Right to a Bear's Arms, Ch. 16 (Patreon)

The trip back to Leod Hall was uneventful but pleasant.  Hera drove Rico's massive truck with the three boys shoved into the backseat and Kelin riding shotgun.  Idona had seemed annoyed to be shunted off to her parent's car.  Hera still had not been able to figure out the teen yet.  While everyone else in the Leod Clan was open and honest about their personalities, the youngest of them remained a mystery so far.  Her enigmatic eyes, the same color as Kelin's always seemed to be pondering a dozen things at once.  Maybe Hera was overthinking it.  She could just be protective of her brother.  The two seemed very close.

She thought back to her own siblings, the Dorings.  She remembered laughing as she tried to corral the boisterous Finn and Uri in their chaotic antics, playing with Marissa in her endless games of make-believe, listening to Tyrin play on his guitar, or assisting Momma Doring in taking care of Baby Gregor.  They were all such warm, happy memories, even family arguments seemed joyous with the help of hindsight.  Even so, she couldn't help but immediately feel a part of the Leods already.  They treated her as if she had always been around.

Behind her, Kelin and his friends chattered happily, sharing jokes, memories, and comments about their lives.  She tuned in and out of it, leaving her free paw on the center console.  Occasionally, Kelin would reach over, where the others couldn't see, and take it, stroking her fur or tracing her dark, rough paw pads.  It made her smile every time, and while she was never happy when he would take back his hand to point out something on the side of the road, he always went back to holding it once again.  It made her feel as giddy and foolish as a schoolgirl but she hadn't had that growing up.  She wouldn't allow herself to feel judged or silly for indulging a bit in such simple happiness when she had denied herself much the same for so long.

Eventually, they pulled back onto the country road leading to the house.  Behind her, she heard Dylan whistle.  "Always a sight," he commented.  "So, birthday boy, what's the plan?"

Kelin grinned.  "Well once we get everything unloaded," he explained.  "All of us can head downstairs to the gaming room.  We'll need to get stuff set up and Jeremy can go over an explanation of DND with you, Hera."

"Sounds like fun," she commented, slowing down as they pulled into the driveway.  Theo's truck, Rolf's van, and a third vehicle, a blue-gray suburban, were parked in individual garage spaces.  She found space for her own.  The remaining Leods were all still outside, carrying heavy containers of equipment down a flight of stairs in the back of the garage to another entrance to the basement, as Kelin explained it.  They all chatted happily about the museum showing, and she was ecstatic to join in, helping haul in the crates and assisting in lifting the prop ship where Kelin's sound station had been mounted in.  Erik had been right, the wooden item was incredibly dense and heavy even without all the electrical equipment inside of it.  Even so, she felt a small surge of pride as she took over carrying it by herself, enjoying somewhat the flabbergasted looks she received from Erik and Cory.  The prop had its own section of a massive closet, given a quick polishing by Mrs. Leod before she covered it with a dust-proof cloth.  After that, Hera headed off down the hall with the boys while Ingrid, Theo, Erik, Cory, and Idona went back upstairs.  Rolf had gone back outside.

The gaming room, only seen at a passing glance earlier that day, was a sight wholly unto itself.  The four corners were dominated by large computer desks, and in the center was a huge oaken table with a recessed center, covered by panels that were pulled out through slots in the side and then stowed underneath in individual holsters.  The interior of the now pit-like table contained a 10-foot long area coated on the bottom with a soft-textured cloth.  3D map tiles could be seen, linked together with additional pieces attached to them.  Simulated castle towers, ruins, doorways, walls, even staircases.  She had no way of telling head from tail of it all but she was suitably impressed by the elaborate setup.  Even as hands-on as it all looked, none of it compared to the setup for each of the dozen or so individual places set up along the 16-foot table's edges.

Hera was given a seat right beside the head of the table, where the Game-Master sat, hidden behind a hand-crafted screen that she was told lent an aura of mystery and theatrics to whoever took that seat.  Each seat for players had an actual screen built into the table in front of them, a shelf for their personal papers, and a mousepad.  She asked what each piece was for, since her understanding of Dungeons and Dragons was just using pen, paper, and dice.  Jeremy had chuckled.

"We play a bit more intensively than that since Kelin's parents are such...eccentrics when it comes to entertainment and gaming.  The screen here is a projector of your character sheet, which you'd put into that slot there at the top of your shelf.  It's all also conntected on a database so we can look up rules on the fly rather than go flipping through the library of books back there."  He gestured at a massive set of shelves, which contained, seemingly, every single DND book edition ever printed.  He then passed her a blank sheet, bearing many black boxes and a vaguely humanoid shape at the top underneath various lines to catalog character information.  He slotted it in for her and clicked on a button.  The screen flashed to life before her eyes, showing her the same sheet as before.  "Now say you have to track bonuses, hitpoints, or add items per session.  You can just use this stylus to write them onto the sheet without needing to use a pencil and eraser over and over."  He showed her an example.

She nodded, taking a few test jotts and then erasing them using the same tool.  She even was able to change the color of the e-writing to a light purple, her favorite color.  She placed the stylus back down, retrieving the character sheet from the slot again and turning off the screen for now.  Jeremy began explaining every part of the sheet methodically, speaking slowly and explaining whenever she had a question.  It was obvious he had done this many times before with others equally as oblivious as she was, so she didn't feel lost at all, even with the outpouring of in-game information.  The numbers even made sense, once the system had been explained.

"Now it just comes down to what you want to play," finished Jeremy.  He stared up at her eagerly, differently colored eyes gleaming.  "You said you liked to read fantasy, so you're familiar with the tropes of most.  Do you need an explanation on classes and races?"

She nodded, ears folding a bit from nervousness.  The other three boys were taking apart the intricate map tiles in the interior of the table and putting them away in massive containers of similar pieces.  They then retrieved another bin and used the pieces in it to build an entirely different area before her very eyes.  This one looked like a top-down view of the inside of an abandoned ship, washed up somehow on the middle of a green field.  She was amazed to see the level of detail given to each piece.

Jeremy resumed explaining.  DND had a lot of classes, special vocations that belonged to the heroes of the story, that being the players.  She listened as Jeremy explained the difference between barbarians and bards, fighters and paladins, rogues and rangers, and all the rest.  Her mind spun a bit at just the names, but Jeremy made sure to give her concrete examples of each character class based on something from a movie or book that she had come across before.  That helped quite a bit, until Jeremy asked her to pick one that she liked.

Unsure, she tapped a claw on Fighter.  "What is Fighter again?" she asked.  "Is that like soldier?"

"Absolutely!" Jeremy exclaimed.  "Fighters are a pretty open term for any kind of martial character who has no magic or special abilities and is focused entirely on close combat.  They can use any kind of armor, any style of weapon, get bonus feats and such to augment themselves with, and typically are frontline warriors.  You could be a knight, a bandit, a brawler, or anything really.  Other than Rogue, there's more varieties for Fighters than any other class when it comes to style."

Hera smiled to think about herself as some kind of character like that, maybe coming from a martial background and having fought in a war before deciding to take her skills and weapons on the road for fame and fortune.  One of her favorite characters from another book she read was like that: a tragic heroine, taking work as a bandit, who journeyed to a foreign kingdom to participate in a grand tournament.  There she met a gallant prince in disguise while navigating the treacherous world he lived in.  She was rough, tough, crude, and brave, but also had a sensitive, emotional side that she worked hard to hide.  She was also a member of an ancient race of Dragonkin, learning to use her shapeshifting powers even as she worked to undo the tragedy of her past while also falling in love.  She asked Jeremy if there was a version of that she could play.

Jeremy pondered that.  "I think I know the book you're talking about...there's a race in DND called Dragonborn who are dragon-people, but they can't shapeshift or anything.  Sadly, Dungeons and Dragons wasn't written around the time of Anthros being a part of society yet so they don't have races like yours.  If shapeshifting and growing more racial powers is more your thing, I'd at least suggest a Lycanthrope; you could even play a Werebear if you wanted!"

"Werebear?" she asked, then her eyes brightened.  "Oh!  Like werewolf!  But bear?"  Jeremy nodded.  "That sounds fun, but could I stay in Bear form always, or have to change back into I am assuming smaller form?"

Jeremy laughed.  "Yeah, commoners and such wouldn't respond well to seeing a Werebear person just walking around, especially since Lycanthropes are pretty intimidating, lore-wise.  But you could say you're any of the playable races who were afflicted or born with it and that Race would be your default appearance."

Hera nodded, liking the idea of staying close to her own appearance for her first character, but when she looked back down at the stock image of the Fighter class, she paused, uncertain.  Reimagining now the life her character would have had to live being a Lycanthrope, as well as the soldier angle, she felt a wave of uncomfortable memories threatening to loom up in her mind.  She shook her head, dispelling them but putting a paw over the page.  "On second thought...maybe not Fighter.  Too close to actual life.  Is there class that can switch between melee and spells?"

Shrugging, Jeremy pondered.  "So not Fighter, Paladin, Barbarian, or Rogue..those can tend to deviate to the melee role pretty often.   You like magic?"  She nodded.  "Are Anthros religious much?"  She shook her head.  Anthros did not believe in deictic worship, instead venerating the spirits of those long-gone and asking them to guide them in life.  "Do you like the outdoors?"  Her eyes brightened.   Noticing that, Jeremy beamed.  "How about a Druid then?  They're like Rangers but they have the power to shapeshift into animals, use nature magic, and would totally support a Lycanthrope background.  They can be really good in a lot of categories."

"Druid," Hera pondered, smiling.  "I like that.  Can be...antisocial and anxious about it?"  Jeremy laughed, nodding.  "Plus, Furry rule!" she added.  "Can argue that I do not wear clothes since am normally covered in fur.  Armor and such does not shapeshift with me?"

His face a bit red, Jeremy coughed.  "Not unless it's magical.  Druids can't wear metal armor anyway.  I'd rule it that it just doesn't show on your Animal form but it is on your Hybrid one."

She nodded, and then spent the next few minutes copying character details from the book for her Class and then her chosen Race, which augmented her stats.  She decided on a mountain-dwelling species known as Goliaths, prized as competitive and athletic, as well as being very tall.  She looked over her abilities, numbers, and spells, feeling confident and even a bit giddy.  She took up a stylus as the boys were finishing setting up, doodling on the e-sheet's character appearance.  She had always enjoyed drawing, although she never claimed to be entirely good at it.

Kelin took a seat beside her.  "So, what did you make?" he asked, trying to sound innocent but she noticed he was craning his neck to look over her furry forearm to see the details on her sheet.

Flicking the screen off, she winked at him.  "No spoilers," she teased.  He huffed at her, making her giggle softly, and then lean down to bump his head with hers.  "I am eager to know what you play as well."

Chuckling, Kelin reached up to stroke her cheek and up to one ear.  "Well, you'll find out soon enough.  Did you get yourself leveled up for it?  I should have asked Jeremy to roll out a new game so that you didn't have to start off so high-leveled and have so much to keep track of."

Crooning softly at his touch, Hera smiled.  "I respond well to large numbers," she told him.  "In military, job was mostly for supply and requisition.  Had to keep track of lots of items and details, so this is much easier for me."

Shrugging, Kelin leaned himself contentedly against her bulky arm.  "Whatever you say, Hera."  She leaned her head down against his as much as she could, closing her eyes and breathing in his subtle scent.  The click of a camera again disturbed her and she looked up to see Idona leaning idly on the nearest wall.  She was holding up her phone, having been the guilty party of taking a photo.

Hera smiled at the blonde-haired girl who grinned back.  She mimed texting and pointed at Hera, as if asking 'do you want me to send you that?'  Looking down and seeing that Kelin still had his eyes closed, as hers had been, she nodded empathically.  Idona winked at her and took her own seat after making sure Hera got the picture.  Hera's eyebrows lifted in slight surprise as Kelin's sister took out her own set of papers, stylus, and began reading up on something on her own personal screen, making notes and revisions on her sheets.

"You play too?" Hera asked eagerly, feeling better that she wasn't the only girl at the table.

Idona winked.  "I may be our resident Cleric, but I'm no Healer.  Jeremy has to get pretty creative when I'm at the table, even if I'm not quite at the same level the others are."

"Why are you not same level?  Jeremy had me make my character at same as party."

Idona cackled, making the room echo.  "He fears giving me too much power since my class grows exponentially stronger the higher level it gets.  Also, I haven't been to as many sessions.  My Domain is Tempest, so it's nothing but lightning!  Every person who hits me wishes they hadn't, if they aren't vaporized first.  Lightning for days!"

"Lightning for days?" Hera asked.

"Lightning for days," echoed the entire room.  The boys all laughed.

"Her class is so O.P," remarked Bryan, sipping at a bottle of soda from the minifridge.  "Jeremy even built an encounter to resist her lightning damage.  Except one of her class features allows her to ignore a target's damage resistance against an element of her choice.  Guess which one she picked."

Hera laughed along with them, especially at Jeremy's sullen glare at the younger woman.  "She lives to vex me.  Every time the turn order goes to her, she finds some way to break my carefully laid plans and encounters."

"Hey, you know what they say," Idona snorted.  "No better foil for the best-laid plans than a woman chock full of lightning."

"Except no one says that," countered Jeremy looking smug.

"You don't," responded Dylan, shuffling his own papers now.  He sat directly across from Idona and he tipped an imaginary hat to her.  "But we do.  Just try and keep from electrocuting me again, k Idona?"

She sniffed haughtily.  "You got in my way, or more accurately in my God's way.  Collateral damage is a hurricane's calling card.  How else would they know of my immeasurable power?"

"Yeah well, you have to pay for the next village your 'calling card' levels," Kelin said then, lifting his head from Hera's arm.  Everyone was busy making sure their papers were all in order, Jeremy now sitting behind the lifted DM screen.  Kelin looked around the table.  "Idona, did the boys say if they were playing?"

Shaking her head, Idona was busy counting up spells on a separate sheet of paper.  Apparently, she liked doing things by hand rather than using the screen.  "They have some stuff they wanted to get done, but Uncle Rolf should be down soon.  He said to get started without him and he would jump in.  I already got out his stuff at his usual seat."  She jerked her head at the opposite end of the table from Jeremy.

With everyone present, Jeremy clicked a button on the side of the table and immediately the lights dimmed.  On queue, everyone turned to click on their screens and face the opening in the table as it lifted up somehow, now showing the assembled field before them at the same level as they were.  Sodas hissed as multiple people opened one and sipped.  Kelin offered Hera one and she accepted an orange soft drink.  It looked tiny in her huge paw as she settled back, eager and nervous.

Before they started, Jeremy turned to look at Hera.  "Do you mind if we record this?  We like to release podcasts sometimes of all of us playing."

A bit nervous, Hera agreed to it.  "Just...get my good side," she joked.  Kelin slipped his hand into her paw and she relaxed a bit more.

Jeremy, nodding, turned on a series of camcorders mounted around the table with a remote, made sure the video was recording, and then raised his hands to speak.  His normal, higher-toned voice was gone, replaced by a more sinister, if dramatic, rasp.  "Heroes, adventurers, seekers of power!  We gather again upon the field of fantasy for yet another foray into the dark world, once more putting your lives on the line in the pursuit of fame, glory, strength, and other various things of that nature!  Last time, the dark lord Rrorl caused your legendary flying airship to crash into the countryside of Luomos, a land mostly left untouched by the travesties of the war!"

Dylan popped up then, raising a hand.  Jeremy nodded.  "Can I roll something to know anything about Luomos?" he asked, suddenly very serious.  He even combed some of his hair back out of his face.

"You may, but you have Disadvantage because of the magical mist that normally has protected the country from outside influence.  Roll History."

"Harsh, man," Dylan grunted but was still smiling.  He clicked on a line of his screen.  "History, I got a 17 and an 11."  He looked up at Jeremy again.  "So 11; I doubtfully know anything."

Jeremy shook his head.  "You know there is a country called Luomos, but that's about it.  Are there any other rolls to make?"  No one spoke up.  "Then everyone please roll me Constitution Saving Throws, with Advantage, but also 3d6 damage from the crash landing.  Hera, not you, you aren't here yet."

The entire party winced and Hera looked around to see everyone consulting their pages.  Bryan spoke up.  "If we're still injured from the previous combat, are we documenting that?"

Jeremy thought for a second.  "Would the damage you rolled put you at risk of actual death?"  Bryan's grimace spoke volumes.  "You don't need to roll then, you're just unconscious from the impact.  But you're going to be knocked out fully for..."  He pressed a button and consulted something on his screen.  "8 hours.  Ouch."

Piping up, Kelin asked, "Bryan, why didn't you tell us you were that injured?  I would have tried to heal him if I'd known."

Waving him away, Bryan just chuckled, sipping at his soda.  "Dude, my character never lets people know when he's in pain.  It would spoil his macho image.  I was probably trying to bandage them myself when the ship went down."

Kelin sighed.  "Greamore and I are going to have some serious words when this is over.  DM, can I roll a Medicine Check to see if I can reduce his downtime at all?  8 hours in unknown territory is as bad as 8 days; we don't know if Rrorl will find us again."

"I'll allow it."

Kelin looked down at his screen and pressed his appropriate skill button.  "19, and I'll use a charge of my Healer's kit to staunch serious wounds and injuries.  I don't know what else I can do without spending a spell slot, and I'm out of Lay on Hands."  Winking up at Hera, he broke character for a second.  "I'm a Paladin."

Her eyes widened as she imagined Kelin as the stock image of the Character Class in the book: clad in heavy platemail with a shield and sword, healing the injured and smiting evil forces.  Her ears quivered a bit and she grinned.  Somehow it fit so well.  When she had heard the description of a Bard, a magic-casting musician, she had of course assumed Kelin would fit that best.  Still, who Kelin really was, even without his music, was an honest, courageous, and valiant soul.  He had a lion's heart and a warrior's spirit: truly her Little Tyr.

Jeremy nodded.  "You reduce his time being knocked out in half, and he won't suffer serious consequences from the injuries he took against Rrorl's wyvern cavalry.  His leg is broken though."  He continued narrating.  "As you pick through the wreckage, recovering one another, and recognizing the terrain as dense, misty woodlands, you realize one fact above all others: you are entirely lost.  Without knowledge of the terrain, you might be forced to camp out here for a long time, using the wreckage of your airship as a base.  Gorstag isn't here so he's probably knocked out as well.  Astrid, is there anything you want to do?"

Idona inspected her sheet.  "My Tempest domain lets me at this level control basic fogs and clouds.  Can I use a spell to obscure the area right around the wreck so that we aren't snuck up on unawares?"  Hera blinked, that was a very clever use of such an ability to her.  The others nodded, all seeming impressed as well.

Jeremy consulted his sheets and nodded.  "Your resident Cleric summons forth fog from the surrounding forests and blankets the area of your campsite in it, leaving a ring inside so that you can still see.  Anything else outside of it just sees a wall of fog."

Nodding, Idona turned to look at the others.  She switched to a slightly heavier accent.  "I have done what I can to ensure less likelihood for us being attacked or located by Rrorl again, but I would suggest not straying from the ship."

"Noted," replied Kelin.  "Greamore and Gorstag are still unconscious.  Does anyone know what happened to Balthazar or Ysgard?"  They turned to look at Jeremy.  Hera was already enjoying herself; the whole group was dedicated to the setting.  She could literally see the scene they were crafting, even if she wasn't entirely sure what everyone was playing.

"Erik and Cory's characters," explained Jeremy, thinking quickly, "Were knocked off the airship as it fell out of the sky.  They have their locater medallions on them so if they're alive, they'll eventually find their way back to the party."  He turned then and looked straight at Hera.  "What's your character's name?" he asked.

The whole table turned and gazed at her with interest.  Fluffing up only a little, she cleared her throat, consulted her sheet, and answered, "Angrbjorna, but she goes by Arna."  She glanced at Kelin.  "I hope I am pronouncing Nordic name properly."

Kelin beamed up at her.  "You said it amazingly well!" he praised.

Preening herself, she returned her attention to Jeremy.  He continued with the narration.  "Arna, you've been on the outskirts of this forest for a long time.  Your character bio says you've been a hermit for most of your life, avoiding the towns and villages, and working to keep them safe even if they don't know you exist for the most part."  Hera nodded.  "Your quiet meditations and patrolling of the forest paths are disturbed by a sudden and abrupt detonation.  You glance up at the night skies and see what you can only describe as a falling star, streaking through the sky and crashing into a section of the forest a few miles out.  Roll me a Nature skill check."

Consulting her sheet and tracing the skill list with the tip of a claw, she found Nature and gently pressed the interactable button on the screen with a paw pad.  A simulated light purple dice rolled and came up with a brightly lit: 12.  She consulted her sheet, adding her bonus, and then relayed the total to Jeremy.  "17," she announced.

Nodding, Jeremy continued.  "You've lived in Luomos your whole life, or at least close to it.  You know whatever that falling star was, it landed in the deep forest, where the highest concentration of the more dangerous inhabitants of the area dwell.  What do you choose to do?"

Hera answered without stopping to ponder it.  "I, of course, head in its direction."  She didn't know what else to say.  A small ping on her notepad startled her and she looked down.  It apparently was a messaging system implemented into the device.  'From DM,' she read.  'Are you in your bear form for this?'  She looked up at Jeremy and nodded.  Everyone raised eyebrows curiously.  She swept the message away quickly and tried to look innocent, grinning on the inside.

"Noted!" Jeremy made a note on his sheet.  "You easily traverse the distance due to your explicit knowledge of the area.  Nothing bothers you as you travel.  Going back to the party.  It has been two hours since you crashed.  You've made a rudimentary base camp, set up campfires, and probably stationed watches."  He consulted a notepad, rolled his eyes, and turned to Dylan.  "As usual, you have first action.  What are you doing, Issor?"

"Using my darksight and patron powers," Dylan responded, adopting a heavy accent much like a vampire, "I am currently keeping track of my spells, have taken a long-rest using a charge of Moulisgrad's Instantaneous Relief, and keeping watch.  My active perception is...20, and passive Perception against active stealth is 15."

Hera giggled and Dylan winked at her.  Jeremy turned to Idona.  "Astrid is praying to her goddess," she answered.  "I've been probably deep in prayer the entire time, but because of my Storm's Eye amulet, I still count as if I'm actively using my passive perception of 17."

"Krieg?" Jeremy asked, turning then to Kelin.  "Have you been tending to the others?"

"Yes," Kelin nodded.  "I've also been using the Sending stone to try and find the missing two's locations but, obviously, I haven't heard anything.  Given that Erik and Cory aren't here."  They all chuckled.  At Hera's look, he explained.  "When a player isn't present for an active game session, we just kinda roll on without them and state they got lost or were busy pursuing their active personal missions.  Jeremy helps coordinate those with us.  Like mine; if I'm not actively in the party, I'm searching for the cult that led to the destruction of my church, so long as it's a possibility."

Impressed, Hera settled back in to watch the story unfold.  She didn't have long to wait.  "Hera, is Arna trying to be stealthy?"  She nodded and rolled the appropriate skill check, although she only got a 12.  "Issor and Astrid; you, while busy preparing your stuff, detect the slow, shuffling sounds of heavy footfalls outside the perimeter of the fog cloud.  Straining your ears, Issor, you hear the faint, heavy breathing, as if from a very large animal."

Sitting up straight, Dylan flared one hand up dramatically.  "I summon forth a ball of Eldritch light, illuminating our surroundings with dark spectral colors!"

"Oooh, perfect!" answered Jeremy, looking excited.  "Arna, do you have proficiency in Intimidation?"

"No, but character sheet says that because of ability, I use Strength for it instead of low Charisma," she replied, curious.  "Should I roll?"

"Please do."

She did so.  "I rolled natural 20.  So, 25?"

The whole table burst out laughing.  Bryan, who had been reading up on his yellow notepad of personal notes, snorted hard.  He held up his hands.  "Oh god I can see it now," he chuckled.  "We're all on edge, nearly half of us are knocked out cold, and you cast the scary mood lighting.  And now we're looking at the shadowy outline of what we think is a monster!"

Jeremy sniffed.  "I'd prefer if you left the descriptions to me, but..." he laughed too.  "Yeah!  Issor, summoning forth your light, you see, illuminated in its glow, the shadowy shape of a truly monstrous creature!  Hera, what size are you currently?"

"It says...Large," she read off.  The whole party smacked their foreheads loudly.  "Is that bad?"

"Correction!" Jeremy snorted hard.  "You see an ENORMOUS creature, possibly the size of a house!"

Dylan on queue went back into character, paling hard.  "Uhh...companions?" he called, sounding shaken.  "We have got the company!"

Idona leaned forwards.  "I surge to my feet and pick up my spear.  I ready to throw it at the shadowy shape!"

Hera looked at her in alarm.  "You are going to attack me?" she asked.

Idona giggled.  "Well, I don't know who you are," she responded.  "It's nothing personal, Hera.  Also, no one in this party hasn't at one time taken some friendly fire from me."  The whole table agreed.  "I augment it with some lightning too."

"Arna, you detect the scent of magic being used before you!" Jeremy said hurriedly, turning ominously to Hera.  "Hostile magic!  The only forces you know that use such in this area are evil Druids who seek the desolation of this whole forest!  Perhaps they were the ones that called down the falling star, and now intend to perhaps burn down the trees!"

Hera actually let herself growl, getting more into character.  "Not on my watch!  I charge into thick of mist, following scent of magic!"

Jeremy, fit to burst from laughing, rolled with it.  "Ok then!  Both you, Issor, and you, Astrid, see, charging out of the mist, this truly massive bear, only it's not like any bear you've ever seen!"

"Is it a Dire Bear?" asked Dylan.  "We've seen those!"

"No, but it's just as big as one, in fact, it almost looks bigger!  It's covered in dark fur but painted with intricate designs like war-paint!"  Jeremy rose up, raising his hands up above his head and posing like a real animal.  "Hera, you see two targets in front of you, both with the stench of magic about them!"

"Can I cast spell as Bear?" she asked excitedly.

Jeremy consulted the rules, then nodded.  "You two are so surprised to see a bear this big and bizarre that you are temporarily taken aback.  Hera, you have the surprise round."

"I cast the spell: Entangle," she proclaimed, reading the information off of her spell description.  "Both need Strength Saving Throws or become Entangled."

Dylan paled but Idona looked confident.  "What's the save, doll?" she drawled, already clicking the button.  "14!  Ha."

Hera was about to answer when the entire table stood and shouted, as loud as they could, "14!  Damn it Bryan!"  She blinked in surprise.  Laughing, Bryan explained.  "When I first started playing with these guys, I had this habit of always rolling 14's on the d20, back when we used real-life dice.  It almost seemed cursed, and I started just saying '14!' every time it happened.  So it became a joke among the entire group that whenever a 14 is rolled, everyone has to say it and then add 'Damn it Bryan' at the end of it."

Immediately amused by it, Hera then turned to look at Idona.  "Sorry, Astrid, but DC is 15."

Idona's smug smile immediately slid off.  "Uh-oh..."  Dylan rolled his save as well, then faceplanted onto the table, cackling.  The whole room joined in when he held up a single finger.

"So, as this monstrous bear comes charging out of the mist, its warpaint flares up into bright neon-purple light," Jeremy continued, nodding to Hera, having noticed she liked that color.  "Suddenly the ground erupts with a mass of vines, creepers, roots, and plantlife, rooting both of you abruptly in place.  You are both Immobilized until your next turn when you can attempt to break free."

Kelin, who had been just sitting back and watching with a smile, then raised his hand.  "Seeing my companions bound like that, can I grab up my weapon and try and attract its attention?"  Jeremy nodded, but stated he needed to roll a successful Intimidation to do so.  Kelin's Paladin made it easily, and Hera's Bear turned to face the lone warrior.  "I have my sword out but it isn't lifted to strike," Kelin went on.  "I'm trying now to...I guess use Handle Animal?  Or can I roll Nature to see what kind of Bear this is?"

Jeremy deliberated for a second.  "That's a lot of Skill checks to use in one turn, so I'd say the Intimidation and movement is this one.  So now it goes back to Hera.  Your foes are currently stuck in place, and an armored warrior stands before you."

Pondering her choices but not wanting to actually start fighting the party, Hera flushed a bit.  "I...don't try and attack since he seems not aggressive," she stated, hoping this wasn't too cringy given that she was literally facing down her own boyfriend in an alternate reality.  "I do roar though."

A clatter from behind them made them all jump.  As one, the table turned its attention to the door.  Rolf had just entered.  He was carrying a case of beer in one large hand and had changed clothes to a more relaxed t-shirt and pants.  He flopped down into his already prepared station, popped open one of the cans, and took a big drink from it.  "Sorry, that took a while," he grumbled, then leaned forwards eagerly.  "What's going on?  What I miss?"

Jeremy filled him in.  "The party has survived a crash landing of the airship," he started.

"Is it broken?" Rolf demanded, sounding distraught immediately.

"Yeah, it's pretty totaled," laughed Bryan.

Rolf let out a comical wail.  "Gorstag's flying fortress!" he bawled, going back to the thick, guttural voice he had used before.  "It was so pretty!  Gorstag will have vengeance upon Rawral for such desecration!"

The whole party chuckled.  "Well, you've been up till now unconscious, but you awaken, Gorstag, just then, to a truly massive-sized bear looming up above your Paladin friend.  Your other two friends are tied up in vines somehow, and Greamore is laying down beside you, seemingly knocked out like you were.  He's wrapped up in bandages."

"Is Gorstag's weapon nearby?" he asked.  Jeremy shook his head.  "Then Gorstag would like to Rage and charge at the bear!"  He bunched up his fists and made a savage face.  Jeremy allowed it, as did Hera, giggling as Rolf put on a pair of reading glasses and consulted his notes.  "Okay, with Rage and my natural strength bonuses, that's a 20 with Advantage.  I'm attempting to grapple the bear."

Jeremy chuckled.  "Well...first of all, the bear is not just a regular bear."  He hunted through several boxes nearby, plopping down several miniatures with exquisite detail, as well as a large monster that towered over them for scale.  "It's that big."

Rolf lowered his glasses.  "Woah, big one.  Gorstag will have a fine cape when this is done."

Jeremy looked to Hera.  "Now you have to contest his Strength check with one of your own, but you also have Advantage because you're obviously bigger than him."

Hera blinked.  "So...we do not just take natural Strength score in contests like this?" she asked.

"No, not really, not in these hand-to-hand parts.  You just roll a Strength saving throw twice, take the higher number, and that's your roll."

"Ah, I see," nodded Hera, understanding better now.  She rolled twice.  "23," she responded.  The party stared.  Her ears tucked down.  "Is that wrong?" she asked, then redid her math.  "13 on dice, Strength bonus is 6...Resilient feat gives proficiency in Strength saves so plus 4..."

Rolf gaped at her.  "You have that high of Strength?" he asked, sounding amazed.  She nodded, forking over her character sheet so that he could read it.  He whistled.  "Nice stats, Ursid girl!" he beamed at her.  "You're one tank of a Druid!"

The whole table gave exclamations at this.  "Told you," grinned Idona.

Dylan responded with, "Hey, Barbarian was still a good guess.  Feral Path gets shapeshifting too."

Hera took back her sheet.  Jeremy resumed.  "Gorstag, your might as ever is impressive and awe-inspiring and you hammer into the bear solidly.  You take firm grips on its fur and try and shove it back, try to take a good hold and drag it down to the ground or lock its limbs.  Then you feel its muscles surge and you're thrown off of it and into a pile of rubble and timbers."

"Gorstag is shaking off the crash landing of the ship," he retorted, making himself sound dazed, even holding a hand to his head.  "Did anyone get the name of that bear?"

"I want to rear up and roar again," Hera declared happily.

"Ok, feel free, let's just have the other two make an attempt to break free."  Both Dylan and Idona rolled, but again they remained locked in place by Hera's spell.  "Krieg, it's your action, what do you do?  Your Barbarian friend seems to have made the animal even angrier and you're alone against it."

Tapping his chin, Kelin said "I deliberately hold out my sword."  Hera added a fitting growl, making the whole table jump and then laugh.  Bryan clapped.  "And I drop it to the side."  He mimed doing so, holding both hands up and turning to look at Hera fully.  "I'll tell the bear 'We have no quarrel with you, mighty beast.' and I'll attempt that Handle Animal check if I can."  He rolled, getting an average number.

"Don't try and placate it," barked Idona roughly.  "Attack the beast, Krieg!  It's obviously some maddened animal!  This whole place reeks of magic!  It might even be an angry fey!"  At everyone's look, she shrugging, smiling.  "Selling the bit," she explained.  "Sorry, Hera, this is just in character.  My character is a bit battle-crazed and she can get really aggressive."  The Ursid understood perfectly.

Jeremy weighed the potential options.  "Well, Arna," he relented, turning to Hera once again.  "The warrior's companions are obviously shouting to attack you and one of them just tried to grab you.  You threw him off but now the Paladin, you would know what that is, has disarmed himself.  You recognize the emblem on his breastplate as a member of the Order of the Ancients, a friend to wildlife, natural places, and Druids."

"I will plant myself back on four paws," she began, "And I will sniff at him.  I cannot speak in Bear form?  Oh, I can?  Good!  Then I will say 'Tell your wild companions that bloodshed in this place will only incite the fury of its inhabitants.  Dark spirits wander these woods.  T'was why I attacked you in first place, thinking you one of them.'"

"Quite the eloquent bear," remarked Dylan in his vampire's voice.  "I vonder if we could study it further..."

"Not the time, Issor," Kelin snapped.  "I bow to the bear, still kind of wary, and pick up my sword to sheath it.  'I was not aware you could speak, but I beg your forgiveness for trespassing upon your lands, if your lands they be.  I am Krieg Atmonde, Paladin, and these are my companions, the Newsilver Ascendants, Rrorlbane.  Here we have Issor Blooddraw, our Warlock, and Astrid, our tempestuous Cleric of Tempus.  Gorstag the Barbarian, you've met, and back there is Greamore, our Bard.  We're currently missing two other members of our party, Balthazar the Rogue and Ysgard the Fighter."

"'Other than you, I have seen no newcomers to this land'," Hera said.  "'But this place is not safe for us to linger.'  And then I will turn from Bear form into my Goliath one to lead them away from wreckage.  I can lead them back to town, yes?"

"Oh you definitely can," replied Jeremy, happy to have taken a back seat to the character interactions.  "You can transport Greamore easily enough on a makeshift stretcher.  Who is carrying him?"  Gorstag and Astrid volunteered.  Jeremy rolled a few dice secretively.  "Feel free to talk amongst yourselves.  Hera, why don't you describe your Goliath girl?"

Hera fluffed up more and withdrew into herself, feeling embarrassed.  "Well, umm, she is like...Goliath in this world, but tall, my height, very buff like me, same build.  She wears just some hides over necessary bits, otherwise nothing, long dark hair, markings on skin, and has bear-brown eyes.  I carry quarterstaff as walking stick, with little animal devices and trinkets hanging from it."  She showed them the doodles she had been doing.  Everyone nodded.  Kelin grinned up at her, making her brighten.  "Same markings on skin are also what looks like war-paint on Bear form."

"Sounds awesome," commented Rolf.  "Gorstag will ask how you turned into a Bear that big?"

"I retort that I am Werebear and can take such shape whenever I chose, as well as hybrid form for combat."  She looked around at their impressed faces.  "My character has very low Charisma but also is super blunt and honest.  She does not lie."

"I can totally see it," remarked Dylan, dropping his Romanian accent.  "You really put a lot of thought into her with such a short time!  Props!"  He saluted her with his drink.  She did likewise.

"Krieg would ask you how you came to wander all alone out here," Kelin asked then, trying to sound casual.  The whole table tittered and he waved them away.  "Yes, I'm going to talk to my girlfriend's character because she's fascinating and didn't kill us."

"I tell him that I have lived alone almost entire life."

"Krieg is going to look very sad at that," he replied.  They continued on like that, filling the time that Jeremy was spending reading his notes by letting Hera get to know the party, even hearing some of their exploits, such as what events led them to crash a flying ship into an isolated country.  "We've been walking for a while," commented Kelin eventually when conversation slowly wound down.  Everyone had taken the chance to talk to Hera's character, trying to make her feel welcome.

Jeremy clicked close his notebook.  "Yes indeed.  It's the dark of night now, and you can just barely see the lights of a distant village."

Hera, having read the secret notes Jeremy had given her to prepare for this, spoke up.  "Arna points with staff at village.  'Here is where we part ways,' she says, and nods her head.  'Safe travels from here.  I am not as welcome in town amongst villagers, they know me as necessary protector but little better.'  I will then turn to go."

The whole party seemed puzzled but Kelin spoke first.  "I...reach out and snag her hand without thinking."  The whole party, again, whistled and made 'ooooh'ing sounds.  "Yes, I realize what I've done and I take my hand back, but hopefully I stopped her from just walking away.  I ask her 'Could you not come at least into town with us so we can thank you for the escort?'"

Hera shook her head, visualizing the scene.  Jeremy gave her a secretive nod and she pressed the Perception skill check as she spoke, making it seem like she was hesitant to do so but curious why the Paladin is so insistent.  Then when Jeremy gave her a questioning look, she responded abruptly with "16," to which he nodded and gave her the thumb's up.  At everyone's curious looks, she declared "Arna suddenly goes stiff and lifts her weapon.  She calls out 'We are surrounded!  I smell strange magic on air again, and the scent of beasts not of Luomos!'"

The whole table leaned in as Jeremy, having moved them along the map tiles to an open space, surrounded by paper tree cutouts, placed their miniatures in a rough line and then placed over a dozen figures around them in a pincer tactic.  "Out of the darkness," he narrated ominously, "Familiar, dark-armored figures emerge!  With them, walks Jaskier, the Mage who sold out the Count of Tregaine!  Perched in the trees," he added two large dragon-like models on elevated platforms, "Are two fully armored Wyverns!  The hunters seem to have caught up with you!"

"We have our gear?" asked Rolf, looking excited.  Jeremy nodded.  "Good!  Gorstag has been needing some sport!"

Caught up in the moment, and helped by Jeremy's description on the note of the kind of magic these obvious enemies brought with them, Hera snarled, again making the table jerk in surprise.  "Arna will snarl at them, saying 'Defilers!  Destroyers!  Polluters of Erd!  You have no place here!' and she will shift into her Bear form again!"

"Roll Initiative!" declared Jeremy grandly.  The whole party readied themselves for a grim fight.

Bryan took that time to ask, "Can Greamore be waking up like, right now?"

Jeremy rolled something and beamed.  "Yep!  Just as the first swords are swung and battle-cries sounded, you finally rise up off the stretcher, groggily, and look around at totally new surroundings!  You can Act in combat but your leg is broken."

"Cor blimey!" remarked Bryan.  "Ere, Gorstag mate, what's this hullabaloo about then?"  Bryan glanced around as if truly in the moment while various other members gave relieved cheers at his waking up.  "Oh, dragon bollocks, fire spit and all!" he cursed, perfectly using a Cockney accent.

Hera settled into her first DND combat session with more eagerness than she had believed she could have.  There really was something magical about it all.  She flashed a currently gesticulating Kelin a beaming smile.  Truly, she had never been this happy and felt so accepted.  It was a feeling she wanted to remember forever.  She had to remember to get the podcast recording for herself to watch sometime...