Jaxson and his new friend Grodd are heading east into Ezethae (not into the city proper, the guards might recognize Jaxson!) and to a monastery that Jaxson favors for their excellent beers and wines. At a tavern on the way, Jaxson cons a merchant into purchasing a Snipe from him. A gnome, Marby Fizzlesprocket, comes down from her room and the three most interesting people at the bar get to talking. Marby displays a wink wink nudge nudge interest in going to the nearby Cobalt Forest where she thinks she may be able to find some rare magical reagents.
At this point, two women enter the tavern, one of them, the one with fox ears and nine tails, starts asking about portals and cities full of doors. EventuallyAfter a bit of convincing, Jaxson, Grodd, and Marby agree to go into the forest with them to help sort out this bear at least, and see what happens. So, instead, they all set out to sample the monastery's production. Abbot Norry greets Jaxson in the shrine to Ajahn, and takes them to the taphouse. After buying some alcohol and drinking a round, the abbot has to get back to work, and the group heads south into the forest to see if they can run off or kill this bear.
[[Characters_(Pendragon)#The_Ursine_Brotherhood|Hey wait, is this a callback or something?]]