Cedric raises his brow in surprise even as he draws his sword and steps towards the headless corpse.  Upon hearing the jeering voice, he looks up towards where it comes seeking the source through both his senses and his faith!

OOC: Detect evil in the direction the voice came.

From the edge of the clearing Yesil cries out, "Ograwitch! You do not scare us that easily!". But her response is only met by fading laughter.

Almost unseen the body of the old man finally toppled off the log it was sitting on.

[Private to Ronalt de Gault: You cannot see the source of the sound.  You have a vague idea of direction which is above and fading to the north.

Something that was lost in the initial shock, registers.  The body was very cold to the touch almost frozen. Even now you can see blood that was absent before slowly began to sluggishly ooze from both the cadaver and the severed head.]

[Private to Cedric Halfdan: You detection reveals a strong malignant evil aura floating about ten feet above the ground and drifting off to the north broadly in agreement with where you think the noise is coming from.]

Ronalt looks over to the north and in the air, "I believe we will not get the night's reprieve."
Looking back at Ryker, "We should at least give the fellow a proper burial. Cunning indeed to use cold magic to keep the corpse from falling over and not bleeding."

Cedric points a mailed finger northward, "The evil is there!  It is in the air, it's evil worked, it now departs!"

[Private to DM: Is the evil moving too fast to catch by foot?]

Reinforced by Cedric's warning they all looked to the north but there was no obvious sign of the enemy. Finally its laughter faded into silence.

OOC: The time is now about 10 at night and a gibbous moon was beginning to rise to the east.

[Private to Cedric Halfdan: While every desire makes you want to chase the creature, you know that it would be both very difficult and foolhardy in the dark forest.]

[Private to Ronalt de Gault: Casting around you see no signs of a struggle, there is a faint hint of a trail heading north west.]

"Best we make camp here and tomorrow we can follow the trail to the Northwest I spied." Ronalt offered while putting some firewood onto the fire.

Gwythe stands up from behind the undergrowth and steps carefully into the clearing. "What in the hells was that?"

Gwythe's question hangs in the air. Perhaps to his surprise it is Yesil who answers, "When I was little we find a man like a butcher.  The old ones in the village make the ward against the evil eye and whisper crazy things.  'Ograwitch... ograssasine... Cazador de trofoes... ...Only the hottest times of the hottest years...'  Crazy things...This year is grows hot.  And we begin finding our men.  We find them sometimes without their skin, sometimes their heads. Sometimes...much, much worse.  Cazador de trofoes...means the demon who takes trophies.... He's playing games and will be back for his trophies."

Cedric turns towards Yesil as she tells her tale, then speaks darkly, his face set in a scowl, "Then let him come."

Kalador stepped away from the tree and nodded. He said, "Aye let him come. We will make him pay for what he has done." He will then find a spot under a tree to dig a grave for the old man. He said, "Does anyone have a means to dig a grave?"

In reply to Gwythe (msg #49):

The twig caught in the old dwarf's beared eliciting barely a snort of indignation and a halfhearted attempt to swat away the offence.

A little while later, roused by the ruckus in the campsite, Arek finally joined in the discussions.
"Lea' 'im ou' fer a while," he directed, pointing at the decaptiated remains of what was presumably once a very much alive and animated Druid.
"Clanggedin an' I 'ill 'ave a little chat wi' him lat'r."

Peering off into the gathering darkness, Arek scanned every direction before dropping his pack on the comfortinly solid ground.
"Mi' as well stay 'ere and ta' advantage o' 'is fire..."

The party settle about the fire with the corpse of the dead druid nearby.  There was sufficient dead wood around to keep the fire going to daylight.  Unfortunately the light and the heat from fire itself made night adaptation impossible and spoiled infravision. Those close to the fire could only see what the firelight illuminated.  The firelight is visible from a much further distance from making their location obvious to anyone approaching.

OOC: how are watches and such like going to be set up?

Tyops
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:38, Wed 09 Sept 2009.

Cedric did not look pleased to simply leave the corpse out in such a manner, but was willing to allow the dwarvern priest time to commune with his deity over the body.  However a grave, or at least a cairn, would still need to be ready to receive the unfortunate druid.  Looking to Kalador, He stated, "I will aid you in the preparation."

Ronalt organises watches so two are on at all times.
OOC: Any preferences speak up.

Cedric says to Ronalt, "I shall work on a grave with Kalador, thus it makes sense we share one watch."

Kalador smiled briefly at Cedric. He replied, "Aye that makes sense to me too." Looking at Cedric he said, "Thank you Cedric for your help. It just isn't right to leave this poor old man out for the vermin and such. Do you have any tools with which to dig the grave?"

Cedric nods and replies, "Aye, a man endures enough in life, he should have peace in death.  I have no spade or shovel, but perchance my shield will suffice if we dig in turns.  One watching whilst the other digs."

Gwythe looks about the campsite and the fire and then sets himself up off to the side for sleeping, away from the fire, propped up against a tree.

[Private to GM: Gwythe won't volunteer to take watch, but will do it if called upon or woken. He's not really the volunteering sort :)]

The party settle into their watch routine starting with Kalador and Cedric. The others try and rest and even after a busy and sometimes harrowing day the manage this, one by one falling a asleep.

[Private to Cedric Halfdan; Kalador: After about two hours the digging is complete and the two settle into a regular watch.  Not long later they hear the unmistakable sounds of someone or something approaching through the undergrowth.  Whoever it is is not trying to be quiet, or maybe they are but are very bad at it.]

Cedric looks towards the sound, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword even as he quietly hefts his shield.  Casting a quick glance to Kalador to be sure his comrade also hears the sound of approach, he rises to his feet.

Kalador nodded at Cedric. Gripping the hilt of his sword, he prepared mentally to face whatever was coming at them.

Beyond the firelight little could be seen. The approaching noises continue, suddenly a shout is heard "Hud yer fire! Otis fra Nulb 'ere ta see tha Druid!"

Cedric calls back out in reply, "Then enter, friend and share our fire."

The blacksmith enters the light of the fire and looks around, "For tha' lov a god wha' 'ave ye done now?" he cries as he sees the decapitated body of the the druid.

Ronalt responded immediately, "We didn't do this. Seems an ogrewitch did from what we have been able to learn so far."
"How is the town now we are gone?"