The party stand  considering  Edgar in his tree.  Herloch
close to the dog head bodies, with Elsbeth  facing down
Smilo, who is  slowly  replacing his sling.

Callum stands  closest to Edgar, with mandrake still aboard 
his mule.  Peter recovers from his earlier awe and starts to
look a little sheepish as his colleagues seem to accept
Edgar at close to face value.

Madelyn, perhaps thinking of their previous encounters scans
the local countryside looking for signs of ambush.

An invitation

By Brad
who plays Rolf

Rolf looks at the bird a bit longer, than sighs. He could spend days listening to the birds view of life, but this is not the time. Besides, something big took out those dogheads, and not all that long ago. Something is still about.

Rolf looks about, trying to see if there are any tracks in the mud, giving more clues to what killed the dogheads. After a few minutes of searching, he addresses Edgar again. "I would know more of you, friend Edgar, but this area might not be safe. Would you like to come along with us, at least for a day or two?"

Kerim

By JohnB

If you are thinking of moving off Kerim would like time, and assistance, to strip the bodies of the bits of chain mail they are wearing, please.

A contract sealed.

By Skald
who plays Edgar

Edgar considers Rolf's words carefully, surreptitiously eyeing the bodies in the distance, and glaring at Smilo just once more for good measure, before spreading his wings and flapping down from his perch to land on the cart besides Mandrake, his feet clattering against the wood.

"I will accompany you," he replies, his tone an oddly formal acceptance of the invitation.

An invitation accepted

By Brad
who plays Rolf

Rolf shrugs in response to Kerim's wish to ransack the doghead bodies. It seems pretty worthless based on what we found before, but to each his own. "Make it quick."

Looking at the bird, Rolf nods acceptance, wondering if the bird will be able to understand the gesture. Perhaps it will be an ally, or maybe it is a minion of evil sent to spy on them. If an ally, they are stronger together than apart. If not, well best to keep it nearby where we can keep an eye on it.

OOC: Can Rolf make out any details of tracks of whatever killed the dogheads?

Examining the tracks

By JohnB

As Rolf looks the area over and studies the wounds on the dogheads closely. There has been a battle and the sign is unclear and disturbed, but Rolf manages to find a clear fot print by the side of the path that could be that of a Gila. That would also be consistent with the wounds on the dead creatures.

There is also sign that there were more than 2 Dogheads with some survivors fleeing back along the path in the direction the party are now travelling.

Possibly ....

By Ian
who plays Peter

Peter looks somewhat surprised by Rolf's assessment of the value of the doghead armour, as Kerim had got more money for that armour than he had seen together in one place for quite a while.

He then goes to help Kerim strip the bodies of their remaining armour, although the task appears distasteful to him.

the discussion begins

By Brad
who plays Rolf

Waving at the tracks, the wounds, Rolf speaks up, "Looks like our friends, the Gila's been keeping the area safe. A few got away though. When Kerim and Peter are ready, we'll move on." Turning back to the raven, Rolf thinks that as long as they've got some time to kill, he'll strike up a conversation that may well last years. "It must be a wonderful thing to fly upon the wind, to see what travels about the land for leagues in every direction, passing across the worst swamps with nary a glance."

Let's get moving

By malc
who plays Callum

After hearing Rolf's theories and checking the bodies himself, Callum speaks up. "I wasna' awful fond o' yon lizard beasties, but forbye I can get along wi' anybody who kills dogheads. Will we be after the rest of them down the road, now?"

Marvellous indeed.

By Skald
who plays Edgar

"It must be," replies Edgar wryly. "Why, if it wasn't for the birds of prey, and the fact that anyone with an opposable thumb can use a bow, it'd be far too boring for my liking."

"AND there's precious little to eat in swamps."

Thought and Memory

By Joe
who plays Herloch

Herloch agrees with Callum's suggestion of moving on. "Hmmm, they could make allies if were lucky."

He then moves over to Edgar, whom up to now he has been ignoring. "Well now, an bird with intelligence and the ability to speak?" he says to Rolf in front of the raven.

He continues, this time speaking to the raven. "I don't find that so unusual and not necessarily a bad omen. I am Herloch, priest of Thor." He bows slightly.

"Odin, the All Father, has two such ravens named Hugin and Munin. He sends them out every day to gather great knowledge. They are very intelligent, as the stories tell. Edgar, have you heard of them by any chance?"

Imps

By Jim
who plays Smilo Hairfoot

"Yer Odin might have two pets," said Smilo, "but everyone knows that imps shows up as ravens all the time. 'e likely killed these two dogheads with his poisons, afore 'e fested on em. 'e kin take im along, but mark ma words, one o us won't wake in the morn. Least cast a spell on it to see if its evil o no. If the spell says e's clean, I'll rest easy."

A friendly ear

By Daren
who plays Mandrake

"Well Mr Skald, I don’t know what your disposition is, but I have a feeling that you have a good sense of humour and perhaps, like myself, an evil mischievous streak." Mandrake looks the bird straight in the eye and winks, "If I am correct, then oh, the pranks we can play together."

Mandrake glances over to those stripping the corpses of their belongings and then turns back to the bird, "Have you been in this area for long, I for one would like to get up in the hills, a wooded hillside with space to dig a good burrow.

"Do you know how far until we reach dryer ground?

"I don’t know, but I think that perhaps it has been some time since you have spoken to anyone, especially if they generally shoot at you and your kind."

A grand jest

By Brad
who plays Rolf

In response to Edgar's droll comments about the wonders of flight, Rolf chuckles. "Master Edgar, you do have a rare gift for bringing one's feet to the ground." Rolf continues to chuckle softly while Herloch addresses the raven, though his mirth dies down as Smilo makes his suggestion. He waits, wondering what Herloch's response, as well as Edgar's, will be.

Evil?

By lechrist
who plays Elsbeth

Elsbeth frowns. "Evil, you be saying? Mayhap I should cast on all the party to see if evil is amongst us?" The young womans frowns. "Hmmm... I'm thinking... Imps are usually small folk. Excitable. Full of themselves... I wonder who here fits that description..."

Evil

By Jim
who plays Smilo Hairfoot

"Lord knows life's full o temptations, and lord knows I've fell to more than a few, but I'd fight with any who'd call me evil. I'll be tested, miss Elsbeth."

Packing

By Ian
who plays Peter

Peter who has been listening to the conversation as he helps Kerim strip the dogheads and load their chain on to a mule, suddenly joins in with ...

"Grey Beard's parrot, Jolly, can talk. Some say that he can't think for him self - but I have held a conversation with him and he seems fairly smart for a parrot, he certainly has ideas of his own, and tried to argue a point - even though his arguement was weak. But he isn't evil - well at least I have heard no reports of it - although it is said that he was endowed with his speach by a Djinnn. But then it is also said that ravens are harbingers of evil ...."

The test

By lechrist
who plays Elsbeth

Elsbeth smiles. "Now, I wasn't saying that you were evil, little one," she replies. "I was saying that its easy to point a finger when facing that which ye know not."

So saying, the young woman takes her hand and lifts the sprig of mistletoe that is everpresent on a thong about her neck. Holding it high, she murmers a few words that disappear as quick as she says them. She faces... Edgar... then makes a slow rotation to eventually cover the entire party.

OOC: Detect Evil.

Herloch is also curious...

By Joe
who plays Herloch

Herloch is amused by the little scuffle between the hobbit and druid. He keeps quiet, listening as a wise priest does. While Elsbeth is preoccupied in her ritual, the priest of Thor also tries something of his own.

Grasping the handle of his mace with one hand, Herloch bows his head in prayer, "Thor, knowledgeable warrior of the heavens, grant me the wisdom to know the intentions of my new companions."

OOC: Casting a Know Alignment (2nd level) spell. Like Elsbeth, he will start with Edgar and continue to the rest of the party (up to ten people, 1 per round).

Evil is as evil does ...

By Skald
who plays Edgar

Edgar turns slowly to regard Herloch. "I have heard of them," he says. "And also of Thor's goats. Do I believe in them ? Do YOU believe in talking birds ?"

"Imps on the other hand, I have both seen and heard. They fetch and carry for dark sorcerors, do they not ? They take the form of ordinary creatures in order to work their mischief ... and also to trap and eat the creatures whose forms they take. You are wise to be wary of them."

The raven lowers his beak considering, before looking up.

"I do not like having enchantments of any kind cast my way ... but if it will convince you that I am not an Imp, then I will allow it."

Turning finally to Mandrake, in seeming indifference to the spells being cast, though betrayed a little in his concerns by an involuntary flexing of his wing muscles, Edgar responds in surprise and resignation.

"Pranks ? The gods bestowed upon you the gift of intelligence, and that is the best way you can find to honour them ? What then of loftier matters ?"

Results

By lechrist
who plays Elsbeth

Elsbeth finishes her circle, a frown of concentration on her face. She breathes a short prayer of thanks, then looks first a Smilo, then Edgar, then the rest.

"I'm sensing no evil here," she states softly. "Imp or otherwise." She looks back at Smilo. "Are you being a little happier, now?"

ravens and imps

By fleagrrl
who plays Flea

Flea relaxes when Smilo does and then listens to the conversation with Edgar quietly waiting for the outcome, smiling at Edgar's prosaic reply to Rolf.

She chuckles to herself at Elspeth's quip about imps, but then stiffens at Smilo's suggestion of evil, then waits with a pensive look on her face for the charm to pass over her. She is relieved at the result.

Discussions

By Daren
who plays Mandrake

"My dear Edgar, we have just met so perhaps now is not the best time to debate philosophy and theology, but let me just say this one thing. IF the greater powers, those beings worshipped as gods, who I am sure exist, did in fact create us, then why would they bestow a sense of humour in their creations if they did not themselves possess and enjoy such a gift?

"Is laughter, after all, not a universal language?"

Talk, Talk, Talk.

By Joe
who plays Herloch

Herloch glares at Edgar, trying to decide if that last bit he said was supposed to be an insult or not. After a moment, he shrugs, rolls his eyes and turns to talk back by the corpses. In an annoyed voice he says, "Can we get moving?"

He fingers the handle of his mace idly, thinking about what fun it would be to smash that bird with it.

OOC: Welcome Skald! I like your character; a little different. :)

Did you pay for this argument?

By Skald
who plays Edgar

"You are right," Edgar agrees with Mandrake, as he hops up onto the mules neck, treading carefully so as not to spook the beast, "now is not the best time ... for if you had pause to reflect, you would realise that it follows from your argument as surely as the night follows the day, that if the gods gifted their creations with humour, they surely also cursed them with greed and hatred. If the use of the one honours them, then so must the other. But such matters can indeed wait for another time ..."

The raven breaks off, distracted somewhat by Herloch's mace, and closes his beak.

(OOC: sketches a bow. Glad to be here ! ;> )