A Stitch in Souragne: Symbols of a Fallen Loah

[Ken of Ghastria]

"....apparently so, Goren," says Lucien in reply to the priest. In his mind, he hears Claude's concern, which - not surprisingly - matches his own. So, Goren is to be the 'horse'? That doesn't sound ... ennobling, does it?

Leave it be, Claude, Lucien silently retorts. Certainly, the stakes seem to be greater than what my employer thought. He glances at his cursed, withered hand. The cost has been greater, of that there's no doubt.

"Let us be off when you're ready, Zumba," he says finally.

[Ail]

"I am ready now", Zumba says earnestly. He looks at Orda and recognizes in her the same need for action.

"And I think she is too", he says with a smile. "If that's what Mama Souragne wants, nay, needs, then I am ready to go, and as soon as possible is better."

He takes a bit of earth from the island, puts it in his pocket and in his amulet pouch, and then heads towards the raft.

[A G Thing]

Orda flinches slightly from the spirits words, but says or does nothing other than restrain herself from speaking aloud as she pretends not to be affected.

She waits as the others seem to get ready to depart and when Zumba speaks, she nods in agreement and also eagerly sets off for the boat though she tries to make her steps seem normal the haste and tension is obvious.

"Now that we know, let us go and do what we must."

She gets in position to get the boat moving when the others are ready and tell her where to go.

[steveflam]

Goren walks to the boat, silent. As he spies Orda for the first time up close, he does something he never does... stare! Quickly he averts his eyes and gets on the boat.... mumbling something in a low voice "Stupid.... stupid.. stupid.... she's just a woman..... *sigh* .... and beautiful too...."

He is blushing and avoiding any eye contact with Orda.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Son of Souragne," the Maiden calls before Zumba can leave her circle. "Wait. There... Yes. There was something I had to say."

The withering Loah looks at you all with slightly more animation. "Son of Souragne. When you reach the meanest shadow of the Lord of the Dead, you must bear away the blade."

Her eyes turn to Lucien. "Son of the treacherous blood, when you face the shadow that harms to harden, you must bear away the mask."

Finally, her gaze turns to Orda, and there is empathy enough in her eyes to make a stone weep. "When you face the Baron, child, you face not only the terror of that which defiles death, but also the vilest aspects of life. Be wary and be brave. When you find the cloak, you must be the one to bear it away."

The Maiden of the Swamp rises, and somehow draws the majesty of the Land about her; she becomes a majestic figure of raw vitality, full of power that continues to strive and grow despite all the dark forces lined up against it. "Live or die, succeed or fail, know that you go with the blessing of the Land. All that is good acknowledges your effort, and it shall not be in vain. Go now."

When the moment passes, the Maiden is gone. But where she stood, a new sapling is growing. It grows tall and straight until it reaches the height of a tall man, all without sprouting twigs or leaves -- and then snaps off at the base. A natural quarterstaff, covered in gleaming bark, lies at your feet. A gift from the Land, perhaps?

[Ail]

Zumba hears the words of the Maiden devoutly, very surprised for her last outburst of energy. And then, as the quarterstaff grows out of the land, he approaches it, intrigued. He takes it up, weighs it in his hand, measures it up, and says...

"Suppose this is for us. I'm sure it will have some kind of enchantment. I can use a weapon like this, but would anyone like to take it instead?"

He offers it around, waiting for the others' answer.

[A G Thing]

Orda halts without looking to listen to the words the Maiden speaks. It is jarring to her to stop her stride but she does so. A sudden proclamation about their and her future and duty though she does not look back she hears the sorrow in the spirits voice.

This Baron Anton Misroi who defiles death and the most vile parts of life. Her need of courage and to be wary. And a claim that she must bear an item of the regalia. The spirit spoke with such emotion Orda wondered as if it really knew her past. She had survived that circumstance. She could surely brave this one... She lowers her head grimly at the words but clenches tensely again her hands into a fist.

As the voice fades her head rises back to an even stare and she again strides forward to take her place on the raft.

With an attentive glance back at Zumba's words, she shakes her head at his question about the staff. Her own weapons were all she needed. Besides the knowledge of what her role should be was enough for her.

Bear away the cloak. Very well.

Not looking back to the island again she began to think on what bothered her so on it as again she felt the tension in her fists. She knew to fear the spirits and respect them so this maidens words would be heeded but her own thoughts made her wonder if just maybe she was being tricked. Such kindness from a creature that was not mortal put her more on edge than comforted her. Still she felt that she would calm as soon as they left.

Still as she glanced about she noticed Goren seemed to be distracted and flush. She wondered if he was perhaps as ready to act as well and assuming that perhaps was it when she noticed a slight smile on his lips allowed herself to accept that as right.

With such her own grim look settled into a more steeled but calm look as the began to move forward and away from the island. She dismissed her doubts a bit at the thought of her allies bravery and turned her resolve a bit more to the task ahead.

[Ail]

Zumba nods at Orda. Then he looks at the staff again
"I'm sure there is some magic in it, spiritcraft, maybe, but I don't know magic. Could you..." he looks at Goren and Lucien "... would any of you study this staff? It may have something in it besides serving to fight."

He waves it around, rather awkwardly, trying to ellicit some magic from it. He touches the ground with it, point first, almost hoping to see something sprout from there... but that wouldn't make much sense, anyway.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

As Zumba swings the staff around, he feels a surge of power in the wood. In simple terms, this is the finest weapon he has ever held in his life! When the startled Capoeira grounds the staff, he feels a brief pulse pass between the land and his weapon, but there is no visible effect... this time.

OOC: Yes, you might want to check for magic, peeps. ^^

[Ken of Ghastria]

Lucien is taken aback by the Maiden's words. So specific, so knowing.... He has always fancied himself an expert in discovering secrets that others would keep hidden. But this woman, this spirit, makes his mental talents seem feeble by comparison.

Still, for all her vaunted power, she is dying, and she needs the help of mortals. That brings him some satisfaction.

"Well," he says, "it seems we have our assigned duties." With a bow toward the Maiden, he begins moving away.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

The stench.

The fog.

The deepening silence.

These are the constants for your trip into the darkest depths of the swamp.
Oh, the sun continues to beat down from above, heat like a lead weight that makes the air almost unbreathable, but the light? That is shut out after a while. Even leafless, the interlocked branches of the swamp's hardwood and deadwood towers guarantee darkness.
The rolling clouds of fog that come to greet you only intensify the murk. After a while, you are forced to light torches or call on minor magic to be able to see where you are going. And you know where you are going. You knew the moment you stepped off the Maiden's Island, all of you knew where you were going.

You are going into Death's Domain.

The feeling that you are being watched is strong. From time to time, there are furtive movements in the corner of your eyes and odd slitherings in the muck you are rowing through.
OOC: Spot check, DC18.
Despite the sensation that you are being observed, there are no obstructions. And then the world starts to brighten again. Oddly enough, you hear a distant strain of music. Zumba may recognize it as a Souragnien workers' song. Around the same time, you start to see beautiful, unusually large flowers growing between the trees, just as those start to grow further apart, as well as some sort of quick-growing green herb that seems to be colonizing both the lower tree trunks and roots and the surface of the muck.
OOC: Knowledge (nature) DC18 and 15.

You emerge into something uncanny.
The air is fresh. A vision of lush greenery stuns your senses.
Before you lies the shore, some distance up the shore an iron gate has been raised, and beyond the gate begins a fine-looking plantation. Native Souragniens and paler people are working side by side in the fields. None of the plants seem to be withering, and the land looks lush and fertile. In the centre of all this wonderful greenery stands an old, slightly dilapidated manor house.

OOC: You have arrived at the Misroi Estate. The sight and feel of the place is so refreshing and wholesome that those still injured recover half their hp. Take a +1 to Will saves until the next dawn rises.

[Ail]

Zumba glides on the raft, unaware of his surroundings, eager to leave the dark tunnel behind and go back into the light. But when he does, the suddeness with which it happens leaves him stunned and without reaction. It's only some moments later that he notices that here, the draught did not affect the land.

"The land is green, the land is fresh!" he cries to the others. "See, here Souragne lives".

He does not pause to reflect on what that means, maybe he feels inside, institnctively, that there must be some sinister reason for that, but he leaves that to more competent thinkers than he. He instead looks at the plantation, and involuntarily a shudder goes down his spine. Old memories surface that he tries to repress, until the raft touches the shore.

OOC:

Spot: 15
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4187644/
Knowledge: 14,8
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4187642/

[A G Thing]

*******
Before they reach the estate and directly after they left the island.
*******
Orda, noticing the others examining the strange staff for magical properties thinks about something for a moment.

She sets her pack down and begins to unwrap from her clothes several bottles she had saved all this time since her departure.

Looking to Goren and Lucien she speaks up loudly. "Are these of use as well?" She looks at the bottles with only slight glances to Lucien or Goren. "I got them from a fey long ago..."

She had never used them, since she did not trust them completely and also since she could not figure out what they were. She still is not comfortable with them but as a gift from a fey creature she respects that they could be very useful.

She had yet to have any reason to try and use them before, but now perhaps they could tell her if they would be of use now.

OOC: If rock would be so kind as to reveal these in a separate post should someone try to figure them out for Orda.
Each separate type of potion.
#1

VIEW CONTENT:

Cure Light Wounds x 5

#2

VIEW CONTENT:

Hide From Animals x 1

#3

VIEW CONTENT:

Hide From Undead x 1

#4

VIEW CONTENT:

Magic Weapon x 1

#5

VIEW CONTENT:

Pass Without Trace x 3

#6

VIEW CONTENT:

Enlarge Person x 1

#7

VIEW CONTENT:

Reduce Person x 1

#8

VIEW CONTENT:

Bulls Strength x 1

#9

VIEW CONTENT:

Endure Elements x 3

*******
As currently written.
*******

Glancing about Orda cannot help but be unnerved as she sees nothing of note in the dense swamp land as she pushes with the pole. She is somewhat distracted by thoughts and planning but as the scene starts to shift to one of a beautiful plantation she is oddly unnerved by the shift. Noticing the pale people working the fields however she knows to refocus and prepares herself for what is to come.

Orda's Spot Check

VIEW CONTENT:

1d20+5 → [12,5] = (17)
Link
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4187872/

[Rock of the Fraternity]

As you all step off the raft, the iron gate swings open, seemingly by itself.

A fine, black carriage is rumbling down the path from the plantation house, pulled by two fine, black stallions with black plumes attached to their mane. A man in a butler's frock sits in the driver's seat, flicking his whip at the horses' backs.

The carriage comes to a smooth stop in front of you. You can smell the horses' sweat as they snort and whicker. You can smell -- a truly overwhelming amount of aftershave from the rather pale-looking butler as he hops down and opens the carriage door for you.
"The Baron is expecting you," the man wheezes.
His breath is truly foul, but the carriage's interior looks fine, indeed. Imperial purple fabric covers the seats, and there appears to be mini-bar, fixed carefully in place.

[Ail]

Zumba has little time to think on the meaning of the perfume over-indulgence. He does not care much about the finery either. He doesn't have good memories of plantations... not many, anyway, and he wants to get this over as fast as possible.

He just enters the coach at once.


OOC: nice touch with the after-shave. I LOL'd. Did you ?