Night watch is so boring. Nothing has happened during the
whole trip. Nothing to do but walk round, get drizzled on, add the occasional stick to the
banked cook fire, smell the cattle, hear the cattle, avoid cattle left overs …
You have just completed your round of the temporary cattle pen, and are about as far as
you ever get from the center of the camp, when something huge (much bigger than a man)
crashes out of the darkness and bushes directly at you.
Enter a Bear
I prepare spear and shield and ask Brightspear to light up the darkness (closing my
eyes when it goes off ) while screaming a warning at the top of my lungs.
You see the flash through your eyelids and here a baffled roar. You open your eyes and
come face to face with a very large bear which at this moment seems to be rubbing its eyes
(or the bear equivalent of that). There is no immediate action at the main camp in
response to your shout.
I improvise an edge for my spear using my Combat affinity (trying for a plus 2). Then I
attack the bear.
You thrust with Brightspear and open a long gash on the bears shoulder. The bear howls
in pain and says to you "Why do you seek to harm me?"
I lower my spear and reply.
"Well I could have let the unknown attack me and now lie here dead but instead
I choose to defend myself. Never before has a bear spoken to me and never before have I
chosen to listen to one. Can I do aught to heal you?"
The bear settle back a bit, favoring its shoulder. "Oh, perhaps you're not with
him after all. I am hunted. If you help me to escape I will grant you a boon."
In the distance you can now here the sound of a horn, apparently approaching quickly.
"Who is hunting you bear? I am sorry but I cannot offer you my aid if you don't
tell me. I have greater oath sworn duties than to you and I will not risk offending kin or
someone I need to stay friends with in order to help you."
The bear replies "It is the hunter. He pursues me and never stops! And now he
comes. What shall I do?"
The horn sounds closer.
I cut my palm with my spear and touch the bear's bleeding shoulder and say, "With
this touch I mix our blood and now you are my brother and I am your sister. Go that way
and find someplace to hide and I will tell the hunter that you went that way (pointing in
the opposite direction). I will urinate to cover up your smell and smear my blood around.
Go quickly now."
Using a combination of wilderness skills and urine you do your best to cover up any
signs of the bear's passage.
Enter a Hunter
A moment later, a nearby blast of the horn presages the entrance of a man riding an
elk, followed by a couple of very large dogs.
The whole collection halts in front of you and the man addresses you "Ho Lady!
I see that you've wounded the brute. Since you have drawn the first blood I will give you
the hunter's choice. Come let us finish him off."
"Wounded what? I've stupidly cut my palm with my spear. The only thing I have
wounded is myself."
The man gazes at you in disbelief. "Wounded yourself? And did you make these
bloodied bear prints while you were wounding yourself?"
The dogs are sniffing about and while the hunter's spear is not pointed at you its not
exactly pointed away either.
"Bear tracks? Really? [I look bemused] I guess I should have spent more time
studying spoor rather than spending all that time dedicating myself to Vinga."
The hunter looks and replies "Yes, that might have been a good idea."
The dogs start barking and moving in the direction that the bear went.
"Well no matter, you attend to your Vingan business and I shall attend to my
Odalya affairs. Come lads lets be after him!"
The dogs go off and the hunter starts moving around you to follow them.
"Not so fast." I reply. "I promised that bear my aid and I am
loathe to break my promise. As I see it there are two options open to us. You can stay
here and help me keep the rest of my watch. I promise that you'll find it memorable. Or we
can fight, though I am reluctant to do that. Which is it to be?"
The hunter replies "If you aid the bear then you are my foe for you stand in
the way of the completion of my quest. By helping him you harm me. Stand aside, assist me
or fight me, the choice is yours. I follow the bear now."
The hunter whistles his dogs back and start slowly moving forward.
"Then I must do my best to see that your quest fails as I promised the bear I
would. Prepare to defend yourself."
I ready my weapons.
Conflict
The hunter charges you, while the dogs circle you looking for an opening.
*************************
Narrators Note:
***Skerri
Close Combat/Action Points = 1w5=5/25
Attack/Armor - ^7/^7 (includes BrightSpear and +2 from feat)
Other Magic in Effect - nil
***Hunter
Close Combat/Action Points = 1w1=1/61 (3 followers)
Attack/Armor - ^6/^6 (includes offensive and defensive magic)
Other Magic in Effect - (agility magic)
*************************
*************************
Narrators Note:
First 3 rounds Results
(Skerri's Roll/Hunter's Roll, Skerri's AP/Hunter's AP, based on bets of 6)
1) Fail/Fumble (20/47)
2) Succeed/Fail (20/33)
3) Fail/Fail (15/26)
*************************
With a twist and a shove you manage to trip one of the dogs so that it falls beneath
the elk where it is trampled. A second twist and a lunge and you gut the elk which
collaspes beneath the rider. He jumps clear and the two of you body slam into each other
and bounce back.
There's a momentary lull in the battle where both sides take stock. Both you and the
hunter have taken minor wounds and the second dog still circles, limping, looking for an
opening.
I laugh my mocking laugh ((1W) to get an bonus against him (trying for a +4)) say, "Here's
where your quest ends little man." and attack his mount. I try and keep the fire
between me and the dogs.
***Narrators Note:
Err, the mount and 1 dog are already down. You will use the fire to hinder the remaining
dog.
*************************
Narrators Note:
Mocking Laugh: +4 (1w1 vs 20) (rolls
of (Skerri) 5 (Resist) 5 - Tie, no effect)
Next 3 rounds Results
(Skerri's Roll/Hunter's Roll, Skerri's AP/Hunter's AP, based on bets of 6)
1) Fail/Fail (10/19)
2) Succ/Fail (10/5)
3) Succ/Fail (10/-9)
*************************
The hunter does not appear to be daunted by your mocking laugh but perhaps it was
appearances only. With a quick kick you send the remaining hound into the fire and then
with a lightning return lunge you thrust Brightspear clean through the hunter's chest.
The hunter drops his spear and shield and supports himself by grasping BrightSpear.
Blood bubbles around his lips and you hear his final words ever so faintly "What
will become of my clan now?"
With a final shudder he dies and then his body slowly fades from sight (along with the
2 dogs and the elk).
Outcome
You hear a noise from one side and you turn and see the bear, squatting on its
haunches, observing you. It speaks. "Your bright spear has protected me when I was
unable to protect myself. It is only fair then that I protect something of yours that
cannot defend itself. Your child shall carry my blessing."
You feel a slight tingling and when you look back at the bear you notice that it too is
fading from sight until with a final 'farewell' it vanishes.
"Child?" I whisper. This whole business has left a bad taste in my
mouth and reminded me that sometimes it's better to think a bit before committing oneself.
I am going to ask Per to help me make a sacrifice to Odayla on behalf of the hunter. Maybe
that will help a little to alleviate what I've done.
This page last modified May 03, 2001
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