Chapter Two: The Hippocampus on the Cracked Lintel

As close as they were to King's Cradle, Felor agreed that a rest would do them good. They'd been walking hard for hours, and the owlbear encounter had been an unwelcome additional effort.
Seeing Vad and Mordred investigating the settlement, Felor follows, a sharp eye out for trouble.

"I wasn't paying much attention," admits Zangua, tiredly, "but does this place belong to someone we know, or want to talk to?"

Mordred quietly gestures to a couple of his companions and directs them to positions on either side of the door. Once they are in place, he attempts to sneak silently through the door.

Whoever wants to stack up outside the door, do so while Mordred goes in, and maybe ready an attack in case someone is in there.

Vad will follow Mordred as he approaches the house but will stop well before the doorway. Positioning himself off to the right, about ten feet from the house, he'll ready his crossbow and take a knee.

Ready action to fire his crossbow if something attacks Mordred.

Mordred sticks his head back out the front door and waves for the rest of the party to follow him. He waits in the atrium for the others to join him, if they want to.

Zangua looks over at Shamush as they wait outside. "So... why are we going inside?" he asks of the barbarian, a bit rhetorically.

As Mordred and Vad step into the house, Leth looks quickly around the small village, looking for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary... aside from the obvious fact that it's midday and there is no one to be seen. Are there any signs of a struggle? Any indication that something bad happened here?
"If Miss Kells or her Ranger pursuer came through here, the townspeople might know about it... it's worth asking." Leth says casually to Zangua.
Then when Mordred sticks his head back outside, Leth draws his bow and grips it at his side as he moves into the house behind him.

Leth passes that information along to the others.

Zangua nods at the explanation. "Sorry, just kinda tired," he says. "I'll check the barn." The fighter heads off in that direction.

Zangua looks back at whoever's left outside and gestures that he is proceeding behind the barn. He turns and heads directly for the pit, hand crossbow held down.

Zangua kneels at the edge of the pit, visually inspecting the material within to see if he can discern any clues as to their original forms. He continues his investigation by finding a long stick or other tool to poke around inside.

Zangua tries to fish out a bone, or at least maneuver it so he can get a better look and determine if they're from animals or humanoids.