her face.  "Where did you come from, and..."  Her question trailed off, unable to find words.

I have come from home, like most people. My only friend is now dead, but I have recently come to find out she was not a good person anyway. I ran away, and now I am here to do good things instead of bad.

B.E.A.R. nervously looked around the group hoping they would not realize the type of things they made possible. The previously round, surprised, eyes of the warforged furled.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:18, Wed 08 June 2022.

Rorek simply stared as the young tiefling was whisked away, stunned by the display. It was only as the other, stranger figure began to move that he was spurred back into action. In one fluid motion his longbow came up, an arrow nocked and trained on the new arrival, as he took a step back from the creature.

Brankx woke in typical dwarf fashion, rolling out with enough noise to wake the dead. The dwarf was far from subtle and plodded around camp, snorting and yawning.

On the road, he strode with purpose...until the light appeared. He turned to see the light envelope the tiefling, and went to grab her, but missed as she flew off. "Oh, for fu..." he didn't have time to finish before the warforged descended from the air, slamming into the ground.

He had his hand axe out ready as it spoke, and relaxed once it spoke. "Well....thats different. Soimethin' sweeps up ou friend, and then ye drop from th' sky"

The dwarf sighed. "Well, hopefully ye not as philosophical as th' cat." he murmered, smiling as he looked at Vang

B.E.A.R., keeping an eye on the very large man pointing a bow at them, gets onto their feet & also takes a step back.

To the dwarf, “I am quite sorry about your friend. If they were sent to where I came from, I am sad to say that is not good news. With any luck, she has gone somewhere else. “

Master Brankx, the wisdom of the Dragon Brotherhood shall someday bring peace to your soul. Vang starts to turn away before looking back and smiling broadly at the dwarf. We can only hope this peace will come before your funeral.

Looking to the new arrival, Vang raised an eyebrow. Hail and well met, Mast... um...  Mistre...  um... He looks perplexed at how to address this new arrival. Hello.

“Hello. You can just call me B.E.A.R.. If you feel the need to simplify, any word is acceptable.

I am afraid I do not know how help retrieve your friend. Unless any of you needs assistance with anything, I will be on my way and leave you to your sleep.”

B.E.A.R., still keeping an eye on Rorek, backs up a little more & stands up as straight as possible.

Keely stalked around the outside of BEAR's reach, openly curious.  "On your way where?" she asked.  "Do you have a destination?  What were you doing when you were...?
 Were you taken?  Did you mean to come here?"

Rorek kept the bow up as the others spoke, but glanced around with a frown. Their companion had just been whisked away, gasping in pain, only to be replaced with an alien looking creature, yet they all reacted like this was par for the course? Keeping quiet, his eyes shifted back to metal person, trying gauge if the thing was lying or not.

OOC:
12:51, Today: Rorek Stormcrow rolled 21 using 1d20+1.  insight (wisdom).
This message was last edited by the player at 11:51, Thu 09 June 2022.

In reply to Keely Navila (msg # 147):


“I do not really know where here is. My destination was away from home. I do not really know many other places. As I was trying to leave, I got pushed into an orb of light, and I am here now.

I’m sure your friend will be fine.”

B.E.A.R. Takes another step back and sits on the ground. They bend their knees & wrap their long arms around them. Worried about the girl they may have accidentally doomed to a horrible fate, B.E.A.R. starts trying to calculate ways to get home, a thing they didn’t think they’d do since they realized what home was. B.E.A.R.‘s eyes, which are a series of lights from behind a black faceplate, look remarkably concerned for someone with so little face.

Brankx looks at Vang with a snort. "What makes ye think i'm not at peace? Because i speak me mind - No. I know faith cat." He reached into his armor and produced a medallion, with a Mountain silhouette with a central gemstone.

"...don't assume anythin' there. Just because i don't spout fancy words doesn't mean i'm without a god." He replaces his medallion. He smiles at Vang. "...besides, ye don't want me dead lad - i'm th' only person who can heal ye now."

He looks at Rorek. "Ye serious lad? We lose one of our healers and ye goin' ter kill whatever that is. We knew her a few days, you even less." He sighed, crossing his arms. He looked at B.E.A.R. "Fer now, maybe ye should stick with us - ye might find yer own path."

Rorek kept his bow up, “I would ask you the same. We lose one of our party, one that has done us no wrong, in fact only served to heal the elf, and your first inclination is to greet and embrace the very thing that might be resposible? I may only have known her a day, but that is still more than that thing”, he glanced over at Brankx, “I apologize, but that seems less than prudent, and more than a little callous, master dwarf”.

"If we send it back to Oakhurst, would they even know what to do with it?" Keely said, still walking a slow circle around BEAR.

"Please forgive me if I'm being rude, but... are you alive?  Is this some form of sorcery?  Were you born?  Did you have a childhood?  Did you have parents?"

She knew her questions were rude in the extreme, but this was something she needed to know, so she could work out how to interact with it.

In reply to Keely Navila (msg # 152):

“It is not rude, exactly. I was created & awakened 2 years ago. I think & feel much like you, though I suppose I do not know precisely how you feel or think. I do not have parents. I had a teacher (& I thought, a friend,) but she is dead now. “

B.E.A.R. Puts their head down in their knees & just prepares for whatever comes next.

Ooc:
16:42, Today: B.E.A.R. rolled 14 using 1d20+1.  History
This message was last edited by the player at 21:43, Thu 09 June 2022.

The dwarf narrowed his eyes at the goliath. "Ye think me callous boy....I've seen more death than you have, and what i realize is that cryin' does no one any good."

He points at B.E.A.R. "...and what in th' nine hells makes ye think this thing caused it, huh? Maybe it's as much a victim as her." He walks up to the goliath. "Ye think i don't care, then maybe ye don't know me. Ye see an enemy, i see somethin else - someone liek Lerrisa who's as much a pawn...so maybe ye should ease up a bit and use ye mind boy. I'm not huggin' that thing, an' i'm on edge as much as you, but their's four o' us, and one o them - an' it will need ter be damn stupid ter attack us."

He crossed his arms. "Ye call me prudent and callous, I call it realistic. What ye gonna do - scream at th' sky while ye aim at that thing, or maybe find out what took her before we decide she's dead"

The dwarf snorted as and looked at B.E.A.R. "As fer you - what th' hell brought you here and what makes ye so sure she's there....or dead?"

Rorek kept his eye on B.E.A.R., as he talked to Brankx, “Damned stupid? It just came out of the sky! For all we know it could kill us as soon as look at us. It might seem innocent, but so far I have seen nothing to suggest that, beyond what it itself has said and that might be a lie. From where I stand you are the one not using your head”. He turned his head slightly to look at the dwarf, “And you should be careful with your assumptions about who has seen more death, until you know more about the people you’re talking to… master dwarf”.

B.E.A.R. raises their heads from their knees.

“Please. Do not let me cause more pain between you. I am glad to answer any questions to the best of my ability.

As to the discussion of who caused this exact occurrence. It may have been me, but accidentally. I was making my escape & found myself at a dead end in an alchemist’s laboratory. I tried to hide & inadvertently triggered a machine, which created the light that you saw. The machine creates transportation portals. At that moment, I was caught & accidentally pushed into said light. I doubt very much that the men who were after me are being as kind to your companion as you are to me. If you have a portal machine we may be able to retrieve her, though it will not be an easy fight.

I assure you, I mean none of you any harm. You seem like decent people, & I am very willing to help correct my mistake. ”

B.E.A.R. remains oddly calm throughout the exchange, though their eyes show the emotions of one who has been through an ordeal.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:59, Thu 09 June 2022.