"Hmm... anyone know a B.A.K.?  Or Bak...?  The horses are branded.  This is strange."

Kwisatz, though curious about the horses, is more curious about the ice when there shouldn't be. Going to one of the ice patches he'll say "This is very curious... Do you all see this?" as he looks to investigate 12

Wisdom Roll for each of you:

• Andrømeda: 12
• Kwisatz: 8
• Rush: 20
• Sael: 16

As soon as Sael says it out loud, she has an "ah-ha!" moment and all of you say in unison, "'Big Al' Kalazorn...?"

You remember the name from the job board posting and the initials fit the owner of Butterskull Range. 

With Kwisatz's investigation roll, he sees that the ice stretches in strips that seem to be flowing next to each other in rows, but they alternate in which direction they're going as if the ice were applied to the surfaces it's on from above. He can tell that the ice has probably been here for a day or two.

Looking around at the strange ice, Andrømeda looks at the horses. "I vonder..." she mutters to herself, moving toward the horses. Keeping her movement calm, she gets close to one, and uses speak with animals

Walking around the ice, poking it here and there, attempting to step on it, smell it, etc, Kwisatz then says, half to himself "hmm... what would allow ice to remain frozen like this?..." all the while looking up to see from where it may have come. As if a thought occurs to him he pulls his spell book out and sets to ritually cast detect magic, sends Duncan up to look around ((23)), and says to the others, a tinge of excitement in his voice "You all should check the area for places to camp. I'm going to see if I can figure out anything of this mystery!"

((What does Andrømeda want to try and say to one of the horses?))

After casting the spell, Andrømeda calls to the horse nearest her, and begins making a series of horse noises(for lack of a better term). "Excuse me friend, do you know what has happened here?"

Kwisatz doesn't detect anything of a magical nature. The ice seems to be a natural phenomenon. Since the ice hasn't completely melted, it's likely that it's relatively recently been frozen.

Kwiz WIS check: 13

Having such a scientific and inquisitive mind, Kwisatz remembers that Coneyberry was one of the most recent places listed on the news board back in Phandalin that the dragon had attacked.

Duncan, making his rounds, he takes a while to look as thoroughly as he can doesn't notice any airborne threats. 

Quote from DifferentNoodle >>

After casting the spell, Andrømeda calls to the horse nearest her, and begins making a series of horse noises(for lack of a better term). "Excuse me friend, do you know what has happened here?"

 
Andrømeda feels a specific and familiar magical connection that is created between her and a creature from when she's tried doing this before. She knows that its always a little bit of a crap shoot as to whether or not the animal she is trying to talk to can understand her or respond, and there's a moment after the magic leaves her where she thinks that the spell isn't going to work. But, then, in a flash, she feels a flurry of emotions coming from the horse. There are no words at first, but just feelings - fear, anxiety. Then, there is an image...it's an image of a farm, fire, and orcs. 

Andrømeda steps forward to the horse calmly, and places one of her large hand gently on its withers, the other stroking its mane, making another series of sounds, "How many moons ago was this?"

Andrømeda needs to roll Animal Handling.

Animal handling: 8

Sael is watching all of this go on, and decides to look for anything on the ground and surrounding area that might give away what happened here.

Investigation: 8

Quote from DifferentNoodle >>

Animal handling: 7

 
The horse backs away from Andrømeda and flashes more fear into Andrømeda's mind. 

Quote from Dipstick10 >>

Sael is watching all of this go on, and decides to look for anything on the ground and surrounding area that might give away what happened here.

Investigation: 8

 
Sael can tell that this town has been abandoned for a while, but the ice on the ground is relatively new.

Deciding not to possibly add to the trauma the horse had already experienced, Andrømeda says to it one more time, "We are no danger to you. Be at peace friend." Before turning away from the horses and making her way back towards her allies, calling out to them. "Am don't know how long, but de horses kom from de ranchen. Am think vi may be too late."

Andrømeda can roll Persuasion.

(Is this for the party or the horse?)

Persuasion: 8

(Either way, they don't believe me lol)

The horse isn't convinced that you're not here to hurt it and you can tell that it's shut off any willingness to "speak" with you. You can imagine, based on the images and emotions that the horse revealed to you, that this horse isn't going to be willing to trust anyone it doesn't already know (i.e. "Big Al"). 

Kwisatz sighs at the words 'too late' and replies "Perhaps our task is to find survivors then?"