(Since is this is afternoon, has Maxie gotten enough rest to be alert again?)

Riyphou walked steadily beside Sen's wagon, his eyes scanning the surroundings as the caravan moved along the road. The mid-afternoon sun cast a warm glow, but the sight of the pockets of sickly leaves made him wary. As they approached a particularly dense pile of leaves, Zzyzzn's subtle signal caught Riyphou's attention, and he turned just in time to see the slumbering form of an owlbear nestled within. His heart quickened as he realized the potential danger. Remembering his promise to Maxie, Riyphou reached up gently to the small mouse girl perched on the wagon seat. With a careful, gentle touch, he tapped her shoulder, his deep voice soft yet urgent. "Maxie," he whispered, "wake up, little one. There's something you need to see." 

Riyphou pointed towards the now-stirring owlbear, its large, feathered form beginning to rise from the leaf pile. "An owlbear," he explained quietly. "We need to stay alert and calm. Remember, everything will be alright, but I promised to wake you if something unusual happened."

Maxie starts waking up, but it's a few moments before the words really register. Then her eye pop wide open and she starts looking around.

After she takes in the situation she quietly suggests, "Maybe if I offer it some meat it will leave us alone?"

After alerting Riphyou about the owlbear, Zzyzyn readies his mace and shield. While staying at some inns, he had heard stories from grizzled adventurers about how violent and tenacious owlbears could be, and he was in no hurry to get tangled up with one if he could avoid it.

"Maybe?'' replies the normally sullen guard. "I don't know; I've never worked with animals."

Maxie will dig some meat jerky out of her full sized backpack, then uses Mage Hand to present the meat while not approaching herself. 

Since the Mage Hand spell has a limited range, she has to get closer than she'd like to the owlbear, but she hopes that she's small enough to appear as insignificant  and not a threat. 

Animal Handling: 8

[ Uh oh, that's not good :-( ]

Stealth check to not be noticed (if needed): 10

[Looks like that's not working either. ]

Seeing how Maxie attempts to offer food to the owlbear, Ryiphou intervenes shaking his large head so much that his ears flap, "Not like this! it might take you for the dessert!" He prompts Maxie to surrender the jerky to him and he tries it himself, approaching the monstrosity slowly but deliberately. (Animal handling: 10) (Not that much better but it was worth a try!)

Initially the owlbear seemed, if not sleepy, then mostly indifferent to the party in question. With Maxie's abysmal attempt at offering food, and Riyphou's loud fumbling, the owlbear was certainly far more awake, and far more disturbed than it was before. It fully stumbled to its feet, rearing back with a screech, quite suddenly aggressive against the group as a whole, and the tumbling wagons. It was still waking, however, and its movements a bit slow and sluggish as it geared up to defend itself from Maxie, Riyphou, and the loud wagons interrupting its slumber.

Riyphou's arms slack down in resignation. Today wasn't the day to save the poor creature. He had hoped he would manage to coax it into leaving them be, but his efforts turned out to be futile, or he simply misinterpreted its needs. Anyway, he'll have to prepare to defend the caravan, most of all because it was his fault that the creature appears to be hostile after all!

Riyphou initiative: 8

Dah’ren facepalms when he sees Moxie disturbs the owlbear. They shouldn’t try to disrupt the bear if it didn’t make a move yet. He give a quick read of the animal and feel some hope that the creature is just irritated and not entirely hostile yet. He remember his elder druid in his village tame an owlbear with an enchanted berry.

Animal Handling 15, Nature 20

”Everyone keep calm, anyone who can produce a goodberry please offer it to the owlbear.” He said with a calm voice, trying not to trigger the beast.

Seeing the beast get riled up, Zzyzn raises his shield and mace, prepared to spring into action to protect the caravan. He looks anxiously towards the spellcssters of the group, hoping that they knew what Dah’ren meant.

Action: dodge

Maxie tries to stealthily retreat before she gets snapped up as a morsel. Moving at half speed away trying  not to be noticed.

Stealth 22

(it appears she's much better at stealth than animal handling!)

Dah'ren's calm voice cut through the rising tension, suggesting the use of enchanted berries to placate the beast. Riyphou's ears perked up at the instruction. While he might not have known the creature well, his druidic training had taught him how to conjure goodberrys, magical fruits that could heal and nourish. He quickly raised his hands and muttered an incantation, conjuring a handful of glowing, vibrant berries.

"Apologies, everyone," Riyphou said, his deep voice steadying as he focused on the task at hand. "I didn't mean to rile it up. I'll offer these goodberries and hope it soothes the owlbear."

Realizing the danger of approaching the creature directly, Riyphou glances around for a suitable means to present the berries without risking his hands. Spotting a sturdy branch on the ground nearby, he swiftly picks it up and ties a small cloth pouch to the end, filling it with the goodberries. He then cautiously extends the makeshift offering tool towards the owlbear, keeping his distance but ensuring the creature can see and smell the enchanted berries.

"Here, mighty one," Riyphou calls out, his voice gentle and soothing despite the tension. "Please, take these berries as a peace offering. We mean you no harm."

For a tense moment, the air is thick with uncertainty. Riyphou holds his breath, hoping that this simple offering might calm the creature enough to prevent further conflict.

Animal Handling: 17, 13 if with disadvantage

 A loud screech pierced through the pleasant dream Tyrgram was having and in a daze he roused from his sleep.

'Huh whazzat?' He grumbled. His fingers instinctively grasped the hilt of his axe as he fumbled around to sit up right. 'Sounded like metal scraping against-'

His eyes saw Riyphou talking to some sort of bear... owl... thing while holding some berries. 'Oh.' Was all Tyrgram could say.

Dugal and the rest of the wagons tried to focus on keeping the wagons moving. Findal carefully moving his fingers to ready a spell, just in case, while Raf ducked himself low. Several of the other members of the caravan cautiously curled themselves downward, trying to reduce the potential to being hit by this creature that huffed and sniffed at the side of the road as Riyphou offered up the goodberries. There was a moment where the owlbear paused, head canting to the side as to regarded Riyphou and his offering. It's entire countenance appeared to shift and change, going from openly hostile to momentarily wary, to outright friendly as it brushed its beak against Riyphou's hand.

The caravan was able to continue moving onward without the owlbear attacking. The difference being that for some time the owlbear lumbered along after the wagons, occasionally reaching up to nudge at Riyphou with its beak before retreating some distance. Throughout the day, periodically, the owlbear would disappear but, without fail, it always returned some time later. By the time night falls, no other threats on the road for the day, the owlbear has been a constant enough presence that the rest of the caravan has finally relaxed when it inevitably reappeared.

The now awake Maxie kept an eye out for whenever the owlbear returned so that she could warn Riyphou that it was coming. 

Between encounters she comments to Riyphou, "It seems you made a new friend."

Zzyzyn breathes out a sigh of relief when Riphyou pacifies the owlbear. “That’s a good trick,” the terse man says to the Druid as he passes by to go back to his normal spot.

He keeps a wary eye on the owlbear as it comes back each time, but as where the others grow more comfortable around it, he grows more anxious. What if it was just trying to get them to lower their guard before it slaughtered them? Best to remain cautious.

Riyphou watched the owlbear with a mix of relief and lingering apprehension as it accepted the goodberries and brushed its beak against his hand. Throughout the day, the owlbear's periodic disappearances and returns kept Riyphou on edge, even as his companions gradually relaxed around the creature.

Riyphou smiled at the little mouse girl after her comment, though his eyes remained watchful. "It appears so, Maxie," he said, his deep voice carrying a note of cautious optimism. "But we must stay vigilant. Friendship with such a creature is fragile, especially when it becomes hungry again."

Riyphou nodded in agreement to Zzyzyn's wary stance towards the owlbear. "Indeed. I will keep some goodberries at the ready, but we must be prepared for any change in its demeanor. This could be an opportunity to gain a powerful ally, but it’s a risk we must all acknowledge."

As the day wore on, Riyphou continued to offer the owlbear goodberries, though more sparingly. He pondered the possibilities—could this creature truly become an ally, or was it a ticking time bomb of wild fury? The idea of having such a formidable companion was tempting, but he knew the risks were high. Each time the owlbear reappeared, Riyphou’s heart would beat a little faster, a mixture of hope and fear intertwining.

Night fell without further incident, and the caravan finally settled down to rest. Riyphou kept a watchful eye on the shadows, ready to conjure more goodberries if needed. As he lay down, he couldn't help but wonder what the next day would bring. Would the owlbear’s presence turn into a boon or a bane for their journey? Only time would tell, and until then, he would remain vigilant, ready to protect his newfound friends from both the dangers of the road and the unpredictable nature of their unusual companion.

Over the next several days a routine settled among the caravan wagoneers. They would wake to find the owlbear nearby. It would wander off after greeting Riyphou, but periodically come back and check on the traveling group of wagons and the people therein. The caravan would take the days time, traveling up hills and down gully's and passing occasionally close to the treeline of the Tanglebrier, but otherwise maintaining a steady pace along the road. There'd be moments of brief conversation between those in the caravan, and tensions slowly began to ease as the dangers did not repeat themselves for several days.

Each night the caravan would pull off the road at an appropriate spot determined by Dugal, occasionally seeking the input of those he hired to be caravan guards. Dinner would be served, conversation shared or not shared, and the owlbear would unerringly return to settle down nearby after greeting Riyphou again. It was peaceful. Routine. The ninth day started much the same--peaceful. Routine.

A little ways off to the side as the wagoneers begin to prepare themselves for another day of travel, Dugal Stonepick and Findal Dinfizzle Findazzle speak quietly to one another. Findal has a wide, boisterous smile across his face, rocking on his heels, while Dugal appears as dour as ever.

Over these seven days, Riyphou established a routine with the caravan. Each morning, he woke to find the owlbear nearby, its large, feathered form blending surprisingly well with the surroundings. Riyphou greeted the creature with a handful of goodberries, always keeping a few at the ready to ensure it remained sated. He watched closely for any signs of aggression, but to his relief, the owlbear's demeanor remained peaceful and even curious.

One particular morning, as the sun was just beginning to crest over the horizon, Riyphou found himself alone with the owlbear. The rest of the caravan was still stirring, preparing for the day's travel. Riyphou approached the creature slowly, extending his hand with the familiar goodberries. The owlbear sniffed at them before gently taking them from his palm. Riyphou couldn't help but smile at the creature's now-expected greeting. He sat down on a nearby log, contemplating the situation. The owlbear's continued presence was a source of both hope and anxiety. On one hand, the creature had shown no signs of hostility since that first encounter, and Riyphou was growing fond of its company. On the other, he couldn't shake the worry that the owlbear's tolerance for the goodberries might eventually wear thin. What if it decided one day that the berries were no longer enough?

As he pondered this, Riyphou was joined by Tyrgram. "Our friend is back again," says Riyphou. 

Tyrgram unclenched his jaw when he noticed the danger had passed. He relaxed his grip on his axe and slumped back against the wooden back of the carriage seat. He could repeat the clenching and unclenching several times over the next days for he did not expect to keep seeing the owlbear pop up every day. As it was the huge creature seemed to have taken a shine to the other hybrid creature in the group.

Quote from cyreon >>

As he pondered this, Riyphou was joined by one of the caravan members (please fill in who this could be, or a player if they want, I can redact this post with and fill in your response and reactions). "Morning," they said with a smile. "Our friend is back again." The other member nodded, their eyes wide with curiosity as they watched the owlbear munch on the berries. "What should we call it?" they asked. Riyphou chuckled softly, appreciating the enthusiasm. "I've been thinking about that," he admitted. "We should give it a name, something fitting for such a majestic creature."

'You are sure it's friendly?' Tyrgram asked. He had not forgetting the initial hostility he had show the elephant man when they first met so he was willing to give the owlbear the benefit of the doubt. In any case he figured that a chat with Riyphou would be a good first step towards reparations.

'You seem to be on good terms with it. Planning on keeping it as a pet? I once knew this kid who was convinced he was a wizard. Had a pet snow owl and everything. Called her hedge witch or something, though that's probably sending the wrong message. Then there was this other kid: claimed he could talk to animals because he was raised by wolves. Fought a striped cat of unusual size and danced with a bear. Ball oodles he was called, if I remember correctly. Kids just have the craziest imaginations, right? Anyway, have you thought of a name?'

Halfway through his ramblings Tyrgram secretly hoped he could convince Riyphou to let him ride the owlbear. Now there would be a mighty fine steed indeed.