Harmony winces as the poison burns, then she makes everyone vanish.
Marisan curses but remains close to Harmony as the group disappears.
"Watch out for that stuff it squirts out!" she calls out usefully as she prepares to strike should the creature reappear again.
Polli can feel the poison seeping through her. "this is bad" she whispers, gathering her strength she'll wait until the spiders come out again and send a slew of magic missiles at it.
She'll also shift positions with Harmony where the captain is directing.
The Sirens vanish from normal sight and the room is filled with a concealing mist. With the exception of faint sobbing and muttering from the next room, silence reigns.
It seems the spiders are content to let their inflicted poison run its course.
Combat Ends ... for now
Polli breaks out her medical kit and hurries to each of the poisoned. "Who.. Dony, you are... okay, Harmony, Tessa, Marisan" binding wounds, drawing out the poison, working on Harmony until she's taken care of then moving on.
As she works she is getting more swollen and weaker, until she is is down.
Donomsail doesn't know as much medically as Polli does but between the training she received in the Priory and what she has learned helping Polli she is able to help with the poison. When Polli starts to falter Donomsail is there to take over, picking up her medical bag and continuing the job.
Seeing that she is doing some good Donomsail continues to help the rest of the party.
Polli:
Tessa:
Harmony:
Marison:
Harmony is in no shape to deal with this and by the time the poison has been drawn is near comatose on the floor.
Val grabs Tessa as the color drains from her face and, placing her lips on the captain's wound, starts trying to suck out some of the poison.
...
The slayer sighs as the Polli and Dony take over Tessa's care and quietly offers, "We should withdraw while we still have the opportunity... we can come back tomorrow when we're better prepared, and hopefully healed up..." Focusing as they begin to move, she invokes her ability to the unseen as begins to lead her fellow Sirens back towards the entrance (careful to avoid the trapped step).
Under cover of invisibility and mist, the Sirens stumble back down the stairs and out into the courtyard. Valeria can see the four large spiders clambering over the outside of the central building as if guarding it. The ladies continue out through the main entrance and make their way back across the ford of the river. When you reach a small copse of trees, you collapse to the ground, many of you weak and struggling.
You make a defensible position in the small copse of trees and settle down for the rest of the day and the night.
- Day 199
The night passes without any aggressive disruption and the next morning Donomsail is able to repair the damage caused by the spiders' venom.
"We don't want to head back there with Dony low on magic." Harmony decides, "Let's head around the coast some way and aim to camp back here tonight."
"Agreed," Marisan says in agreement.
Early in the morning, Val lurches out of bed onto all fours and nearly vomits. Then she remains in that position, breathing heavily, for several minutes before rolling back onto her side. She does not fall back asleep though.
When the others rise and gather for breakfast, she sits with them but does not eat. She looks as though she barely slept. After Harmony suggests camping in the same place the coming night, she reports, "I had terrible nightmares last night... maybe it's just a coincidence, or a linger effect from the dream thing we fought, but it could be something more... maybe another dream creature, or maybe there's something worse around here that created the dream creature? I don't know, but it might be worth camping further from the fort tonight to see if that helps?"
After breakfast she watches as Donomsail heals the damage from the poison, then she approaches the cleric and somewhat sheepishly asks, "I know that not sleeping isn't nearly so bad as that poison but is there any chance that maybe you have a spell that would make it feel less like I got trampled by those cyclops-cows?"
Once Valeria finishes explaining her problem Donomsail puts a hand on her shoulder. "Donna worry, Ah kin take o' that fer ye. Ah needs ta warn ye though Ah know nothin' 'bout what might be causin' these dreams, if'n they bein' part o' tha monster we fought yistiday or no. Mayhaps ye should be askin' Polli if'n there be somethin' better I could be doing fer ye or no. Gozreh, Ag, vra dat u 'n vriend se moegheid wegneem. Maak haar 'n 'gesond' eenmalige wins." Once done she smiles at Valeria and pulls her in for a brief hug. "Ye be a true 'n' valued friend o' mine. If'n there bein' anythin' else Ah kin do donna delay in askin'."
"Thanks, Donm, you're good friend," Val answers as she returns the hug. When they step apart she stretches and lets out a relieved sigh. "Oh, that is so much better," she exclaims as she gathers up her stuff to set out.
Raising a hand to her hat, she pauses and asks, "stealth or combat, Cap'n?"
"Stealth serves us better I think." Harmony replies. "We don't need a situation like yesterday where we had to kill those dinosaurs for no good reason. Let's work around the coast and see what we find."
Val nods and shrinks down to the little goblin version of herself, then quickly hides herself within a ninja-like full-body suit. "If you give about... a hundred and twenty feet, that should give me time to spot any threats before they spot you, but still be close enough that I can get back to you safely if something spots me? Just remember to move slowly or you'll catch up to me."
With her bow in hand, she puts a little distance between herself and her friends and then vanishes into the brush to scout ahead.
Polli does seem to delight in casting one of her new spells for the evening. After ten minutes of arcane mutterings and concentration, a sturdy stone cottage erupts from the ground. With a strong door, shutters, furniture, even a fireplace. A ghostly servant is waiting to take care of all of their needs as well.
If the wizard's face wasn't a swollen mess, she might even look a little smug.
---
In the morning, she's better thanks to Dony. She gives her love a look of pure thankful relief, and a nestled cuddle, before she prepares her spells while eating breakfast, her ghostly servant pouring tea for everyone.
"Okay, ready." she dismisses the cottage, letting it poof back into nothingness when they leave.
"South." Harmony decides. "We'll work around the coast for a way and stay away all the cyclops."
"I don't feel so good." Tessa says, struggling to stay on her feet as she sways about.
Not wanting to face the ethereal spiders without Doni's magic, the Sirens head south along the beach to circumnavigate the island. It takes the majority of the day to travel most of the way around the island's perimeter. Other than some flying shapes too high up to identify, nothing poses a threat.
Eventually reaching the eastern shore of the island, you're passing along the edge of a mangrove swamp when Valeria returns to inform you that she's caught glimpses of a snake in the swamp. A big snake. It's easily fifty or sixty feet long. As far as she can tell, it hasn't become aware of the ladies yet.
"Leave it for now." Harmony says. "It might be a useful ally if I can charm it later, but no need to get in a fight right now. We should look for a safe place for Polli to make her magic hut." She gives the wizard an appreciative glance - the beds were remarkably comfy!
With Valeria scouting ahead, it's relatively easy to avoid the huge serpent.
The group reaches the docks about the same time the sun begins to set over the island. Polli puts up her magical shelter and everyone settles in for the night.
- Day 200
The sun rises over the edge of the sea with the silhouette of the Siren itself framed against the morning light.
As they prepare for a second night on the island, Val resumes her normal form and outfit. ”I can’t change the few spells I know,” she remarks as Polli and Dony talk about which magic they’ll prepare, ”but is there anything I could do to be more ready for those spiders? If I could be invisible while I attack I could do a lot more damage, but it seems like the real key is going to be keeping them in our world long enough to get off more than one or two attacks at a time... unless one of you could get us to their plane and back?”
The second night in the cottage is nicer. No on is near dear and swollen, so Polli has her unseen servant to make little bedrooms by draping bedrolls and blankets around. She nestled into Dony for sleep.
"Ah dinna ask fer help in turnin' folks invisible, 'n' I canna get ta their plane o' existence, but Ah did ask fer help in keepin' the crawlies in stayin' 'round. As well as a couple other o' spells ta help ya'll out. If'n ye do get hurt Ah have a couple o' spells ta help ye get better faster." Donomsail gives her a look designed to instill confidence. "Donna worry, one o' tha good things 'bout askin' fer spells ev'ry day is bein' able ta prepare when Ah knows what Ah'm facin'."
After checking that their longboat is still secure, the Sirens continue clockwise around the island's coast. A little ways around the small bay with the wreckage of the stone pier, they come across a spawning ground for giant crabs. Heading inland for a bit makes it easy to bypass.
Heading around the southeastern tip of the island they spy the wreckage of a ship perhaps a quarter mile off shore. Noting its location they continue on. They pass large beds of kelp before finally arriving back around to the main bay where the fort lies.
Part way along the eastern side of the bay, they note something different. The sound of singing echoes among the rocks along this sandy beach. Footprints lead from the shore to the bay, where crystal blue waters provide a clear view of a deep pool and grotto below.
"Ooo ... Hello," a cheerful sounding feminine voice calls out. "It's so nice to meet new neighbors." Rising up from behind one of the rocks is a beautiful woman. Water runs down her bare skin as she steps out to greet you, wearing nothing but the mid-day sun. "I'm Sefina. Who are you?" she asks. The question seems to be for the entire group, but her gaze is fixated on ... Polli.
"You smell wonderful; Like the wind after a storm," she says with a grin, taking a few steps closer to the slyph. As if to emphasize, she takes a deep breath. She doesn't approach closer, however.
Donmy's response is to wrap a possessive arm around Polli's shoulder and pull her in closer.
"Well Hello yourself, Sefina. I'm Captain Tessa Steele." she says, doffing her hat. She follows Sefina's gaze to Polli and says, "That is Polli. And that would be her dear friend Donomsail."
Stepping in between Polli and Sefina, she continues "This is Valeria and Marisan and finally my co-captain and love of my wife, Captain Violet."
"How long have you been here?" she asks, trying to get her attention again.
Safina turns her smile towards Tessa, but her eyes continue to flick back to the sylph periodically.
"I've been here for ages," she says. Backing away from the swashbuckler slightly, she shifts to get a better view of Polli. "Long enough to enjoy meeting new people. Speaking of which, how long will you lovely ladies be staying?"
"What a pleasure to meet a nereid." Harmony adds, "Forgive us if we forego the kiss of greeting, but it would be a shame to get too close before we're shawl of each other wouldn't it?" She smiles brightly as though unaware of her verbal slip but the message remains clear to anyone who knows what a nereid is.
"So, if we are to be neighbours perhaps we could be friends too? Would you mind telling us a little more about yourself and your lovely home?"
she seems nice... much friendlier than the cyclopses and spiders, and much better looking too... I hope she's not an illusion, or trying to get closer to kill us... I wonder what kind of creature she is... pointy ears, been out in the water for a while... an undine maybe...
Val studies the woman as she draws nearer, both learning her movements and watching for subtle signs of deception or aggression. While the woman awaits Polli's response, Val grows from her goblin form to a version of herself with a subtle blueness to her complexion.
She gestures towards the grotto expansively. "This is my lovely home and it's so nice to meet someone that has knowledge of the world. Since you're aware of what I am, I'm sure you won't mind if I don't approach any closer. Mortals have a tendency to ... become entranced by my presence if they come too close." She giggles a bit. "Although I promise that I wouldn't take advantage of it unless someone proved to be something other than a friend."
She tips her head slightly.
"Are you something other than a friend?"
Val smiles and (half) jokingly answers, "we're all in relationships, so I think friends is all we want to be right now."
Sefina turns to Valeria.
"Of course. I like having friends. Friends can be a lot of fun." She turns her gaze to Polli again and licks her lips.
"We are very close friends, but I suspect none of us will want to become anything else with you. I'm sure you understand." Harmony replies politely. "As long as you mean no harm to us or our ship then we would be delighted to be your friends. We have claim upon this island so there will be more people in the future, but we can certainly make whatever arrangements you would feel necessary." She continues, settling into the meat of this, rather odd, negotiation.
"Many people have declared a claim on this island," Sefina responds. "Yet, I am still here. You are welcome to claim as much as you wish as long as my home," she gestures again at the small grotto, "remains mine and mine alone. And that I may still walk freely about the island. I prefer to live and let live, so if you intend me no harm then you have nothing to fear from me."
"Then it has been a pleasure getting to know you, Sefina." Harmony says, pinching Tessa to stop her fiance staring. "No doubt we will see you again soon."
"Wait," Sefina says leaning around to eye Polli again. "We should seal this agreement with a kiss." She licks her lips again. "Just a kiss, no drowning. I promise." A wet hand raises to crook a finger towards the sylph.
Polli is a bit flabbergasted in truth at the attention. Her eyes of course had to appreciate the woman's form from a purely anatomical point of view. She startled as Dony's presence against reminded her it is not polite to state even if the one getting stared at doesn't seem to mind. "what... ? ... No... No kiss from me sorry.... No.". She feel like her ears are burning off and her tongue is two sizes too big, but no no no.
Sefina tips her head inquisitively. "Are you sure? I don't bite and I promise I won't drown you. I only do that to people that treat me rudely or try to take what isn't theirs to take."
When it's clear that Polli isn't changing her mind, the nereid looks back to Harmony. "An agreement must be sealed," she says, disappointment evident on her face.
Polli bites her lip, hard to keep from changing her answer.
I don’t think Mei will mind... it’s not like it’s going to be romantic or anything like that...
”I would be honored to seal our agreement,” Val offers, ”but if we’re making it official, we’ll have to make sure the terms are clear... which area exactly is yours, and what are your rules for other people when they arrive: can they pass through freely if they leave you alone, could they fish in your waters if they do it respectfully, those sorts of things?”
Sefina's smile broadens. "Rules, rules, and more rules. People only want more rules so they can take advantage of someone else ... according to the rules." She gestures again at the grotto. "This is my home and it should remain mine. It's as simple as that." Her head lowers and she looks up at Valeria through her lashes. "So would you like my seal or not?"