You go over to the square and watch the priests. The square is usually a place where farmers and traveling merchants sell their goods. In the center of it is a well, which you see now was probably the focus of the ritual, the four piles of mostly burn cow form an x (or a +) with the well in the center, and the priests are sprinkling powder and such around the well as well as around the cow piles. (religion check fails). As you watch the counter-ritual seems to finish, with a small rush of divine energy. The priest with the best robes walks over to the well and lowers the bucket, raising it back up. He removes a black claw on a string, which he dips into the water, when it comes out the claw has changed to a rusty red color. (Arcana check
ass You determine it is the claw of a griffin or possibly a sphinx (though that would be rarer) specially treated to detect poison. The red color is not a good color). The priest shakes his head to the other priests. He motions for two to come over, and orders them to stand by the well and let no one use it. Then he and the other hurriedly leave.