A Stitch in Souragne - La Rue des Tristepas

[Guzrath]

Vincent dramatically takes a step back his face contorted as if he tastes something disgusting "Have your satisfaction of me?" he asks. "That doesn't sound pleasant" he smiles. He straightens himself and turns to his travelling companions pointing at each "Zumba, Goren and Lucien. We were sent here by Sentire Lefevre to help you out, as I have mentioned before. I have answered all three of your questions to your satisfaction" he drawls. He scratches his ear, the one missing its lobe. Vincent is about to say something more, but Zumba's warning interrupts him. He looks at Zumba first, seeing him get into the wobbling coach. "What now?" he rumbles as he looks up searching for the so called threat and taking a few steps back to have a distance between him and the old man. Just in case.

OOC: Spot 17

[steveflam]

Goren smiles at Baptiste. Souragnien: "I get footclothes for all of you, Baptiste. I go now but come back find you and give the footclothes."

Goren turns away and walks back towards the others.

Rock, I am not at home so if Goren needs a spot/search check, do it for him please

[Rock of the Fraternity]

None of the others sees what caused Zumba to call out in alarm. As they approach the carriage, however, they may hear some of what caused his distress. The coach is swaying slightly on its wheels and, when Zumba charges into it, there is a loud squawk of mixed distress and fury. The creature is stirring.

As Zumba moves into the coach, he sees the creature, upright through what can only be called a heroic effort of strength and balance. Tightly bound as it is, the monster has managed to lift itself to its feet, and is trying to rub some of its ropes against the woodwork in an effort to escape. When it hears Zumba come in, it turns clumsily and fixes him with a furious eye.

"Gre-o greeshak shkeru!" the monster shrieks, and snaps its eagle's beak at the Souragnian.

[Ail]

"I wish I could understand you", Zumba says. "But be calm, I want to help you." Zumba speaks authoritatively, but hopefully with a soothing tone. He wants to try and communicate again with the once-human inside.

He approaches the creature trying to make it sit. "Tell me, who did this to you? You can understand me, I know. You can talk the same tongue as I do. Please, who did this to you? Who is he, how can I help you?"

[Ken of Ghastria]

Lucien, seeing nothing to cause any great alarm, glances annoyingly at the coach, then he turns back to Warden Sarosse and Belhomme with a conspiratorial smile. "It seems that my new traveling companion is a bit of an alarmist," he says. "In any event, as I was saying, yes, I do have the creature I described in that coach if you'd care to look. I'm sure you'll use discretion -- and caution." He leads the two of them toward the coach, although he pauses to take another look at the sky. Get the answers you need, then get inside.

[steveflam]

Goren walks over to where Lucienm talks with the two people, recognizing them as priests. Souragnien: "Lucien, pardon, I disturb your speak with priests but they can aid in my explanationing of my words." He turns to both priests and speaks Souragnien: "I fix... fix with Lathander bless old lady Baptiste feet. Me take oath, vow, oath of no belongings... no..... poverish? Poverty! Yes poverty! I no have gold, no allowing it for me is this vow."

Goren takes a deep breath and blushes, embarassed about his language. He looks at the two priests and then his feet and snaps his fingers in revelation. Souragnien: "Baptiste, I promise give her some footclothes like these," he points at his feet and the boots on them then continues "So because no gold, I no can give her or offsprings footclothes. Maybe, maybe you help her? I.... I ,,,,,,, work... yes work for gold so they have footclothes."

[Guzrath]

Vincent sees Zumba getting into the carriage and Lucien and Goren walking towards it accompanied by 2 people from the temple grounds.
He looks back at the old man "well monsieur?" he asks, awaiting his answer to be let in or not.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Ashakkasha ka shkreehag!" the bird-beaked monster screams. Its eyes roll madly -- and it suddenly hurls itself forward with all the strength in its hulking body.

In the carriage's narrow confines, Zumba really has very little chance of evading the determined assault; with a loud crash of rending wood, the monster hurls both the Capoeira and himself through the door and onto the ground. The beast lands on top of the Capoeira, its armour digging cruelly into his flesh. (Zumba takes 3 damage.)

A terrible hush falls over the Temple's "court". The people who had come for healing stare in dread at the monster even now labouring to get back to its feet despite the ropes transfixing it. When the monster raises its head and screeches, they clearly decide that discretion is the better part of valor and run, yelling at the top of their lungs about monsters attacking the holy ground.

The Anchorites and the Voodan are visibly startled as well, but they move forward, clutching their holy symbols as if they were shields. With a dry hiss, the Anchorite who had been healing the sick draws a silver longsword.

"Given the circumstances, boy," the old guard at the door says in a tone as dry as dust, "I rather think I will not be letting you into the Temple. But you may rest assured that I will have La Gugoine notified of your stopping by, hm?

[Guzrath]

As the scene unfolds itself Vincent looks at it with surprise and then closes his eyes for a moment for an inward sigh. He looks back at the old man angry while taking out his mace and walks to the creature screeching his lungs out.
He tries to walk around so as to come out behind the creature to be able to knock it on the head, hoping to quickly change the situation. Meanwhile he takes out his rapier, in case his plan doesn't go that well.

[steveflam]

Goren is surprised by the crash and the emergence of the bird creature from the carriage. Chondonthan: "Holy Lathander!! He takes off at a run, concern for the people here for healing. He knows the others present can take care of themselves.

[Ail]

Zumba is surprised by the sudden burst of the creature and then everything happens in the blink of a second. Suddenly, he is pinned underneath it, lighted by the strong Souragnien sun and feeling the disgusting odour that comes from the creatures mouth breathing at his face. At the same time, he feels the commotion around him and indistinguished cries. He's not sure who's around him and who's seeing this that shouldn't, but he's also not in a position to quibble about it.

Although he begins to lose the patience with the creature, bringing it along was his idea, so he could not undo it now. He simply tries to reverse the pin and hold it immobile, without drawing blood nor being overly aggressive.

Grapple check: 1d20+5 = 17
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2829547/

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Damnation!" swears Lucien as he pulls out his dagger and moves quickly toward the struggling creature and Zumba. As he closes, though, he doesn't stab the creature with the blade; instead, he reaches out with his bare hand, apparently to touch or grab it.

The creature seems to reel at the half-elf's touch, swaying slightly and nauseated by something unseen. "Subdue this thing!" Lucien says angrily, although Zumba can't tell whether that's directed at him or at everyone who's approaching.

____________________________________
Move action: Move toward the creature, drawing the dagger on the way.
Standard: Touch the creature using Destiny Dissonance: Melee touch attack (1d20+5=24). The creature is sickened for 4 rounds: –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
Lucien also made his Concentration check (1d20+5=22) to mask the power's display.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Between Zumba's grappling and Lucien's quick maneuvring, the creature is soon subdued. Bird's head hanging on its chest, it does not even thrash anymore in the Capoeira's strong grip. ... But the Anchorites and the Voodan are clearly not amused.

"This... thing," monsieur Belhomme says, his upper lip curling with disgust, "is an abomination! It is a sin against nature itself!"

"Agreed," says the Anchorite who was healing the sick, and ho is now holding his silver longsword with evident ease. "This is not like the Lezard. Monsters they are, but they are part of the world they inhabit. This... This thing makes the world scream, if one can but hear it. The earth it stands upon is befouled."

"There were more like this?" the Voodan demands, as he casts a fierce look upon you brave adventurers. "How many?"

(OOC: Listen and Spot checks of DC 18, please.)

[steveflam]

During this time, Goren is moving about the frightened inhabitants, attempting to calm them.

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Agreed," says the Anchorite who was healing the sick, and ho is now holding his silver longsword with evident ease. "This is not like the Lezard. Monsters they are, but they are part of the world they inhabit. This... This thing makes the world scream, if one can but hear it. The earth it stands upon is befouled."

"Then perhaps ," says Lucien, turning to the Anchorite, annoyed by his evident disdain, "you'd like to convince your superiors to help us find the person responsible for turning a man INTO this 'thing.' Yes, it was once a man like yourself, monsieur, possibly even one of your own parishioners."

Addressing Belhomme and Warden Sarosse, he says, in a much more even tone, "Yes, I came across these brave men as they were battling several of these 'abominations' and their apparent master. The cloaked fiend escaped, and -- of the creatures -- all but this one were slain. Upon their deaths, they ... separated into what appeared to be their original parts, human and animal."

He looks at the struggling bird-man as he continues, "Behind its strange eyes, I see only confusion and despair. It craves its own death -- and I'll grant it that -- but I need to know what its bizarre nature can tell us about the person who performed this foul act ... the same person who may be responsible for the drought." He turns back to Belhomme and Sarosse. "Can we count on your help?"

_____________________________
Listen and Spot checks (1d20+12=21, 1d20+11=21)
And if a Diplomacy check is called for: Diplomacy check (1d20+4=10). And if I get a +2 bonus from cessation of that "other" thing Lucient was doing, Rock, I'll take it.