A Stitch in Souragne: Symbols of a Fallen Loah

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Chicken Bone's hut is small, but tidy.

As you are all herded inside, and the old man tersely orders you to sit, you find your knees touching as you settle down on the bare floor; the only pieces of furniture are a small cot, which is currently placed on its side, a wardrobe and a locked cupboard.

Chalked onto the floorboards is a vèvè, one of the complex patterns that represent one of the Loah of Souragne. Zumba will have no trouble identifying it as the mark of the Lord of the Dead, one of the most feared of the great spirits that stand between the people of the Land and the gods. The symbol has been chalked into the bare, smooth floorboards so often that it has become indelibly stained into the wood.

Outside, you hear the mindless shuffling and groaning of zombies, plodding about. The sound is muted as your host draws the curtains, shutting out the feeble daylight, and unfortunately trapping the beastly heat inside. A faint hint of incense and herbs grows markedly stronger as the air becomes more stifling.

Without even a hint of discomfort, Chicken Bone settles himself on the floorboards in front of you. Deep-set, dark eyes survey each of you in turn. "I promised one boon to whoever came to my rescue," the High Voodan of the Lord of the Dead says, "and I stand by my word. You came to save me, and your destruction of that machine infernal and the distraction of the heretics gave me the opening I needed. Speak your desire, but remember: one boon is free of charge, and all others must be paid for."

Outside, the zombies shuffle and moan. And you start to hear the distant sound of drums.

[steveflam]

Goren looks around, somewhat embarassed by his feelings about the undead serving Chicken Bone. Not embarassed per say, but at odds.
He listens to the old man speak, and considers the man's offer.

"I, uh, merci inivitation votre maison, Man Chicken Bone. Like said, I is Goren, no last name. I priest of Lathander, but moi
think Lathander also appeler Mornignlord here. Maybe helping know me. I, um" he blushes red for what he is going to say but feels it best he say so he takes a deep breath and exhales before continuing "Moi, toujours fighting undead. Zombies, Skeletons, Ghouls meme once a Vampire! I very pas comfortable see mort vivant help. Never, moi voyez mort vivant help person. Moi only saw mort vivant, I destroy, destroy. Always mentalité destroy.... euh détruire.... oui. SO moi not trying being rude about Zombies, but I not accoutumé to undead helping. Pardonnez moi monsieur."

He stops, and looks at the older man with a smile, still uncomfortable but at least trying.

"Si toi offrir boon, I not natif ici. Knowledge.... uh connaissance of this land I accept as boon if you offer, monsieur."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Is this the thing you all wish?" is Chicken Bone's only reply to Goren's stammering.

[Guzrath]

As the door closes behond them, Vincent looks back at the closed door, wondering how closed it is. He looks around the room and automatically starts wandering through the room, while the old Voodan speaks, looking at the different things lying about. A low happy whistle, just enough not to interrupt the Voodan. Several times he is tempted to pick something up. Curiosity burning. But he holds himself back.
When Goren speaks his desire, Vincent turns around surprised. "Goren!" he says out loud.
"Either I should be very disappointed or this is just a subtle language thing that you haven't comprehended yet" he says with a slight smile.
Vincent turns to Chicken Bone
"My apologies, oh great one" he says in an exagerated tone. "No, it is not OUR wish, but our religious man here" he gives Goren a purposefully hard friendly slap on the shoulder "seems very eager to learn about this country of yours. So naturally he would think of himself as the important man for this boon. Egocentric must be a thing of his deity" he says smiling, teasing Goren with his mistake.
"I will let our knowledgable man here" he waves to Lucien "or our local no-more slave here" he waves at Zumba "to formulate our request."

He looks at Orda and adds with a smile "that is, if our nicely muscled lady companion agrees and does not bash our heads in"

[steveflam]

Goren grins halfheartedly "This just what moi choix. Whatever boon we receive from Monsieur CHicken Bone I accept glady."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Without even a hint of discomfort, Chicken Bone settles himself on the floorboards in front of you. Deep-set, dark eyes survey each of you in turn. "I promised one boon to whoever came to my rescue," the High Voodan of the Lord of the Dead says, "and I stand by my word. You came to save me, and your destruction of that machine infernal and the distraction of the heretics gave me the opening I needed. Speak your desire, but remember: one boon is free of charge, and all others must be paid for."

"I will let our knowledgable man here" Vincent waves to Lucien "or our local no-more slave here" he waves at Zumba "to formulate our request."

He looks at Orda and adds with a smile "that is, if our nicely muscled lady companion agrees and does not bash our heads in"

Claude's mental voice enters Lucien's mind. Monsieur Fausse seems to have recovered his senses. He's already flirting with the blue-skinned barbarian. He's very easily distracted. That's potentially calamitous to our cause. In return, Lucien chides, You're supposed to be the focused one, Claude. Pay attention to Chicken Bone, not Vincent.

Lucien's bright green eyes, with their flecks of gold, seem almost luminous in the dim surroundings. He gives Chicken Bone a serious, appraising look and says, "Monsieur, I am glad to have destroyed that foul machine. But... you said a moment ago that you would help the Land against the threat of the heretics. That is something you will do because of your love of this land, yes, not to repay a debt? We also seek the defeat of the heretics, the destruction of these Mist-cursed white stones that suck the moisture from Souragne, and the restoration of the Land.

"If that is indeed your desire, too, then the boon I crave on behalf of these others is protection. The heretics possess ways of attacking people in their very dreams, they have masks capable of producing soul-chilling horror, and zombis that absorb the very divine magic that should destroy them. Give us some means of protection, I humbly request.

"If your goals are different than ours, then please say so. Thank you, monsieur."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Chicken Bone smiles. A little.

"There is a thing I will do to serve the Land and the Loah," he says, "and there is the boon you may ask of me. You are fortunate that they are not the same thing."

The old Voodan's eyes turn to Zumba. "The thing I will do to serve the Land, is this. I will tell you from where you must free your benefactor of years ago."

At this point, the door is opened. Two zombies -- the animated remains of a native Souragnien and one of the freshly-slain animal/human-hybrids -- drag in the corpse of the greater Black Robe. Or is it a corpse? The body is still twitching, jerking and spasming. The undead deposit the body at your feet, and for the first time, you can get a clear look at the creature's face.

It appears human, though pale as a grub. Where there should be eyes, there is only smooth skin.

[Ail]

Zumba looks around and notices his friends strange looks to his person. He nods to them in a sign of thanks, but does not quite understand why they are looking so strange at him.

He lets the others answer Chicken Bone first, but even before he can formulate his request, the old man seems to have guessed.

"I seek to free a woman from her prison, and this is the wish of the Maiden. Is this her?" he asks as Chicken Bone's servants bring the black robe in.

[A G Thing]

Orda knowing nothing of the quest at hand for these men has not real idea what to think as she has done nothing yet. She does not have need of a reward until after and does not really know what they would need so for most of it she remains silent. When Goren asks she thinks for the knowledge of the land she is not in objection though she also seems not to fully get what he is asking for.

Of course when the one known to her as Vincent chides him for such she pays some attention.

That of course leads to a slight bit of surprise when he turns smiling at her and makes the comment on her being their companion and a lady friend and yet also a strange mention of her not bashing their heads in.

Orda having never received this sort of attention is somewhat confused by it and is unsure how to react to it as it both makes her frustrated, confused and yet also for a reason she does not understand his look makes her very nervous.

She decides as she feels the blood rush to her cheeks that frustration wins out and with a flustered start says. "I would not... No... You may have such... I... Hmph..." She looks away very just a little too quickly and instead of showing frustration and anger shows quite clearly more how nervous and flustered she is.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"This is no woman," Chicken Bone says, looking at Zumba with scorn. "It is male in form, but it is a mule. Also, it is beyond your ability to free; it is dead... or at least dying, and so it belongs to my Lord, not to you.

Besides this, your task is not to free a mere woman. Your task is to free a Loah. A very old Loah. You owe a debt to P'tite Soeur Rénard, boy, and may the Lord of the Dead have mercy on you; she is one of the most terrible of all the spirits that dwell - or dwelled - in Mother Souragne."

[steveflam]

Goren basically listens to what everyone is saying. Then the Zombies bring in their former foe, and he recoils slightly. Being this close to undead and not turning or destroying them is making Goren very uncomfortable and he blurts out "P-pardonnez moi...... Je peut..... I not,,,, Zombies and undead...... I very bad.... bad..... not comfortable.... I wait outside abode. Excusez moi, madame et monsieur." He bows to CHicken Bone and then Orda before exiting the hut, clearly flustered and out of sorts.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Going outside brings Goren little relief; zombies are standing all around. A few are shuffling and moaning, and appear to be clumsily attempting to repair what looks like a much-trampled and wind-scoured vegetable garden. They stop this as soon as the Cleric exits the little house, however; every unliving eye seems to be turned to Goren all of a sudden...

[Ail]

Zumba looks at the corpse as Chicken Bone speaks, and squirms as he looks better at the soon-to-be-corpse.

He nods at the voodan's words.

"Terrible? One more reason to pay my debt. Please, tell me where I can find her and I will release her. She can reach inside me, and I fear what she can do if I leave her in prison."

[steveflam]

Going outside brings Goren little relief; zombies are standing all around. A few are shuffling and moaning, and appear to be clumsily attempting to repair what looks like a much-trampled and wind-scoured vegetable garden. They stop this as soon as the Cleric exits the little house, however; every unliving eye seems to be turned to Goren all of a sudden...

The red haired, bearded Priest sighs, very confused. He sits cross-legged, closing his eyes. The undead looking at him unnerves him quite a lot. Speaking in Chondonthan, to his deity in his mind "Lathander, Morninglord, I do as you ask. Here, in this place. My first rweaction is to destroy them, destroy them all. Yet this Chicken Bone controls them, I do not know what else to do, my lord.There are undead which actually help me and my traveling companions. I can not fathom how to work with these undead. Always I have destroyed them, yet here they help us. I look around and am confused. I have always been programmed to destroy undead. Not work with them. This situation perplexes me to no end. How should I act? The undead repulse me and all I wish to do is to take my holy symbol and destroy them all. I am your humble servant as always, Goren, of Waterdeep, now in a foreign land."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Lucien appears confused by the exchange between Chicken Bone and Zumba -- enough to quell his growing revulsion at the sight of the eyeless, twitching "man" nearby. "Excuse me, Monsieur Chicken Bone, Zumba ... I do not understand. This powerful Loah of whom you speak... despite being so 'terrible,' you believe that she will help the Land if freed?

"And this... this abomination before us," he continues, indicating the cloaked minion, "what IS he? What happened to his eyes? For that matter, who ARE the people that we fight? Is it the destruction of Souragne, or its conquest? Excuse me for a moment...." He turns. "GOREN, return now, if you please."