The Danger Gang meet The Brown One and Gershom

"What are you doing in my forest?", says the mysterious, bearded stranger to the assembled Danger Gang. Karp and Tobin, who had been hiding in the brush, emerge. "This is your forest?", says Karp.

"Oh, I'm sorry, we were just strolling through, we were actually in the ruins of Pella and now we're leaving, so it's no big dea.", says Arben.

"You were in those ruins. People don't have any sense. You're friend was looking for you.", says the mysterious stranger. No one has any idea what he's talking about, but the stranger says if they want to meet their friend, the train is leaving the station; he's got bigger fish to fry. They follow him through the forest, each trying to pry a little more information out of this mysterious guy. Information like, what's up with the blood on his legs? Karp gets him to reveal that he is called The Brown One. He seems to warm up to Martialis since they are both into nature, though The Brown One is not a druid. Ramble begins to fall back, just in case they're being lead into a trap. Arben tries to find out a little bit more about their new companion, Karp, but ends up rubbing him the wrong way.

En route to whatever their destination may be, The Brown One points out a small pit with a doorway. "Don't go in there," he says. "It's the home of the Pelhuraza. People go in there; they die. People don't listen." Everyone is disturbed by this news, but The Brown One doesn't even slow down, and so they press on.

Soon, they arrive at a cave. "You're friend Zadok is here." The Brown One yells into the cave, then wanders inside. "Am I Zadok? Who is Zadok?", says Can. Everyone looks at eachother confused. "Are you Zadok?".

Karp follows The Brown One into the cave, where he finds a sickly looking young man. "He's got the Mummy rot," says The Brown One.

"Guys, you want to take a look at this?" asks Karp. Everyone files in to learn about this dude. It's explained that none of them are Zadok. The rotting gentleman explains that he is Gershon or, more acurately, Gershom. He was supposed to meet a young scholar named Zadok at Pella to discuss some document that Zadok had been found. They're both working for the reknowned scholar Zombres. Arben explains that they, too, are historical researchers of a sort, and perhaps they all can work together. Gershom seems amenable to the situation, once his condition improves. He'll have to find Zadok first, though. The Brown One has put some poltices on Gershom's rot, and claims he'll get better, but Martialis, with his knowledge of herbs, is skeptical. He tries to question The Brown One, about it, but he responds curtly that Gershom will be fine and leaves to help the animals of the forest. Gershom explains that he was attacked by some mummies while he was in Pella, but never found Zadok. If the Danger Gang could track down Zadok, then they can talk about sharing the labor in their mutual goals.

The Brown One pulls Martialis aside. "Look, I didn't want to say anything, but I think that Zadok guy went in the pit with the Pelhuraza," he says.