The Danger Gang gets some friends and gets revenge
After resting up until mid-afternoon, the unzombified members of the Danger Gang decide it's time to take action. Martialis heals everybody up and Arben reveals his bold plan to rescue their zombified comrades. The local doctor reveals that the temple at Pella should be able to heal their friends, but only if their willing to sacrifice some hit points; maybe a few fingers. No one is excited to hear that, so Arben gets Martialis to befriend a bird to bring Eorl a message, requesting aid in returning to Chrysopolis so they can get help from the Patriarch.
Before they can return to Chrysopolis, however, they need to retrieve their friends. After the thorough whomping they received at the hands of their so-called friends, it's agreed they're going to need a little more muscle. They hit up a few local taverns, looking for some stalwart adventurers looking to join up with the world famous Danger Gang. Unfortunately, no one has ever heard of them and everybody is a big chicken, so the only thing they find is the bottom of a few tankards of ale. They track down their knowledgable friend Clement to ask is he knows of anyone brave enough to aid them in their trademarked Danger. He introduces them to two guardsmen, Tobin and Karp. Tobin, muscular and gregarious, and Karp, quiet and mysterious, seem like fine additions to the band. Tobin, in particular, is interested in fighting off some evil. Martialis asks Clement if he'd be interested in joining them, but his duties require that he remain in Thessaloniki. Before they ride out, Arben explains that he, Martialis and Can are all gifted by God with the ability to perform miracles, so, if the new guys see something weird, don't freak out.
The gang ride out. The weather favors them this time; there's not an ounce of fog for the Yellow Musk Creeper to hide behind. They ride out to the monument to Phillip, and find their zonked out friends milling about the vines. They tighten the wet rags bound around their faces to protect them from the hypnotic pollen. "OK, everybody remember the plan" says Arben as Martialis immediately ignores the plan. He casts Entangle on the Creeper, causing it to wrap around itself and to bind Brother Peter and Lleryn. He calls up a pair of Dust Devils to keep the pollen away from him and begins cutting away at the plant. Arben shrugs his shoulders and asks Tobin if he can lasso his muddled friends. He does so with skill and flair. Ramble, meanwhile, is pouring lamp oil all over the plant, getting it ready for destruction. Karp casts up Flame Blade, much to everyone's surprise and starts scorching away plant matter. He soon tracks down the root at the base of the Obelisk. Arben has tracked down the sheet of paper others mentioned; still stuck in the thick of the vines. Martialis begrudgingly snags it for him, then heads back to whip some butt. Soon, he and Karp kill the root of the Creeper. Peter and Lleryn stop struggling and start standing around drooling. As Martialis examines the inscription on the monument, Ramble ignites the oil, killing the rest of the plant. "Wait a minute, you...", he sputters as he leaps out of the flaming plants.
Arben eyeballs the paper. With his passing ability to read Hebrew, he's able to piece together a few phrases. "To: Ben Judah, From: Z", "Found the place in Rome", "Skeleton with the head of a bull", "Searching for the founder", "Potion of Water Breathing", "My cunning stunt", "Give my love to Rachel", and at the bottom is a Greek omega.
They grab the magic items Peter and Lleryn were carrying and redistribute them. Arben hands Tobin and Karp Lleryn's gold, while Ramble pockets Brother Peter's. They tie the zomboids up and lead them back to town. They check in to an inn for the night.
