VI. Returning to The Mistress

[AleBelly]

Bingus nods at Sasha's sarcastic comment. "Look here. If'n that woman is really by herself, she's got somethin' up that sleeve of hers if she can survive the poison frogs, spiders and armored men nearby. I've heard tell of women that can enchant with their voice. I ain't taking any chances." He reluctantly cuts off two small strips of his prized wool sweater, balls them up and stuffs them in his ears.

He nods, willing to follow.

[Zhym]

"Do sirens usually walk into the water from the land?" wonders Pendleton aloud. "Besides, we can already hear her song. If she were a siren, we'd be bewitched by now."

He waits for the others to ready themselves for whatever each of them plans to do, then loudly clears his throat. "Hello?" he calls out. He waits for the singer to emerge, thus avoiding an unseemly glance at a bathing woman.

Pendleton is a scholar and a gentleman.

[dmw71]

As Bingus reluctantly cuts off two small strips of his prized wool sweater, balls them up and stuffs them in his ears, Dorin shrugs and begins to approach the shoreline, not waiting to be tied off like Sorsha requested as a precautionary measure. "Ain't nothin wrong with watchin' Penny," he says to the other learned member of the group, who seemed to be overly cautious with this latest development. As the dwarf takes his first few steps, Pendleton loudly clears his throat. "Hello?" he calls out, and waits for the singer to emerge, thus avoiding an unseemly glance at a bathing woman.

Moments later, an intoxicating woman with pearlescent skin; long, dark hair; and pointed ears, begins to emerge from the water. This woman seemingly lacks any sense of modesty as she interrupts her swimming and tanning to approach the group completely nude.

Singer.jpg (70.68 KiB) Viewed 759 times

This water woman comes to the very edge of the shoreline, feet still in the water, and stops. She tilts her head to the side and begins staring at the foursome curiously without saying anything.


Actions?

[Zhym]

Pendleton gulps, realizing that it might not have been a good idea to announce his presence.

"Hello," he says with a friendly smile and as much charm as he can muster. "We apologize for disturbing your bath, but we were surprised to hear another person on this island. We thought we would introduce ourselves and ask whether you required assistance. In general, that is. Not with the bathing." His face reddens.

"I'm Pendleton Kettleworth, scholar of the Arcaneum, at your service" he says, recovering from the small blunder. "This is Dorin, Sasha, and Bingus. Your singing was lovely. May I ask your name?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Dorin the dwarf looks the lady right in the ... eyes ha had ya thinking I was gonna say something else right "Aye Dorin tha dwarf at yer service madame." the dwarf bows politely to the nymph? Elf? well whatever she is not offending by staring at her nudity. "An who might yah be lass?"

[dmw71]

The majestic female, without moving from her current position, addresses the group: "Sefina is my name." Her speaking voice rings in the same calming, melodic tone, but it's readily apparent that the common tongue is not her native language.

She continues to stare at the group inquisitively, but does not move from her position or speak any further.



Actions?

[OGRE MAGE]

Sasha

Umm, hi?

I'm Sasha.

Ummm......do you live here?

[GreyWolfVT]

Dorin scratching his head thinking ... "Hmm are ya an elf er somethin like an elf Sefina?"

[dmw71]

"Is my grotto," she says in response to Sasha's inquiry. "Is not an elf, but a nereid," she admits "What is you?" she asks of Dorin.

"And why is you in my domain?"

[AleBelly]

Bingus pulls at his sweater to cover the area just below his belt to avoid betraying his reaction at seeing such a fine specimen. He's still afraid of her, and averts his eyes, wondering if she will take offense at those staring. He remains silent.

I'm traveling for work through Thursday, so please move things along if my lack of posting is holding things up. Thanks!

[Zhym]

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sefina," says Pendleton. "If by your domain you mean this island, we are here because we were on a ship that landed on this island seeking to avoid pirates. Unsuccessfully, as it turns out. The ship was attacked and now we are stranded. If your domain is this grotto, I must again apologize. We did not mean to intrude. We were exploring this island on which we find ourselves. We heard your voice and were intrigued, particularly by the possibility that there might be another like us here. If you wish, we will continue on our way and leave you in peace in your grotto. But we would welcome the opportunity to converse with you, if you would allow it."

[dmw71]

"Is many pirates," Sefina nods affirmatively. "And is me grotto. Not island." she clarifies as she begins to stir the clear blue water with her right foot.

"Is welcome to talk, or leave."



Actions?

[OGRE MAGE]

Sasha

Well met Sefina.

Did you see what happened to the men that were on that stranded ship?

Or, by any chance, did you see another short human walking around out here last night? We think he was captured by a large spider.

[GreyWolfVT]

"Is my grotto," she says in response to Sasha's inquiry. "Is not an elf, but a nereid," she admits "What is you?" she asks of Dorin.

"And why is you in my domain?"

Dorin still combing his beard with a hand "Well as they said stranded here sorry for intrudin on yer grotto. I be a dwarf have yah seen me kin afore?"

[Zhym]

"Thank you, Sefina," says Pendleton, slightly in awe—and not just from the nude body. "I have so many questions. Are you the only one of your kind here? How did you get here? Have you always lived in this grotto? Were you born here? Are nereids born, as we humans conceive of the term? Are there male nereids? If not, how do you reproduce? Do you—"

Pendleton smiles sheepishly. "I apologize yet again. I have devoted my life to the study of the arcane, but seldom have I had the chance to talk with a mystical creature such as yourself. I fear my intellectual curiosity has overcome my manners and my sense." He takes a deep breath and offers Sefina a friendly smile. "We would greatly appreciate any information you would like to share about this island," he says. "Or if there is anything you could tell us that would help us return to our own lands, we would be most gratefully in your debt."

[dmw71]

Sefina allows one of her feet to exit the water and plants it in the sand as she begins to respond to Pendleton's battery of questions. "I is alone in grotto," she starts. "But many things is on island." She curls her toes on the foot of hers on the land, allowing the sand to run between them. "Many bad things," she continues...

Then, in a flash, her eyes grow wide and she hastily rushes back into the water, diving in head first and submerging quickly, leaving very little ripple in her wake.

Turning in the direction the nereid was looking, the group spies a pair of human-sized, ostrich-looking birds with white, brown and black plumage rushing towards them in a zig-zag pattern, but still at an exceptionally high rate of speed! The "birds," approximately 100-yards away, have small wings; large hind legs whipping about in a blur; and large, curved beaks forcefully snapping open and shut as they approach. Once they've been spotted, they begin squawking and honking angrily.



Actions?

[Zhym]

Pendleton hastily starts chanting a lullaby at the weird creatures:

Tace paruulum nolite loqui
Nunquam mentem vox quam audistis
Suus 'iustus tibi iumentisque
In cubiculum, in caput tuum

Exit lux
Intrare nocte
Tollamque manum meam
Imus ad terram non numquam

Sleep: [2d8] = 10
Initiative: [1d6] = 3

[GreyWolfVT]

Dorin begins to head for the water then stops abruptly remembering his most recent "swim" as it were, and turns to face the birds if the sleep fails his axe is in his hands and ready for action should it be needed.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sasha readies her bow and waits to see if the spell is effective.

Talk about your ugly ducklings! I wonder if they taste like chicken?

[AleBelly]

Seeing Pendleton already casting, Bingus hides behind Sasha. "You get 'em, Penny!" cheers the still-smoking mage.