Fantasy Cursed Island

[Fangs9090]

"I do not, no. I know only that it and this room have served me well in catching food. But it seems that's all I do. Wait for food and eat it when it comes. I'm bored of this life."

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Emil nodded. "It would seem so. Could this darkness be their doing?"

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The lion looked over before getting up to turn and nuzzle her.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"I have the ability to summon food and water," Adran offered, "I would think it tastes better than the odd goblin or blight hound. If you would like, you are welcome to come with me."

"Adran," Beri cautioned.

"Shut up, I can feed fifteen, you know this," Adran hissed at the leopard.
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"I do not know," Joanne stood and turned to face the other two. "But I would wager that specter to be involved."
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"Hey, easy, there, you're still recovering," Jerry smiled a bit and stroked the lion's head.

 

[Fangs9090]

"I know you would welcome me, but would the rest of your group? I'm well aware of the reputation that my kind has."

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"That seems likely." Emil glanced around at the room. Through what little he could see from their light, there only the crate, the door they came through, and one other door. "Still, it's an odd place to store something, especially without anything else stored with it."

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The lion purred as he pushed against her hand. He did seem to be feeling better.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Adran considered that for a moment. "Well, the paladin definitely won't like you, but she's outnumbered. I'm pretty sure that as long as you contribute, the others won't really care unless you attack." He shrugged. "I mean, it's up to you. There's seven of us so far, including the chimera. Jeri shoved a potion down it's throat and charmed it, Imma have to figure something out with that one, anyway."
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"Necromancers are strange evils," Joanne replied, going to the door and pulling it open. "It may be a method of storing undead slaves, it may be camouflage, but the only way to know is to trigger it, and those are not something I would trigger unless I know for certain their necromancer is truly dead."
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"Did you have a nice nap?", Jerry asked the lion, smiling. "You're just a big softie when you aren't mad, aren't you?"

 

[Fangs9090]

"The chimera and I do not have a good history together, but I'll not start a fight with anyone. I ambush and trap my prey, so I'm not a fighter."

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Through the door was a large room with webbing all around. Dividing the room was giant spider web. From this side they could see the back and underside of a giant spider. Adran and Beri stood on the other side of the web.

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The lion soon laid back down, keeping his head close to Jerry.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"That is perfectly fine," Adran turned to exit. "I'm sure Jeri can keep the chimera busy." He chucked a bit at that last bit. "Shall we? My party should be regathering by now- what the fu- Joanne? Where'd you come from?"

"I could ask you the same, why are you conversing with a spider?", Joanne demanded.
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"Hey, buddy, I've gotta go make sure my friends are okay," Jerry whispered, continuing to stroke the chimera's fur. "I promised the bird I wouldn't leaver her alone." After a few moments, Jerry got up and started back towards the door. "I'll be back, I promise."

 

[Fangs9090]

Erina looked over her shoulder before moving to the side so she could get a better view of the newcomers. "Your companions, I assume?"

Emil flicked his ears at her voice, only barely able to see her with the light they had. "As much a woman as a spider. With such a voice, I only wish I had a brighter light."

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The chimera whined, but he stayed put and rested his head down.

Back at the hole, Fia was standing next to said hole, looking down into it. The rope was missing.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Some of them, hang on a second, miss," focusing on the paladin, bard, and Shuffle, "Seridously, where did you three come from? The only door is-"

"That is the door we came through, there is a box of bones on the other side, does this spider have anything to do with it?"
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"Fia, where is the hook?", Jerry asked the harpy, "You kicked it in, didn't you?"

 

[Fangs9090]

Erina nodded. "Yes. I don't like bones in my web, so I put them in there. When it gets full, I carry it off to dump them somewhere else. And my name is Erina."

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Fia looked over, flapping her wings as she hopped back from the hole. "No! ...I dropped it."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"I told you she wouldn't like you," Adran said to Erina, "Joanne, miss Erina, Shuffle, Emil, meet each other. Jeri's probably about to stab Fia again if you guys are all the way here. Beri, can you go check on them, please?" The leopard grumbled, turned, and left.
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"You dropped it. You dropped the rope." Jerry facepalmed. "First off, why were you holding it? Actually, scratch that, I don't wanna know, I gotta go get it now." Jerry could freehand climb some things, especially malleable things like dirt, and since the hole was too small for the fliers to spread their wings, it was definitely small enough that Jerry could climb down without issue by applying force to each contact point. Down the hole she went.

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle waved. "Hello."

Erina just nodded. "Pleased to meet you."

Emil gave a bow. "The pleasure is mine."

She smiled. "Well, I already like one of you, at least."

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Fia hopped over to watch her go down. "You told me to fiddle with stuff!"

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"There," Adran smiled and refocused the situation. "Miss Erina, would you like to accompany us on our way?"

"Adran-"

"Joanne, you hate everything down here, you don't have an opinion."

"That is Jerry, actually."

"What did I just say?"
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"I didn't mean drop the rope that people depended on to get out of the hole!", Jerry barked as she got down to the bottom and looked for the climbing rope. Finding it, she picked it up and started twirling the hook. "Step back, unless you wanna be my anchor!"

"What are you two fighting about now?", Beri asked as he arrived on the scene.

 

[Fangs9090]

Emil spoke up. "I for one believe there is strength in numbers. With another companion, we'll only stand a better chance of making it through."

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Fia hopped away from the hole before looking at Beri, at which point she started to explain. "Jerry and I were waiting by the hole but nothing was happening and I was bored and she was bored so she went to check on the cat and I wanted to go with her but she told me to stay and watch the hole because she charmed the cat and I have fire but I said it was boring and she told me to fiddle with things and so I came back and started fiddling with things but then I accidentaly dropped the rope in the hole and she got mad and now she's going to get the rope back." She inhaled before sitting down to catch her breath.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Joanne shook her head and turned for the door. She held no regard for the arachne, but knew better than to just cut through a massive spiderweb when the spider was in view.

Adran rolled his eyes at the paladin. "She'll come around, you're welcome to join us," he said to the arachne. "But we will have to leave soon in any case."
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Beri looked as confused as that blurb was confusing. "So you fiddled with the rope? That Emil, Joanne, and Shuffle needed to climb up?"

"That's what I said!", Jerry called as the hook shot out of the hole and clattered against the stone before finding something for the hook to resist against, pulling the rope taught as the rogue climbed back up.

"In any case, it's no longer needed, Joanne and the other found another way up. Adran and Joanne are arguing about a spider woman."

 

[Fangs9090]

Erina nodded. "Well, this could be just what I need, so I think I will join you. On that note, let me clear a path for you." She crawled down to the floor and started weaving and adjusted the webbing, making an opening big enough for them to pass through.

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Fia tilted her head. "Spider woman?"

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Thank you," Adran said, beckoning the others through. Joanne passed through reluctantly, glaring at Erina as she passed. "Shall we return to the rest of the group?" Joanne offered no answer and just started walking. Adran offered Erina a weak smile. "She'll come around," he said before he too started walking.
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"I don't know, I could not see it, but it is almost certainly a spider and it has a woman's voice," Beri replied.

"I'm not even surprised at this point," Jerry muttered, brushing dust off herself.

 

[Fangs9090]

Erina likewise watched Joanne as she passed, keeping her expression neutral and cold.

Shuffle followed after Joanne, sniffing curiously as she walked Erina.

Emil followed, looking up at Erina as he passed. He was a bit more eager to find a bet lit portion of the ruins now.

Erina followed in the back.

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"Well, if they're talking, she must be friendly, right?"

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Indeed she is," Adran said to Fia as the group got back together. "Fia, Jerry, this is Erina, she'll be joining us."

"For now," Joanne added.

Jerry groaned, "Yay, more people..."

 

[Fangs9090]

Erina just dipped her head. "I'll do what I can to not get in your way."

Shuffle spoke up. "We can go back this way to get to the other end of the hole without falling."

Poli spoke up. "Am I the only one who doesn't see how the chimera is going to fit through here?"

Erina raised an eyebrow at the talking bodysuit.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Long story," Jerry said to the arachne in response to the bodysuit.

"Actually, Poli, I might have an answer for that. It's gonna take a minute, though, I'm not sure if I actually recorded it or if I have to bother my patron," Adran said, "It's still gonna take some time, though, I'm gonna have to recover mana either way."

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle spoke up. “If the chimera is on our side now, we should be safe to rest in the room where we found it, right?”

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"He won't bother you," Jerry replied, "He's taking a nap." She pulled and wrapped up her rope, putting her kit away. "I've still got to name him."

Adran chuckled as Jerry let the group back to the chimera's chamber.

 

[Fangs9090]

The chimera was fast asleep by the time they returned to its chamber. Erina looked at it through narrow eyes, making sure to keep at a good distance between herself and the beast.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

By now the blood and water had dried into the stone of the place, leaving a red stain on the floor and in the chimera's fur, but since animals could clean themselves, Jerry wasn't too worried as she and Joanne started setting up camp, building a fire and getting some food cooking while Adran circled the chimera from just outside pounce distance if it woke up and decided it didn't like him. He was flipping through his book, and getting increasingly frustrated with it. After some time, he threw up his hands, closed the book, and went to the far corner of the chamber so he wouldn't disturb anyone with the demonic ritual he was about to perform.

"Looks like he didn't record it," Jerry chuckled.

"Yes, but now he has to go bother Asmodeus," Beri replied, curling up by the fire.

"I thought his patron was Asmodei," Jerry asked.

"Asmodeus the Lord of Lust is a shapeshifter, as are all demons and devils," Joanne spoke up, "They appear as what would tempt you most. In Adran's case, a woman." Well, that cleared that up.

 

[Fangs9090]

Shuffle spoke up from where she sat nearby. "So, why does Beri use a different name for them?"

Erina settled away from the group, aware that she wasn't entirely accepted yet. Though Fia was hopping in circles around her.

Emil was working on tuning the lute, though he kept an ear to the conversation.