Seri-ursus Business in the UP

Jim becomes a Gaia-worshipping hippy with a Bushmaster

Date: 07/22/2018 Time: 11:00 EDT	Hiawatha National Forest
Cast: Jim Storyteller: Alexandra
Jim went to the Hiawatha National Forest in the Upper Peninsula before, when he made some talens. He's going back for a Gift this time. To avoid downtown tarffic he takes I 94 west to US 23 north to I 75, across the straits of Mackinac, and he's there. He parks his truck someplace safe by the Straits State Park Campground, and then flies into the forest proper. Having done some research, he looks for where bear poaching might happen, and just comes here, at irregular intervals to catch folks. Not always the same day. Sometimes day, sometimes night. Once there on these trips he can spend all day flying around in Corvid, eating and drinking off of the land, wearing a camera in case he never needs to record a face or a license plate. In case of bad trouble he can always fly back to his truck where he's got his truck, and his rifles. <<DICE>> Jim rolls perception - 1, difficulty 6 <<DICE>> 7 successes (2 2 7 7 8 8 9 9 10, Specialty: No, Willpower: No) It's evening when he hears the sound. The sun is just set over the horizon, leaving everything in a dusky gray half-light. Not quite dark enough to need a flashlight, not quite bright enough for everything to be clear. But from within the tree cover he can hear an animal cry. It sounds like a bear. At least, it sounds like recordings of a bear he's heard. And it sounds pained. Pained and exhausted, ragged and tired. More a bleat than a roar. Jim knows what an ANGRY bear sounds like, when he pretty accidentally offended one and took a claw to the face in the Umbra. This is different. But he hears it, and starts beating his wings to fly in that direction. Not to the ground though. But staying over head, watching, carefully, for the bear and what might be around the bear. Breaking through the tree canopy reveals the bear. It's black furred. Laying in the dirt, panting softly. All around it are broken sticks and torn up leaves, claw marks dragging through the dirt where it struggled. A steel jaw trap is latched around on of its fore-paws, leaving the coat caked in dried, black blood. The paw pushed deep into a jar of store-brand peanut butter. Even a hurt bear radiates 'KEEP AWAY' to most forest dwellers. There's a curious coyote a few hundred yards away, but even that is staying well-clear. There isn't another creature of any size where Jim can see or hear it. Just him and the bear. Jim makes one more sweep around looking for nearby humans. Assuming none are seen, he drops into the area. Watching the bear carefully, creeping closer. Ravens have a way of creeping in, able to fly away at the first swipe. His aim: to try to figre out if there's an easy way to *release* the trap. <<DICE>> Jim rolls intelligence + crafts, difficulty 6 <<DICE>> 3 successes (3 3 6 7 10, Specialty: No, Willpower: No) Leg-traps like the one on the bear are pretty simple. And, exhausted as the bear is, it's not hard to take a moment to examine it even from a ways back. It's essentially a pair of steel jaws set to powerful springs. The jaws are opened and locked. A pressure pad in the center releases the lock, snapping the jaws closed around it when enough weight is set on it. It's strong enough that it probably broke that bear's wrist. Without leverage, it's basically not coming open. The trap is also chained to a stake driven into the ground. But despite the bear's struggles, that stake hasn't moved at all. That bear probably weighs 300 pounds. Jim inwardly sighs, and probabl curses too. That's nasty. But he'll have to do what he can. Not wanting to shift around the bear just yet, he flies to where the stake is, and just starts digging at it with his beak. He digs around it, along it, trying to loosen it from the ground. <<DICE>> Jim rolls charisma - 1, difficulty 8 <<DICE>> 2 successes (6 8 9, Specialty: No, Willpower: No) The entire length of chain is maybe a foot an a half. Short enough to ensure the trapped animal can't possibly find a way to help, but long enough that it can tear around and exhaust itself. Jim hops close, slowly enough and just far away enough that the bear doesn't charge him. But it growls and snarls, lips drawing up. Clearly unhappy with anything being near it, but too tired to fight against something that probably isn't a threat. <<DICE>> Jim rolls dexterity + crafts, difficulty 7 <<DICE>> 5 successes (8 9 9 10 10, Specialty: No, Willpower: No) Working diligently, Jim manages to reveal a about an inch and a half of the iron stake driven into the soil. However, even that barely gives it a wiggle- the stake is driven down more than a foot. And a crow's beak simply isn't the right tool for digging. What he's done so far has taken about 15 minutes. It would take all night to get it to the point the bear could yank free, and even then that would still leave it with a trap on its foot. Jim stops and reconsiders when that's not working. Two goals here: Bring justice to the poachers, and help the bear. He can't possibly help the bear. If he had that gift... Alright. Desperation time. Jim decides to go into the umbra, with the intent of summoning a bear spirit urgently. <<DICE>> Jim rolls gnosis, difficulty 5 <<DICE>> 5 successes (3 4 5 5 7 9, Specialty: No, Willpower: Yes) [POOL] Jim spends 1 points of Willpower. Reason: Automatic Success The move into the Umbra should be instant, and it is. Jim spreads his wings, taking a hop and a flap, and soars through the wall between realities. On the other side, the forest is thick, denser, the trees older and darker. The UP has refused to let man in too deep, and the reason for it shows. The forests here are ancient and powerful. But around where the bear lays, trapped, little weevils of darkness push out. Small things, a sign of greater infection. Jim tries to avoid those little weevils, and sets about summoning a bear spirt. Not a great one. A gaffling will do. So he sets about preforming the rite of summoning. No time to take an hour to prepare though, he's just going to have to do his best. <<DICE>> Jim rolls gnosis, difficulty 4 <<DICE>> 6 successes (2 5 5 6 7 8, Specialty: No, Willpower: Yes) [POOL] Jim spends 1 points of Willpower. Reason: Automatic Success Jim is a Corax, and so all the ways he performes Rites are influenced by Raven and Helios. He finds some place to perch, and begins to make great calls in the Spirit Speech, imitating the roars of bears, calling out for urgent assistance. The spirit that appears is closer in stature to a cub. A small thing, with big, soft eyes pleading for protection. It shimmies up the side of the great spiritual tree Jim perches on. Giving a little mewl of response as it drops carefully on the branch Jim is on. "Hello!" the small bear answers, holding tight to the branch. It speaks in a voice that sounds like it's after your honey. "You're funny lookin'!" Jim trills happily at the arrival. He drops off of the branch, and shifts. He's better at THIS in homid. <<Maybe I'll look less funny if I have fur," he smiles. "But.. I need your help badly. Right over there, on the other side of the gauntlet, is a bear hurt badly. I'm the only one who can help... but I need you help to do it. I need the gift of healing. I'm going to track down the people who trapped the bear, and make sure they never do it again. But I want to heal the bear first. Please help me, before the poachers get back.>> Jim shifts into Homid! The bear looks panicked for a moment, eyes getting bigger somehow. <<Um...>> it answers, clearly hurled in over its head. <<I'm not really s'pposed to do stuff like that...>> It looks around, pensive, claws digging into the tree bark. <<Lemme just go ask my mom and she can come talk to you?>> Jim rubs his hands together, and does his best. "You can do it. Wise Bear spirit, I called out unto the heavens for help, and you're the one who came. Gaia has chosen you to save the day. Please.. please help." <<DICE>> Jim rolls man + expression, difficulty 6 <<DICE>> 3 successes (3 4 7 10 10, Specialty: No, Willpower: No) The little bear looks around itself again, and shuffles, <<Ok, but... Just this one time!>> it mewls, and turns away. Starting to shuffle and shimmy its way down the tree. <<Where is it??>> Jim takes a deep breath. "The bear is on the other side of the gauntlet, right over there..." He points to where he crossed. "We could go together, if you can't give me the gift immediately." <<Um, um, yeah! Ok! Let's do that!>> the cub agrees, nodding, hurrying down the tree. Obviously a little confused and in over its head. Jim wants to hug this cub so much. But... the last thing he wants is to offend a bear spirit AGAIN, so he resists, and instead gestures to position the bear, and then attempts to bring them through the gauntlet together. <<DICE>> Jim rolls gnosis, difficulty 5 <<DICE>> 3 successes (4 4 4 7 7 10, Specialty: No, Willpower: No) The bear rushes up, grabbing hold of Jim's leg as he steps through the Gauntlet again. Clinging tight, its eyes closing. On the other side, it looks around. All scruffy and mussed, overwhelmed. It stares at the hurt bear laying on the ground, and makes a little cry, <<But! That thing-y is still on it! I can't help him with that!>> Jim turns to the spirit, and crouches down to speak to the cub. "He's hurt. I can free him, but until he's healed, he won't be able to defend himself. I know great bear spirits can teach healing to us. Can you help me?" The little bear bobs its head up and down, <<Yeah huh!!>> Bouncing from paw to paw on the ground, shuffling its weight into the soil. Eager to help but scared. The bear with the peanut butter jaw on its paw sees the small bear and huffs a long, groaning call of warning. Jim starts looking for a rock. While the cub continues to receive encouragement, he grabs a rock and resumes digging at that dang spike. "See where he's trapped? I want to heal him there, so he can survive while I get help, and drive off the poachers. Can you heal him, to ease his pain some?" The presence of the bear cub calms the wounded animal enough that it doesn't attempt to swing at Jim as he digs. The little cub ventures closer, breathing heavy. <<Um um um, just hold still!>> it mewls in Spirit Speech, unsure if the old bear can understand. Leaning in, it maneuvers its head beneath the bars of the trap and licks the wound. The big bear gives a sigh of comforted relief. As a human, digging up the stake is a great deal easier. It takes a few scoops with the flat stone to dig deeper than he'd ever gotten with a beak. Soon it's deep enough he could yank the stake free. <<DICE>> Jim rolls perception + alertness, difficulty 6 <<DICE>> 1 success (1 2 3 4 5 6 9, Specialty: No, Willpower: No) <<DICE>> Jim rolls strength + athletics, difficulty 5 <<DICE>> FAIL (1 1 9, Specialty: No, Willpower: No) <<DICE>> Jim rolls strength + athletics, difficulty 6 <<DICE>> 3 successes (5 7 10, Specialty: No, Willpower: Yes) [POOL] Jim spends 1 points of Willpower. Reason: Automatic Success Jim digs frantically, really exeriting himself. "I'm going to help free him, so the poachers can't shoot him. You're a good one serving Gaia today. Your momma will be proud." Jim plants a foot on eith side of the stake- it's really more accurately a piece of rebar driven into the soil. His teeth clench and he yanks, pulling the stake up and out. He tumbles back, just as he spots a hint of blaze orange moving through the trees. Even with its paw still stuck in the trap, the bear is wasting no time. On three paws, it shudders and hobbles away. Venturing deeper into the forests and away from the scent of Man. And the little bear is left, looking between Jim and the bear and the Man-in-Orange coming closer. It shoots for the nearest tree. Jim takes some heavy breaths, and moves with the bear. Getting behind a tree, out of sight, seeking to shift into corvid as soon as he can. He murmurs softly, in spirit speech. "They're coming. But we freed him. Now I'm going to be a bird again and follow those bad men, and make sure they never hurt any of y'all again." <<DICE>> Jim rolls dex + stealth, difficulty 6 <<DICE>> 1 success (5 5 6, Specialty: No, Willpower: No) <<DICE>> Alexandra rolls 5 dice, difficulty 6 <<DICE>> 4 successes (5 6 7 8 9, Specialty: No, Willpower: No) [POOL] Jim spends 1 points of Rage. Reason: A little birdie told me Jim shifts into Corvid! The big bear rushes as fast as three-legs can carry it out into the forst, barreling through trees and underbrush. The little bear clings to a tree branch, giving a little pleading cry. The Man-in-Orange stops, looking around himself. He's just barely tall, maybe 6'1. Clean shaven, with ruddy, sun baked skin. A blaze orange vest over a thread-bare flannel shirt. Battered jeans from Old Navy and work boots. He carries a rifle in both hands. Drawing up to the trap sight at a jog, he stops at the edge. Watching the bear disappear into the woods, trap on its foot. His eyes go over Jim. "What the fuck..." he mumbles, settling to a knee to inspect the site. <<DICE>> Jim rolls perception + firearms, difficulty 6 <<DICE>> 2 successes (1 1 2 4 4 5 5 6 8 9 10, Specialty: No, Willpower: No) Jim flies up into the tree, out of sight. He trills to the bear spirit to hide, then uses a Gift he already has. Voice of the Mimic. Imitating a man with a Texan accent talking in a bullhorn. "This is the National Park Police. We have freed the bear you illegally trapped. Throw down your weapons." <<DICE>> Jim rolls man + subterfuge, difficulty 6 <<DICE>> FAIL (, Specialty: No, Willpower: No) The man looks up, obviously confused. His eyes scan through the forest, brow furrowing. There's no one nearby. He pulls out a small, brick-style cellphone. "Tommy, quit fucking around. I'm over by trap four and you won't fucking believe this shit. I think some asshole dug up the stake. Get yourself over here, make sure I ain't goin' crazy?" he speaks in a thick, Yupper accent. Jim sets himself to watching intently. He make sure the camera is aimed at the Yooper over there, getting a good look at him and his orange vest. Jim tried. He will now follow this man. But just for fun, he starts to sing. "The eyes of Texas are upon you all the live long day/The eyes of Texas are upon you and you cannot get away/Do not think you can escape them from night till early in the morn/The eyes of Texas are upon you till Gabril blows his horn" The man lowers his phone, continuing to look around himself. The phone bleeps out a moment of static, and someone on the other end answers, "Ok, be right there." The Man-in-Orange sighs, gun pointed toward the forest floor. "Alright, whom-so-ever is out there better come out so that I might kick his hippie ass into the ground," he speaks loudly out into the woods at large. Jim flaps, and talks again. "Sir, I reckon I'm your worst nightmare. I'm a Gaia worshipping hippy with a Bushmaster, and I know how to use it. Get the hell out of this forest, and don't come back before I really do bring the park police on your ass." A low sigh. The man leans back against a tree, frowning deeply. After another few moments, his friend, Tommy, starts to come into view. Similar, but shorter, pudgier, balder. They dress alike, and carry the same rifle. Tommy's breech is closed, though. The Man-in-Orange calls out, waving his friend down, "Some assholes had the balls to come out here and dig the stake up. I think they got some sorta loud speaker tied up to a drone or some shit, keep yelling garbage. Seriously, take a look at this!" Jim hops from branch to branch, getting to the FAR side of the tree in case Tommy gets trigger happy. He goes quiet though. Dual purpose. First, he's decided he's following these two regardless. Second, if he stays quiet, maybe Tommy will think Skippy is crazy. For good measure, he lets out a caw. The two look over the scene of the crime for a few minutes. Tommy gives a low whistle. "Yup. Trap sure as shit got yanked out..." he sighs. "Well, fuck. Least it'll make him easier to track," Tommy points out to the hole in the forest made by the fleeing bear. "Eh," the Man-in-Orange grunts his answer. "C'mon. He won't be back tonight, at least. Let's get home before Amy starts blaming me for keeping you out all night again." The Man-in-Orange sighs, staring into the hole in the forest. His jaw moves. A cigarette comes out of his back pocket. He holds it, tapping it against his palm a few times. "Fuck it," he sighs. Jim remains quiet after the caw. Listening, recording, he makes ready to followt hem as soon as they make their move. If they were to go after the bear he'd have to get drastic. But they sound like they're not, so he can just follow. Jim notices the cub spirit is still here, and he will fly over to the bear as the men leave. He says int he spirit speech "I will be back. Please tell your mother about what we did, and how I still need your help to learn more about healing." Once the cub's across he'll beat after the men. In crow-form, following the two men isn't a challenge. Even given their headstart. They walk for about twenty minutes, back to a beaten old Chevy. Their rifles mounted on a gun rack. Tommy drives, while the Man-in-Orange smokes steadily. The truck growls and rumbles along. The path turning slowly into dirt road, gravel turning to pavement. The pickup shifts with a lumbering sort of shudder as it picks up speed. Not that it ever goes that fast on the winding little backroad. It's only another 15 or so minutes before the truck pulls to a stop. The ring of the driveway is flat packed dirt. The woods come up, right to the edge of something like a yard. The house is little more than a single-wide trailer made of cheap aluminum with wooden steps in front of the door that aren't actually attached to the building. In human form, Jim could lean out any of the windows and touch a tree trunk. A blue Kai four-door sits in the driveway. A blue tarp is tied between some trees, keeping the rain off a pick up with its hood up. On the side, a pink bicycle leans with its handle bar set through a rust ringed hole. The Man-in-Orange climbs out of the passenger side door. He steps around, exchanging a few words with Tommy before the other pulls away slowly. The Man-in-Orange turns towards the woods as Tommy's tail lights vanish behind a twist in the road. Illuminated only by the red ember of his cigarette. Jim sees the Chevy, and makes absolutely sure to note the plate, and to get it on camera. The plate, all angles, everything he can. And then he will do his best to follow. He can fly fast enough after all. Recording everything. He sees the apparent house. With signs of afamily. Oh boy. But he found them.