About the only thing that would have caused that drop, would have been if they had
both logged off when dead, or logged off before the end of salvation...or
had died in some other manner, ie being booted during a fight.

For as far as i can tell you continue dropping when you die even when you are offline,
to avoid any form of cheating.

Alanna.
Penned by my hand on the 8th of Chronos, in the year 180 AF.