Nadriel sees mostly what seem to be wolf paw prints and the occasional mark of a birds foot on the moody road. In the distance a wolf can be heard howling.

"This is fine," Tierra says, "a single wolf can't hurt us."

"Except it is never a single wolf. At least not in my experience." Belmarm deadpans. "Perhaps we pick up the pace a tad, and uh... not go on any off road excursions?" He suggesed as the group hopefully continued to progress down the road.

"if there's one thing I understand," Tierra looks in the direction of the wolf howl, "it's the mannerisms of wolf packs. The howl is mearly how they communicate over large distances. So long as you're not disrupting them they wont harm you."

As if in response to the words being spoken, more wolves answered the first howl. As one stopped anothermwould continue, this coming from multiple wilves that at times sounded increasingly close.

“I agree, let’s pick up the pace.”

Errol:

As they move, Errol will keep watching for a defensible location along the road; also, he will keep an eye out for locations that might lend themselves to an ambush from the wolves.  His weapons are still out, ready to respond if the wolves decide to target them.

Tierra also keeps an eye out for the wolves, though more to ensure that the party doesn't immediately attack them when they appear. They were the one's bothering them, the wolves were just defending themselve.

Priest draws his mace and shield in case they maybe needed "Agreed let's pick up the pace - though we should be ready for if something attacks us."

Falzaren will pull out a torch and light it, casting control flames to double its brightness. (40 feet bright light, 40 more dim light).

As the party continues the sounds go quiet and the woods become heavier for a bit.

 Towering trees, whose tops are lost in heavy gray mist, block out all but a death-gray light. The tree trunks are unnaturally close to one another, and the woods have the silence of a forgotten grave, yet exude the feeling of an unvoiced scream.

Errol as you are walking you smell something that turns your stomach. It does not take long to realize it is the smell of decaying flesh. What do you do.

Falzaren will continue on.

Tierra runs a hand along the trees as the go past, "You all act like you haven't spent time in the deep woods before."

Errol:

Errol stops and holds up his hand (the one with the wand in it), saying, "Beware, something either dead or undead is nearby."  He sniffs the air and looks around carefully for the source of the scent, but doesn't head off the road, at least at first.

The foul scent leads you to a human corpse half-buried in the underbrush about fifteen feet from the road. The young man appears to be a commoner. His muddy clothes are torn and raked with claw marks. Crows have been at the body, which is surrounded by the paw prints. The man has obviously been dead for several days. He holds a crumpled envelope in one hand.

As you have not gone off the road you do not yet see rhe envelope but you do see the badly hidden body.

Errol:

Looking around carefully for other threats, Errol goes over to investigate the body (notice anything=Passive investigation 21).  Seeing the claw marks, he comments, “This appears to be the wolves’ kill, but it is puzzling that they would not eat their kill here or drag it to their lair.  What do you make of it, Tierra?”  Glancing up for any evidence of approaching foes, Errol turns his attention back to the body, looking for identifying features or papers and finding the envelope.  Carefully lifting it off the body, he looks at the envelope to see what may be written on the outside of it.

The letter is as follows

Hail thee of might and valor:

I, the Burgomaster of Barovia, send you honor—with despair. My adopted daughter, the fair Ireena Kolyana, has been these past nights bitten by a vampyr. For over four hundred years, this creature has drained the life blood of my people. Now, my dear Ireena languishes and dies from an unholy wound caused by this vile beast. He has become too powerful to conquer.

So I say to you, give us up for dead and encircle this land with the symbols of good. Let holy men call upon their power that the devil may be contained within the walls of weeping Barovia. Leave our sorrows to our graves, and save the world from this evil fate of ours.
There is much wealth entrapped in this community. Return for your reward after we are all departed for a better life.

Kolyan Indirovich
Burgomaster

Tierea kneels down to see if this man's wounds were caused by a wolf or any other animal.

Nature: 14 + 3 (Intuition Die From Wild Intuition) (18 Total)

Priest says a quick prayer for the man as he closes his eyes and asking the goddess to reveal any undead in the area to him. His hand tightening on the grip of his mace "I will see if there is any undead around by chance."

OOC:

Passive Perception: 15

Using Eyes of the Grave:

 The wounds look to be from a pack of wolves as far Tierra can tell. It does not look that out of place for a wolf kill other then the fact most wolves avoided humans when possible.

Priest you do not sense any undead in the area but hints of undeath seem to be ingrained in the very land.

As the party investigates the body the sound of howling starts again.