Who: Mikney, Cordy, Cherry, Sonic, other NPCs
What: Team explorer'ing
Where: South road, outside Redinn
When: Thursday afternoon
They see the smoke around noon.
Mikney is preoccupied at first; he doesn't think much of it. Forest fires are common enough, especially in the drier part of summer. They're usually kept from Elf villages by sorcery or even magery, especially this close to the Lakes.
But then, as they get closer, he realizes that the fire is too contained to be a forest fire.
And as they get closer still, he realizes that it isn't near Redinn.
It's in Redinn.
Around the last bend in the path, and Mikney gives an agonized cry, already running towards the smoldering village. Beautifully crafted houses, roads laid out in elegant spirals - smashed, destroyed, burned, and not a single person in sight.
Gods below. Gods below...