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[Kansa]

"I agree with heading up to the fork, from what I've heard of mind flayers all we would acomplish by going after them would be getting our brains eaten" she turned to Bethany "I don't have an axe so I can't help there, marking them might be the better idea overall though even if we do have an axe. It will be quicker and quieter"

[Dwarmin]

Eli hopped back on his branch, before his friends could denude a portion of the forest-not realizing they would likely not know how to find the place again.

"We needn't be so harmful to the wilds, fellows-I can leave a mark only a decent trailmaster could find, and it needn't be crude or easy to mistake."

With that, he began some brief work-first he found an overhanging branch on the river, and tied three rocks together with a small netting of old rope-and dangled it securely from some vines. It was done in such a way as to be unlikely to be removed accidentally, unless someone climbed over the river and actually dislodged it. But it was clearly not a natural design. Then, heading back to the trunk, he pulled a white charcoal marker from his pack and drew a faint symbol on the tree-a circle with a notch in the east end and a strange looking rune in the middle-it looked like a crude drawing of a moon. After a moment, the sign faded completely.

Then he walked a 10 feet, knelt and arranged a few stones in a pile, one side planted with a forked stick facing north...and, under one of the stones, he placed a greenish-purple stone not native to the lands they were now in, and covered it with dirt.

Aside from the stone, it was all visible from shore-the rune glimmers faintly if your eyes concentrate on it-and once you see the pattern, it is hard to lose it.

"It's old trail code Rangers know-means 'Danger to the North, Be Wary.'

And rest assured I can find this, when we pass back again. Perhaps if we have more time we can make a more permanent sign later, but this saves us felling or burning trees for now."

Eli Survival Check:
1d20+10 → [8,10] = (18)

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4293140/

[Nerjin]

"I'll be honest. Burning this accursed forest to the ground might be more helpful than not if ye ask me." Holdron stated as he glanced at the river.

[Dwarmin]

"The wilds don't deserve your ire." Eli says calmly. Holdron had touched on a subject he felt strongly about.

"Even the monkeys are blameless by their nature for attacking us-someone made them that way, made them apart from their nature-and probably made them hate outsiders. A hungry animal is no different. There's no good or evil to be found out here, no blessings or curses-just predator and prey, quick and slow, alive and dead...to say, they call it the River of Death, but it's filled with an abundance of life-just not our life, not our ways...

The only evil in need of torching tends to walk on two feet and speak common."

[Weirdsound]

"I assure you that evil walks on two feet, but the ones most deserving of a good burn are most likely speaking infernal and rather fire resistant." She pauses in consideration. "And something is sinister about this place Eli, weather you want to admit it or not. Ghoul fever is here, and ghoul fever is wicked, and when you can see wickedness on the surface you know it likely runs deep. I'm sure most wilds are, as you say, about life, the quick, and the dead. I believe that, but I suspect a place like this conceals something more."

The Paladin rises and returns to her boat. "That said, I do agree. Lets not burn this place. I picked up no evil auras in this particular spot. Let us make to the fork, and pray Eli is right and I am wrong."

[Dwarmin]

"A sick animal isn't to blame for it's actions either-or a tainted land...even if you're forced to kill it...I can only hope it isn't something like that here." He says with a hint of his rarely shown resolve.

[Weirdsound]

"At which if any point a creature controlled or corrupted by an outside force becomes responsible for her own crimes is a debate best suited a temple, courtroom, or university. I too pray that we will not be forced to further touch the issue in this jungle." Bethany looks stoically into the sky. Her nerves were acting up. Could she trust a party containing a ranger, a druid, and a priest of an elven god to do the right thing when faced with a mockery or corruption of the natural world they held dear?

[GiglameshDespair]

"The wilds are harsh, and care little for the lives of others. Fang and fur; each beast fights the others in kind. It is through death that there is balance." The druid was staring into the sky as she spoke, her tone distant. "Killing too many may destabilise the jungle's natural order, but the deaths of a few makes no difference."

[Dwarmin]

Eli seemed a bit taken aback by Bethany, though he agreed with the Druid as well.

"...well, sorry if I was sounding sanctimonious." He says, scar itching suddenly. "I suppose all the time I've spent with Steffan has taught me to speak my mind a bit too loudly."

[Nerjin]

"Speaking your mind is important kid. That said I doubt anyone would miss this vile place if we torched it. But have it your way."

[lawastooshort]

"For once we agree, Holdron... Come on, let's get back to the boats."

Passing Eli as they made their way back, Steffan lowered his voice and leaned in to talk without bringing too much attention to the fact. It had become a practiced move when travelling with strangers.

"I don't think you need to apologise about sanctimony to... to one guided by such an unbending code."

He wanted to say it was a crutch, that there was neither righteousness nor courage in having one's actions decided by another's set of decrees from another time and place, but he'd said it more than once before over many a drink and it wasn't really the time. Eli didn't need to hear that with her around, he figured. And she probably didn't really need to hear it at all...

"Just trust yourself, brother. It's worked so far, eh? She'll learn to as well..."

He patted the ranger once on the back and moved on past to the boats.

[Dwarmin]

Eli nods, taking simple comfort in in his friends words. Though, he realized on some level he had a code of his own to follow...

The itching stops.

[Harbingerjm]

"Speaking more practically, while this place is not nearly as wet as home, I doubt it is in danger of... catching on fire by our actions, if the servant mage we faced was so eager to use fire spells."

[Zako]

Rohan watches over the debate with passive interest and shows a small smile as everyone breaks off peacefully.

"In my opinion, balance is good, as it makes the good things in life all the brighter for the contrast to the bad. But enough debate, we have a river to traverse!"

Resume travels upriver.

[Weirdsound]

Bethany settles back into her canoe, waits for the others, and begins paddling once more. She held onto hope that the wildlife wouldn't assault them every couple of miles, as the trip was looking to be long enough as things stood. That and she knew most of the pretty ones would take nature's side in any debate such an encounter would stir up.

Reaching up Bethany adjusts her helmet. She should know better than to allow thoughts like that into her head, at least while she is wearing her armor.

Resume trip.