Café de Nuit

Lucien, having nothing on hand to bind the pinned creature, looks over at Goren. "Arcane help? All right... excuse me, monsieurs," he says, giving a polite nod to Vincent and Zumba.

He walks over to the coach, increasingly aware of the foul stench coming from the corpses. He looks at the red-haired man, his gaze pausing momentarily at the symbol of the Morninglord - not the most common sight either here or in Darkon. Sensing a possible language barrier based on the man's earlier comments, Lucien places a hand on his chest and says, "Lucien." He then looks down at the area that Goren was examining. "What have you found?"

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Rock, please describe what Lucien sees, as the scene seems to have changed from the earlier posts.

Zumba thanks Vincent for his help, and while still holding the creature says

"I have some rope in my pack. Perhaps you could get it for me please, or hold this creature down while I do it myself. Then we'll be able to bind it."

He is not aware of what Goren's asking about. He didn't even notice something had happened to the driver.

Ken of Ghastria wrote:Lucien, having nothing on hand to bind the pinned creature, looks over at Goren. "Arcane help? All right... excuse me, monsieurs," he says, giving a polite nod to Vincent and Zumba.

He walks over to the coach, increasingly aware of the foul stench coming from the corpses. He looks at the red-haired man, his gaze pausing momentarily at the symbol of the Morninglord - not the most common sight either here or in Darkon. Sensing a possible language barrier based on the man's earlier comments, Lucien places a hand on his chest and says, "Lucien." He then looks down at the area that Goren was examining. "What have you found?"

Souragnien: "Name Goren." He points to the dead coachman and the stone. "Is eat all blood, yes? I sense with arcane detecting some Deevinating magic, Necormanticy and Transmorphation..... yes? You see? This why no blood, it eat all. Is ...is......," the man scratches his head ",..... um evil, yes evil suspected. Maybe rider left stone?" He pauses then adds. "Burn, burn dead. Else maybe dead bring disease, yes?"

Vincent nods at Zumba. "but of course, I'm glad to help. Don't let him go anywhere".

He goes the pack and gets the rope and ties up the creature

OOC:
Use rope 25

Lucien crouches down and stares at the rock as Goren speaks. He is visibly shaken by the sounds coming from the stone. "And this is the first time you have seen something like this happen?" he asks.

After hearing the answer, he seems to focus even more on the stone, and the feeling of frustration that has nagged at him since his arrival returns. "Yes, yes, burn them...," he finally says in a vague voice. "You're quite right." Regaining his sense of the here and now, he continues in a stronger tone, "But this stone needs to be examined... Goren, yes? Is there a blanket in that carriage, or something that we can use to cover this stone up and remove it without any of us actually touching it? Necromantic stone, oh yes, rather not any of us touch that."

He then begins aiding Goren in the unpleasant task of gathering the corpses of the fallen.

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Knowledge (arcana) check was a bust. 1d20+10=11

Rock, when you say "large stone," how large exactly? Is this something that looks like it could be dug out of the earth?

Souragnien: "Yes, first rock of magic see." Goren frowns, unsatisfied with his words but sure he is at least getting his point across. Lucien's words about the dead give the red haired man an idea about how to carry the stone.

He points at the coachman's clothes, then to the stone. Souragnien: "Good, no touch stone. Use died people's garments for carry stone, yes? Look close at stone when arrive place we go is gooder. Forget name but I sure Zumba know or maybe Vincent, well not forget is strange name from me, I sorry." Goren goes about the grim job of gathering the corpses, glad for Lucien's help.

Tying up the creature proves a challenge, but it is one that Zumba and Vincent are more than a match for. Trussed up like a solstice turkey, the monster can do nothing but throw its freakish head from side to side and shriek what sounds like insults in whatever language it is using.

When Goren and Lucien start about the work of collecting the corpses, they make a new discovery. The top of the stone has become as smooth as glass thanks to its recent bloodbath. The too-bright sun reflects off the red-stained surface, and reveals an inscription that has become beautifully clear, almost as if a master artisan had taken some time with what the white rock.

Engraved in the glossy surface is a vulpine head, with two bird's wings behind it.

Underneath the head is an arrow, pointing into the swamp.

Underneath the arrow stand three words in Souragnien: "Come to me".

The noise that was coming from the stone ends as if it had been cut off with a knife as soon as you remove the body of the poor coachman.

(OOC: The stone is large enough to put a grown man on it, but if you try to shift it you find it is relatively light. The four of you working together could probably roll it wherever you want to take it, though carrying it would be troublesome in the long run. The horses could certainly help shift the stone, provided you can get it inside the coach or rig some sort of travois to put it on.)

Souragnien: "Need more help carry stone, Lucien. See they tie monstrous birdman, can help. Maybe they help carry with we make wooden cart,,, small ,,,,, carries to carriage..... insert in carriage.... good, yes? Important study stone, learn of rider. Symbols is strange...... you know?"

After tying up the creature Vincent looks at Zumba "Now what? You have questions for him?".
He takes out his handkerchief "How awfull, it is as usefull as a wet towel because of the immense heat" he says looking at the handkerchief and tucks it back in his breast pocket. "If you do not mind, I'll be gathering my possessions before that coach runs off with it. Now that would be quite unfortunate I have to say." He feels the arrow wound "I will need some new appropriate clothing as well, I look awfull. All this blood and sweat." he says looking at the dried blood on his hands. "Which reminds me", he looks at Zumba, "you, me and mister Priest, we need to have a good conversation about tactics. Throw in a good glass of wine and see what we can come up with. We clearly had the skill to easily take on this group of mal-intended creatures, but next time might be different and ......." he suddenly stops midway in his rant. "Never mind, we'll see about this later." He turns around and walks to the coach to grab his pack. He looks at Goren and Lucien handling the bodies and analyzing the stone while walking to the coach "What are you doing messieurs?" he asks while grabbing his pack.

"Thank you for your help, master Vincent."

He then tries to calm the creature, speaking soothingly.

"Wait, calm down. We don't want to hurt you. We're friends. Just tell us who you are. What happened to you. What is your name, where you come from, why you attacked us. We don't want to kill you, we just defended ourselves."

He looks around at the others, and glances at them trying to move a large rock. Deciding he'll worry about that later, unless the others need him, he turns to the captive and resumes his efforts to make it say anything useful.

Goren looks at Vincent. Souragnien: "I and Lucien we want move magical evil stone.... Necromantcy radiation. Need burn dead so no diseases. And want inspection stone later. It eated all man's blood and make evil noise. I..... ask Lucien he better explain than me."

Goren blushes and is a little frustrated at his inabilty to completely converse with these nice people.

"Master" he repeats to himself as he walks away from Zumba. After grabbing his pack he walks over to Groen and Lucien.

Vincent smiles at Goren's explanation, as if enjoying his inability to speak the language fluently. He restrains himself from laughing out loud as he sees Goren blushing. "You charge into battle with no fear, yet you are ashamed that you don't speak fluently" he says clapping him on the shoulder. "So, evil magic stone and you want move it? Doesn't really sounds like a good idea to me, especially if it is Necromantic as you say." He shrugs and sighs "On the other hand, I don't know anything about magic." he adds. Looking at Lucien "So.... do you have a better explanation monsieur?" "Or maybe our hostage may know more."

Lucien directs Vincent's attention to the stone, pointing out the strange, sinister-looking engraving, the arrow that points into the swamp, and the three words.

"'Come to me,'" Lucien repeats, then he looks in the direction of the arrow. "I recommend not touching the stone with your bare flesh, Monsieur Faussé. It efficiently sucked out whatever life was still in your poor coachman. I've seen similar stones around this area. I suspect we might see more information if the other stones were, well, 'fed' ... but I also suspect that would be a very bad thing to do. Still, I'd like to take one of these stones. Considering what it did to the coachman, it may offer clues on the malady that's plaguing Souragne....

"Monsieurs Faussé, Goren, and, well, you, good sir with the staff, my apologies... just who was that man you fought?"

"Let's try and see what happens if we feed it more." He shows the palm of his hand and a dagger.

"As for the man on the horse. I must disappoint you, I am at a complete blank about this mysterious man. He does have a penchant for our collective human hides and he has the extraordinary ability to lose every confrontation, but even so, to escape our grasp." he says using gestures to accentuate his telling.

"I am curious, monsieur, you said you have seen similar stones. You have been investigating something on your own behalf?" he asks.

Zumba:

Ail wrote:Zumba tries to calm the creature, speaking soothingly.

"Wait, calm down. We don't want to hurt you. We're friends. Just tell us who you are. What happened to you. What is your name, where you come from, why you attacked us. We don't want to kill you, we just defended ourselves."

The creature's all too human eyes roll like a bird's, then... focus on Zumba as the Capoeira speaks to him. For a moment, he could swear a person, a human person, is looking at him out of that malformed skull. A person in hideous torment that goes beyond pain. The eagle's beak opens and muttered words in Souragnien spill out: Souragnien: "She... He... Death... Pain... Death... Give me... give me... g-give... My soul... I... Give me..."

The moment passes, and what looks at Zumba out of those eyes is almost insane with fury at being tied up. The beak opens wider, revealing double rows of teeth inside, and the creature snaps at him, trying in vain to tear a chunk of meat out of his shoulder. "Shkeru!" the monster shrieks at it struggles and thrashes. "Nam-yag shkeru! Shkeru!"

Goren, Lucien, Vincent:
Even as you debate moving the stone, flies start to descend on the slick of fresh, red blood on the stone. For a moment, a squirming, black blanket covers the smooth surface. But only for a moment. The flies take off in a rush, swarming over to the corpses, and leaving... a rather dull-looking stone. Certainly, it's white and so stands out a little this close to the swamp, but the engraving is completely gone.