A Stitch in Souragne: Symbols of a Fallen Loah

[A G Thing]

Goren's words bring Orda to look at him but she only just keeps her head lowered as she listens to his outrage. She is trying to think and react when he blindly moves over but with few tries puts his hand upon hers and squeezes it again. He invites her to leave and be gone from this place and while her fear made it sound good for an instant, her honor made that instant one of guilt.

She hesitates to answer. But after she struggles to find the words and is about to speak, Lucien speaks first and with some force tells Goren of his folly and to sit once more.

Orda gains some of her focus back as her head hangs a bit more. It bothers her some she had hesitated in saying that which she now says.

She lets most of Lucien's words pass as he dealt with the Baron. She knew she could not speak to him so much herself. Her control only went so far. So she concentrated on Goren. Someone she had respected and thought honorable. Like her Grandfather.

"Goren... Lucien is right! And if you leave now. You will give up your honor." Orda says this somewhat firmly but her breathing is labored as if tired from her restraint. Still her slow words sound carefully chosen. The slight tone of sad disappointment mixed behind fearful determination is heard in her words.

"You swore to see this through." She sounds spirited and almost confident if not for her breathing.

"You, me, Lucien and Zumba all... We chose to follow this course!" She holds her breath to calm her words some.

Her next words are quieter but slightly calmer still. "The...Baron is what he is..." She exhales in a rough sigh. "I know it is... hard... to... but we must keep to our word."

She forces her self to sound calm but her hand is tense. "Stay... and do what must be done... We must see it through..." She grips his hand hard as if to show solidarity. The pulse in her small palm showing her fear more in that moment than anything else about her. Still her grip is firm as she waits for him to answer.

[Ail]

Zumba winces at Goren's words. While fully understanding where they come from, he does not approve of them, and is relieved by Lucien's intervention.
Then as Orda finishes, he says

"Yes, I chose indeed, and I choose to stay. I am a son of Souragne, this is my land and I want to see it restored. It is the same land as yours, Baron, and forgive me, but I don't believe you really don't care. No one likes to rule a land without subjects, and I think that these... creatures"
he says with disgust as he looks around

"must not be entirely satisfying in that role."

He takes some air, trying to understand Misroi's reaction, and then says


"On the other hand... I was led to believe that this new Loah is making war not only on the living but also on the Loah themselves, and if he grows too powerful, if his servants grow too powerful, they may yet dare this swamp and try to claim the whole of Souragne for themselves. I think, Lord Baron, that you could have an interest in avoiding that, and that all of us, children of Souragne, should stay together and fight for her against the invaders and defilers."

[steveflam]

Goren keeps Orda's hand in his and sits in his seat. As he doesn't need to close his eyes to meditate, he begins. He does feel the beat of her heart in his hand, keeping it in mind. Now he tries to empty his mind, ignoring everything around him. It has been a very hard time for him and he is doing the best he can to adjust to his new environment.

"I have fought all that is undead for many years of my life, please excuse my actions and words. Continue. I will meditate and relax, or try to at any rate."

The red haired man's words are emotionless at best, with a tinge of fatigue.

Admittedly, asking a Lord of the Dead for help, one who he would attempt to destroy and try to eliminate under normal circumstances. This is very difficult for him. He exhales softly, then inhales the same way. He doesn't want to bother the others or their accursed host as they discuss and his companions attempt to ask him for help. He hopes his meditation will help Orda relax as well, giving her an extra squeeze of her had as he continues his soft breathing exercises.

[A G Thing]

After everyones words Orda sees Goren seem to go from tense to a bit calmer next to her. As Goren moves to sit once more Orda is forced to lean more to that side as her arms do not allow her the same length anymore. She is forced to adjust her other arm and move her greatsword under the table in her grip resting the hilt on her knee. She is unsure of his holding her hand still as it leaves her no way to defend herself but she trusts he still needs it.

She looks over to see him adjust himself and he appears almost as if he is focused at looking forward. His tired words come out with so little emotion to them she is slightly shocked by the change. He seems to be conflicted in what he has said but the control that he mustered suddenly is impressive.

As he begins breathing calmly however she watches him seem to become almost fixated on something but in a way she has not seen before. It is a distraction that serves to make her wonder at how he contained the emotion of a moment ago so easily.

Still as his pulse begins to drop somewhat she feels it while his hand still holds hers firmly. His face almost seems to be as calmer than she had ever seen on him before. She grips her swords hilt in her other hand and yet it is to adjust it under the table.

She watches him so intently she unconsciously begins to breathe similarly and it does begin to calm her mind from her jumbled thoughts. She only notices it when his slight squeeze to her hand shocks her slightly back into the world around her.

Her attention had wandered a bit and she is again wondering how she has allowed what has happened to her to distract her thoughts so much. Still she begins trying to breathe slower again and concentrate her own thoughts.

Her own pulse does seem to slow a bit and her hand on his seems to ease a bit, though her hand on her sword remains tense.

She wants to watch him as the calm in that distraction felt both good and scared her. She is conflicted on being so distracted and confused as to why. She begins trying focus herself again resisting such a dangerous state of calm.

Her pulse quickened but some of her fear had actually subsided.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Lucien notes through his vibration-based "sight" that Goren has paused his ill-conceived retreat, and the priest's subsequent words add some relief. "Thank you, Goren," he says simply. He waits for the Baron's reaction to his own questions.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Misroi's eyes linger on Goren for a moment, and a little smile lingers on his lips.

The smile disappears when the Baron turns his attention to Lucien, and he sounds unexpectedly curt when he says: "Those... creatures you mention are, indeed, not under my power. There is no way they could be. They are not of the undead."

Misroi looks to Zumba next, and his smile returns. "Hmmm. There is some small merit in what you say, 'son of Souragne'. Life can, indeed, be quite entertaining." Misroi's eyes move to Orda, and his smile widens. "Perhaps all I need to help you all on your way is to be... appropriately entertained."

[A G Thing]

Orda having only heard Misroi speak as she avoids looking at him has missed the look in her direction though she is still unconsciously unnerved by the words when they are spoken and perhaps the feel of eyes on her. Her hand in Gorens remains calm as she is more confused than scared by the Baron's reply, though his voice is still dark.

She has calmed slightly but she can feel the heat of her anger and her fear ready to rise again so her thoughts are as tense as ever. She still does not say anything but does her best to restrain herself from acting.

She keeps looking ahead at her bowl on the table and trying to keep herself calm but prepared. She resists the urge to look up as she knows it would unnerve her and anger her again.

Her thoughts are confused some though. "Entertained? We are not skalds or bards... What could he want?" She almost wonders if she should speak but she does not as perhaps one of the others would understand what is going on.

[Ail]

Zumba replies, unnerved

"And what kind of entertainment would that be, Lord Baron?"

[Ken of Ghastria]

Lucien shakes his head slowly. "Well, Zumba," he says with a note of disappointment, "I may be blind, but I sense that our host occasionally tires of being surrounded by cold, undead flesh." He turns his head toward Misroi. "It is understandable, my lord. But surely a man of your strength must have wishes beyond... immediate gratification. What greater goals do you have, and is there a way that we can assist you, as we wish you to assist us?"

[steveflam]

Goren is pensive a moment. He understands the undertones of Misroi's comments and gently squeezes Orda's hand.

"Orda, I think our host wishes you to dance for him. Along Lucien's thinking he most probably is fatigued of being solely surrounded by undead creatures."

He looks towards the direction of Anton Misroi's and adds "Know you the location of the cloak and sword? Will you help us find them? As Lucien has asked, what would one of your stature wish for exactly. I for one can not think of what the Lord of he dead
might wish for. Perhaps you could enlighten us."

He holds Orda's hand tighter and asks her "Will you dance for Mr Misroi?"

[A G Thing]

Orda has listened to both Zumba and then Lucien speak. Zumba seemed to be confused though she was not sure if he actually had an idea or not. Lucien mentions that the Baron may be tired of dead flesh but some of his words are lost to her since they are both large and not in her native tongue. Still his mention of perhaps helping the Baron with some goals gives her the idea that it is not a favorable request.

Balancing between her own confusion and containing her anger and fear she cannot tell any more about what is going on from the conversation so far.

Then Goren squeezes her hand and begins to speak. He says that the request was for her and that the Baron wants her to do something, but uses a small word that she had not learned of in her time in the land. He might be trying to explain whatever Lucien might have said still he does not sound so sure that even he understands the Baron's request but he does seem calm. She tries to remember if she had ever heard such a word as she had to learn from others speaking to her. She cannot.

Goren's mention of the sword and the cloak makes her wonder if perhaps this could convince the Baron to help them. Still as Goren's words seem so calm she gets the impression that it is not a dangerous request.

But her own confused doubts at another mention of the unknown word and the sudden greater tension in his hand on hers makes her unsure.

Orda looks slightly over at Goren her head tilted slightly down and says as calmly and evenly as she can. "Goren... What does the word 'dance' mean?"

As she looks over at Goren she keeps her face composed and making sure to avoid showing Zumba by using her other hand to hold the side of her makeshift hood, she looks evenly at Misroi's face as if to try and further face her fear and perhaps understand the situation.

[steveflam]

The red haired priest thinks a moment upon Orda's query. How to explain dance to her. "Well, I have never personally danced, Orda. Though I have performed more than my share of marriages and seen people dance in celebration. Most people dance to music. They move their body in rhythm to the music or just move their bodies in a rhythmic way, period. I am no dancer but show you a few steps if you like. If there was music here I or one of us could try to show you."

[A G Thing]

Orda listens but is still confused. She had heard music before in town often enough from where she slept or near the docks she had worked on lifting crates but still had no real idea what to dance was. She looked at Goren's face as she began to talk again.

"I am not sure I understand. I would perhaps need to see it... Or be shown..."

She did not hide her face from Misroi but she did not look back. She had seen it and while she had calmed some she did not feel comfortable under his eyes.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"A dance," Misroi repeats, and he smiles widely. "I do so enjoy to dance. One of my most memorable guests was a most talented dancer. She came to me hoping to curry my favour, and I bestowed upon her the secret of a Dance I know. Where has the time gone since then? Such a pretty dancer, too...

The Baron's eyes glide over each and every one of you. "Well, if you are opposed to letting me enjoy the young lady's charms for one evening, I think it only fair that you entertain me in some other way. Agreed? And do not worry, it will not involve any of you having to share my bed."

The Baron laughs, his voice dark and sweet as chocolate...

[A G Thing]

Orda listens when the Baron next speaks and she hears his story and his enjoyment of dance is obvious. She had been so curious on the act of dancing she almost missed what came after his description of his past meeting.

Misroi's next words make his actual intentions toward her quite obvious though and it both surprised and shocked her that she had missed it.

Really it was not something she heard often but it was as she now understood it just as crude as she had heard before, despite his smooth voice. No money offered or jokes at her size or color but the same look she now recognized from before. Of course she did not even remember her size and color had changed when that sudden anger rose back up just when she thought she had it under control.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..."

Her growl is a prelude to her growing anger and it is all she is letting escape. The pleasant tone of her new voice making it sound weaker but its intention still very clear and somewhat disturbing none the less. Yet her hand gripping Goren's now has tightened unintentionally to the point it might be causing him some pain. She does not mean it but she is not fully as in control as a moment ago.

Her other hand returns to gripping the hilt of her greatsword.

She continues to look at the Baron, but now with teeth clenched in open anger. Her eyes focused on him as if waiting for him to insult her so again. She had been trying to be patient but one more word out of place and she might just snap.

For Rock Only...

VIEW CONTENT:

Well he pissed Orda off... Even if this does not work it is done... I posted the Threatening Presence feat below for your convenience...

Die roll for Orda Intimidate Check

Rolled on: Nov. 7, 2013, 12:54 p.m.
1d20+16 → [20,16] = (36)

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4294870/

Threatening Presence [General]
You are exceedingly good at intimidating
people.
Prerequisites: Cha 13.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks. In addition, as a standard action, you can make an Intimidate check (DC 10 + one-half the target’s total HD) against a single sentient creature within 30 feet and in line of sight. If your check succeeds and the creature has fewer Hit Dice than you, it is shaken (–2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks and ability checks) for 1d4 rounds and must flee from you as quickly as it can. Once it can no longer see or hear you, it can act as it chooses. However, if it comes into sight or hearing range of you again before the duration of the effect expires, it must flee once more. Creatures unable to flee can fight, though they are still shaken.
If you succeed on the Intimidate check against a creature whose Hit Dice are equal to or greater than your own, it is still shaken for 1d4 rounds but need not flee.
Frightening a creature in this manner is a mind-affecting fear effect. Once a creature successfully saves against your threatening presence, it is immune to that presence for 24 hours.