The party conducts the basic survey of what must have been a mid-sized village.

The thatched huts where families dwelt and made their crafts burned all too easy.

The tavern is half-burned and still smoldering. No sign of the kegs or the iron hoops they would have left behind.

The blacksmith's hearth is ransacked and the anvil tipped over.

Brother Brodd identifies the circle in the center of town where the villagers regularly gathered around in good weather for solar worship. The huge iron solar wheel that was the center of the worship still stands. It looks like it could be pushed over easily, but a shattered axe at the base of the symbol indicates otherwise.

[If Gorn is able to log in he can try and make a Tracking roll.]

A dirt road leads north and steadily uphill. The other pathsdown to the drowned valley have been washed out.

Still feeling the effects of the smoke, Gorn eases his way around the burned out village looking to see if he can find tracks leading away from the village. His eyes are still watery and he has to focus mentally to discern if any of the tracks will help.

16:05, Today: Gorn rolled 22 using 1d100.  Tracking Roll (20%)

Kalandra glances into some of the less-damaged huts. Anyone alive? Lots of corpses?

Jarvak stayed aboard the ship actually.

His eyes wandered the shoreline, surrounding forest, and skys.

Last thing they needed was their ship sank or people trying to take it and their horses while everyone else wandered away.

Dwarghar nods his thanks to Amalrik and with Pock and Jarvik staying aboard he climbs clumsily off the boat and goes partway into the town. He looks around in thoughtful investigation for corpses, shields, armor, arrows stuck at angles or any other sign of conflict or other cause of this.

20:15, Today: Dwarghar Stoneblood rolled 2 using 1d6.  look around.

"I don't see anyone, hurt or other wise. We need to get upwind of the smoke." Brodd walks back to the others "Well Einhard, what do we do? No one is around, should we follow them to where ever they went? Should we leave a guard here or abandon the boat? Or, scrounge for what we need and simply leave?"

Kalandra sticks the butt of her boating hook into the gravel and says, "I'm not sure of anyone else's opinton, but I've been on that ship quite long enough for me."

While not in town, Amalrik's opinion is to find the princess first.

Durek continues to stay close to Brother Brodd as he checks out the town.

Regdoc made rounds with a hand grasping Chomper's collar. The smoke was disorienting to the old cleric and he relied heavily on his pack-dog's sense of direction and his nose for clues.

"Food Chomper. Survivors and food is what we're looking for... oh yes, and a shield to replace the one broken at the vineyard. There may be enemies, so stay sharp you mongrel!"

The bard sprinkled a bit of water upon the copious laces about his neck and plied them to cover his face.

"I'mph shhay 'ere an' guar-uh-boa 'oo..." he said, muffled as he was by his smoke filter.

Guarding the boat wasn't very exciting however, so after a little while, he trotted off into the smoke hoping to see the company in action rescuing half-burned maidens and over-done tarts.

"OOOO-HOOO! eh-wee-bu'y ou'ere?"

"How many people do you think made it out of here alive? It doesn't look like it was very many."

In reply to Creston Fairwood (msg # 32):

Kalandra looks over to the elf. "I think if anyone is left alive at all,, they're still hiding. Not holding out much hope for that, though."

She then walks over to the solar disk. "It could have been religious. If this town were the subject of regular raids, seems like something would be left to rebuild to get raided again later."

"Scavenge for food, arrows and such then. Then we'll sail further to the next town."

Leohart scavenges carefully for food and anything of use to the party, staying within sight and hearing of the others.

Nodding in understanding when Brother Brodd speaks; "Got it.  Still one wonders what caused this much destruction?"

With that the dwarf looks through the rubble using his axe to move things around.

Most of the farm animals have been crudely killed and hacked for meat, less than a day ago you estimate. A couple chickens are still running loose. But there are no human corpses, not even the telltale dark stains on the ground of bodies being dragged. You do see personal effects strewn about: a pewter mug here, a peasant hat here, a rag doll there.

This place was a mountain ridge before the gnomish dam was opened, so in addition to what's left of the village you have several miles of thick woods, and cut trails through the brush.

Walking back to the group, "I can't find any indication of tracks leading away from here. It would probably be best if we just move on, either via boat or one of these trails that are cut into the woods."

Kalandra walks over to the nearest cut trail, squats down and says, "Isn't anyone in the least curious?"

"The flood from opening the dam was devastating, just on the edge of the water now. I suggest we stick to the water for now."

Kalandra walks back to the ship, dragging her pole. "Fine. But the next island, we explore. I don't care if it's raining carnivorous apes or sdomething."

After poking some things; "It doesn't look like much is left anyways..its almost as if the people left, or were taken in a hurry."  Shouldering his axe he heads back to the boat and turns to Kalandra; "Agreed.  Exploring means more time on land.  Something that my stomach would myuch appreciate."

"Einhard? It's up to you to decide, it is your niece that was taken."

Alietra was more than curious.   Unusual for her, she was disturbed. This whole thing rang really funny to her.

"No stiffs, and no tracks?  I mean, I'd think slavers, for sure.   But there'd be tracks to show they were taken.    You don't need to be a tracker to see the footprints of a whole village worth of people.  Did they all disappear, somehow?  Shouldn't we really try to learn what happened?"   

Manaku looks for useful supplies and especially arrows.

OOC: Find any?

"There are no bodies and it looks like the domestic animals have been slaughtered for food. I think they evacuated, but where to?" The elf ponders when he returns.

"There are trails leading out we could follow. The ship, however, is much faster transport -  provided we want to go downstream, of course."