The Danger Gang fixes a bridge at the ruins of Pella
After camping out in the ruins of Pella unmolested, the Danger Gang decide that it's high time to go check out that island in the swamp. Still, there are giant leeches in the murky bog, perhaps even more Mossicans, and so they look around for a means to bridge the gap. Arben spies a large rock which will suffice, and casts Levitate on it. They gently push it into place, then lower it. They cross their newly constructed to bridge to an island roughly six hundred feet around with one building on it.
This building is shaped like a squared letter C, with a large courtyard with two pillars in the center. The gang circles the outside of the building, finding nothing of particular interest on the otherside. They enter the courtyard, finding five doorways that lead into the building. Walking through the first door to the north, they find a small L shaped room. Crouched above a window is a large Gargoyle that leaps down to attack them.
Battle ensues. Can Enlarges Ramble, much to his surprise, but it does him little good. Ramble is soon knocked unconscious. A second Gargoyle bursts in the room. Things looked bleak, but the Danger Gang rallied, and soon the monstrosities are lying dead at their feat.
They rest up for a few hours until the early afternoon, when Martialis is able to heal Ramble back up to a fine fighting fettle. They continue searching through the building. There's a small heap of detritus, in which Arben finds some shards of a broken pot. He collects the pieces, because, who knows? "This place is turning out to be a real bust", they all think to themselves, but in the next room: pay dirt. Not only is there a hole in the floor leading to a subterranean room, there's also a cell with a mosaic on the floor. "Stand back, boys", says Ramble, rolling up his sleaves. With a mighty grunt, the thief bends the bars of the cell. They go inside and sweep away the mess covering the mosaic on the floor. The mosaic is of a man holding a rod of some sort riding a leopard. Martialis comments that the rod resembles one he remembers Oeonoe carrying. It is agreed that is, most likely, depicting Bacchus. In the garbage that they cleared from the floor, they find a small box. Martialis and Arben had previously cast Detect Traps and Detect Evil, respectively, and neither of their spider senses are tingling, so they open the box. Inside that box, there is yet another, much nicer box. It's made of black stone with an eye carved on the cover of the box and an inscription along the sides. The inscription reads:
"This box holds the fabulous gem that Ptolemy brought to Egypt, and which Demetrius too from his general Cilles in Syria."
Arben delights in informing the others that Ptolemy was one of Alexander's generals who got dominion over Egypt after Alexander's death. This gem was rumored to grant the bearer the ability to distinguish friend from foe. Everyone is very excited to get their hands on this powerful artifact. They pop open the box to find...nothing. Martialis pockets the box. "Hey, this is a pretty nice box", he says.
They go look down the hole in the floor. Ramble drops a torch, and they see a serpentine tail slide out of range of the light. He borrows Arben's fishing line and afixes it to his light stone. Lowering that down, he sees a tail slither out of view once more. "Let me take a look", says Arben. Ramble grabs his feet and lowers him into the room. This room is also L shaped, like so many others around here. He can't see the tailed creature though. Ramble pulls him back up. "Probably just another crocopotomus-lion", says Can. They hop down into the hole.
The ground is moist. Martialis casts Dust Devil. From out of the darkness appears two Giant Snakes. They start fighting. One repeatedly tries to constrict Can, but he sloughs it off like it aint no thang. He soon pays the price for his nonchalance, however and Ramble and Can are knocked out by the mighty constrictors. Arben and Martialis manage to polish off one of the snakes, but the remaining one soon has them on the ropes. Arben is cought in it's coils, realing as he hacks at it with Ramble's magic club/sword. Martialis, meanwhile, digs through Ramble's bag for the cup of many potions. He slowly decants potion after potion as Arben's ribs crack. Just as Arben is about to fall unconscious, Ramble pours a Potion of Gaseous Form down his throat. The confused snake falls to the ground, squeezing nothing but a set of empty clothes. Martialis downs the previously decanted potion of levitation and casts Speak With Animals. He then drags his fallen companions up and out of the room. Arben floats up behind him. Since he can no longer speak, he spells out "T-A-L-K-T-O-T-H-E-S-N-A-K-E". The snake explains that it thought they were food, that it will not bargain for safe passage, and that it and it's mate used to worship a now dead goddess. Martialis shrugs his shoulder and drags his companions up to the roof to rest.
