Based on Nozomi's knowledge of animals from hunting and knowing about their behavior this is an animal in a protective posture. The pounding of paws on the ground is classic bear posturing. The bear is not unnaturally aggressive but it is fiercely territorial and is treating your group like intruders.

Her 8 direction awareness currently only picks up the bear, her companions.

Round 2!


Sora - 29 stance: attack atn: 25<====
Nozomi - 27 Stance: attack atn: 37
Kawauso - 25 Stance: attack atn: 25
Kinsen - 19 Stance Full Defense atn: 27(15)
Bear - 17 Stance: attack Atn: 25

Sora frowned.

"Now I wish Yuzuru were here."

He kept his naginata readied, but didn't advance on the beast.

"Be a shame to kill this thing if we have another choice."

[Still Free-Guarding Kawauso, but using actions for jabber
ATN 25 (reduction 3)
Attack Stance
Healthy
2/2 Void]

"We'll make do, old man." she muttered, and as she did so, she stepped back and began to make ready. If the bear was not going to back down, but also wasn't going to charge then that made the decision of how to approach simple. If anyone had the ability to calm it with their skills, they could use them, and if that failed, an arrow would initiate the next phase of what was coming. Waltzing into its kill range was suicide.

Stepping behind the ranks, she slipped her tonfa into the loops at her obi, ready for use and pulled her bow, reaching for an arrow. As she did so, however, she allowed her chi to be ready to flow outwards to the others. If one of them could calm the bear down? Well, just because they weren't Yuzuru didn't mean that this had to end in blood. It was a magnificent bear.

==============
Action Details
Free Action - 4 words
Free Action - 10 ft back
Simple Action '- 'holster' tonfa
Simple Action - 'Draw Bow
Free Action - Order of Heroes: Expend a Void Point to grant the benefit of a Void Point Spent to either the Akodo or Hantei, if they are attempting Animal Handling.

Initiative: 27
Stance: Attack
Armor TN: 31 (Reduction: 1 - Ashigaru Armor)
Void: 3/3
Wounds: 57, Healthy

(Her AC Drops until she draws her tonfa again. She is allowing the rest of the group to stand between her and the bear while getting her bow out.

Sensing the will of the team, Kawauso relaxed her spear and very slowly stepped a bit forward and reached out an open hand... Just do whatever Kotsu-chan would do, she thinks, trying to reach into the mind of the bear as much as a regular human can do.

-----
Animal handling roll: 53 is pretty good. Kotsu-chan still hopefully be proud.

Kinsen was side-by-side Kawauso, using her tribal skills to tame lions and other beasts like drunken Noriaki once again.

"Ohhhh, bear. Good bear. Shhh..."

--
Cooperative Roll to bost Kawauso
Defense Stance

At first the bear stood still head low and ears flat to its skull its head would sway as it moved back and forth in front of a particular spot in the cliff face behind it. Slowly as they lowered weapons and spoke the bear slowed its pacing and stopped snorting and huffing.

One wouldn't say it looked friendly but it seemed less aggressive than it was at first. It still eyes the group wearily and has a defensive posture but is no longer clearly agitated.

------------------------
Combat is currently on pause players may post freely how to deal with the situation. The bear is NOT friendly but is no longer aggressing.

Whatever it was, Sora picked up on it as he shifted his naginata to being more of a walking stick than a killy stick.

"It's calming," Nozomi said as she saw the change and carefully lowered her bow. She maintained a slightly wary posture. This creature was not domesticated by any stretch. It was a massive, magnificent beast, and the work of a team of skilled hunters to bring down, one of the biggest bears she'd ever seen. "Maybe it'll leave?" She said it in a calm, cautious tone. It was, at the end of the day, a beast. Its territory had shifted in the snow. It didn't belong here, and whatever souls had come into its path hadn't belonged in its territory.

They could put it down, but there seemed little merit in that. But if it would legitimately depart and leave this place, then... so much the better. The threat would be gone from the vicinity of the capital and Chikushundo might be appeased in the process. The wild places were becoming scarcer by the year.

Jiyo Sora wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 14, 2021 12:00 am

Whatever it was, Sora picked up on it as he shifted his naginata to being more of a walking stick than a killy stick.

Sora sees an opening in the cliff face behind the bear that was much easier to see now that the large beast wasn't pacing and posturing in front of it. Inside the opening he can see smaller white shapes that most likely aren't piles of snow.

"Cubs? If so, we're damned lucky she's feeling forgiving."

"How adorable!" Kinsen glees.

One hand went to Nozomi's forehead and she nodded. "I... had a feeling. They are not usually so territorial, unless there is something to defend." But the presence of cubs also meant that relocation was going to be tricky. Not impossible. But tricky. The problem wasn't entirely solved. However, one of the best pair of people to adjudicate it was around.

"Old man, do we have a means to ensure people do not come near this place? Once the cubs are grown, the bear should leave. It is too close to a settlement. It won't wish to stay indefinitely." Because if they kept them away, it would solve the problem entirely. But if they slew her, they would need to address the cubs as well. It would be cruel otherwise.

"I can bring it up at court. And encourage the locals to make noise as they work near the forest's edge- she'd rather keep her cubs safe than risk a fight. And come on..."

He, Kinsen, and Nozomi were all parents.

"We can't fault her for doing what we would in her circumstances."

"Mamma bear could definitely be a guest of honor this winter. I would indeed vouch to petition our Wise Emperor and the Imperial Consort a permission to extend their hospitality this far." Kinsen says, getting near to Sora, then crouching to look at the cubs better from their distance.

"Come near my cub, and I'd gut you in a heartbeat," she said, nodding. "And I know you two are no different. Nobody touches your children. I cannot fault a mother's instinct. She just does not have the mind to think to warn off with words, only her great claws." Which made it more of a tragedy in some ways. She chuckled slightly at Kinsen's reaction. If only the situation was different. They were cute.

"We will need an accounting of the losses to be sure. If any crawled away to safety, I can help them back. We just... have to be careful to make sure this is done properly. I want no further harm to the locals if it can be helped."

"I know for a fact that the Imperial Consort will understand our desire not to make this bloodier than it needs to be."

For her part, the kid of the team had taken a knee in the snow and was focused mostly on calming her heart. All this talk of offspring wasn't of much interest to Kawauso, but not interfering with the natural world sounded much better than trying to fight it. After a time she used her spear haft to rise and see if she could spot a cub, although the mother bear herself was pretty attention-getting on her own.

“So... we return now and Sora-s... err... Jyio-san makes sure the guards are informed of the situation?” Kinsen suggests.

"The mother won't leave this spot. We make sure there are no visible signs of anyone lost nearby, search a wide perimeter to be sure and then head back to make sure the clear signs are given of warning. The guards will need to be informed, as will the town. We can report to the Imperial Consort with a full accounting of what we've seen." she agreed, turning to the Akodo and leaning in to almost put a hand on her shoulder, stopping just short. Samurai were touchy, and she was Lion.

"Well done, Akodo-sama. This could have been very different. There is bravery in discretion and wisdom."