Tarvek stepped through the portal, as an armoured orc in form, weapon ready even though the drones on the other side showed the site to be both empty and safe. Caution served here, after the previous plane, and having no visible humans, nor sources of energy indicating recording systems, around meant he could afford to come out armed and armoured. No wasting energy with a polymorph, just coming out into another ruined shrine building as per the drone feed. No radiation. No chemicals in the air that were dangerous. With signals indicating developed settlements distant, but not immediately in the area.

Step through. Sweep area.

"Clear"

Bring through the rest of his team. Have Janet do her own sweep and stand watch. Then access and redeploy drones for a better recon.

Part of why he'd chosen the shrine, apart from its natural energies, and residual planar or divine ones, was it was up a hill, giving a decent overview of the valley proper. Or would if the forest hadn't grown up around it, weeds and the signs of many years of abandonment, even more than in the last plane. But the drones easily rose up further, looking down over the valley, and seeing buildings…

Or, well….

'Abandoned buildings it looks like' the red orc though tapping the holo-display, zooming in on buildings that indicated the mining settlement area wasn't here, but the whole town might be abandoned instead. The buildings were clearly wrecks, or showing that sign of decay with roofs falling in, and various long-term issues turning into collapses 'Roof fell in on itself. Solid built building…rotted areas, and…'

"Hmm, what is this then?" he murmured out loud, though a mere whisper as to himself seeing blockages at the end of the valley. A knocked-out bridge. Large walls?...no, large pillars of stone or concrete with equally high built fence-walls of some metal, barbed wire looking to be at the top "Walls….sealed off valley area?"

"Problem?"

"Potentially" he answered Janet, Mayuko standing awkwardly beside them as Janet had her rifle up, looking for trouble in the sun dappled treeline around the ruined shrine "Or a boon for us. The settlement is abandoned, sealed off after some disaster potentially. Before you ask; air is clear, no dangerous background energies detected. Perhaps it occurred some time ago? The walled off area appears rusted, and the buildings collapse"

Then nodded forward "We will just have to be careful"

"How is, ah, been a ruin or disaster site a good thing?"

Tarvek made to glance at Mayuko to reassure her, or to at least show he was paying attention "If it was in the past, then it is unlikely there is anyone here to bother us. You are wearing a mask and coverings, while both of us…" he motioned at himself and Janet "…are in combat suits. Sufficient for needs. We investigate the site, then can plot our next journey. Time is all we need"

"Soo…." The girl asked over the comms "We investigate the spooky forest"

"And ruined village, yes" Tarvek answered tapping the scans, seeing no energy readings from the village under the sunlit valley, every looking very…pretty, but empty too beyond wildlife. Perhaps a wildlife reserve?

Such things did happen after all, and the valley was alive in terms of such plant and animal life, with none of the tell-tale signs of dangerous infectors or other such beings. Nor high levels of magic, dangerous or otherwise beyond what was expected…

'Of course, you didn't notice the godly pocket dimension, so don't be an arrogant fool' he had to remind himself forcefully, having Mayuko follow behind him, with Janet at the rear, watching that way, as he insisted on firstly securing the shrine area. The whole place looked long abandoned as expected, but in surprisingly decent state due to solid, old, construction he estimated. Spider webs and plants cover, but easily moved aside with his machete-blade. Stain marks indicated significant amounts of blood, probably, had been splattered over the shrine itself in the distant past…more than a decade, less than a half-century per the sensors as they projected an overlay on the shrine.

"Shrine was similar, but different, in construction to the last plane. More solid construction, and the steps and path there…" he gestured 'downhill' where overgrown steps were visible "…are directly into the settlement most likely. The building there, and the other side, indicate this might have been active. There are also strong indicators of blood splatter, but no body. Which would be evidence of a disaster and then cleaning up operations possibly"

"You are just guessing" Janet agreed or seemed to "But that seems reasonable conjecture based on what little we know. Will we place cameras here? Then investigate the village below?"

"Aye, tis best to mark and monitor with a tripwire. Should we be followed" he agreed drawing forth a crate from his Compass's Inventory. Sacrificial equipment taken from Janet's plane, Mayuko's, and the world before that where they had allies of a sort "You stand watch while it is set up, Mayuko, you can learn such a skill by watching"

"Still freaky when he does that"

"I know" Janet seemed to agree with the girl's mutterings, amusement clear "Good and useful though. Now, help him out and I'll watch your backs"

It was useful, that having someone at his back, that he could trust to the task as he set about setting up multi-facing hidden camera systems throughout the immediate area so the entire shrine, and areas around it, were covered for monitoring. Most importantly it covered where they'd entered this plane, Tarvek syncing them to a pair of routing-systems to his wrist-comp. It took a little time, the sun moving in the sky above, but it was less than an hour to complete the task, both setting up good viewpoints, but also hiding them. Overlapping views were important to avoid any foes knocking them out via blind spots, and time was always needed to do such tasks. Mayuko was of limited aid, bar holding things, but she was swift to learn it seemed to Tarvek as they completed the task, moving on to descending down the steps towards the town.

Again he took the lead, carefully descending as his armoured bulk was larger than the smaller intended feet, such as his two companions, to beware slipping. Despite such irritants it was the best path down, as the steps were clear, mostly, of the wild brush and tree growth either side of it. The area had likely been relatively clear before abandonment, or maybe just gardens or decorative flowers, as there were flashes of bright plants amongst the less grown areas…and more indicators of long-ago blood splatters on the steps according to his sensors with dull residues present. No bones or bodies, even in the undergrowth flanking either side though, but more indications that this settlement had been abandoned for potentially good reason. Carefully he adjusted the drones, sending them in a search pattern, adjusting for potential undead despite lack of energies. One could never be too careful.

Yet…

'Nothing present' was his thoughts on the matter over an hour or more later, moving into the settlement proper, with drone and then a ground scouting, testing air, water, and earth for any problematic presences even. All came back normal, or at least within safe parameters for orc and human variant worlds. Yet...

Yet…

"What's bothering you?" Janet had asked as they moved into the settlement, Tarvek feeling unhappy about the place. Not uneasy, or perhaps it was that, just lacking the threatening feeling that would normally came with such unease "You've been very quiet…and diplomatic with us"

He sighed inside his suit "This place feels…it reeks of misery, or horror, I am unsure. It is faint, but I can detect it. Disaster seems likely, for many died here. Suddenly, swiftly….hmm, no matter, we need information"

Tapped the holo-display that had created a display map "No matter, we have some time to check these buildings and establish a camp. This one here looks to be a medical facility, and the construction is much more solid than those other buildings. If it isn't sufficient, then there are two others further in, perhaps a school or such"

"Yes, the roofs on some of the buildings look to have been wood, or maybe even thatch for a few" Janet remarked as they moved on an asphalt and concrete lined roadway. Cracked and broken, old, fallen, and clearly long inactive power cables flanking one side indicating the general technological level and design choices of the natives. Similar to Janet's and Mayuko's planes then "But I think that's just a façade rather than lack of ability, the houses look like they were well built, and modern, before…whatever happened. What's on the signs on those distant barrier walls?"

"Danger. No Entry. Disaster Area" he answered, referring to what his drone's scanning of the guard fences had upon them "Not in great condition either. There is little sign of the mine from the prior dimension, so a mine disaster is unlikely. More swamp though…water issues perhaps?"

"Looks to be plenty of it?"

"Tests show it as unpolluted, albeit some odd microbes" he answered "But perhaps something in it that time washed out?"

He looked up at the sign about the building, at the dust covered glass doors and overly large windows of the 'Irie Clinic' judging by said sign "Ugh, glass is such a dreadfully unsafe build"

"Let's in more light I'm told"

Tarvek gave a snort of amusement at Janet's words "Yes, that's awful too"

"Ugh, looks filthy….we are going inside?" Mayuko complained, trying to look through the dirty glass, shining the light-generator beam inside "Really?"

"They shall all be the same one suspects" he told her with chuckle, as he studied the clinic doors. Large enough for him to move about if he bent over "Least you do not have to worry about banging off the ceiling, or getting in without removing both doors. Still, it is a medicus's office. It may have answers…and, with a bit of cleaning, a camping spot"