Neither oracle nor cleric can pin the niggling sensation in the base of their brain that say the spiritual world holds an answer. Yet Rullis has seen the woods, grasslands, and seas of his home his entire life and can safely say that whatever did this was surely not natural. Its subtle perhaps but no beast or creature that normally roams this place is responsible for this corpse or its strange reaction in death.
Lyre eyeballs Vidar and his bow but its Orik who speaks up his tone conversational and pointedly directed at his fellow prisoner, Even if you can cast without the use of your hands you would have to pick the wizard or your chains. I'll not help and probably clock you for your effort. Not to mention what he would do to you if he lived through whatever you are thinking of... Orik points his chin at Vidar to emphasize his point.
Vidar gives Lyre a grim smile.
He puts all the menace he observed in the faces of crime bosses in Riddleport into that smile, really doing his best to project a silent promise of pain.
It is often better to allow a person’s own fears to build up an image of what he would do to her. It will certainly be something more fearsome than anything he could put into words.
Standing up, Rullis slowly backs away, shaking his head. "That's... That's not natural..." He looks around at his comrades. "Whatever did this to him doesn't belong in the woods. Did you guys hear the woods go silent last night on watch? Whatever it is, I think it is still out there."
"Bah, someone sliced this one up like a Yuletide goose. Must of ate something bad also, see how grey he is? I looked like that once after eating some bad roast beef. Had the trots for a week."The large half orc shrugs and sheathes his falchion. "I am sure who ever it is is gone Rullis, but just in case let me look for any tracks leading off the road."
Survival:
Kithian finds a myriad of tracks but two stand out; this man and the thing that apparently chased him and killed him. Which appears to have been a man or man like from the boot prints and other marks. That said the tracks are over a day and nothing suggests that whatever did this has come back since.
Not taking his eyes of Lyre, Vidar calls to the others.
"Are we ready to proceed then gentlemen? Magnimar is still many miles away and we are not making good time today."
Kerrec gets off the cart and strides over to the body. "We're not going to let this body rot on the side of the road, especially if something unnatural, possibly disease, aided in his demise."
Kerrec will examine the body for any means of identification. He'll also dig a grave and bury the body (by himself if others unwilling), taking care to have his gaunlets on when touching the body and tying rag around his mouth when in close proximity to the corpse.
Hnnh...wasting time...
Ah, no, he makes a point, about the disease, not the need for burial.
"If you fear something unatural master Valorian, then it would be a wiser course to burn the body lest it pollutes the ground...or escapes from it..."
Rullis moves to help Kerrec dig the hole, when he pauses at Vidar's remark. "Burning may be best, especially since I don't think anyone here has a shovel. It'll take all day to bury him. I wish we knew who he was so that we could find and inform his family. Anyone care to search his pockets for something that could identify who he is?"
Kithian points his thumb over his shoulder at the captives. "Let the wench dig the grave, that should get her ready for the hard labor ahead."
"Ugh. Why do I think I'm the one expected to check his pockets?"
Being careful to avoid touching the corpse as much as possible through the use of sticks or similar available implements, the rogue checks for any identifying papers, possessions, or marks such as scars and tattoos. He pauses often to back away and take a deep breath before moving back to his work, holding said breath.
Kerrec nods in agreement with Vidar. "You are right Sir Ekstrand. Burning would be the only way to assure the safety of the populace."
Kerrec sets about to find wood to set a pyre.
As Kerrec sets out to find wood (in easy reach and plentiful supply), Cam gingerly examines the corpse for objects of worth or information.
Before being a corpse the blood splattered clothes indicate that classic intersection of money and class; this man was surely a house servant of some kind. His pockets carry little save for a small key made of brass. On his back a small tattoo marks a rather marred coat of arms. It could be the tattoo of the house he served, a not uncommon holdover from the many Chelaxians who brought servants and slaves to Varisia. It would take a cleaning of the area around the wound to get a better look.
Cam does note, probably with some disgust, that in the course of moving the body it seems like its skin is not as firmly attached as it might have once been leading to some disturbing movement of the flesh when shifted about.
Since we are burning the corpse anyway, Camillo opts to remove the skin bearing the tattoo rather than stay near the body longer than necessary. Lacking a second dagger, he uses his dagger to cut around the tattoo and the blade of his handaxe to gently slip beneath the skin, still avoiding contact with the body as much as possible.
"He has a tattoo, possibly the symbol of the house he served. At least, I think he was a servant of some sort. We'll need to clean it up, but I am going to remove it first."
"Hmm...a house? A Nobel house you mean? Well, aside from the nobility of Sandpoint WE know of only one of that lofty social stature. One would assume that if a servant had gone missing from Sandpoint there would have been some word about it, servants talk and Sandpoint is a close knit community.
However...it would seem just a little too coincidental to find a dead servant of...HIM...just as we are moving to Magnimar to report...amongst other more IMPORTANT business."
Vidars continued contempt for nobility in general and Foxglove in particular are easy to notice in the way he sneers at certain points in what appears to be him thinking out loud.
Skin cut, pyre built, it is midday before you are ready to travel again. The weather looks like it might turn to storm but there may be some hope that if the wind builds it will move off the coast.
"HnnH...I do not much care for the look of those clouds. In my experience it is never a good thing to trust the fickle favour of the winds to see you right, we will not be able to travel much further this day if we are to find decent shelter before nightfall.
And unless we wish to let the coneys go to waste, we should find a place where we can have shelter and still build a fire without dying from the smoke."
Once the group begins to travel again, Vidar will keep a lookout for a good place to camp, more interested in shelter than trying to make up for lost time this day.
"Enok! You drunken bird you, time for you to earn your next thimble! I want you to fly ahead and see if there are any people or creatures hiding along the way, trying to ambush us."
Kithian looks up at the sky after Vidar's words and shakes his head. "What? That looks like a mid-day sprinkle. You afraid you will melt?"
Rullis looks up at the clouds before pronouncing, "It looks like Gozreh has come to cleanse these remains. Perhaps he is not aware of its taint. We should hurry up and burn it so that the ashes can be washed out to her."
Once the body has burned Kerrec is ready to go.
As you continue your travels to Magnimar the wind picks up for the rest of the afternoon carrying a slight bite of chill from the cooler waters farther off the coast. Luckily the dark clouds continue to spin their way away from you and it looks that you will be spared rainy travel for now.
Unlike the day before no other travelers cross your path but the odd fits and starts of silence in the woods continue at least twice. Never lasting more than a few seconds.
Rullis and Cam puzzle over the flesh and there is indeed a sort of feline (or lupine?) type creature featured amongst the coat and arms on a field of checkered black. As it is a tattoo the lack of true color makes identifying the heraldry that much harder and the lack of fidelity of the image due to the damage to the flesh make it hard to be sure. The creature is surely a bobcat, wolf, fox or perhaps an overly stylized dog but Cam cannot recall a comparable family resemblance from the area.
You continue your travels for the day and find a campsite off the road. Now two days south of Sandpoint you find yourself exiting the Hinterlands that have the regular, though spread out, farms and other settlements and enter the span of the coast road that is still yet undeveloped save for the most stalwart of loners. Like before the hunters find good hunt and the set up is easy and uneventful. Also the odd stop and start of the wildlife seems to have abated and does not disturb your efforts to make camp.
The only really challenge, per se, is that the wizard Lyre is complaining that the elaborate manacles that hold her hands at bay are causing her to lose feeling in her fingers and she asking to have them removed for a time.
Kithian reaches into his pants and scratches himself as he grins at the wizard."Sure, but I get to hold your tongue."
Camillo grins, but asks, "Barring that choice, how would we guarantee your good behavior? Pretty as you are, none of us really wants to stare at you all day to make sure you don't try casting a spell."
Having no pity for the woman, Rullis mutters, "Why don't we gag her and bind her with rope to a tree for the night, wrapped tight around the legs and from the neck to the elbows. That way her fingers and wrists can recover for the trip tomorrow."
If no one objects, Kerrec will gag her and take her manacles off with not a word exchanged with her.
Kerrec takes off the manacle but firmly gags her.
Kerrec did not think Rullis was being serious so he does not plan on binding her that way unless the others are really that worried. Kerrec does not see her as a dangerous flight risk.
When Kerrec does not bind her feet, Camillo retrieves his manacles and puts them on her ankles once she has sat down. "A reasonable compromise, I hope."
The wizard sort of scours at Cam but doesn't resist as the rest of you set up for the night. Orik offers to cook some of the various items brought back from the gathering if the evening.
Perception:
Perception:
Vidar waves Orik aside as he sets to cook.
"This isn't work for amateurs!" He mutters as he begins to skin the rabbits.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself he turns back to Orik while attempting to look less irritated.
"If you want to help, then build a fire, we're going to need a fair bit of hot coal for this recipe."
Camp prep goes smoothly and the night is warmer than it has been, a strong front coming off the passing storm. Orik mock sulks as Vidar works the rabbits and the rest of you settle into your evening routines.
Not looking up from the work of making supper, Vidar calls to Orik.
"Orik, come here for a moment would you kindly?"
As Orik comes closer, Vidar whispers to him.
"Someone approaches from the west; alert master Darlock in a subtle fashion would you kindly?"
In a more normal tone of voice he speaks casually.
"Can you inquire with our traveling companions just how hungry they are this evening? We only have so many rabbits to eat after all."
Hearing something disturbing, Rullis stops for a moment in what he was doing, listening intently. Hearing Vidar's request, he casually replies, "Sure thing."
Walking over to the wagon, he calls out, "Hey guys, how much rabbit are you up for tonight?" As soon as he gets close enough to Kerrec, with his face turned away from the west, he says in a low voice, "There is someone out in the woods to the west. Be ready."
Rullis would move slowly to each other person there, reciting the same, then will grab his long spear and head back towards Vidar, using the flat end of his spear as a walking stick.
Rullis approaches Kerrec and Orik taps Kithian on the shoulder and makes a eye to the West motion. Cam sees the interactions easily and all of you look on to the woods beyond.
Vidar
Rullis
Orik
Kerrec
Cam
Kithian
From the top what would folks like to do next?
Rullis readies an action to start casting Forbid Action if he see a single target appear from the woods.
Kithian tries to scan the area looking for anything out of sorts with out drawing attention to what he is doing.
Perception:
Kerrec has crossbow out and loaded, looking toward the west.