Torches Session 28, Bears, Skeletons, and Lion King allegories

Last session led to Kormatin and extended company finding an enemy camp in a remote area of the Swynfaredian Grey Forest.   They cast several buff spells.   They ulimately fought a powerful dragon blood Lady Siriol ap Numaness, an abjurer Fang Warrior, four men-at-arms, The Hunting Bears (Oberon the Shifter and Brunonia the Shifter) and six skeletons.   But Brigid snuffed out their campfire with cold invocation (Kormatin's crew had Darkvision) and a blitz krieg but the element of surprised neutralized the dragonblood before the skeletons and men-at-arms could come to bear. The Hunting Bears saw which way the wind was blowing and fled.   The Fang Warrior Maybn tried to surrender on the condition she could medically treat Lady Siriol and Kormatin refused to offer that condition, and executed Siriol mostly for using undead minions and Dame Mabyn opted to fight to the death. The men at arms surrendered. They mopped up the skeletons with ease.   After looting the camp and interrogating the soldiers, multiple hours had passed, but Kormatin were able to track them and figure out where they were sleeping a tree as owls. Surprising them and forcing a surrender fairly easily.   Oberon confessed to helping arrange the "hunting accident" that slew Duke Mateusz Palbuc at the behest of Lord Stanislaw Palbuc.   They took the bears prisoner and traveled via Overland Flight (stopping briefly to alert the men of Count Anatol Palbuc V their travel plans and visited the castle of Count Adrion Zielonkame and borrowed Adrion and several of his men on their to the duchal castle of Palbuc. Lord Anatol VI and Sir Dyzek Palbuc III were already there aware that that was where Kormatin was going and wanting to keep their father appraised of events.   They met Duke Vern Palbuc and only told him about having solved the attacks on their men in the forrest. Vern prepared them a midday feast and Brigid gave an enthusiastic presentation of their tales and spent far more time and effort freshening up before the feast than usual because she sort of fancied the young Duke. Lord Stanislaw Palbuc sniffed this out and made not so subtle snide remark about it.   Then Vern and Kormatin sparred and showed off their weapons and magical items, and an awkward moment before Kormatin demonstrating his Poison Detection Jewelry and Vern ironically asking his uncle where they could find poison.   It was an awkward time before Kormatin could pry Vern from his evil uncle after dinner and explain to him the situation. After some thorough convincing, Vern arranged for his uncle to be arrested in front of a large crowd (and Adrion's armed men) and extradited his Uncle to King's Lake so King Henryk III Linijka the young king could formally sentence his uncle.   The session ended in King's Lake. Kormatin and company tried to unwind the best they could all things considered. Kormatin hung out with Aleesia in a tavern with Preylot who wanted Kormatin to back up his valorous deeds from before.   Duke Vern Palbuc was in no mood for teen romance but he did say if his uncle disliked Brigid that meant she was probably good.     It is still up in the air what Duke Palbuc opted to do with the bears.