Session 2: Search and Rescue Report
General Summary
Lyssa’s skill at tracking serves them well and they follow the trail easily. After about half an hour they are approaching the base of what looks like a rocky ridgeline. Lyssa slows down and keeps her distance. Septum tries to push past her “The boy doesn’t have time for caution!” he whispers but Lyssa holds him back and pulls him down into cover with her. Oso follows their example. Lyssa points to the ridgeline and her face looks grim. Under a large rock outcropping is a massive hulking creature. It must be at least 8 feet tall and it is covered in hair and patchwork hide armor. It is sitting next to a fire in what is clearly its lair. Bones and garbage lie everywhere. Laird is off to one side on the ground unconscious. He is bleeding from a head wound and it is clear that the creature intends to eat him. Lyssa whispers a single word “Bugbear”. Oso raises an eyebrow in confusion. Septum pulls him down low to the ground and whispers, “Think goblin and ogre. Fierce, no fear. Usually encountered in small groups.“ Oso recalls reading about such creatures in books but he has never seen one before. Septum continues quietly “They are strong enough to rip a man in half and will eat any flesh they can find. Bugbears smell of death and revel in killing.” Oso nods and pulls his broad bladed short spear off of his back. He doesn’t know the creature’s anatomy so it seems prudent to use a weapon. Lyssa puts her finger to her lips silencing Septum as they prepare to rush in to save Laird. The Pathfinder points to Septum’s bow and he nods understanding. She puts her own bow away and draws her longsword and dagger. Seconds later she and Oso are charging the creature. They take it completely by surprise. As Oso and Lyssa rush the bugbear from either side, Septum fires his bow twice in rapid succession. Both arrows find their mark but glance off the creature’s armor. It turns immediately towards the ranger and roars in rage. The arrows may have missed but it doesn’t matter. The creature is distracted. Oso gets there first and stabs at the bugbear with his spear. Again the weapon glances off the creature’s armor and the creature turns with surprise to face off against the monk. Lyssa is there seconds later and manages to take the bugbear from behind. The longsword in her right hand slashes deeply into the creatures back leaving a bloody streak across its fur. The dagger in her left hand also finds its way into the creature. As she pulls the knife free from the bugbear’s broad back the blade slashes an armor strap. A chunk of the creature's crude armor falls to the forest floor. Enraged and in pain, the creature turns to swing its massive spiked club at Lyssa. She dodges back out of range and the club misses by inches. With the creature turned away from him now, Oso is easily able to stabs the creature in the midsection. It roars in pain and takes two steps back. Oso pulls the spear free and darts back out of range before the bugbear can crush him with its massive club. The monk uses the spear to keep his distance as he knows the creature is incredibly strong. It may be wounded and bleeding but it’s clearly still very dangerous. With Oso and Lyssa safely out of range, Septum fires two more arrows. One finds its way into the armor gap opened by Lyssa and the other takes the bugbear in the throat. It drops its club and claws at its neck as it falls back spitting blood into the air. The creature is mortally wounded and moments later it stops struggling as it succumbs to its wounds. With the bugbear dead and no more threats visible, all three of them rush over to Laird. As the three approach they see the young ranger lying there with his eyes open staring at nothing. It’s clear that his body is broken and life has left him. Laird is dead. Septum has tears in his eyes and is clearly distraught at the loss of his friend. Oso can tell it is not just sorrow the ranger feels. Septum is angry. He moves over to the corpse of the bugbear and surrenders to his rage. For several moments he hacks at the corpse with his sword mutilating it. Lyssa says nothing. She allows the ranger to deal with his rage and grief in his own way. After a few minutes Septum approaches Laird and begins stripping the body. Oso raises an eyebrow and looks at Lyssa. “When a ranger is lost, we leave the bodies to the elements and allow them to contribute one last time to the balance of nature.” She explains. “Laird spent his life in the service of the land so in death this service will continue. He will feed the animals and fertilize the soil. Perhaps a tree will grow from his body or maybe he will feed a family of foxes or wolves and the cycle of life continues. This is the balance we work so hard to preserve. This is what he died for.” It’s clear that Lyssa is saddened by the loss of Laird. It’s also clear to Oso that the pathfinder has lost people before. He simply nods and moves to help Septum tend to his friend. As Oso approaches Septum hisses at him saying “Piss off monk, I don’t need your help!” Oso steps back and allows the ranger privacy with his friend. He strips the body naked and then raises it up into a nearby tree, binding it to the branches for the birds a dozen or so feet up. Septum struggles to get the body up that high but every time Oso approaches to help the ranger barks at him with hostility. Laird’s belongings are left in a pile after the two rangers divide his supplies. It’s clear that his weapons and armor are too bulky to carry and they are left to the elements. Oso sees that Laird’s hand axes and belt lie forgotten among the equipment and decides to take them. He trained to use these weapons in both melee combat and throwing and is confident that the weight will not slow him down. After Laird is tended to, Lyssa rummages through the bugbear lair. There are rotting sacks, animal bones and the bone spiked club the bugbear was wielding. Some of the skeletons have elongated snouts and rows of teeth like a lizard. It’s clear that these are some of the lizard folk they intend to meet. When Lyssa sees this she cuts off the bugbear’s head and puts it in one of the rotting sacks to bring it with them. Lyssa thinks to herself for a moment then speaks. “If this creature was an enemy of those we seek to ally with, evidence of its destruction could prove useful.“ Oso and Septum nod their agreement as the group moves out. Septum gives the mutilated corpse of the bugbear one final kick as they leave but no one notices. With Laird’s body left to nature and the head of the bugbear in a sack, the group proceedes to move south into the Western Founding. They kept a single watch each night and light no fires. Dried meat and foraged berries and nuts sustain them. Every few days animals would approach their camp at night, smell their scent and retreat as quickly as they had come.
Missions/Quests Completed
They found Laird but it was too late. The young ranger was dead.
