A Stitch in Souragne: Symbols of a Fallen Loah

[steveflam]

"Yes I accompagner you, Zumba. But must tell who is Anton Misroi exactly?"

[Ail]

Zumba turns to Goren and Lucien, for the moment ignoring Orda's answer. He's not much of a blade user, and his fighting style calls for a more intimate contact with his enemies. Undead enemies, moreover controlled by dark Loahs, sure are not comfortable adversaries, if such a thing exists.

"I mean to search the Maiden of the Swamp first. I hope she can help us, better leave the plantation to the end. Misroi? Never heard the name before, but the Chicken Bone says he's his master, so he can only be the Lord of the Dead".

He is sweating, nervous and with a superstitious fear dancing in his eyes.
"He is he that brings death in the night, when he goes on a horse's back as the rain falls. He is he that calls death to him again and makes her work for himself and do his bidding. He is he that mocks death in her eyes by making walk the things she had laid low. He is the Lord of the Dead, and the Dead are his for him to command. The most powerful and dread Loah in all of Souragne."

He covers his face in his big hands as he says this, and sighs.

"We shall have to go to him, it seems, but I will do so only after I have spoken with the Maiden and asked her for help. But before that..."

he now turns to Chicken Bone and says, pleedingly

"can you ask your master to save us, oh mighty Voodan? Shall we need any tokens to pass into the realm of the Dead and come back still part of this world?"

[Guzrath]

Vincent's hand slowly moves to his weapon when Chicken bone becomes larger, but otherwise doesn't move.
His face turns to one of disappointment when he hears the story. Disappointment and amazement. First of all, he won't be on time back for his little adventure with Molliana.
Then, he didn't expect this would become so complicated. "At what point, did this become this twisted?" he asks himself. "This can't be the real story. This man just knows how to tell them right." he thinks.

"Well they are foul. But a blade can kill them right?"

"Apparently so" he replies. "Since we did just that" he adds politely

"Would you come with me?"

"The Maiden? Why don't we just go to this Misroi fellow? He seems to actually know something." he asks surprised.

"He is he that brings death in the night, when he goes on a horse's back as the rain falls. He is he that calls death to him again and makes her work for himself and do his bidding. He is he that mocks death in her eyes by making walk the things she had laid low. He is the Lord of the Dead, and the Dead are his for him to command. The most powerful and dread Loah in all of Souragne."

"mortal shade!" he thinks to himself "not the lord itself"
Vincent sighs, rolling his eyes. He definetly senses the fearfull reactions, but he is determined not to let stories put the fear in him. Moreover, he doesn't know these people well enough to trust their reactions.
"Well if he is that dangerous, I suggest we be very carefull and be well prepared. At this point I don't see how this 'Maiden' comes into the picture though. Anton Misroi has the information we need to save this land, why would we divert?" he asks curiously. He waits for a reasonable answer, because he can't come up with any.

[Ail]

"The Maiden is my Loah of devotion, Vincent. She is my protector. I will not go to the House of the Dead of free will, and certainly not without all the blessings I can find first."

It is plain to see that Zumba takes this really serious. He may be able to deal with other fears: men, evil priest, even zombies. But clearly the Lord of the Dead strikes a terror in him that is bordering on the absolute. All his Souragnien spirit, the traditions he brings from the cradle within, revolt at the thought of seeking deliberately that which every Souragnien learns to fear and avoid even before he learn to speak.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Chicken Bone smiles - briefly.
"Baron Misroi is my Master's mortal shade, boy," he says to Zumba. "He is great, and he carries the majesty of the Lord of the Dead, but he is no Loah. You will stray close to the Land of the Dead, but you will not enter it - unless you fail to give proper respect to my Master's shade in this world."

To Lucien, he shakes his head.
"The ones who serve L'Homme Broché, the Stitched Man... One of them wields a power that I do not understand. She raised the elements against me, yet did not speak to the Land, not as I understand it. A Druid, a Voodan... Those, I could have fought. Those, I could have cut off from their power. This woman... I spoke my prayers, and they could not touch her magic, could not encompass it. It is limited in some ways, but powerful. All I could do was defend against it, and keep my defences strong against their zombi, so their death throes, when they feasted on my barriers, did not touch me. Much.

This knowledge I give you is the only shield I can provide. That, and the wand, which you have used so freely."

[steveflam]

"So what we do now," the red haired priest asks his companions " Excusez moi Monsieur Chicken Bone, mais I pensez nous fini ici. We decider nous what we do. I think about me but remember I hate undead, you no. Not facile to changez my ideas like that, Monsieur. Easy" he points at Chicken Bone, face and eyes steady, not afraid of the man "you to say, but moi have my ideals. MErci pour tous your help. I leave now. I wait outside for friends."

Turning to Orda he asks "You accompany us? I thinking it good for us and you be together. Uh, oui, I asking you come with us Madame." Goren blushes redder than his face and looks down before looking at his companions and the door. He turns and exits the hut.

[A G Thing]

Orda listens to Vincent and nods as he confirms her suspicion... With her main concern answered she nods and then lets the others continue.

"Good..." Her voice is grave but also has a sense of eagerness to it... She is ready to deal with her anger as she has become used to.

The others speak to Chicken Bone and still the tension seems to go back and forth, till Goren speaks up again and seems offended at the elder mans words. Still, Goren soon seems to ask her if she is going to join with them, at least she thinks so from what she heard him say, which she had both considered and been considering. As the man's face becomes flush and he turns away however, he leaves the hut again. She looks to Lucien to get his attention. Then when he looks she speaks.

"I will be outside as well... I want to stand up..."

Orda then with a look of acknowledgement to each of the others, and a nod to Chicken Bone as a sign of at least respect, she ducks a little more as she exits the hut.

The others may think it important to hear what Chicken Bone had to say but Goren it seemed did not accept such. She also felt the familiar hatred of those who claimed power through magics and spirits but she also knew that to judge all such was wrong. Still she felt such anger that she had been holding back and that is why she had been quite. She did not wish to slip in her attempt to disguise how much she despised him for being what he appeared to be. Still she would not do anything, for even though he was seemingly vile, he was not her enemy though. She knew however she would never work with him outside such stakes as now. She did not even like forcing herself to trust him. But this one time with so much happening she was willing to take the chance she could believe him.

So having heard all she could stomach she left these others who she found herself perhaps allied with, to listen for awhile. For these, and other reasons, she too had become tired of the tension in there and while perhaps the dead wandered outside the house she did not have to crouch and could at least feel the sky above her. Walking up and standing next to Goren she looks over the area, glancing at the undead and without much notice just begins to speak to the man.

"Too small in there..." She then stretches a bit and continues. "I came for a good fight. And we seem to be on the same...? same... road?!? Well the fight is where you are going. So I will go that way as well."

She says it simply as if a matter of fact. Still she is less tense for the moment and the calm measure of those words seem to show she is more comfortable outside saying this, then anything she said inside the hut. The only sign of tension easy to notice is her arm muscles ready to tense while watching the wandering undead.

[steveflam]

Goren thinks he is the only one who will come outside immediately and is surprised when Orda exits as well. He didn't like
acting as he did with the elder man, but feels action is needed right now. That, and being around undead creeps him out
more than he cares to admit. Well he did, but it isn't good to keep your emotions inside.

He tries his best ignore the undead all around them, looking at Orda as she speaks.

"I, uh, oui, is small in there. I just not comfortable with mort-vivants. I trained to destroy, yet they helping us.
Man Chicken Bone think I wrong, But i know in my heart, I right. This not same place as moi home. Very different. I adjust
slowly, I think. You look like person ready for action, no questions asked. Is how you is. I same, with undead. Orda, your
name, yes? Good. I, um, I ask, where you come from? You a real Frost Giantess?"

He looks out into the swamp, pensive. "I from Waterdeep, near Cormyr. I not knowing parents. You say we on same road...
maybe we on same side? Not be sure of words, not my language."

[Ken of Ghastria]

The more Chicken Bone says about Misroi, the less Lucien likes what he hears. Still, it seems that their options are few, and they did seek out Chicken Bone for advice, after all....

To Lucien, he shakes his head.
"The ones who serve L'Homme Broché, the Stitched Man... One of them wields a power that I do not understand. She raised the elements against me, yet did not speak to the Land, not as I understand it. A Druid, a Voodan... Those, I could have fought. Those, I could have cut off from their power. This woman... I spoke my prayers, and they could not touch her magic, could not encompass it. It is limited in some ways, but powerful. All I could do was defend against it, and keep my defences strong against their zombi, so their death throes, when they feasted on my barriers, did not touch me. Much.

This knowledge I give you is the only shield I can provide. That, and the wand, which you have used so freely."

Lucien nods, though his thoughts are occupied with Chicken Bone's description of the woman's talent. He finally says, "I understand... I wish there was more, but I understand." In his mind, he hears Claude say, Hmmm, perhaps this is another person with abilities of the mind, like yourself, Lucien? I wonder....

Putting that to the side - at least for the moment - he looks at Vincent and Zumba, as Orda has already joined Goren at the entrance. "Zumba, I'll be guided by your knowledge of this. If this is what has to be done, then we'll do it."

Zumba - and only Zumba - will also hear Claude's telepathic voice in his mind: And Lucien adds that if you have unspoken concerns about this, he understands if you would rather discuss them away from Chicken Bone's abode.

[Guzrath]

"The Maiden is my Loah of devotion, Vincent. She is my protector. I will not go to the House of the Dead of free will, and certainly not without all the blessings I can find first."

"Good enough for me. Where do we find this maiden of yours?" he asks

[A G Thing]

Orda looks at the the area but avoids looking at Goren. She is starting to get the idea that she will have to tell him more than she is used to. Most times she only has to say little and then is ignored by others but this man seems not to do such. After a moment of silence to think she works out in her mind what to say.

"The dead should stay dead. I too do not like this. But he is not my enemy yet. I want to fight. It is what I know best. But in this land I only get to lift things. I would leave but I do not have the coin. Yes, my name is Orda. I am human. I know not why I... I... am?! this way from birth. I am also from far away. A land called Vorostokov. It is a cold land out in the mists. As long as you fight with honor and are not my enemy then we are on the same side... Since we have the same fight... I will go where you go."

Not used to saying so much of herself she is now a bit frustrated but also confused by how different his interest in her is. Still this she hopes will explain much.

"So you follow a spirit too? Called Lathander? Some sort of fey, or is it one of these strange Loa or God spirits others talk about?" Orda asks mostly to try and turn the conversation away.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I do not care whether you seek out my Master's inferiors," Chicken Bone tells Zumba with a careless shrug. "But you will do so on the journey to the plantation owned by his mortal shade. And you will tell no one of the fact that he is my Master's mortal shade. None of you. Trust me on this."

The old Voodan lets a moment of silence pass after his threat, then continues: "You will travel deeper into Lac Noir. Find a vessel. Head ever deeper into the swamp. You will find the Baron's plantation soon enough; I will give you something to guide you to him."

Chicken Bone grabs Zumba's wrist, and into his hand he deposits... an undead rat.
"Put him in the marsh, and he will seek out Misroi's home. Now go. Save Souragne. And if you fail, know that my Master will punish you worse than L'Homme Broché could dream of doing."

[steveflam]

Orda looks at the the area but avoids looking at Goren. She is starting to get the idea that she will have to tell him more than she is used to. Most times she only has to say little and then is ignored by others but this man seems not to do such. After a moment of silence to think she works out in her mind what to say.

"The dead should stay dead. I too do not like this. But he is not my enemy yet. I want to fight. It is what I know best. But in this land I only get to lift things. I would leave but I do not have the coin. Yes, my name is Orda. I am human. I know not why I... I... am?! this way from birth. I am also from far away. A land called Vorostokov. It is a cold land out in the mists. As long as you fight with honor and are not my enemy then we are on the same side... Since we have the same fight... I will go where you go."

Not used to saying so much of herself she is now a bit frustrated but also confused by how different his interest in her is. Still this she hopes will explain much.

"So you follow a spirit too? Called Lathander? Some sort of fey, or is it one of these strange Loa or God spirits others talk about?" Orda asks mostly to try and turn the conversation away.

"I worshipping god, Lathander. He not spirit like Loah. I worshipping him like a tribe worship animal spirits. He good god. When I praying him, I pray at sunrise. Lathander very popular for wedding ceremonies et aussi fancy ceremonies. Also Lathander very against undead. I having problem being with undead. I not care what man Chicken Bone say, I never trust or willingly work with undead. I no liking wand Lucien having control undead. Is very wrong. Anyways, that much about Lathander. Um, I fight honorably but I no fighter, not strong physcally. I better served fight wisdomly or with spells."

[Ken of Ghastria]

"I do not care whether you seek out my Master's inferiors," Chicken Bone tells Zumba with a careless shrug. "But you will do so on the journey to the plantation owned by his mortal shade. And you will tell no one of the fact that he is my Master's mortal shade. None of you. Trust me on this."

...

Chicken Bone grabs Zumba's wrist, and into his hand he deposits... an undead rat.
"Put him in the marsh, and he will seek out Misroi's home. Now go. Save Souragne. And if you fail, know that my Master will punish you worse than L'Homme Broché could dream of doing."

Lucien nods at the comment about the "shade," and then stares almost uncomprehendingly at the foul rat that Chicken Bone places in Zumba's hand. It's a wonder that they haven't all been driven mad. Yet.

"Charming," he says finally - a feeble attempt at humor, but it's all he can muster at the moment.

"All right, Zumba, Vincent... you too, Goren, and Orda, yes? If we're to do this, let us be off."

[Ail]

Zumba sullenly agrees with Lucien. He thanks Chicken Bone for his advice and information, and then leaves the hut, tucking the undead mouse in a sachet hanging from his belt.

As he steps outside, a shivers goes through his body, as if the sun felt cold.

"Well... to the swamp, then. I must look for the Maiden, although it's been so many years... I have forgotten."

He shrugs... and then adds, looking at no one in particular.

"The way will appear. It must..."