Pinfeather falls back in line with Cifray. "Don't feel so down, there is no way to control the body, only accept what it tells us and continue to improve. What we do now matters more than everything we've done in the past and is the stepping stone to the future. Let's focus on finding Moskov, what happens after is a problem for future us." She smiles and offers a hand in companionship.

Shadow looks at Corwin.

”That is a good idea, you take the lead and I will assist. We need to make better progress”

OOC: Yes we are both at +5 so rather way will work. I’m happy to team up for better luck with the dice.

((I will say Shadow, given this is your favorite terrain, will get help from Corwin. Now, with advantage, and extra d4 from a goddess, roll survival.))

Moskov, as he stands to his feet, can now see a handful of those monsters outside. Some holding crude, serrated weapons, others wielding staffs made of bone. The humans are armed as well, only they have daggers, muskets, and pistols amongst them. The child beside you frantically grabs your robe and tries to tug you down. An elven man near you gets the same idea and tries to push you down from your shoulders as gently as he can. "Please be still," He says with a hoarse voice. "Do not seem like a threat." He then looks back to the commotion outside and lets out a sigh as you have not been seen moving. He looks back to you, "We are in the River Cosva, and we are her druids." He looks down to your clothing. "Those are city wears. You must have answered the call. Are there others?"

Moskov quickly sits back down at their urging. He says to the man, "Yes, there are more. I assume that one of those beasts out there abducted me away from the group. Do you know why they are occupying your village?" He notices the strange weapons wielded by the guards and asks, " What are those metal sticks they are holding? " He had seen people with them before, but had never seen them in action. He had never seen anything like them from his homeland (referring to the guns). As he waits for the reply, he ties his scarf around his lower face again.

Does he still have his amulet? It is his arcane focus.

 The man looks back at the men and shudders. "W-We don't know. But they used them to do away with our beasts in moments. Some sort of fire magic, I assume. One of them shot lightning. Before we could act we were surrounded."

Moskov can feel his amulet in his robes. But something is...off. Maybe it is because he is groggy, but he cannot feel any presence of magic within himself.

The child looks up to you. "They need magic. I hear them say that a lot. That's why they have our leader. Well...no, the-uh, monsters need magic. The bandits wanted our fish and to heal them. I don't...I don't think they're working for them willingly."

The man shakes his head. "Can't be. Some sort of mind manipulation magic is in play here."

Shadow will crouch Dow near the tracks and take Corwins advice. Doing her best to focus at the task.

Survival check: 18

With assistance, Shadow is able to make better timing with following the tracks. After about an hour of cutting through the brush and Shadow is able to make out other footprints. These human-sized. A shorter while later and the group can make out the sound of rushing rapids. The trees begin to thin out considerably until it becomes a bit difficult to find shade. Shadow holds out her paw to the group as she looks out into the distance. Standing on the other side of the river you've been traveling on, are a bunch of leather-clad humans all standing about.

Moskov stifles his panic at the disconnect between him and his magic. It's almost like losing a limb. He tries to cast gust to shake up the seaweed hanging from the ceiling. Does it feel like his magic has been taken from him, or is there something blocking his connection like an antimagic field.

He then says, "A few of my allies are skilled trackers. They should find me soon. I'm confident they'll have no problem finding me."

As Moskov attempts the spell, nothing happens. There does seem to be a force preventing his magic.

Shadow watches the people on the other side of the river. 
”Maybe someone else should be the first one to approach them” she says. “Humans around here are not used to my kind, they sometimes get scared or extra cautious around me”.

Corwin considers for a moment, looking at the trail they have been following. 

OOC: Does the trail we're following appear to go to the river's edge or does it continue on? Would it make sense that this group of humans on the other side of the river made the trail we've been following?

((Imma just show it))

     ((From what we can see, they are standing guard, or they are milling about, camping, what have you?))

     "We can go say hi," Gorm suggests.  "Or we could try to sneak over and investigate..."

((They don't look like they're guarding anything. They do look like they're keeping a watchful eye out))

     "Well they won't be likely to cotton to me any better," Gorm adds with a smirk.  "And I'm not hot on sending Pin or Corwin over there alone.  I suggest we either go over as a team and inquire openly, or we attempt to get closer unseen and see what may be to be seen."

     Gorm spoke in her best even tone, trying to keep everyone else at an even keel.  Nothing good comes from going off half cocked no matter how eager she was to find their missing member.  She yearned to just sneak over alone and investigate, and thought it may be a worthwhile tactic...  But the team needed to be on board with whatever decision was made.

Corwin considers the scene before them and listens to Gorm. "I could become any number of common animals to spy upon them, but I have not mastered the forms that fly or swim, and a river separates us." 

”Then let us go as a group, I don’t like the idea of separating the group with a river between us. If we need to fight we would waste time trying to cross it to be of aid to those who go first”  Shadow thinks out loud. 

     "We could compromise," Gorm suggested.  "Head a bit down river and cross as a group in a place we hopefully will not be seen by that group.  Then we can get as close as we dare, and then Corwin can change and do a little scouting.  Staying as clear from people as possible, we wouldn't want him becoming their lunch.  But having some idea if they are friend or foe, and if the latter then the lay of the land, would be useful..."

"I'm rather sure they are foe. If they took over of ours. I have something for when we cross, I'm not a strong swimmer, but my goddess blesses those who practice communal effort. I can help me and one other to cross."

((What we doin, people? We sneaking by or we gonna try and talk to them?))