Vark lurches out of bed at the roar, terrified before Val's scream stirs him into action. He mumbles to himself in primordial as he exits his tent, causing his mage armor to appear with a slight static crackle. "D-does anyone have eyes on it?" he says, clenching his staff with both hands.

Charging forwards out of the forest, an enormous flayed bear thunders into the light of the campfire. The branches of the surrounding trees swaying with its every step and it leaves a trail of blood behind it wherever it moves. A thick layer of congealed drool lines its maw, dripping occasionally to the ground. The missing fur gives it an incongruous form that feels wrong to look at and its own eyes are dull and dead.

The beast rears up and lets out a fearsome roar at all gathered around it, showering them in the putrid stench of its fetid breath.

Everybody make a DC 15 wisdom save vs. fear.

Jex's action.

 Jex steps out of the night and flings two daggers at the bear; one lands on the ground at its feet, quivering, but the other embeds itself firmly in the bears undead hide. A little shaken.by the gruesome visage, Jex backs away from the bear, taking cover behind a tree. 

"Oh no!" exclaims Dorno.  "Friends look out, he looks sick and might bite!  Hey you!  Dorno is sorry that you are sick but you still have to be nice or Dorno will have to thump you to protect friends!"

Dorno runs up closer to the bear to try to calm it and protect his friends but slows as he grows near, his nose wiggling as it takes in the putrid stench.  He suddenly looks sad and lowers his head a little.  "Awww, bear is more than sick.  Friends we have to send him back to Oak Father now."  He sounds very sad at the reality of the situation.

At that Dorno raises his hands and yells out a word in Sylvan.  The bear begins to glow with the green colors of the fey wild.  Only seconds after he is done casting his spell, Dorno has morphed into a cougar once again and is snarling at the bear, trying to force it to back down.  He uses his remaining movement to try to put himself between the bear and the ally most in danger.

(DC13 DEX vs Faerie Fire) . Failed - everyone has Advantage on attacks for now

Hurrig scared shitless by the giant flayed bear stumbles out of his bed roll, grabs his amulet, says some holy words. The amulet glows in his hand and a Flaming Hammer appears in the air next to the bear. The hammer swings down and misses the bear. Hurrig still shaking in his boots says a few more holy words, and bright radiant flames engulf the bear.

"Ah ****! What in Moradins name is that! Who flays a bear.... Shite!"

Val's eyes go wide at the terrifying sight and roar of the flayed bear, for the first time in a long time she can recall she feels her knee buckle and her a pit forms in her stomach as the fear sets in. She tries to overcome it, but something about this creature terrifies the large woman. "That's what is wrong!" She shouts and runs back towards her tent, looking to put some distance between herself and the monstrosity. Keeping her hammer in one hand, she lets the rage set in as the frost begins to coat her unarmored body. She spins with a javelin collected from her gear and even with the rage, it's not enough to take the edge from her fear and the projectile bounces from the thick muscles of the creature.

Jex's first knife bounces off the bear's thick hide and the second only seems to enrage the creature further. It bellows once more in fury, ignoring Valaith's javelin as it merely wedges in its twisted cords of flesh.

Things begin to change as Dorno steps forth and green lights illuminate the monstrous beast on all sides. It glances about in confusion, trying to shake them off and then roars in pain as Hurrig's holy flame sears at the unnatural force that drives it to move.

It bats at the cougar once with an enormous clawed paw, before following up with a powerful bite, but Dorno dances to and fro, evading every strike.

Vark's action.

Vark responds to the roar with a horrified scream, closing his eyes and angling the winged head of the staff towards the creature. An arc of blue lightning leaps to the bear, searing into it's rotten flesh. Vark's eyes remain closed in fear, his body tense but maintaining the sustained electric attack.

Bründir scrambles out of his bedroll, dragging sword and shield behind him. A moment of clarity strikes him as he sees fey and divine light wash over the abomination. Pounding on his shield's boss, he metallic clang calls across the open area and he moves beside Thurston, "Sound drums! Rouse halls! Lock shields! We stand t'gether; half given t'ye, an' twice returned in kind!"

(Heroism using lvl 2 slot on Bründir and Thurston. Bardic Inspiration given to Valaith)

When the sleepy paladin finally manages to exit the tent he opens his eyes at the vision of the horrifying bear. And he feels the grip on his warhammer falter.

The bravery showed by his comrades and their words of courage, make him shaken his fear and jumping forward to help Dorno in his fight against the beast. 

"THOOOR!" he calls as he grabs his warhammer with two hands and jumps at Dorno's side. tendris of lighting jumps from his hammer as he calls forth the power of the God to protect him. 

Unfortunately the great bear sees him coming, and jumps away easily, making Thurston hit the ground instead of the undead creature. He groans in frustation and prepares to continue fighting the beast with Dorno.

( BA: Cast Shield of Faith on self to raise AC to 12 ) 

Seeing all of her companions rallying around Dorno causes Valaith to seethe with fury at her inability to face this foe; she reaches deep down into that wellspring of cold, bitter anger that formed the day she found her family... With a primal scream of unadulterated frenzy, breaks the grip of that fear and charges towards the bear with her hammer high above her head. She slams the blackened head of her hammer into the shoulder of the bear, feeling the bone beneath it crunch, but despite the brutal blow the bear barely staggers from the hit.

Dorno continues to growl at the bear and dart around trying to draw its attention.  When an opportunity arrises he tries to bite at its hind leg to distract it from attacking his friends even further.

Attack: 25

Damage: 3

Still unwilling to close on the huge undead beast, Jex disappears into the shadows again, reappearing with a bow and sending an arrow into the rotting flesh of the beast which seems to barely feel the blow.

Get it together, can't be showing yourself up in front of your new friends. Take a breath and get stuck in there.

Hurrig hears Brundir rousing the party, the clash of metal ringing loud in his ear. Hurrig begins to hear the sound of an anvil being struck. Suddenly the hammer swings down and slams into the face of the Bear. Corporeal embers spark off the bear as the hammer makes contact. Another blast of radiant flame engulfs the bear, but he seems able to shake it off.

The bear bites furiously at Dorno, but the druid darts to the side... straight into the massive clawed paw swinging at him. He tumbles back, reverting from the cougar form back to his normal self.

Vark's action.

Vark's eyes remain clenched shut, body rigid with fear. Without the full focus of the sorcerer, his bolt flickers a bit, the lightning barely managing to singe the bear's mangy hide.

Amid the crackling energy and savage melee, Bründir's sword shines like a sun. The entire clearing is lit in bright light and the horror of their foe is readily apparent. However, this doesn't slow the dwarf's pace as he charges in after Dorno is knocked aside. The undead bear turns to the charging dwarf and receives the boss of a shield right into its snout. As the heap of gore tries to twist away, Dumdrengi's shimmering light plunges into it's shoulder as its wielder calls its name in the night.

The abomination falls limp at the dwarf's feet. Still in shock of it all and with hands clenched with adrenaline, Bründir surveys the clearing amid the fading light of his sword. With a great smile he calls out to Thurston, "Is it dead?! Did ye see that? Ne'er did I think I'd be a part of this, but 'ere I am, glowing sword an' smitin' evil like some damned god!" Bründir gives a loud, joyous shout, "Are there more?! I bet I can take an army of these bastards with this beauty!"

"Well, Ain't that a shiny new sword Brundir! I certainly hope we ain't 'ave ta fight many more Flayed ****in Undead Bears. Is everyone alright? Does anyone need anything 'fore we get back to gettin some sleep." Hurrig takes a rag out of his pocket and wipes the sweat from his face before stuffing it back away. "Mighty god'awful reek that thing did make... Good luck gettin back ta sleep."

Jex steps back out of the tree line, a little sweat on his face still but the colour gradually returning to him. 

"Hopefully it will have driven any other predators away with its stench and ferocity and the rest of the night may pass uneventfully. Well struck Brundir, a fabulous final blow."

Still a little shaken Jex sits back down to rest, sleep does not seem close however, so he disappears into the wagon a moment before returning with a pipe. He sits by the fire and plays some relaxing music a while, hoping to calm the nerves. 

Dorno, Thurston and Valaith all notice a conspicuous trail of congealed, bloody pawprints and disturbed undergrowth marking a trail to wherever the bear came from. Both Valaith and Dorno are certain that flayed, undead bears are not typically found roaming the forest.

Meanwhile, Val catches her breath as the sickening stench of the corpse is replaced by fresh air.

Please roll a secondary constitution save for Valaith.