Dremlunts: The Red Meadows

Artistic creation

The Sapphire Oath traverse the dangers of the Red Meadows under the gaze of a leering threat.

Traveling south, the companions once more were on their own in a foreign land. For the first two days, the traveled in the light before finding some place lower among the fields to set up their camp. Under Zith's protective dome, they took their shifts at night to ensure safety.
  Upon the second night of their journey across the Red Meadows, Beatle had an interesting encounter. As he sat on watch slowly working through new possible songs, he caught a melody upon the breeze. Looking up into the sky he could see a winged form flying overhead. Vaguely humanoid in form except for the winged forearms, he felt he knew what the creature might be... a harpy. He knew he should keep quiet and hope it would pass in the night but temptation called out to him.
  Beatle began to sing out into the night. The soft tones mixed on the breeze as the harpy caught his song as well. She began to circle down towards the dome as the song continued. As the pair found the melody and harmonies drawing to a close, the harpy was shocked and in awe. Calling towards the dome that she could not see through, she and Beatle had a short exchange. Beatle would step out of the dome for the conversation. The harsher tones of the conversation would begin to awaken the rest of his party where the music and soothed its way through their rest.
  The harpy was mesmerized that she had found a choral partner in one of the ordinary folk. Beatle's skill was beautiful and Zith's protective dome hedged out the magic of here voice that would have cut the man short. Beatle traded compliments and attempted to seek the harpy's aid in finding the Galeborn. Perhaps a native would know more of the riddle they had been given than a foreigner.
  The harpy countered the request with one of her own. She wished to return to her sisters and bring them here. They would not believe that there was a man that could sing with them. The harpy offered, “If you sing with my sisters and prove that I not lie, perhaps we answer riddle.” It would be clarified that the harpy wished Beatle to step out and sing in the open rather than in hiding.
  Beatle felt that doing so would be unwise and denied such a trade. The harpy did not care. As the rest of the party fully rose, the harpy drifted back off into the air to fetch her sisters to have their song one way or another. The party discussed trying to strike camp immediately and finding another place to rest but not everyone thought they would be able to find a new place and set up the dome before being found. Instead, they would hunker down right where they were and outlast them on a siege. Zith could maintain the hut and Ravel provide sustenance for the day until the harpies got bored.
  At least that was the plan. When the chorus of harpies had returned and began their concert in the sky, Beatle could not resist the temptation. Incanting a mirror image and a wind wall to make his entry glorious, Zith produced magical smoke with a minor illusion. Stepping out into the open in song, Beatle bore the waves of charming and incapacitating magic that they entire chorus filled the air with and fought through. He sang his heart out and performed with the circling chorus above for an entire song before it drew to a close.
  In shock and wonder, the harpies more than held up their end of the deal to the chagrin of some of the group. Listening to the riddle, the harpies knew what the 'jumbled disorder' was in reference to. Amid the central portion of the Alkaloks border that was nearly longitudinal on the map, there was an area that had been wrecked by a tornado that had passed through. The forest looked as if a landslide had passed through.
  In addition to the riddle answer, the harpies spoke of the dangers of the wood. While there were monsters in the Alkaloks, the forest itself was also dangerous. Sections of the trees would reach up to snap at creatures flying over head. They did not fly near it unless they absolutely had to.
  The final offering the harpies had was what made the party squirm a bit. The ladies decided that they wished to escort Beatle and his associates to the 'jumbled disorder'. Having the harpies traveling with them was not comforting but their songs were also used to lure away any other threat the party might face was useful.
  The companions would continue with the harpies but that did not stop them from having their own conversations in the day and at night. Ravel was saddened by the death of the Red Meadows. Zith missed his feather bed back home. While he didn't miss much from home, luxuries were the exception. Marduk on the other hand, was most distraught simply dictating out “132”. That would be his interpretation of how long it had been since he had chili cheese fries. This number was incorrect, but no one wished to dismiss his sorrow. Conversations would continue on to marshmallows, skinning squirrels like a sock, and other nonsequitors.
    Over the next three days, the party was led a bit more east than their previously direct south direction to arrive within line of sight of the 'jumbled disorder' by the end of the third day.