A Stitch in Souragne - La Danse de Mort

[Ken of Ghastria]

Lucien is enjoying his soup and is just about to ask Zumba about Chicken Bone when he sees, no, senses the girl's approach. Her terror is a cold, invisible wave that reaches the table a second before she does.

As she leans over to relight their candle, Lucien slides his hand, palm down, along the table. When the hand is below her face, he turns it over to reveal two gold coins. He knows that, to her, they glimmer in the candlelight. "You're terrified, I know," he whispers. "These coins are yours -- if you tell me why you're terrifed. I can eliminate the reason. You could be free of fear."

If she makes a sudden motion to back away -- with or without grabbing the coins -- Lucien will seize her wrist in his hand, whisper his room number*, and release her.

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*I normally wouldn't assume that a D&D inn would have room numbers, but this one sounds bigger than most.
Is a Diplomacy check needed? If so, and if the empathy power was continuing, then I'll end it now to get a bonus to the roll.

[steveflam]

Goren watches everyone eat but has no urge or even need to. Spying the girl as she approaches, he frowns. He stands and tries to see behind her for maybe he will see what she is afraid of. He doesn't say anything, sure that Lucien will not scare her further. He moves back in the direction she has come from.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

The little Candle Maven does not quite yelp when Lucien reaches out to her, but her feet must have cleared the ground by a goodly five inch. She freezes like a rabbit when he catches her wrist, and starts to shake her head when he mentions his room number. She gabbles out a mixture of Souragnien, Mordentish, and a few words of Darkonese before she flees the dining room, the gold and her burning taper left behind.

It only takes a moment of contemplation for all of you to realize that what the girl said to Lucien adds up to her protesting that she is not a prostitute...

Look as he might, Goren sees nothing where the girl came from that should have put such fear into her.

(OOC: The Empathy power was still on. Diplomacy, I'm very sorry to say, is a moot point for the little Candle Maven.)

[Ail]

On any other day, Zumba would have been amused with the protestations of the girl. But not today. Not after the reading, not in the midst of an air so tente as the one that has hung over Souragne in recent times.

"Perhaps someone should try to calm the girl. Or look for another way to find what's happening to her. It could be us.... or someone else. Anyways... let me try one thing."

He gets up and walks to the bar. There he tries to make some friendly chatter with the bar keeper and understand what has the general mood in Marais de Tarascon been like in the last month or so. If possible, he will try to understand where the candle maven comes from and how long she's been with the inn.

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Well," says Lucien with a casual smile as he replaces his gold, "that wasn't ideal. A mystery for tomorrow, perhaps." He returns to his meal. Any thought of the girl seems to have vanished as he again focuses on the group's bigger problem. "Now... Zumba. Let me ask you--"

"Perhaps someone should try to calm the girl. Or look for another way to find what's happening to her. It could be us.... or someone else. Anyways... let me try one thing."

He gets up and walks to the bar.

"Damnation," he mutters to Vincent. "My own fault, I suppose, for raising the topic. Yes, yes, that's what happens when I don't stay focused." He looks toward Zumba and the barkeeper. Even though they're too far away, he appears to be listening intently.

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Lucien uses 3 pp to manifest clairvoyant sense and direct his eyes and ears to what's happening on the other side of the door through which the girl fled. He can still converse normally at the table, but he may seem ... distracted.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Zumba:

The bartender is open to some chatter. Souragnien: "The mood? The mood is a bit tense, yes? The drought, you know. We should be seeing rain, praise the Loah. Then again, we have seen no rain, praise the Loah."

The bartender makes a warding gesture at this, which Zumba should be familiar with.

"It's worrisome, how none of the Voodan have been able to bring rain, nor the good priests at Ezra's Temple," the bartender continues. "Not to mention the Voodan for the new Loah, this Homme Broché, who came over from Port d'Elhour. No bad business, but they're a bit... off, you know? Makes you feel like bad business could come at any time.

The candle girl? She came around early yesterday, said she knows candles. And she does, she's been working round the clock. She bought some good stock for small money, and she was taking care of everything fine until just now. Bit nervous, isn't she?

Now, then. How are you gentlemen liking the drinks with your dinner?"

Clairvoyant TV:

The candle girl has fled into a room set apart for the servants. She has collapsed onto a crate made up to look like a chair and is sobbing into her hands while an older servant is patting her shoulder.

Souragnien: "Marri, Marri dear," the older woman cooes, a mixture of confusion and compassion on her face. "Calm down. M'selle would never let a guest manhandle you unless you agreed to it yourself, we all know you're not a whore."

The candle maven, Marri, continues to sob. "I... have... to... get... out of... here," she manages to say. "Oh! Oh! Wh... when M... M'selle pays... pays me, I... I... Oh!"

[steveflam]

As Goren is returning, he spies the girl fleeing. He sees the taper she left behind and and frowns. Picking it up, he moves to where Zumba is with the bartender. He coughs to announce his presence. He arrives after the conversation. Souragnien "Pardoning my intrusion, Zumba and sir."

He looks at the bartender as he asks Souragnien "This young lady, she lives here? She seeming to be afraid. Enough to leave her candle. Might I be in the knowing of where I can find her if this is not much of a troubling to you, sir. I priest Lathander and maybe help her if being this is possible."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Souragnien: "Sorry, sir," the bartender says with a polite smile. "M'selle's rules: upstairs stays upstairs, and downstairs stays downstairs. Which is fancy language for saying servants don't go into the guest rooms unless invited, and guests aren't invited into the servant rooms. I'll take that for you, if you like." He holds out his hand to take the taper.

[steveflam]

Goren nods and hands it over. He looks at Zumba and looks over at the table, then returns to the table. Sitting, he looks at everyone.

Souragnien "I thinking that these men in white working for evil person, as woman with cards relayed to me in her explaining these cards. Not a very good news, I fear. What do you making of her read of these odd looking cards?"

[Ail]

Zumba thanks the bar keeper and adds

"The new Loah, you say. I saw them in Port d'Elhour, but I don't know much about them. Are they here also? They seemed to be everywhere in Port d'Elhour. How is it here in Marais de Tarascon?"

[Ail]

He then hushes into a very muffled tone.

"Tell me what you think. Without rain... He does not come to gather His share... but people are still dying, no? Do you think something is happening to the Lord?"

[Guzrath]

Vincent sees the scene unfold before his eyes, behind his glass of wine. He looks at the girl running away. He has seen that reaction more than once. He doesn't react he just sits back watching.

"Damnation," he mutters to Vincent. "My own fault, I suppose, for raising the topic. Yes, yes, that's what happens when I don't stay focused." He looks toward Zumba and the barkeeper. Even though they're too far away, he appears to be listening intently.

Vincent shrugs apolegetic and takes another sip.
"Good wine indeed and finally something to eat." he says smiling.
Seeing Lucien distracted.
"Lucien? Hey, do not forget your those delicious aromas coming from your plate." almost touching Lucien.

"This must be one of the most chaotic evening meals I have had in my life" he mumbles with a very slight slur. He takes a bite and rejoices. Looking around the room at the other people in the inn. Avoiding to look at the card-reader.

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Lucien? Hey, do not forget your those delicious aromas coming from your plate." almost touching Lucien.

"Hmmm? Oh yes, I will not forget," says Lucien, as he dismisses his clairvoyance and returns his attention to the table. "That candle girl is certainly in a hurry to leave the inn, spurred on by something that terrifies her much more than my gentle touch." He feigns innocence. "I wonder what...?"

"Ah, Goren, yes, you asked about the Tarokka?"

After Goren describes the reading that he received from the card reader, Lucien says, "I've traveled enough and seen enough to know that Tarokka readings shouldn't be casually dismissed. That's why most people are afraid of the cards. They see too much. So, the cards suggested that our main adversary -- who I doubt is the person we fought -- is 'someone who sought something good, but made a terrible discovery"? Well, that would fit in well with the theory that we're dealing with someone who was a member of the Church of Ezra and who, possibly acting from good intentions, crossed a dark line and is now trying to turn the people against Ezra and drive the Anchorites out."

[Guzrath]

"That candle girl is certainly in a hurry to leave the inn, spurred on by something that terrifies her much more than my gentle touch." He feigns innocence. "I wonder what...?

"I can imagine a few things. Priests comes to mind." he blurts and then freezes for a very small moment. He quickly takes a sip from his wine.

Well, that would fit in well with the theory that we're dealing with someone who was a member of the Church of Ezra and who, possibly acting from good intentions, crossed a dark line and is now trying to turn the people against Ezra and drive the Anchorites out.

Vincent takes a bite and nods in agreement.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

The barkeeper shrugs to Zumba's first question. Souragnien: "They hang about. It's mostly the people who are starting to break under the strain. Workers, fired from plantations where the crops are withering in the field despite their best efforts. Parents, grandparents, whose children died in the sickness that came up out of the swamp a few weeks ago. They picket the big Church and the shrines, and sing their horrible songs about how we're all going to be judged and sentenced if we don't drive out Ezra and the other Loah, but they haven't hurt anyone that I know. They're sick in their hearts and their heads, they're practically Lost Ones. Wish they'd wander back to Port d'Elhour, where I hear it said their cult comes from. At least when they talk about themselves, they say the folk in Port d'Elhour maintained the faith of L'Homme Broché and we forget down here in Marais de Tarascon. They may be right; I sure as sure never heard of him before the drought started - but I'll show him respect, as I do all the Loah. I know my place."

At Zumba's second question, the bartender makes a powerful warding gesture and a look of fear crosses his face. "People are dying the way they should. Sickness, like what came from the swamp, as I told you. Accidents. The heat and dehydration. I would not dare say the Lord of the Dead is weakening; I know my place and it is clearly not so, no matter what L'Homme Broché's worshipers say. I honour all the Loah, but that, I can not believe. You should see a Voodan to learn more of the Loah, friend, and I do not claim to be a Voodan. I know my place."