Carolyn Bearskin

**Carolyn Bearskin** was an oni that took on several disguises over the centuries in order to promote the cause of giants from within human civilisation.

She was an influential figure in Waycrest, and was one of the five members of Waycrest's Ruling Council. She was owner of a large animal sanctuary - the Nature First Reserve - and was a strong advocate for animal rights and specifically their right to roam free and hunt in peace.

Her late husband was Julius Bearskin, who she killed to inherit his wealth and she trapped his revenant in a mirror of life draining.

She was killed by the forces of Waycrest after her duplicity was revealed before the Ruling Council. After her death, having no descendants, her possessions were seized by the city, and the tunnel leading to her underground basement was collapsed to contain whatever darkness still lurked below.

## Interests

She was skeptical of Josiah Exotic's activities involving wild animals and had surreptitiously asked for the party of Grugs, Estrid Stormbringer, and Saphara Mystan to investigate him further to find evidence of wrongdoing. This drew the suspicion of Guard Captain Clerebold Quentin due to the unusual nature of requesting out of town adventurers to investigate a prominent opponent of hers, rather than the town guard, coupled with the fact that Carolyn would regularly amend guard routes to avoid patrols in the Waterways District citing "lack of resources" and "keeping the watch safe from toxic waste."

Davos Rorch referred to Carolyn as a patron of the Frugal Florists.

When Clerebold was questioned on his killing of a prisoner by fellow Captain of the Watch Destrian Earnst he was able to bluff that Carolyn had asked him to carry out the killing, which appeared to satisfy Destrian's concerns.

As had been speculated for year, Carolyn had possession of the Knight Stone in her underground lair - a perfect stone statue of Maygar Wayfinder.

She had a connection to the Council of Cerberus - Ghazuul had stated once he found the Sword of Maygar Wayfinder that they could be done with her, and his manticore commented that they would burn part of her Nature First Reserve to the ground. A letter in her possession from the Rosarian Royal Magus Lyrei Ravanelis suggested Lyrei used the Council of Cerberus to deliver assistance to Carolyn on at least one occasion as they sought to conspire together. In return Carolyn was assisting Lyrei in locating rare magical items.

## Stones and Bones

In 1487 DR an advert was placed in the Waycrest Adventurer's Guild for a job at Carolyn Bearskin's home clearing out an infestation of undead. Estrid, Clerebold, Karo, and Grimgrim Iron Jaw took up the offer, the latter due to a suggestion that Carolyn seemed to be creating or obtaining flawless stone statues at an unusually fast rate.

Once her guards had allowed the party access they were told they would be escorted around the house by the butler, Bertrand, but once they found him he was pre-occupied smoking in the reception room, so agreed to allow the party to go unattended in return for their silence. On their way through the hallway a seamless wyvern statue looked over them.

They found their way into an ornate stone room which contained a throne, apparently a show of strength to intimidate fellow nobles when hosting them. It was in this room that animated armours attacked the party. Once they had been dealt with the party managed to find a private library, rich with tomes of history, nature, and romance.

On the subject of romance, after dispatching some enchanted books which attacked them, the party stumbled upon a guard and a maid getting personal, who when disturbed were insistent on no-one finding out about them. They then came across an exquisite painting - *Last Pillar of Ostoria* - next to a puzzle door with the clue *"The gravest year for Giant-kin"*, for which the code was the year of Waycrest's founding.

On the descent into the basement the walls were adorned with portraits of three noble women that all outlived their husbands and bore no children. They all wore the same white gold necklace and all were displaced nobles. Upon Carolyn revealing her true identity it was surmised that all of the portraits were of her the different disguises she has used through the centuries.

Deep in the belly of the manor was a sealed tomb protected by traps, which contained two coffins, an altar with an intricately engraved stone map of lands north of Waycrest beneath a watchful gilded eye which highlighted 10 locations across the savage frontier, a collection of documents giving clues as to Carolyn's true nature, a frozen man, and a mirror of life stealing which contained the revenant of Julius Bearskin.

When Clerebold revealed her duplicity before the Ruling Council of Waycrest she lashed out, killing two members of the Ruling Council and several members of public with a cone of cold. She shapeshifted to her true form to fight, and sought to escape using a mist form but she was not able to escape and was killed by the efforts of Clerebold, Grimgrim, Ingmar Neferen, Armand Lochstead, and a squad of foot soldiers.

### Basement Letters

#### The Will of Julius Bearskin

I, Julius Bearskin, of the Bearskin family of Waycrest, being of sound mind and body do declare that with no knowledge on the whereabouts of my father, Wuthred Bearskin, nor with an heir of mine own, that I bequeath all of my wealth to my wife, Carolyn Bearskin, upon the event of my death. The transfer of my estate to Carolyn Bearskin shall include but not be limited to: The Bearskin Manor and belongings therein, the title to the Waycrestian land upon which Bearskin manor and it's grounds stand, my prize horses Yorrick and Rilehuf, my library and any funds located within the manor along with my accounts of the Shoalman's Bank etc etc… This will is signed hereby myself Julius Bearskin on 15th Uktar in the year of 1486 witnessed by Field Marshal Ingmar Neferen.

#### Letter from Ermyar Sagehold

Dear Lady Ursula, imagine my surprise to hear from you after all these decades! So rarely does an elf make a human acquaintance that stands the test of time. I am gladdened to hear you have traded the frigid north for a more agreeable climate, though I hope you have given up your years of hunting, I cannot imagine in your advanced… wisdom that you can keep up with some of your quarry. I must say I am troubled by your 'academic curiosity' regarding the undead you mention, I would caution you to stay well clear of any individual who has managed to attract the ire of such an abomination. These things are more often than not retribution for the gravest of sins. If you must pursue religious matters, I would be happy to send you some of the scriptures, I know you find theology of dawn a bit dull, but I recently around Luskan I encountered a promising young student of Torm by the name of Sirac who parted with some gripping readings for a moderate price. Please be well and put these questionable studies to rest. Ermyar Sagehold, Priest of Lathandar.

#### Letter from Lyrei Ravanelis

Well well Carolyn, you have been a naughty girl. I daresay not even I have managed to affront someone so, it's almost humbling. I have the means to assist you, in truth, your real problem is that now you have caught my attention, I know your 'little' secret. Not to worry, we can all get along quite happily, in fact, I daresay it's high time Waycrest had the more direct rule of a strong individual such as yourself, like Thollos. Surely there need be no hostility between Corsarchia and your city if you declare yourselves a free state in alliance with Duke Roon Magoon, if you have need of additional occupying forces, Rosaria can always spare a few azer in the pursuit of liberty, it helps to have strong ties with renowned trading ports such as Waycrest. You just need to trim down your bloated defence force and troublesome Skyguard. I'm sure you'll do the right thing, but as a token of good faith, I have dispatched a gift with Imra to you, to contain your little problem. She will have the details of how to activate it. We look forward to hearing news on the items I'm looking for, signed the Royal Magus of Rosaria.