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| Background
information |
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| Gnarley
Forest |
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| Werebears |
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| The lycanthropes of the eastern
Gnarley are not of evil kind; a few weretigresses show more courtesy than aggression, and the werebears are benign folk. Their settlement at Beltander (insert link)appears simply to be a small woodland village of 120 or so souls, until one realizes how hairy everyone looks. More solitary werebears double this total number, living as woodsmen. The werebears are kindly, happy folk, more sociable than many, and they are great friends with the Gnarley rangers (some werebears are rangers themselves). The werebears have no natural enemies, and they live well from the fruits of the forest; nuts some honey from hives they maintain with great care, fungi which they marinate in nut oil and bake in pastry, eggs from chickens and a trkey-like flightless bird imported from the Gamboge forest, and a little trapping. The werebears are an insular fold. They love to hear tales of the travels of rangers and even adventurers, but they're home lovers. Only rarely will a werebear travel to give aid to beleaguered friends, feeeling it would be much better for them if they came to his protection instead. But, when finally roused to action, werebears are implacable folk. The gnomes of Namburil celebrate the 18th day of Harvester each year in remembrance of the hundred werebears who came to aid them against a major orcish assault some sixty years back (many gnomish survivors of the battle are still alive). The gnomes travel to Beltander bringing grain, fruit, honey, and wonderful cinnamon-spiced and honeyed apple and raisin cakes which are adored by werebear children. The werebears arrived late to the battle- almost too late- but when they did turn up, their ferocity was decisive and saved scores of gnomish lives. The gnomes do not forget. |