A grisly message is left on the road to the west of Shadowdale.

Just outside of Shadowdale to the west, a large tree was felled and dragged across the road.
Spiked into the dirt in front of it is the corpse of a skeletal deathknight skewered on a large branch. It's breastplate rended, its torso shattered, and its rotting stillbeating heart lying on the ground at its feet.

Carved in to the wooden flesh of the tree is the following message:
"The dead walk to the west, their numbers and powers are great. Watch the roads, defend your homes, lest you walk amongst them soon enough."

Closer inspection reveals that the tree was pulled from the earth by a creature with huge claws, and there are numerous deep claw marks around the site.

In passing and upon noticing this desecration of a once beautiful tree, Lhanir promptly, almost angrily so, tugs the deathknight off of the branch, discarding it to the side carelessly. She cast her attention to the tree itself, clawed and carved into, quietly muttering in a guttural language.

After a few moments, vines and various weed-like plants began to wrap around the dead tree, encasing it in a blanket of green and pushing along the carvings and claw-marks, like a cloth might wrap around a wound. It soon appeared more like a mound of grass than a fallen tree, encased in life to feed the land.

Once the freshly felled tree was taken care of, the woman turned her attention to the skeletal corpse, picking it apart before slowly setting assorted bones on fire, seeking to reduce it to ash. It would take a while, and likely be noticed by any passerby.

*EDIT* The tree was moved with surprising ease out of the road and into the field just feet from the main path.

/// The tree was pulled across and blocking the main road out of town to the west. Do you move it first?

Colt grimaces at the sight of the tree blocking the west road and leaves.  Sometime much later the militia Quartermaster returns and posts several notices at the guard station.

The first is a copy of an official Shadowdale Document

Quote :

It is with great pleasure that I grant the lands in the west and the old building to the Tentacus organization.  Below were the discussed and agreed upon terms met with myself and the organization:

-Tentacus pays for the renevations to the building (just for rp counting it in guild hall cost)

-Tentacus gets location approved (Done in west Shadowdale)

-Defense treaty. In the event of turmoil or danger for Shadowdale, 1/4th of Tentacus forces must adhere to militia command. 

-Wester Colt, the Quartermaster for the Militia, was given permission to have his Titan outside of the guild hall and inside as well. 

-All Shadowdale laws will be upheld around and on the Tentacus grounds. 

-Tentacus is to provide aid and to work with Laura in regards to the Hospital.

-Tentacus is to do the redesigning and clean up of the building on there own.

With kind reguards, 
   The elders of Shadowdale on behalf of Elder Torst

The Second is an extract from the Shadowdale Law

Quote :

Destruction of Property- rendering someone's property unusable through destructive means or through another's actions, directly causing the individual to have to make payment to repair the item because it's been damaged

This last is in Wester's hand writing.

Quote :

This is a message to the vandal who has blocked traffic on the west road.  I understand your fears of the undead forces encroaching on western territories of Shadowdale and I can only assure you that the Tentacus with Militia aid are doing there very up-most to defend this region.  However, your actions were unlawful and you will cease and desist from any further criminal acts.  Persist and you will leave us no choice but seek full legal action against you

First Brother of House Tentacus
Prof. W. Colt

Wester then proceeds to begin his night shift and takes up the militia posting in the guard house watching the western road.

Avarson wrote:

/// The tree was pulled across and blocking the main road out of town to the west. Do you move it first?

(I didn't read it as being in the middle of the road. So yes... it would be moved off to the side into the grassier area. Edited my post for clarification.)

The body of a particularly waterlogged undead creature would be found on the western road later that night. The corpse appears like it was seared to the bone in places by some sort of magic, and its twisted and broken limbs make it look like it was dropped from somewhere very high.

A note is pinned to its chest, the lettering appearing to have been roughly written with some sort of brackish substance.

"Your very up-most? Undead walk in number just off the road, devouring travelers, and yet you are doing your up-most? Venture in to those woods, clear the filth infesting them, and perhaps I will let you argue your laws."

The writing pierces the paper in places, as if whatever wrote it used something very sharp to pen the letters.

Karovir passes by and sees the undead with the note. He pins another note on it reading:

"I don't get the joke."