Chill looks back at the others.  "No time like the present. Maybe we can be back to Nimsy's before dinner if we get lucky."

"What's your name friend?" Chill asks the tiefling as he turns his attention back to the hunter.  "And where was the last attack? We can start our search there."

For whatever reason Chill was feeling very confident. Tracking and scouting were right up his alley and this was an opportunity to really put his skills to the test.

Krom studies the tiefling as he answers to his questions and gives a quick glance at the other woodworkers (Insight 21) "Thank you. Another attack may be imminent, but with Chill leading us, we should be able to track down this elusive creature before it strikes again."

As soon as Chill is ready to start tracking the creature, Krom will chant an hymn of Guidance to enhance the tabaxi's hunting skills.

Krom

 "Name is Ekemon." he answers Chill.  "I could show you where the last attack happened.  Its a short walk, less than a half hour away.  That would certainly make it easier for you to start your search." 

Kazri and Oli follow Ekemon after her companions.

Chill nods in agreement.   Unless someone has an objection he allows Ekemon to lead the way and he joins him as they range ahead of the others.   He introduces himself and engages him in a friendly conversation about the woods and what kind of creatures live in it. 

Krom, as he follows Chill and Ekemon, keeps his eyes opened for any possible threats.

If anyone looks to the draconic kin pair, the two simply nodded and made ready to follow after the others. But while some others are focused on looking for threats, Rhogar and Gorrah try to keep an eye out for odd symbology carved into things, or peculiar patterns arranged in the environment that others might not pay mind to without some magical background...

You trek deeper into the woods.  Ekemon converses with Chill but the conversation is loud enough for any to hear.  He speaks of the variety of woodland creatures typically found in the North that make their home in the Lonelywood Forest, including hares, foxes, bears, and wolves.  He is a little disconcerted at first by Oli, having never seen an Owlbear before, but quickly realizes he seems tame and friendly.  

"The nomadic Reghedmen tribesmen use lumber from the Lonelywood forest in the construction of their deerskin tents they set up when forming their camps.   In addition to its abundant natural resources, the woods offered a natural barrier to the people of Lonelywood town. Lonelywood’s forest is the town’s greatest asset, not only for its material wealth but for the defense it provides against orcs and barbarians coming down Bremen’s Run. The woods slow oncoming pursuers, giving the townsfolk time to escape onto the safety of the lake. Most often, though, bands of raiders simply pass Lonelywood by, never realizing the town is there."

In less than a half hour he stops.  You find a clearing with some fallen trees.  

"New snow has fallen since the attack here a few days ago so but this is where the last attack happened.  The moose came out of the woods and injured one logger and the rest fled."

Looking around for a moment he turns to leave.

"I need to return to the other woodcutters, it is my responsibility to protect them and have been gone long enough.  I must hurry back.  Good luck on your hunt"  

With that said the tiefling heads back the way you have come.

During the walk Rhogar looks for any symbology he might see but does not see anything.

You check the immediate area around the clearing that Ekemon has brought you to but see no clues.  All tracks have been lost to new snow and you can only presume that deeper into the thickening forest is where you will find the white moose.  Now the going is slow with you moving slowly and watching for anything that may be a clue to which direction to go.  

A few hours pass and you have still found nothing when you hear something in the woods ahead of you.  Moving carefully forward you see a hungry brown bear is pulling some low branches off a tree and gnawing on them.  It is looking in your direction, having heard you and seeing the party it moves toward the group.

Chill thanks Ekemon for their safe guidance and bids him farewell.  He then takes lead as they slowly move through the forest looking for any sign of the moose.  Its a long slow process but he has endless patience for the hunt. 

When they come upon the bear he shoulders his crossbow but holds his fire and looks back at Kazri.  "You think you could talk to this bear?  Its a beast right?"

At Chill's suggestion, Kazri concentrates for a moment and casts Speak with Animals. Kazri raises her hand, and slowly and calmly walks towards the bear. "Greetings, we do not mean to harm you. We are looking for a white moose in this forest. Have you seen one?"

The bear stops and sits down on its rump and tilts it's head for a moment and then sucks on his paw.

"Moose?  No, moose.  Food, need food, can't sleep. You have food?" it replies

 "Food? Oh sure." Kazri reaches to her backpack, and pulls out some jerky from her rations. She slowly and non threatening hand to the bear. "Anyone has a better food for this bear? He seems to be hungry." She asks her companions. After the bear eats some food. "So... You said you are not able to sleep?" She asks the bear.

"Sleep winter, but winter never end so now can't sleep." he says as he takes the food from you.

"So strange... I'm not sure if I'll ever get seeing such things at work." Rhogar, the talking draconic blooded humanoid with aspirations of ascension into a higher form, said openly to Gorrah, the half-dragon half-scorpion celestial made from the scale of a huge celestial being. Gorrah put her claws to her chin and nods sagely in agreement. Then, she sends Rekuberk an image of the sky followed by one of her self and feelings of... curiosity? Concern? Some feelings along those lines.

Rekuberk stays quiet but on high alert, keeping his eyes moving to look out for anything that may be agressive.

Chill reaches into his pack and draws out 2 more packs of rations and tosses them to the ground in front of the bear.  "Will it let us pass do you think?" He asks Kazri.

Krom looks at Kazri as she asks for more food for the bear and says "Here take this lass" the dwarf takes from his pack the Alchemy jug and says "Honey" as he gives the jug to Kazri.

He then takes a few step back while keeping the bear within sight. "What does the bear says beside wanting food? Has he seen the moose? Or anything else that may help us?"

"Honey, great idea Master Krom." Kazri pours the honey into a bow, and leave it next to Chill's rations. "The bear has not seen any moose. What he actually wants is to get some sleep. According to him. This eternal winter is not allowing him to sleep..." Kazri thinks for a moment. "Mr. Nimbatuul. Would you be able to magically put our friend here to sleep? I can ask him if he would like some help falling asleep, if we are able to help."

Rhogar immediately shakes his head to the sides. "I'm afraid that school of enchantment, or so I've heard it called, is something well out of my reach.... by choice, to an extent." He admits, frowning and crossing his arms over his chest. "And magically putting someone to sleep falls within that realm, and its other -will breaking- magics." The Dragonborn added with a deepening frown.

But then, he suddenly perks up, and exchanges a look with Gorrah. "Mmn.... True... There is that." He admits grudgingly, before turning to the others. "It is possible for Gorrah to administer such a sleeping agent as a temporary solution with her stinger. But, I would not recommend it. From what little I know of bears... (19).. it's instinct to hibernate has been quite twisted up by these neverending winter. Until that's resolved, I'm afraid an hour's rest from poison will not do it much good."

Rhogar knows enough about bears to know that at this time of year bears should be hibernating and the warmer spring weather brings them out of hibernation.  He rightly surmises that the endless winter has disrupted that pattern and daily rest is not eluding the poor bear, deep hibernation is.  He doubts a poke from Gorrah would solve that issue.

The bear, for his part, is gorging on the honey that is freely given from the Alchemy Jug .  A gallon of honey along with the other rations given seems to have satisfied his current hunger and he gives a heartfelt thanks and starts to lumber off, no longer considering you as possible snacks.  The conversation appears to be over as any further statements from Kazri are unheard or ignored.

You continue to search, moving slowly through the forest and it isn't for a couple of more hours when you finally come across the tracks you seek.  Coming up from the south the tracks lead to a large, circular indentation in a snowy hillside. Rising from the middle of this circle is a triangular gnomon of beautifully carved crystal that stands twenty feet tall. A ten-foot-high berm hugging the circle’s eastern edge has evergreens growing around and atop it, sheltering what looks like a sarcophagus buried under snow and enclosed by a half-circle of pale blue crystal pillars. North of the berm is a delicately carved gazebo made of marble, and south of the berm is a row of outward-facing, white marble statues atop granite pillars.