Owlbear Attack on Hexpan

The Warning

On the road home, the party found two weathered letters, part-legible and in two different hands. The first seemed to pass between Kundal and Nok-nok and mentioned an owlbear to the north; the second, sloppy as a child’s, mentioned a great beast and Hexpan. The party took them for magical missives sent by Auchs, battered by rain and wind on the way. The party guessed something large was coming and that Hexpan needed guarding. Lizzy knew owlbears don’t usually migrate.

The Attack

They were too late. When they reached Hexpan in the rain, an Owlbear had already torn through the town. It destroyed a housing district and killed several citizens, leaving the town in decay and deep unrest. Lizzy named it “Owlzilla”.

The same day, the party found Kundal—the werewolf the letters mentioned—and Leonardo purged his lycanthropy with Cleanse Affliction.

The owlbear’s trail was huge: trampled bushes, toppled trees. Ryu followed it out of town to the south-east before losing it. Lizzy judged the party wasn’t strong enough to fight it yet. They bought Auchs a trumpet so he could sound the alarm from the watchtower.

The Cave

Kairos worked out that the owlbear’s weakest defense was its Reflex. The party bought earplugs and caltrops, tracked the beast to its cave, and fortified the approach with pillars and trap doors. Lizzy tried to lure it out with Bullhorn and Speak with Animals, insulting it. Ryu reported it seemed almost sad as it retreated inside.

Inside, lantern light set off purple shrieker mushrooms. Violet fungi rose around the party. One poisoned Lizzy and she dropped more than once. Lizzy recalled that they were weak to fire, Kairos used Magus Analysis to learn they sensed through tremors, and the party fought their way back out. Leonardo burned one down with Lizzy’s Wand of Breathe Fire and finished the last. Lizzy milked three doses of Violet Venom from the remains. Deeper in, the cave floor was trampled flat and scattered with feathers.

The party reached level 5.

The Mother

Before going back in, Kairos heard Tristan’s voice in her mind: “Head east before confronting the beast.” On the eastern approach they met Jubilost and Amiri, who had followed the rumors from Hexpan.

Giant spiders nested in the eastern cave. They snared Ryu by the neck, and Lizzy charged in to tear him free. The party killed the spiders and found healer’s gloves, leather armor, an amethyst and a decorative flask among the cocoons.

Beyond the webs, the cave dropped into a canyon. Below was the owlbear, badly hurt—and a cub.

Lizzy spoke to her with Speak with Animals. The owlbear didn’t trust visitors; the last ones had hurt her. Lizzy told her she’d attacked Hexpan, and asked if they could live side by side without more bloodshed. The mother scooped up her cub and retreated.

Among the bodies by the carcass, Lizzy recognized a man in a chain shirt, marked with an icon from Eirigg’s ledger. The owlbear tossed the corpse to Leonardo. On it were a map of the Stolen Lands with Hexpan and the lair circled, a +1 striking longsword, and a Ring of Bestial Friendship. He had probably tried to tame her with it.

She had killed them all and eaten most. The man had said one name before dying: “Iza”. She had also seen deep footprints of heavy creatures near Hexpan. “Trolls,” Lizzy said.

The party left her in peace, with an offer of help if more came. On the ride home, Kairos wondered aloud if “Iza” meant Nyrissa.

Aftermath

• Hexpan lost a housing district; decay and unrest rose.
• Kundal was cured of lycanthropy.
• Someone sent armed men with a ring of animal control to the owlbear’s lair, with Hexpan circled on their map. The name “Iza” points toward Nyrissa.
• The first sign of trolls near Hexpan, which led toward Hargulka.

Sources

• Session 18 (dated Arodus in the notes, but it must come before Session-19’s 27–30 Erastus)
• Session 19 (27–30 Erastus 4710)