Challenger, Malone and Veronica are searching for sulfur, in order to make more gunpowder, when they walk into a burial ground. They are attacked by warriors in black and white paint who capture Challenger. That night the group sneaks into the warriors' village...to find Challenger sitting quietly and drinking tea with a beautiful blonde woman named Cassandra. She and her husband had been part of an early expedition, also stranded and found by the warriors tribe twelve years ago; they were soon made king and queen there. She tells our group that going onto the burial grounds was considered taboo, and for this Challenger would have to remain captive for life. The only way they can save him is by going to the Cave of Fear and retrieving her husband's bones for burial. They set off, but soon discover why the cave is avoided ~ it's walls are covered in a hallucinogenic fungus, wtih a really nasty additional effect. It drives those affected to suicide - which Cassandra apparently knew when

While wandering the plateau, Roxton is attacked by a young man, who bites him during the struggle. Roxton's infected with a disease whose symtoms are slightly bizarre ~ intense craving for blood, pain when exposed to sunlight, a powerful feeling of kinship with nature and ""creatures of the night"" - he is as a vampire. He runs mad and into the gothic mansion of Calista, a beautiful woman with the same disease. Back at the treehouse, a young native man, Niko, comes forward, declaring his love for Veronica. He and Malone argue and decide to fight to the death for her; she is not pleased! Outside the treehouse, Malone and Niko do start to fight, but quickly stop when Veronica tells them she will kill herself to stop them, and has a knife at her stomach to prove it. Niko leaves, but tells her he'll never forget her. Veronica remains mad at Malone for a while for trying to fight her battles. In the meantime, Marguerite and Challenger discover all about the disease, and search for Roxton, not