" Something loud or big might scare it off!"

" Or can you talk to it like the goats?"

Amdaeng did not want to fight the bear, she snatched Ning up and held her over her head wondering if the scent from her might make the other bear think again......

"Maybe it smells the food...?" Lira speaks softly, keeping her eyes trained on the creature as she studies it for any clues as to their chances of avoiding combat with it (is it injured, skinny, etc).

Perception: 13

It seems both aggressive and warry, as if it is picking up different scents of the group, and maybe of food sources.

Ning does not seem frightened of the bear, she is smelling the scent of the animal. Charlie is not very happy, wiggling his ears back.

Then you hear the deep sound of an animal horn. Then again. The bear ears twitch, and then it goes back down on all fours and slowly turns away. Then it moves much faster than you would expect and in an instant, is gone in the brush and out of sight.

Then you spot an imposing figure of a troll or some other humanoid person, a large horn 3 feet long in her hand, standing on a rock outcropping, across the meadow. She is nearly 10 feet tall. Near her, a second one, a male almost as big as the first. Both are armed with huge longbows, huge long sharp arrows are redied, and sharp-looking stone axes. The female has a long sharp spear with a wicked looking jagged edge.

They are adorned with jewelry, made from animals teeth, bones, and rare stones.  Tattoos cover any visible bluish-grey skin not covered by their furs.  

“Shalgaah would have eaten you.” She says in broken elvish. She says. “She hunts until winter’s embrace. Food is scarce.”

Iòlinder paused to take a deep breath and take in the scenery. He closed his eyes to soak in the sun. What warmth there was did him good. Iólinder stretched. And nearly did a double take. There, out of the corner of his eye, he could spot something far off on another slope. No, not something: someone. He tried to focus his gaze. Between the rocky background and far distance, he could see the figure move only every other blink. He frowned. He had felt like he was being watched earlier.

'Hey guys, do you also see that- Oh shit.' Iólinder said. He had turned to address the others but stopped dead in his sentence when he heard and saw the large bear standing a bit away but still too close for comfort. That went double for the two figures that suddenly appeared. How in the blazes did two ten feet tall people manage to sneak up on them?

'I would make a horrible snack.' Iólinder said wryly. 'Too much metal.' He tapped his armour to illustrate. 'And you are?'

Apologies for the late reply. I had quite a hectic weekend. Is one of the two strangers the one Iólinder spotted earlier?

"I am known as Nimka, and he as Baatar." She walks into the center of the clearing.

"You may approach so that we may know you, or you will return the way you came. This is our land."

(Iòlinder: You do not believe that either of these individuals is who you saw. The humanoid you saw had a large fur cloak, blending in with their surroundings, and moved very quickly, potentially a third that is either gone or hiding, a scout perhaps.)

"Thank you. You are Toa-Suo, yes?" Lira greets with a nod as they approach. "We have come to warn your people of a coming threat. Cults of kobolds and goblins will be trying to pass through your lands soon if they haven't already."

Persuasion for believability if needed: 5 argh 

As Zarbyn prepares to use his Beast Speech again in hopes of avoiding a fight with the bear the sound of a horn drives the bear off and some very large people appear. Hearing their greeting Zarbyn will approach and introduce himself. "It seems I may not have to speak to the bear unless it returns."

"I am called Zarbyn and apologize if we have already trespassed on your land. We are on a great quest of some urgency and heard that the Toa-Suo might be able to help guide us. We had a friend that may of traveled this way some time ago. She told us of your people and instructed that in order to deal in good faith we should bring some smoked salmon with us."

First, Nimka looks at Lira and raises an eyebrow. Then, Baatar, who has so far remained silent, says, "Smoked Salmon is a delicacy that we do not ever get in the mountains."

Nimka then says, "What do they call your friend?"

Amdaeng came forward with a broad smile, " Hello! I'm Amdaeng and this is Ning!"

" You are really, really tall....I would not want to fight you.", she said happily.

(Sorry for the delay, I've had a lot going on.)

Vydar keeps one hand on Charlie's neck as the large bear stands up before them. He nods along with the idea of making loud noises to scare off the bear. Then he flinches at the sound of the horn, before frowning at himself. He turns his gaze then to the two figures, the Toa-Suo. His eyes then dart between those of his companions who try to speak with the people. He remains silent for now, half frowning half squinting due to the sun. As much as he would not admit it, he knows he has absolutely no people skills.

Lev was preparing to pull out his longbow to deal with the bear, not trusting any attempt to converse with it would result in a favorable outcome. Fortunately he didn’t have to waste the arrow when the sound of a horn scared the creature off. 

He eyes the newcomer, deciding to let the others speak. He huffs when the woman says the bear would have eaten them. He doubts that, he can’t die here after all. The thought makes him shiver, still unsure about that vision as he realizes he hasn’t had time to speak with Iolinder about Libra. 

Instead of speaking up he simply turns his glaive to hold it in a reverse grip—signaling that he has no intention to fight. 

“Natalie Storm,” he answers abruptly. “She was murdered by cultists, we are tracking them now. They have also abducted one of our companions, so our search is urgent.”

“Yes these are the lands of the mighty Toa-Suo nation. A friend of Na’ah’tali Sh’torem are friends of ours.”

The huge woman smiles, “come, we will take you to our homes where you can tell your tale to the Inauniq

she turns and motions for all to follow.

(Iòlinder: You do not believe that either of these individuals is who you saw. The humanoid you saw had a large fur cloak, blending in with their surroundings, and moved very quickly, potentially a third that is either gone or hiding, a scout perhaps.)

Nimka asks Lev and Lira, "Tell me of these cultists of Kobolds and Goblins you spoke of, and your friend so that we may recognize them. who do they worship, and what marks to they show?"

You crest the top of the mountain range and head down the other side, traveling for about 1 hour. In some ways, going down is easier than climbing up, but it is difficult on your knees. There is more snow on this side of the mountain, and at this higher elevation.  Near a river, you see a group of round semi-permanent homes (Yurts), a village, and more of these enormous people doing various activities and daily chores. "This is the village of Khundii, it is sacred land." Several children (6 feet tall) are too curious to not come over. Those that appear to not be adults do not have any tattoos, but do have some weapons Stone axes, slings, spears). 

In one area, you see Toa-Suo practicing fighting, some with weapons, others with martial arts. Another group practices archery with their huge bows. A huge stout man, wearing no shirt and covered in tattoos and piercings, works on hide armor and various weapons (armorer). Several structures hold various animals that were hunted and being prepared for a feast. Another holds some farm animals that are capable of surviving at this high climate. High above, you spot several large eagles occasionally circling the area. They are the largest eagles you have ever seen, each with at least an 8 foot wing span. Several gray wolves wonder the camps, clearly pets of some of these people.

One building appears to be a temple dedicated to nature, with smoke coming out of its built-in chimney. 

"The goblins are called the Cult of the Dragon King, and they worship the snake demon Myurr. The kobolds are...charmed by an ancient vampiress called Shareella. They ride white giant weasels and have gems and collars of control on that only come off once they die."

Lira looks out over the village in quiet awe; it is both beautiful and impressive to see people thriving in this inhospitable climate. 

Nimka ponders as they walk, "Hum, If I remember right,  Na’ah’tali Sh’torem asked about the ancient forbidden ruins, covered in snow and ice. She thought something may have been hidden there by a cult."

As you move into the village, a third warrior (the one in furs that Iòlinder saw earlier, comes from a ridge of the mountains. It seems he went south on the ridge line when you started your descent, and has caught up after going to scout further south. He seems a scout of some sort. He much thinner than the other two, and is both quick and silent of foot. He carries no armor, and light weapons, and has a fur cape that surrounds him. He seems to have more elvin features than Troll, but still stands 8 feet tall. A large hawk rests on his shoulder. He ignores you and goes to the center of town.

"There are many stories of that place, which once prospered and was a central hub of civilization of its people, but then became cursed. Inauniq, our elder may know more of this, or our high priestess Aisulu is sure to have knowledge.

"In any event, Kobolds and snake people do not fare well in this cold, so they must be doing something of extreme importance to come near our people."

Baatar and Nimka bring you to a large round permanent tent like structure. Then the quiet Baatar says, "You may warm yourselves here and take some refreshment. I can take your small horse to be cared for and sheltered. Then shortly, Inauniq will want to meet you and hear your words." 

"Baatar will come and get you when the counsel is ready.", Nimka finishes.

(You can ask them a few more questions, and then will have some time on your own (short rest) for anything you would like to plan prior to meeting with the council of the Toa-Suo nation.)

A small smile crept upon Iólinder's face as he heard the Toa-Suo pronounce Professor Storm's name in their own way. He fought down the urge to correct them, instead choosing to find it endearing. He followed alongside the others as their two newly appointed guides brought them to their village. He tried not to be intimidated by its residents: a hard task considering even the children were a smidge taller than him. Iólinder resolved to carefully mince his words, lest he would get into an altercation with one of the Toa-Suo. He did not like his odds.

'Do you perchance have a map of the surrounding lands?' Iólinder asked Nimka and Baatar. 'Or someone who knows the lay of the land. We've got a map and some notes we wish to inquire about.'

"Yes," Lira agrees with Iólinder with a nod, "Any knowledge your people are willing to share would be greatly appreciated. I'd love to learn from one of your trackers."