The Wyrese Bear and Southron Brown Bear

The Wyrese Bear and Southron Brown Bear is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.

Bears of the Wyrdeep and Southron Waste

Wyrese Bear

The Wyrese bear is one of the largest creatures in the Wyrdeep, with a heavy build and thick fur that ranges from deep brown to mottled grey. Its coat often carries streaks of lighter color along the back, resembling old snow trails frozen into its pelt. Broad-shouldered and strong-limbed, the wyrese moves with quiet confidence, its long claws well-suited for unearthing roots or stripping bark from ancient trees. Despite its size and strength, there is a stillness in its gaze that many describe as thoughtful.

Wyrese bears are not solitary by nature and are friendly to the right person. They watch before acting and rarely show aggression unless threatened. Among the inhabitants of the Wyrdeep, the bears are seen not as beasts of burden or wild threats, but as companions whose history is deeply woven into that of the forest's people.

There is an oral tale by the forest gnomes of the Wendwillow bloodline that speaks of the wyrese bear and dates back to the late 47th century. It goes something like this…

It was during the time of the Ice Queen Issyldra, when the wind turned cruel and winter overstayed its welcome. Snow fell and did not stop. Trees bowed under the weight, and paths once familiar were swallowed whole. In the Wyrdeep, where the forest guards its secrets closely, even the eldest among the woodsfolk admitted they had never known a season like it. Fires burned through their stores faster than expected, and hunting trails vanished beneath drifts as tall as a stag’s shoulder.

One young forest gnome had been out foraging when the storm deepened. Caught between snowfall and fading light, he lost his way. For days he wandered, keeping to what shelter he could find, until the cold finally overcame him. He collapsed in the crook of a snow-heavy tree, barely conscious and barely alive. That might have been his end, if not for the mother bear who found him.

Blinded by years of snow-glare, the wyrese bear had recently lost a cub to the cold. Perhaps it was grief that confused her senses, or something older and deeper that stirred in her spirit. Whatever the reason, she took the gnome into her den. She curled around him with her remaining cubs, offering warmth through the long dark. When she left to forage, she returned with what little she could; some roots, bark, frozen fish torn from the river’s edge. Slowly, the gnome recovered.

As the days lengthened and the Winter Witch’s reign came to an end, the gnome and the cubs had grown close, like siblings raised beneath the same roof. The mother bear passed quietly not long after the first thaw. Rather than leave his den mates behind, the gnome brought the young bears with him when he returned to his people. At first, those of his blood were fearful. They had only ever known the wyrese as something wild. But he remained outside the compound, sharing food, telling stories, and showing that the bears meant no harm.

In time others approached. They learned. They listened. Slowly the fear faded. The bond forged in that long winter endured beyond it. With it came a new understanding, one that would change the way the people of the Wyrdeep viewed the wyrese bear forever.

Since that time, the people of the Wyrdeep have spoken of the wyrese bear not as a wild creature, but as kin by story and soul. Forest gnomes recall the tale with quiet pride, while others among the woodsfolk speak of it with reverence. Children raised near the deep glades are told that a wyrese bear might watch over them unseen. Some families are known to raise orphaned cubs, and bonds formed in youth often last lifetimes.

Among elves, gnomes, and other forest-dwelling folk, the wyrese bear is not merely a companion but a protector. The bears are known to guard the young, accompany travelers, and carry burdens only for those they trust. Their presence in a camp or village is never taken lightly. A wyrese bear does not serve out of command, but out of loyalty freely given.

Southron Brown Bear

The Southron brown bear is a powerful and elusive creature native to the jungles surrounding Sharath and Eh'lah, with a range that extends into the higher elevations of the Southron Wastes. Stocky and broad-shouldered, with thick fur in shades of dusky brown and ash grey, the bear thrives in both the humid underbrush of the jungle and the sparse, stony ridges of the mountain passes. Despite its formidable size, the Southron bear is a quiet mover known for its ability to disappear into foliage or beyond rocks with ease.

Among the Grot'karesh Hammer Clan, these creatures are known as Gar'irem, or guardian bears. The giantkin speak of them with both respect and familiarity, for the bears are known to shadow their young during solitary excursions into the mountains. Many tales recount the discovery of mountain lions slain by massive claw marks; their bodies found disturbingly close to paths recently tread by fledgling wanderers. Whether the gar'irem guard the mountain paths by instinct or omen, the Grot'karesh consider them sacred wardens of their people.

To the Dhe'nar, the bear is a symbol of untamed power and is greatly respected. Referred to in their tongue as the Watcher of the Blood, S'quel ri askari, it is not uncommon for a Southron bear to observe the outer edges of Dhe'nar settlements, rarely approaching but always present. During times of personal trial, particularly the rite known as the Great Hunt, certain bears will emerge from the forest and follow a chosen individual for weeks or even years. Unseen but present, the bear will make itself known to the dhe'nar only after the Hunt is accomplished. If mutual recognition is achieved, the bear may become milar'rah (feminine) or milar'nah (masculine) which is a rare, spiritual bond between Dhe'nar and beast that is never commanded, only accepted. The term roughly translates to loyal sister/brother. Often, those that accept the bond become something apart. They are more at one with the jungle.

These bonds are lifelong. The milar'rae bear became more than a companion or a mount; they are a mirror of the Dhe'nar's own strength and self-mastery. Such pairs are rarely seen outside the boundaries of Dhe'nar territory, but among their people, they are honored, both for the power they represent and the quiet understanding between two guardians of the old ways.

Neither wholly wild nor wholly tame, the Southron brown bear occupies a space between worlds. It is a creature that chooses its path and its company, answering no call but its own. To some, it is a shadow in the trees or on the mountain ridge. To others, a guardian at their back or of their young. But to those few who have earned its trust, the bear is something rarer still. It becomes a reflection of quiet strength, ancient instinct, and the deep-rooted harmony that can exist between will and wilderness.

OOC Information/Notes

• Created by GM Thandiwe, 4/20/2025

Lexicon Additions

Giantkin

• gar'irem - guardian bear

Dhe'nar

• S'quel ri askari - Watcher of the Blood
• milar'rah (f), milar'nah (m), milar'rae (plural) - Loyal Sister/brother/siblings