Zootopia

Drovic swore that this mix of flora made no sense whatsoever.  Broad leaf Oaks and Maples with tropical vines and creepers taken a foothold.  The bright greens and radiant flowers contrasting with the bland leaves.

As the group continues along the river path the sounds of a tropical rain forest reappeared.  The air continued hot and humid with the canopy enhancing the clammy affect.  Summergale landed on Arvien's shoulder squawking and pointing toward the west.  Grunyar peered in that direction and indicated that there was an overgrown weed choked path leading where Summergale indicated.  Arvien talked the group into an investigation, so the moved onto the path with Seglun leading the way cutting the undergrowth with her hand axe.  Since she was only 3 feet tall Baru had to cut some vines out of the way of the taller people.
After a trek of a couple miles a crumbling overgrown wall appeared with a gate hanging open like a cavernous maw.  Inside there could be seen a couple of taller building, also with crumbling walls.  Baru led the party in and they found a large tall building to their left, a one story building straight ahead and a two story structure to the right.  There seemed to be another structure close to the wall in the rear.  Baru and Seglun headed for the two story structure made of fired brick and plaster.  Around the roof line were remnants of red clay tiles.  Most of the roof was missing as they entered the building.  Inside was a hall with doors or broken doors on both sides at least 10 different doorways.  Entering the first they found the remains of a straw pallet, some other detritus in a small 5 by 10 room.  Each subsequent room around the same size with the same remains.  At the far end there was a stairway up and a larger room with little more bedding remains.  Seglun climbed the stairs easily, although she found some soft spots but weighing a mere 35 pounds she had no trouble gaining the second floor.  When Baru tried to use Seglun's rope and hook to reach the second floor an area collapsed and left Baru injured on the floor.  Arvien though joined Seglun and they found a very similar layout of small rooms on the second floor.
Varrid meanwhile approached the large stone building and found that it was probably a temple of some kind.  A raised altar at the far end once held a tapestry on the far wall, most of the pews were missing.  She looked for any kind of holy symbol or sign but only found oval wooden frames hanging on the walls or laying on the floor.  Something had obviously been removed from them.  Grunyar and Ralom entered as Varrid was leaving with Ralom looking for magic, but alas he found nothing.  After there various searches the group entered the one story building in the center.  The wooden floor moaned as Baru entered and Arvien moved to the square whole in the center of the floor which peered down to another floor with a smaller hole leading to a third floor.  Seglun found a winding spiral staircase down and headed that way while Arvien examined the book shelves lining the walls.  It appeared that this library had been thoroughly swept as no book, parchment or scroll remnant could be found.  On the first floor down Seglun found the same empty book shelves Baru and Ralom followed Seglun down and found a dirt covered second sub floor.  Seglun saw a glint from a pile of mouse eaten rags where she found a ring with a mummified finger still in it and a silver short sword.  Grunyar recalled that silver weapons were effective against lycanthropic creatures.  Drovic and Ralom found no magic in the library and the group headed upwards as Seglun pulled the finger from the ring and placed in on her middle finger.
 The final building appeared to be a kitchen and dining hall, the larder with evidence of mouse activity from the number of droppings on the floor.  Varrid and Arvien were examining the rear wall for another gate but there appeared to be none, just the crumbling stone.  No path, overgrown or not led away from the complex in any other direction.
With their meager hall the group headed back to the river, where they continued south until the came to a fork in the stream.  At this point they started to return to their camp, hoping that the food and liquor they had left behind would still be there for them.  Upon reaching the beach there was smoke coming from the northwest of the river mouth.  Varrid speculated that some sailors had also survived.  It seemed to be inland from the promontory that led north from the river mouth.  As night was falling they headed to the camp where an uneventful night was passed. 
As morning dawned Ralom prayed for inspiration but alas was unrewarded whilst Drovic and Grunyar were still examining the local flora for clues.  The party headed off to the north following the coast until they reached an area east of the smoke plume.  Summergale searched ahead and Seglun interpreted her response of many creatures to mean some kind of natives.  Following a lightly traveled path inland the group stayed in the jungle as they came upon a small clearing with 8-10 huts, little more than conical lash-ups.  There appeared to be 25 or so "creatures" milling about the encampment, tending the fire, cooking food and generally acting as natives.  There form however was aberrant.  They seemed to be a merger of man and beast, twisted and infused with abilities of each other.  Several walked with humped shoulders, dragging knuckles, horns, hooves, claws, etc.  The group could see halfling sized "bat" creatures resembling the one they met on the trail, "boar" creatures with tusk like teeth jutting at all angles, human sized "cat" animals, jaguars, leopards.  huge hulking "gorilla" creatures bordering on human, dwarf sized "monkey" ones that were creepily human, "wolf " and "fox" creatures with furry faces.  Then there were the "sheep" ones with hooves and large spiraling horns and the demonic "goat" folk, with silver hair, and short black horns. 
As the party observed from the edge of the jungle they could hear speech, interrupted by grunts and slurred by tusks and fangs, they could obviously communicate but much of their speech was non intelligible.  Varrid quietly stated that she was not interested in catching whatever disease was spread here and started back toward the coast, followed by Ralom a short while later.  In the meantime Grunyar crept out from the bush and sat on a exposed rocky outcropping.   After a short while several creatures who were in the area started moving toward the rock from three sides, were there others behind him Grunyar wondered.  He was merely studying the behavior when a "gorilla" man charged and swung his club missing Grunyar by inches.  Seglun moved in to flank in a rage harming the creature with her hand axe.  Arvien cast darkness on Grunyar, which caused the area to be dimly lit.  Baru moved in to protect Seglun's back from a "wolf" man.  The rest of the creatures moved out of the area of dim light hooting and hollering in support of the gorilla.  Grunyar again escaped the wrath of the gorilla as he backed away to shoot an arrow.  Arvien cast an acid dart which seemed to do no damage.  One of the cat creatures let out an Agonizing wail from which Seglun, Grunyar and Drovic immediately fled.  Baru was touched by the paw of the wolf and hideous painful wounds ripped open on his skin and he fell to the ground in a fit of convulsions.  Arvien cast magic missiles at the wolf as she followed the fleeing members of her party. 
Meanwhile Ralom and Varrid heard the Agonizing Wail and started to return to the clearing.  Baru picked himself off the ground as the "wolf" backed away.  He then fled with the rest of the group.  Ralom met Drovic, Seglun and Grunyar fleeing from the encampment but they soon recovered their wits but were trying to recall where they had dropped their weapons.  Baru came last and handed Grunyar his bow and Seglun her axe while questioning the courage and moral fiber of the party who had left him convulsing on the ground.  He also looked to Ralom for some healing.
While headed back toward their camp and discussing the "beasts" that they had seen the normal jungle sounds were interrupted by a tremendous rustling in the woods, and small sapling falling over to the right.  The trees parted and out staggered a huge, malformed bear on its hind legs.  Its enraged face was a mass of puffy scar tissue, and it had horns like a ram.  It gave a great bellow that sounded like the horn of judgement day.  Drovic counted one, not twenty, creatures but all cowered in fear as the huge bear loomed over them.  Another crash in the woods occurred behind the bear, and a human figure barrelled out of the woods.  "Minxy!" he bellowed, "Don't frighten the nice people."  "Too late" cried Arvien as Summergale screeched away.  The man was massive, almost as wide as the bear, dressed in leggings and a billowing shirt which hung to his knees, both of which were spattered with paint.  Atop his round head was a wide brimmed straw hat.  He carried a staff of gnarled wood, topped by what looked like a horse vertebrae.  The bear lowered itself to all fours and moved next to the man who scratched it behind the ears.  The bear then slunk back into the woods.
"Ah!" said the huge man, "You must be the ship people.  Wait here, I'll be right back" -- and with that, he disappeared into the forest.
Gaping the party was partially stunned and a little overwhelmed from the days activities.  Shortly the man returned with a wicker basket filled with berried.  "House-warming gift, or beach warming.  Whatever.  It's nice to see newcomers.  I'm Fran,  Doctor Fran.  And you are?"  Cautiously the group studied the berries wondering if they were poisoned or maybe they turned one into the islands creatures.  Drovic indicated the berries were fine and the group found them succulent and ripe.  They introduced themselves.  "I saw the smoke from the fire after the storm and put two and two together" said Fran as the party studied his wide gray haired head, bushy eyebrows and large beard and mustache.  He wore gloves on his hands that were stained with berry juice.  The party had many questions but Fran said, "Come let us go back to your camp, I will answer them on the way."  "I have lived on the island for many years, I am a researcher into nature, which some might call a biologist and others wrap with mystical trappings and call a druid.  I have an estate upriver, behind a wooden palisade, safe from dangerous animals and the other inhabitants."  "Yes , there are others here, but they are cursed creatures, neither man nor beast.  I study them;  my life's goal is to cure their unfortunate condition." "Yes Minxy is one of them, I've known him for many years, he is a grumpy old bear but I have a way with animals."  "No the island does not have a name, not anymore, anyway.  I could name it after myself, France has a nice ring to it.  The island is about 35 x 30 miles."   "I suggest you come and stay at my estate, I have a separate guest house that you could use and the palisade is very effective."  Arvien jumped at the chance to be protected from the "cursed creatures" encouraging her companions to come along.   Finally at the camp all decided to pack up their belongings and head for the estate.  The trek to the estate led up river past the fork, going southwest, about 9-10 miles.  Grunyar and Drovic both noticed that the higher elevations visible farther inland were covered with dead pines standing upright on the slopes.  The estate was as described, a large open plain with a stockade in the center, made of tree boles set firmly into the ground. lashed together, and sharpened to a point at the uppermost end.  One large gate in its face.  The inner manor was a ramshackle one and two story structure with a thatched roof.

DMs Note:  The party earned 200XP for the night and now have 500XP.  This is spite of attracting the attention of the islands inhabitants.  We will meet at Rich and Joette's on Sunday.