In reply to Yngvar the Mad (msg # 21):

Dantes nods and heads over to see what's troubling the dog, shield and mace ready.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:14, Wed 18 Oct 2023.

Yngvar follows behind Dantes, directly behind, so he peeks around him at the bushes to see if he can see what is bothering the dog so much!

the party notices drops of blood on the foliage and broken branches along the sides of the trail. Also you don’t need to be a ranger to see those huge boot prints in the mud.

"Shall we follow them?"

Wynne notices the huge boot prints in the mud and points them out. "Those are some large footprints right there." He looks to Yngvar and Dantes. "You sure about this? It'll delay us."

In reply to Wynne (msg # 26):

"And if we don't the ogre could circle back behind us. I say we pursue it stealthily and let me take a crack at it "
This message was last edited by the player at 19:17, Thu 19 Oct 2023.

Maple looks for other footprints -- like the bare ones at the cell.

"Where did this blood come from? I thought we thought the ogre freed the priest. Who was hurt?"

In reply to Wynne (msg # 26):

"Walk away while this so-called priest wreaks havoc with his undead? No, this must end now. If you're having second thoughts, we can meet you back here."

Barghujin notes the dog, and watches it. She doesn't know that much about dogs. Yes her people used dogs, large rangy dogs that could keep up with the horses and that weren't afraid to take on wolves, but she'd never had that much to do with the dogs or their training.
Observing the dog and its behaviour the thought occurs to her that maybe the dog belonged to the missing man, and it was therefore trying to follow where he went but was too scared to enter the woodland.
"Dog to scared follow attacker into wood is"

In reply to Dantes (msg # 29):

He grunts. "Didn't have any first thoughts before you all rushed off. Well then, let's be off then"

"You're the ranger, we'll be right behind you!" Yngvar smiles waiting for him to begin the tracking.

Eirlys looks at the priest thoughtfully and nods agreement. "Such a creature as that priest has to be stopped.  The chaos and general horror they would wreak is too terrifying to let run amok," she agrees solemnly.

She falls in step some paces behind the ranger so as not to interfere with his tracking, but very watchful both ahead and behind while they travel.

Gremo tries to advance stealthily, but his mail jingles.

Silas doesn't look too happy but he tags along somehwere in the middle of the group, where he deems to be the most safe. He agreed with everything others pointed out, vigilantly observing their sorroundings to the sides, especially towards the forest. That dog must br afraid of something and he didn't like the idea od it one bit. Whoever puts fear in dogs is steong enough to put fear in Silas...

Wynne nods and scouts ahead, bow at the ready.

So marching order something like:
Wynne
Eirlys
Dantes
Gremo
Yngvar
Silas
...anyone else tagging along?

In reply to Wynne (msg # 36):

You missed Maple and Barghujin.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:49, Sat 21 Oct 2023.

And if i understood well Gremo is at the front? + Silas is somewhere in the middle, not on the back(or front) end due to lack of weapons ;)

In reply to Yngvar the Mad (msg # 37):

No, just didn't get any hint of what they're doing.

In reply to Silas (msg # 38):

The floor is open to suggestions.

Maple lingers at the back of the group, still unsure of what creature’s blood was there. Clearly something is up—but surely the group of adventurers can hold their own…

Barghujin unstrings her bow and stows it securely in her quiver. She can't manage both the bow and her spear in the potentially more confining setting of the woodland copse.
Bow stowed she approaches the do cautiously. If it's frightened already it might react adversely.
Very quietly and in a calming voice she says.."Your master went into the woods? Do you want to show me?"
If the dog heads into the woods then she will follow it.. it's probably the best tracker we have!

[OOC] what's the pre-occupation with single file? We're not in a 5ft wide corridor, but out in the open. If the path into the woods is well traversed then its not going to restrict party order to single file..

"Nice dog, might make a great pet, or a guard dog if he were properly trained! If you guys don't mind so much, Silas and I would like to be in the middle of the group with all of you armored folk making sure we don't get hurt to badly." Yngvar intones their intensions, "unless Silas wants to be in front or in back."

The dog looks nervously down the trail, then back to the broken jail. It lopes back to the tarp where the constable was covers and lies down beside it.

"Poor dog, looks like he needs a new friend. We'll take him. and take care of him if he wants us. Let's get the bastard that murdered his master." Yngvar says to the others.

This message was deleted by the player at 00:47, Tue 24 Oct 2023.