Character Disappeared

[UberNoober]

Not sure where to post this, but earlier as I was afk, I came back to my computer and the game logged out and showed no character on the character select screen.
At the time I was in a boat and holding another one in the river, and there was also another player near me.
My girlfriend discovered that the stuff that was in one of the boats dropped into the river and could still be lifted.

I made a new character and my old claim is still active, and I am also still on other peoples' kin lists.

Is this a part of the game? Did I die? Or is this a bug?

Edit: After making a new character I can see my new char available in char select screen but old one is still missing.

[Goom]

When you made a new character was there a runestone in the character creation room that offers you the chance to inherit from your earlier character? Might be worth having a look, since it sounds very much like your character has died.

[UberNoober]

Didn't notice a runestone. Would that still be available if I made another new character?

What about my claim? will that just stay in the world forever?

Edit: Yep, dead. Made a futher new char and noticed the runestone. Got my claim and now working on my skills again. Thanks for all the help.

[Goom]

It should still be there. The claim remains, and if a new character chooses to inherit some of the stats of the old character, it also gets control of the claim.

[Grog]

if your char is not on startlist, you definitly died
you can "pretend" to make a new char to check about the runestone (if there is no stone, just log of and charcreation is cancelled. if there is the stone rightclick it to get access to your old claim)