After clearing the fortress ...

Elven drow woman named VALDARA was the Banshee. After clearing the fortress, we gather in a room covered in rubble. Siegrane uses his Divine Sense and gets a message from his ancestors that he has done well clearling the fortress and they reveal a treasure chest with a platinum amulate. We then decide we need to find a way to make the door functional so we can clean out all the dead bodies, and also are able to bring the townsfolk from Phaladin to the fortress where they will be safe from the dragons. We get the portculiss up about 6 feet, but need a way to secure it. After wedging some ballistas in the mechanism, we all head downstairs to start dragging bodies outside. We will need to find a townsperson who can fix the gate mechanism. Alleraia is too weak to drag bodies, so she gets water from the kitchen to wash the floors. Siegrane builds a fire outside to burn the dead bodies. Siggy is going to try to use her smithy skill to manufacture something to repair the gate mechanism.
 
Meanwhile, Osha and Alleraia try shoveling the goo that used to be the gibbering mouther onto a sheet to drag it outside. Siggy is crafting a heavy metal pole to wedge into the winch for the portculess to keep the thing open permanently. Everyone gathers outside as Siegrane finishes burning the last of the dead bodies. Howdore unceremoniously stuffs Caldae into his backpack, as she is passed out cold. Just as we are ready to leave back to Phandolin, we here a snorting and growling from the bushes as a creature seems to be drawn to the smelly bonfire. Osha tries to scare it away with her booming voice, but instead it draws the Owlbear even closer.
 
The owl bear attacks us. Howdore takes heavy damage. Caldae wakes up in the middle of the battle and panic casts Thunderwave doing damage to half her party members, but none to the owl bear. Alleraia casts several healing spells on Howdore, before he goes into a rage and destroys the owlbear with two swings of his great axe. As the owlbear falls towards the ground, he swipes out toward Siggy, who suddenly disappears into mid-air causing everyone to be completely baffled. Caldae discovers that the orb in Alleraia's backpack, which was once glowing is now dull. Alleraia tries to pick it up, but it still won't glow. All we hear is a faint whispy voice on the wind, but no trace of Siggy.
 
Siegrane attempts to collect fluids from the owlbear corpse. He plucks 6 of the finest owl bear feathers he could find. Caldae also takes some feathers. Siegrane then decides to collect the owl bear hide, as they are very valuable. Alleraia casts some healing spells to get her health back and caldae casts on Howdore. Alleraia decides to collect some of the eye puss from the owl bear to try to determine what disease it had. She notices that something is wrong with the feathers on the neck of the owlbear, and it has scar tissue in the shape of ruins. Alleraia instantly recognizes the symbols as a curse that is placed on creatures so that they can be controlled. Alleraia wonders if this is the work of Glastaff the Wizard. Pip says Glasstaff brought many animals to the underground caverns.
 
The party starts their way back to town. Half way back they hear a loud screeching noise of terror. Siegrane sees some rustling in the underbrush about 150 feeet ahead of us. He points it out to the party, and as he does a dirty, disheveled, and bloodied gnome flies out of the brush. He's got gristly brown hair, scrappy tunic, 2-3 feet tall, his eyes go wide as he sees us. We ask his name, siegrane keeps grabbing at him, trying to heal him. He says his name is Fibblestop. He needs help, his people are under attack down the ridge by Orcs. Caldae doesn't trust him and uses her insight to check his story. However, we are low on spell power, so uneager to go fight more. We tell him to accompany us to town, and we will try to find him some help. Fibblestop says his kings name is NERKLY, and he is under attack by Orcs in his kingdom of Gnomanguard.
 
Alleraia and Osha decide to take Droop back to town, while Caldae, Howdore, Siegrane, and the gnome head back toward Gnomanguard to scout out the Orc situation.