Against the Cult: The Next Day (1.2)

Beyond being a devotee of Kord, Morgran is also just naturally of a temperament that prefers the flash of lightning to any steadier form of illumination, so he eschews lighting a torch for the strange giant reptile companion. Instead, he leads Thacogygax by calling out directions in the darkness, interspersed with what are surely malapropisms from the Book of Kord. "Kord is Nighty, Kord is Great! The Tower of Kord is without equal! A little to your right, there." Until the draconic alien comes up with his own light source, he finds this a strange trust exercise: the religious quotations of the dwarf are often confusing, but the actual directions are unerring.

Klak, who, in his devotion to Clangeddin has never encountered someone so prone to misquotes, has to wonder. Is Morgran mocking his faith, is the faith so nonsensical, or is the dwarf just sloppy in it?

Sara, meanwhile, senses the presence of the animal long before it comes to investigate the dwarf's litany, so she is not surprised when a brown bear ambles into the road from the trees ahead of the group. It sniffs the air and huffs a deep grunt in your direction.

Dismissing the Jarl goats as not even worth trying to talk to, Xana spies four different creatures that she could engage in conversation: a rat, a chicken, a squirrel, and a crow.

Sara knows that, unless the bear is angered, it'll be more interested in food than fighting. The party could avoid fighting this bear if they can give it fresh meat or something sweet to eat. Effectively blind in the darkness, Thacogygax heard the direction to stand still and tall, but has no idea why yet. The bear ambles toward the group, clearly visible to the others.

While there is a coop, it is open and the chickens are walking the yard now. Xana approaches a hen and speaks to it.

"I'll answer, but I'm hungry. Got any meat?" the chicken clucks. "I'm not finding any bugs, and all they feed us is grain. I want some meat!"

At the Jarl farm

While Xana is pumping the chicken for information, Abel has retrieved his spear. He lights a lantern with fumbling hands and then begins to head south on the trail through the woods back to Cecily's Road.

On the road to Hochoch
Thacogygax is standing still, but he can now hear the snuffling of a great beast. In the faint moon- and starlight filtering through the trees, the alien is able to make out a large, shaggy shape just a few yards away, shambling toward him. It looks vaguely like a smaller version of the owlbear they fought earlier, and it's headed right for Thacogygax and the comatose Devek on the hand cart. The rest of the party can see that the bear, while not hostile, is steadily advancing toward the dark-blind dragonman.

At the Jarl farm

Aanbo leaves Quest, Ogbar, and Durren to join Abel, while Xana talks to the chicken.

Abel looks gratefully at the dwarf as they enter the woods together. "Thank you, Mammoth Beneficence! It means a lot to me, having you with me."

On the way to Hochoch
Anyone who wishes to follow the suggestion put forth by Sara should do an Animal Handling check. The bear seems particularly intrigued by Devek's scent; it's in the midst of you, nuzzling at the cart.

Ogbar rushes to catch up with Aanbo and Abel, visible from the light of Abel's lantern flitting in between the trees in the darkness.

Klak digs out a ration's worth of dried meat and fruit and the bear's muzzle immediately comes up and around, sniffing loudly. Thacogygax can smell the shaggy beast near him and hear its grunts. It shoves him slightly as it turns its bulk and gives a low "GRONNK!" as Klak tosses the food to the side. It shambles over to the food and begins snarfing it up with greedy gulps and smackings. The road is clear, the bear distracted.

The chicken clucks "Really? Great!" and flutters up onto Xana's wrist. "I was going to roost for the night, but ... meat! What do you want to know?"

Quest and Durren exchange looks in the deepening darkness, unsure what to make of their gnome friend talking to a chicken...but she seems to be getting a response, given how the chicken is now standing proudly on Xana's wrist...

Ogbar and Aanbo hurry after Abel as he steps out onto Cecily's Road and heads east. Ogbar is able to easily follow the fresh ox-drawn wagon tracks, though Aanbo has to catch Abel as he slips in a bit of the mud of the mules' blood. The trio continue east, hurrying after Jonbon. They figure he can't be far ahead, and with apparently only one ox pulling the wagon, they should catch up soon.