After the ship was destroyed by the Kraken, the survivors crammed into the only remaining dinghy. The last remaining lifeboat had sprung a leak, and Todd the Fighter swiftly began to bail the water out. The situation appears rather bleak.
Elsewhere:
The halfling Wickwar Davis and the Magic-User Blanith for the Mind were sailing for the mainland. Landing in Specularum to sell some spices, art work and other items they had managed to hold on to from the Isle of Dread. They trusted these sales to Captain Barlowe's discretion, and took two weeks to rest at the Serpent's Tongue Inn. Remembering the specialists they left behind on the Isle, they took to posting "Help Wanted" signs to recruit adventurers to help rescue them.
Back in the Ocean:
The survivors of the shipwreck were picked up by Thyatian sailors. Utho the Fighter gratefully tipped the sailors ten gold coins. The Thyatians took the small party to the nearest port, Specularum. Seeing the "Help Wanted" signs on the local inn (The Serpent's Tongue) the small party inquires about the job. The promise of a sign-on bonus caught the attention of Utho the Lawful. The new party listened to the halfling's and Blanith's story about their old party group and the specialists they had brought to help colonize the isle.
A village to rescue and the promise of deep pockets made the newcomers eager to ship off with Blanith and Wickwar. The halfling and mage gave the new group sixty gold each for agreeing to their adventure. The two week trip to the island involved one big storm. As they approached the island, an ominous ash cloud hung over the volcano.
Approaching the place where the village of Tanaroa used to stand, the adventurers could see nothing but ash. The party decided to explore more of the island to try to find the villagers, and something stirred beneath the ash before they were able to leave. Charred zombies circled the village, stirred by the noise of the party or a thirst for blood. The adventurers did not stick around to find out.
In Mora, the villagers came to greet the party. They told of a serpent who spit fire and destroyed villages, people and the island. They said the serpent was a warning to not go north beyond Tanaroa's wall.
Going back to the burned village, they saw several marks in the ash blanket where the zombies emerged. In the wreckage of the half-built boathouse, they found a burned guild insignia. The party suspects the worst...
From the Journal of Alexandria Postoak:
Blanith and Wickwar go to Specularum. They decide to stay for two weeks in the Serpent's Tongue Inn. They have paid the captain to sell all the stuff the got from the island of Dread.
Wickwar has decided to look for maps, and Blanith spends all his time in the inn waiting and listening to rumors. They have decided to put out flyers to find people to adventure with them.
The group talks to decide whether or not they want to go on this adventure. Blanith and Wickwar decide that they are going to give each person in the party a full share of the treasure found. Wickwar says that he wants to save the people that are on the island.
Meanwhile...
A group of four fighters, a cleric and a magic-user paddle a small life boat through the ocean, bailing water as they go. They are picked up by a Thyatian vessel and then dropped off at the nearest port. Utho is looking for bounties and happens to notice the flyer and brings it to the group. The group finds Blanith and Wickwar to accept the offer and apply for the job.
8:10
The boat arrives at the island after two weeks at sea in storms. The island is dark with clouds of smoke from the volcano. Blanith and Wickwar are surprised to find that the village of Tanaroa is burned and nothing but ash. The group decides to leave the village, then zombies start to rise up out of the ash.
8:14
The group reboards the ship and goes to Mora. The people of Mora say that a lizard came to burn the village asa warning to not come to the north. The village says the the sky serpents fly over normally, but the red dragon is the only one that has ever threatened them.
8:46
The group gets back on the ship and goes back to Tanaroa. There are a lot of places where you can tell that zombies rose up from the ashes, but the zombies are gone.
8:48
The group searches for the guild people, but all the find is a badly burned guilder insignia. Blanith and Wickwar decide to give up the search for the people they came to look for. Oliver prays for the dead. They can see the grave pyramid is the only that that is not charred, so they go to investigate.
8:58
The group deates the next plan. They go north to look for survivors.