The Danger Gang Gets In Trouble At Cassandrea

It's still raining that morning around Athos, but the winds are OK, so Kolya agrees that the Danger Gang can sail on. Just to be safe, Martialis summons a few dolphins to guide us through the shallows. They soon arrive at the shores of the peninsula that contains Mt. Porthos.

The salty dog harbor master welcomes them ashore. They ask about Cassandrea and he says there's no such thing; not no more. Cassandrea fell into ruin a thousand years ago, now nobody goes there, or at least, nobody comes back. For example, one fella went three hundred years ago; didn't come back. However, he recognizes our boys as the hearty, rag-tag band of misfits known as the Danger Gang, and realizes they will not be dissuaded. He tries to put a down payment on their goods, so that he can inherit them upon the Gang's demise. They say, "no dice" and trundle off.

Now Capt. Kolya and his new first mate Botomites are a little bored with just hanging around the Kivot, so they disembark. Surely they can handle anything these landlubbers face, they think. Nothing can be as dangerous as a life on the high seas, they think.

After a four mile trek through the woods, they find the ruins of Cassandrea. Trees and vines have grown everywhere, and only four buildings remain standing. Karl thinks he hears a bow being drawn in the distance, and so he tromps noisily through the shadows to where he though the sound originated. It seems it was only a branch creaking the wind. They investigate the nearest building.

There's a pit trap right behind the entrance. The successfully avoid it, but, at the bottom of the pit there are several scraps of paper. Gershom puzzles over them; it seems vaguely familiar. The interior of the building is entirely burned out. There is a doorway in the north wall that has been sealed up; Karl busts through it while Zahrah runs around the other side of the building and surprises him their. They all had a good laugh.

It is then that they spy a big stone chest in the center of field. Martialis says it isn't trap, so they figure, great, free treasure. Surely those rumors of deadliness were unwarranted. They march happily across the field when, suddenly, a hail of arrows made of bone rains down from the sky. A fleshy hand emerges from chest, and out rises a hand full of Epidermicans. One wraps himself around Can and starts squeezing the life out of him. Karl tries to rip it off of him, but soon finds himself wrapped up as well. Gershom Turns as many as he can, as well as the skeletal archers. This is especially good, since some of their arrows are spawning new skeletons. Kotrag puts Hush in a tree and joins the fray. Kolya and Botomites retreat to the burnt out building. Can, Karl, and Zahrah are soon all on the ground, unconscious, with the life being squeezed out of them. It is then that Gershom notices that the one wrapped around him is repulsed by the touch of his holy symbol. He applies to one of his wrapped compatriots and the skinless freak sizzles and leaps off of him. Marty, meanwhile, has changed into a lion, and starts clawing out another fallen fellow. Soon all those entombed in fleshy freaks are freed, and they all retreat to the nearby building. Brave Kolya and Botomites make their bones defending their injured comrades. Soon, through teamwork and slightly better luck than the shitty luck they had the entire encounter, they are able to defeat the last of Epidermicans. They sit down and take stock; they're out of spells, half of the the party is on death's door. They decide to leave. Marty uses his ring of weather control to clear out the fog outside. It is then that he sees the squad of skeletal archers waiting outside the southern door.

"Crap"

Gershom takes a deep breath and turns them all with the power of his faith. They still need to get Hush from out of the trees. Unfortunately, there's another squad of archers to the north. Gershom tries to turn these guys, but only gets a little over half of them. The remaining shoot him. Marty casts Control Wind and Heat Metal on the old metal net he has and throws that in front of the door. The skeletons get tired of waiting, and soon charge in. With the help of Kolya and Botomites, the party is soon able to fight these guys off. Hush rejoins them and they hobble back to town.

Once back, the salty old harbor master gets a big serving of crow. "You thought we'd all be dead, but look at us now!" The old man shakes his head disbelievingly as the gang heads for the nearest inn.