The Danger Gang gets ganked by some ivy
The Danger Gang wakes up well rested after a quiet night at the Thessaloniki inn. Before riding out of town for Pella, the hypothetical next stop on their journey, they ask the knowledgable guard Clement if he knows of any places of import relating to the Alexandrian era in the area. He drops that there is a Monument to Phillip just five miles outside of town, and gives the boys directions; just five miles up the river, then take a right into the woods. Can't miss it.
The boys ride out. As soon as they take that right into the woods, things get creepy. They spy a skeleton with vines growing out of its skull; the vines covered with yellow flowers. Martialis, Lleryn, and Arben all identify it as the deadly Yellow Musk Creeper, a plant with deadly zombifying powers. It is agreed that the plant should be avoided, and so they give it a wide berth and press on to the monument. No sooner than they make said decision, a thick fog rolls in, and they are hard pressed to see five feet in front of their faces. Lleryn takes point. Soon, a puff of pollen hits him in the face, and he wanders into the fog. The same fate befalls Brother Peter. As if that wasn't creepy enough, three yellow skinned zombies emerge from the mists. Arben briefly glimpses an obelisk as the fog parts. He also sees Lleryn and Peter shoving their faces into the dirt. No time to worry about them, though. Martialis, Arben, and Ramble engage the zomboids, one of which is armed and armored. Martialis casts heat metal on that one. Arben shoots out some magic missiles, but is soon felled by the armed one, who is now weilding a white hot sword. Luckily, Ramble is able to bind his wounds before he bleeds out. Martialis and Ramble soon take out the zomboids, but when Martialis rushes to save his friends, he too falls victim to the Creeper's enticing musk. Ramble grabs him before he gets pulled in to the roots and ties him up. He tries to slap him out of it, but before he comes around, Peter and Lleryn emerge from the fog, their skin a jaundiced yellow. Ramble, now faced with a tough decision, decides to grab Martialis and book it out of there. He hops on his horse, leaving Arben to the predations of his zombified "friends".
Arben regains consciousness to see Peter and Lleryn dragging him by his feet. "Guys, it's cool, I can walk. Peter, heal me up, would you?" he says, but his only response is a mild groan. He pulls his gust of wind dagger out of his belt and gives the two a good blast. He books it back to his horse.
Meanwhile, Ramble and Martialis are lost. Martialis finally comes out of his hypnotic stupor and urges Ramble to go back to save their comrades. Ramble reluctantly agrees. Martialis casts detect magic so that he can home in on the magical items of his companions. En route, they find a sheet of paper surrounded by ivy. They decide to try to snag it later.
A broken Arben arrives at the river. He attempts to light a forest fire, but the weather is too damp. He groans, disappointed. He slowly begins to ride back to town.
Ramble and Martialis have found their companions. The cover their faces with wet rags to help protect against the pollen. They leap into battle in an attempt to subdue their companions. Unfortunately, a recently healed up Lleryn and Peter are too much for a broken and beaten Martialis and Ramble. They retreat. The zombies follow them until they're about a hundred feet away from the plant, then stop. Ramble tries to take a few pot shots, but they take cover behind a tree. They hop back on their horse and eventually find their way back to Thessaloniki.
Arben has checked himself back into the inn and demanded a doctor. He tosses the innkeeper some gold to track him one down, then he stumbles back into his room. Ramble and Martialis also return to the inn. Clement rushes in, worried about the charming Martialis. He wonders why anyone would go into that forest what with their being Yellow Musk Creepers in there. Ramble angrily wonders why Clement didn't mention this earlier. Arben, attracted by familiar noises, stumbles into Ramble and Martialis' room. He is pleased to see his friends alive, but more pleased when the doctor alive. The doctor urges him not to worry, for he has trained with the pagan healing mystics of Pella. "It's a secret" he says. They store that info in the back of their head, then decide to rest for the night and plan their next move.
