A Stitch in Souragne - La Danse de Mort

[Ken of Ghastria]

Vincent looks at Lucien "Tourists? Are you serious?" he asks with a laugh. Vincent opens his mouth to continue, but sees Lucien's far away look and concludes he would hardly hear him at all.

"I'm very serious," says Lucien, coming to attention so suddenly that it's a little startling. "I've been to places where Souragne would seem like a paradise, at least before the damn drought started." He looks at Vincent. "Surely, Vincent," he says sardonically, "you're not of the opinion that this inn was built for the locals to enjoy? Tourists, merchants, call them what you will ... many of them are 'outsiders' with money and influence. News of an attack on them would do even more damage to what's left of the Anchorites' and Voodans' authority."

He reaches for the wine glass that Vincent refilled. "Your 'friend,' Marri, is gone now, at any rate. Marri, it seems, had the good sense to leave before getting caught in her own trap. But we need to find her. That will have to wait until morning, though. It's getting dark, and we need rest. After dinner, we need to snuff all of the candles that she's put here. We tell the innkeeper something, anything, to convince him to put the original candles back. Or are the three of you really so eager to inhale hallucinogens while you sleep?"

[steveflam]

Goren looks at Lucien. Souragnien "We know Marri name, no? In morning I find her with a spell, once pray to Morninglord for my spells. If you say candles dangerous, then we find way to put them out and make owner or bartender understanding. I keep these candles. Maybe with a spell can find who made them? I don't think Marri can have go far. We can catching her I bet. She fleeing so on foot. If we have carriage or horses we have great chance."

[Ail]

"Well... it's a plan then. But how will we convince the barkeeper to suppress all the candles anyway?"

[Guzrath]

"Surely, Vincent," he says sardonically, "you're not of the opinion that this inn was built for the locals to enjoy?

Vincent shrugs. "I'm not going to debate tourism at this point." he says "neither whether your estimate might be right or not."

He takes another sip from his wine.
"I agree with the after dinner part. A good meal is well deserved, when it is still warm."
"As for the candles..." he pauses "several ideas come to mind, but I propose we enjoy the rest of our meal".

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Very well," says Lucien, shrugging and smiling. "After today's events and considering that tomorrow may bring more of the same, it would be criminal to let this excellent dessert go to waste."

A few seconds later, he says, "Goren, excuse me, but you mentioned the Morninglord. I've heard of the worship, but wasn't aware of it as more than a small congregation of scattered believers. Then again, you say you're from a land that none of us are familiar with. I wonder if that's where the faith originated."

[steveflam]

Goren is curious about the Morninglord as well, in Lucien's terms. Did Lathander originate in his land? He thought so, but what does he know, he is merely doing the Morninglord's work. There are many other deities in his land besides Lathander.

Souragnien "Well, I am not knowing of in Souragne, or this land and it's deities. In my home, Lathander is but one God. There are many deities there. Good, Neutral and of course Evil. I guessing you could say it is all balancing out in the end. I am thinking if I Knowing my religion that yes, Lathander the Morninglord is originating in my land. Do not, however, take my word for it as I would be biasing about this matter."

The priest smiles and sits back, watching everyone eat, but feeling no need to consume any of the food before him.

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Actually, I feel very comfortable 'taking your word for it,' Goren," says Lucien after another sip of the excellent port. "You strike me as a wise, intelligent man, not prone to inflammatory sermons or intolerance of other beliefs. After my years of listening to Ezraite dogma in Darkon, you, my new friend, are a breath of fresh air... or what passes for fresh air in Souragne these days."

He looks around at the three of them as he continues. "All right, now that we've had a chance to breathe -- which I'm almost afraid of doing around these candles -- let's review. This girl, Marri... you first saw her in Port d'Elhour. She left under mysterious circumstance and after her grandfather miraculously survived an attack by zombies that killed the rest of her family. Now she's here, acting frightened, and again is lighting candles that may or may not be ... special. She claims to be saving up money to go deeper into the swamp for... what? Some spiritual journey?

"There's a new Loah, whose worshippers are pushing for the removal of both the old Loah and the worship of Ezra. These worshippers came from, probably not coincidentally, Port d'Elhour.

"When the drought first started, a strange sickness developed, ONLY among children, and may have killed most of them if it hadn't been stopped by the Anchorites and local Voodans.

"The most powerful Voodan, Chicken Bone, has been behaving unusually, shortly after the drought started, and hasn't really been seen much.

"Also, all the information we've gathered, whether by fact or portent..." he jerks his head toward the Tarokka reader, "...supports our idea that we're dealing with someone who may have once been a member of the Church of Ezra and is now trying to drive out the local beliefs, possibly in favor of this new Loah. But this person is not the mastermind.

"What have I left out?"

_________________________________________
It seemed like a good time to try to sum up the last couple of weeks.

[Guzrath]

Vincent looks at Goren, noticing he is not eating.
After Lucien has finished his sum up he says:

"There are several correction I have, on your sum-up that may or may not be of any use.
First" he says looking around making sure other people don't hear him "none of us have seen Marri, only heard her name. In fact, I believe, you Lucien, are the only one who knows what she looks like."
"Second, her grandfather supposedly survived an attack as a simple servant at some rich manor. Nothing is known of any other family being there or even existing" He pauses.

"I would like to add to that list that our destitute red-haired man here" he gestures in Goren's general direction with his glass-holding hand "is in no way affected by the heat nor some of the other effects that we seem to suffer and that he comes from a country that no one has ever heard of, absolutely nothing except his God is known in these lands." he takes another sip from his wine.

[Ail]

"Plus, he don't eat" Zumba adds.

"Well, I could say we've all experienced strange dreams where we interacted too really with things. I saw Goren in my dream; he saw the stone we found later; we fought creatures that are aberrations crafted from human beings; they look like zombies, yet you, Lucien, say they are not. There is a Lamordian doctor around, who is trying to make it rain (OOC: iirc!)
Some magic doesn't work properly, and the children are afraid of it: it supports the idea the disease was caused by malfunctioning magic or by evil magic-users. Plus, there's my own reading, I've told you none about."

[Ken of Ghastria]

"...we fought creatures that are aberrations crafted from human beings; they look like zombies, yet you, Lucien, say they are not."

"Yessss...," says Lucien, "Thank you for mentioning that. In the flurry of activity, I didn't make myself clear. My apologies. It's not that they weren't 'zombies' -- certainly they were monsters by any definition. It's more that they weren't undead. As far as I could tell, they weren't composed of dead, reanimated flesh. Or if the flesh was dead, it had been spectacularly well preserved. It's possible that they were more poor bastards who had been hideously transformed by our foe. In any event, I believe Goren tried to use a clerical ability to repulse the undead -- the results were not good.

But Goren, yes, you're not hungry... and you're not affected by the heat?! I hadn't really thought much about it until now. But you have eaten since your odd arrival in Souragne, yes?"

[steveflam]

"I would like to add to that list that our destitute red-haired man here" he gestures in Goren's general direction with his glass-holding hand "is in no way affected by the heat nor some of the other effects that we seem to suffer and that he comes from a country that no one has ever heard of, absolutely nothing except his God is known in these lands." he takes another sip from his wine.

Souragnien"I think you misunderstanding me, Vincent. I say all kinds of gods in my land, not just Lathander. Unless I not understanding you, my friend. As for me not eating or not feel heat, I know not why. I think woman over there can be knowing but not a free questioning. I gambling she know a lot, actually. Tonight I meditating on spells for finding this Marri. I think maybe a solid idea that visiting this Chicken Bone. I agree on everyone's ideas and thinkings thus far. These stones, might be a good idea to find out who makes them, or what is their purpose. Mage can cast spell for this but I is no mage. Maybe a spell to see about the candles. Who made them or what in them better question."

The red haired man scratches his beard in thought. His eyes light up and he smiles, looking at all three. Souragnien"I thinking and remembering as well. The citizens in Port d'Elhour are believe that faith of Homme Broché been preserved since old old times by people of Marais de Tarascon. The people in Marais de Tarascon believe that Homme Broché cult coming inside Port d'Elhour. Yes, that is I remembering."

[Ail]

"Soooo... someone is spreading false truths. Both cities think the cult comes from somewhere else so they don't have to find people actually knowing much about it. It must have been invented very recently, but I guess we knew that already."

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Speaking of things we don't know...." says Lucien, "Zumba, I wasn't going to ask, but since you raised it a moment ago, was there anything in your Tarokka reading you want to discuss?"

[Guzrath]

"I think you misunderstanding me, Vincent. I say all kinds of gods in my land, not just Lathander. Unless I not understanding you, my friend.

"Yes, you misunderstood me" he says "I said it's the only thing we recognized from where you are, not that he's the only one."

"I thinking and remembering as well. The citizens in Port d'Elhour are believe that faith of Homme Broché been preserved since old old times by people of Marais de Tarascon. The people in Marais de Tarascon believe that Homme Broché cult coming inside Port d'Elhour. Yes, that is I remembering."

Vincent stops in the middle of his drink. "Now that messieurs" he says, pointing at Goren "is putting things in perspective". He raises his glass to Goren "Santé" and takes another drink,

"Zumba, I wasn't going to ask, but since you raised it a moment ago, was there anything in your Tarokka reading you want to discuss?"

Looking at Zumba "and are you sure you want to share?" he asks with a teasing smile.

He suddenly stands up "Messieurs, I have to apologise, he bows to the three, but you will have to excuse me. I am no adept in magic, nor in the culture of this land. As an extra I'm hoping to taste some of the latter later this evening and I need to prepare. I know you will continue fine without me, I have shared my knowledge." he waves his hand over the table. Looking a little bit inebriated he continues "Depending on how my night ends I may join you later this evening, but don't wait up. Enjoy your drinks." he says smiling and bows again.
He then walks away up to his room as if nothing important is going on.

[Ail]

"Well", Zumba turns to Vincent and Lucien, "she kept her hards close of course... a few she read, of course" he said with a grin. "The first ones were clear to me, told about my past. But she told me something for the future... something that has kept me thinking."

He pauses a moment to recall her words.

"She said... I owe a debt of the spirit to someone. She didn't say who. But she said it is someone who helped me in some way, and now is needing some help. It is someone who is lost now, waiting for me to go help. That is it..."