Episode Four:
The Dark and Bloody Ground
After arriving at the site, the group discover what appears to be an abandoned camp. While searching the actual dig site, they find an ash layer buried in the ground. Josh - an Archaeology Major - believes it to be the remains of an ancient village that had been burned down, perhaps a thousand years earlier. In the ashes, Astrid notices an odd stone carving - a deformed toad-like creature.
Searching further through the forest, they eventually find that the camp had pulled up stakes and moved to a scond site. The second site was located at what appeared to be an old stone fortress. Meeting up with Dr. Mills, the Professor in charge of the project, the group arrange for a tour of the new find. The Professor excitedly tells them about an odd phenomenon - there seems to be an odd energy source coming from the mound. An energy source that causes electrical systems to malfunction.
Approaching the outer wall surrounding the mound, Astrid and Leroy both experiance discomfort - as if running into a barrier of some sort. Leroy falls straight over as soon as he crosses the barrier and Astrid seems stunned and can't approach the mound further.
Breanna suggests that Leroy needs to eat and offers to walk with him back to the car for his pack. While away, she pulls out a device and simply deactivates Leroy! Opening a control panel, it is discovered that Leroy is, in fact, a cyborg. After running a diagnostic to determine if he had been damaged, Breanna adjusts some settings to help Leroy deal witht the odd power source. They then head back to camp, with Leroy seemingly unaware of the transaction.
Josh notices Astrids odd reaction to the mound, but doesn't comment. It seems as though a mystical barrier is in place, causing no slight amount of discomfort to Astrid. Realizing that some odd things are afoot, Josh calls Stephanie and she heads up to the camp.
Later that evening, Dr. Mills reads a story from an early explorer of the mound to the group. The story says that there is something Evil buried at the mound. The rest of the evening become a ghost story session, where it's suggested that the entire valley is a hotbed of negative supernatural events.
The next day, the camp is visited by Jim Panahoc, an elderly Cherokee, who tells a disturbing story involving the mound. A story involving a giant Toad creature - a creature similar to the statuette found earlier in the ruins of the burned village.
After hearing the tale, Dr Mills agrees to postpone work done at the site until he discusses it with his bosses. Jim then visits the mound and strengthens the binding wards. He seems to realize Astrids discomfort and, in fact, checks to see if his binding helps her.