A Stitch in Souragne: The Siege of Lac Noir

[steveflam]

Goren observes but says nothing. Selling is fine as is renting but we merely need a boat or skiff to get us to this Man. Which one of these companies has the most experience and is the most reliable, I wonder. Turning to Lucien and the others after everyone speaks, he says, putting his hand out as he does towards the children, in effect meaning to stop talking.

Souragnien "One moment, pleasing. I interested which company having MOST experience in going out to see MAN we wish to seeing this day. I not leave us transportation to just anyone. Before we deciding I want to meet mans responsible taking us to us destination if you not minding."

Now he looks at the children, smiling but very serious. Souragnien "Many thanks you's for your generous offers. I Goren, priest of Morninglord and friend to everyone, both Ezra and Voodan. I want know from you who will lead us to our destination and which of your company have been to see most famous Voodan CHICKEN BONE . I not liking falsehoods, so be honesty with me, young ones."

He folds his arms over his chest and looks each boy in the eye seriously, face grim.

[Ail]

Zumba says
"I've made my travels in the swamp, yes, but mostly on foot. I know a little bit about these boats. Myself, I want to have a boat for long enough to go see Chicken Bone and mayhap even stay there.

I first thought a boat to be sold meant good for this, but then I thought perhaps they are not hoping to get their boat back... which means they might not be capable enough to return."

[Guzrath]

"I would say buy the damned boat for a reasonable price" Vincent says. "Zumba knows the way, peddling cannot be that hard and it would mean one person we wouldn't need to be protecting. Don't forget it will be more dangerous than usual."

[Ail]

Zumba looks over his shoulder to Vincent and nods. I assume they're being careful enough to do all this conversation out of hearing range of the boys.


"Yes, as long as the boat holds buying is the best option."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

There is a theory among arcanists, that speaking the True Name of a thing or creature would enable one to exert great power over that which is being named. The effect of casually dropping the name 'Chicken Bone' into a discussion on a busy dock seems to support that theory, because you exert a clear and immediate influence over the native people around you.

One of the old fishermen leaps up with a loud yelp, and manages to tumble himself into the swamp. He surfaces almost at once and starts to swim for shore, but he looks deeply frightened. Another, equally ancient man just rolls up his fishing line, spits a curse-festooned complaint that you scared away his fish, and walks off with long, powerful strides.
Some of the workers carrying cypress logs to the larger boat curse and wail, and more than one waves some personal talisman in your direction or performs a personal ritual for good luck. This unfortunately results in at least one cypress log rolling off the uneven dock and into the bog, eliciting cries of fury from the workers' overseer, and a mad dash and scramble to bring the valuable resource out before it can start to spoil.
The little boy from Marais de Tarascon Nautique squeaks with fright, drops his board and runs. The specimen from the DuBois Shipping Company manages to keep hold of his sign, but tells you with a trembling voice that his employer does not provide guides to that gentleman, and also does not rent out rafts headed in his direction. Then he runs as well.

The little chap from Last Stop looks all around at the people moving away, cursing your names or otherwise showing dismay at your intended destination -- and grins widely. "You come me!" he tells you, and tugs imperiously on Zumba's sleeve. "You come me! Papa Doc, he give you a boat for money. You take it anywhere you want, he no care. Money or whiskey for Papa Doc, money for me, you get boat! Come!"

[Guzrath]

Vincent watches the scene unfold itself as if a nest of ants had suddenly been disturbed. He smiles as if enjoying a show at the theatre.
Here they were, simply discussing which boat to us and suddenly it's as if panic had broken out.
He walks up to Zumba and the boy with a large grin on his face. "I guess we have made a choice. Show us the way monsieur Last Stop" he says and bows a little for the boy.
What a beautiful day.

[steveflam]

Goren's first reaction is to be puzzled by the reaction. Then he begins to think about this Chicken Bone and maybe, just maybe he could have been more discreet. Then again it got things rolling. He hopes the man who fell in will be fine. He is curious about their destination, however, and deigns to ask Zumba.

Souragnien "Zumba, you knowing how to get to our destinations, oui?"

[Ken of Ghastria]

Lucien had been frowning as the conversation about the group's next step continued. What's wrong, Lucien? asks Claude for his benefit alone. Frustrated that they don't automatically yield to your authority?

No, responds Lucien silently. That's not the case, and you know it.

No, Lucien, I don't know it. Because I am frustrated.

Before Lucien pursues the conversation further, the casual mention of the name "Chicken Bone" has its bizarre effect on the people around them. As the remaining boy speaks, Lucien turns to the others and says with a slight smile, "See, Messieurs? The Last Stop it is."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

The little boy leads you along the dock, where a raft and a piroque are tied up. At first, the vessels seem unattended. Then what you took to be a pile of old rags and sticks with a fishing pole sticking out of it clears its throat, spits in the mire and turns out to be a man so old that his face looks like cured leather.

"Papa Doc!" the little boy says. "They want to buy you raft! You make money today, Papa Doc!"

The old man, who seemed to have been quietly napping while fishing, turns his face up to look at you all. He spits again, and the smell of raw chewing tobacco floats on the air. His eyes - one dark and sly, the other pale and full of cataracts - look you up and down and his creased face settles in an expression of contempt.

"Fool boy," he says to the little boy who brought you to him. (Or actually, it sounds more like 'Foo bo-ah') "I tells you, brin' me medecine. Whisss-key. I don'wann' wor' tada', I wann' dring! If'n ye 'ave ta brin' me people, why not pretty wumman, no' ugly-ass forreners."

"If you work today, you can buy yoa' dirty medecine!" the boy says, trying to get the old man enthusiastic. "These 'ere men wanna go to ole Chicken Bone's hut on Lac Noir! They buy you raft, Poppa!"

"Oh-aye?" the old man says, and he eyes you all again. "Youse fine gennelmens's goan' buy moss-keeter nets? Annidoat' fer the swamb's poisons? Foo' an' drin'? If'n y'all brough' whisss-key, y'all better lea' it 'ere-wit' ole Papa Doc. No dringin' in the bayou, not wit' dis 'ere 'eat. You die a' dryin' out fro'tha insi' out!" He cackles with vicious mirth at this image. "An' is youse fine gennelmens done git youselfs a guide? Goo' way ta die, enner da bayou wit no guide."

The old, old man levers himself to his feet - or make that, foot. His left foot, to be exact; where the right foot, ankle, lower and upper leg should be, there is a wooden peg-leg, which hits the dock with a sharp rap. The old man flutters the ragged skirts of his rusty-coloured coat, and dofs a short, dust-coloured top hat with rooster feathers stuck through the brim.

"Youse fine gennelmens come ta tha righ' place fer all'a dat! Papa Doc, he ta' good care'a youse, if'n youse fine gennelmens is 'irin'."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Lucien manages to conceal his annoyance - mostly - as the old man speaks. When the man's rant is over, he says matter of factly, "Good day, Papa Doc. Yes, we want a boat. And yes, we'll be fine, but thank you for your advice." He looks around the area, looking unimpressed ... but in reality he's concentrating on one of his talents. "Clearly, you're not bringing in enough business to earn the whiskey you want. Do you want to get whiskey, or not?"

____________________________________
Lucien expends 1 pp to manifest empathy.

[Higginz]

Upon hearing the name of "Chicken Bone," Nicolae begins to ask a member of his party for details concerning this character, but his inquiry is cut short by the raucous that the questions stirs amongst the boatmen. Having noticed that the name seems to instill fear in the natives, he decides it to be most prudent to wait until the party is alone before discussing any matters related to the business at hand.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Papa Doc shrugs. "Earn me whisss-key, die sleepin' while me fish... Same ole, same ole. Papa Doc an ole, ole man. Could be dead anyday, now. Loahd a'da Dead, he come ridin' out ta ta' me any day, any nigh'. Got tha black belly, me. Pour down plenty a' whisss-key an' the black belly cry mercy, begs Papa Doc ta show sweet kindness. Pah!"

The old man spits in the mire with contempt. "Papa Doc, 'e die in 'is own time, not 'cause a' the black belly. Loahd a' the Dead, 'e 'ave ta come an' ta' me isself. But mebbe Mama Souragne die before then, take Papa Doc wit 'er."

Now the old man shrugs, and makes an expansive gesture. "That okay, then. Papa Doc go wit Mama Souragne. 'E 'old 'er 'and, down inta the dark an' the Mists. But no other Mama ta' Papa Doc down that way, an' no black belly, nei'er. Loahd a' the Dead, 'im 'ave ta come fer Papa Doc, if it ain't Mama Souragne."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Lucien's expression changes as he studies Papa Doc further. The annoyance on the half-elf's face slowly fades, and he looks at the old man with what appears to be genuine sympathy. "Papa Doc, I'm sorry to hear about the sickness inside you." He lets the statement hang there for a moment. "If I could help heal you, I would. My friend here," he looks back toward Goren, "...IS a healer. Perhaps he could look at you, if you wish.

"I don't want Souragne to suffer, either, nor does it sound like you do. So let's fix that." Lucien's green eyes stare intently at the man. "Help the land, help yourself. How much for that raft?"

At that moment, Goren, Zumba, and Vincent (but not Nicolae) hear the voice of the entity known as Claude speaking in their minds. Excuse the intrusion. Lucien thought you should know that the 'black belly' Papa Doc speaks of may indeed be a very serious condition. Nearly everything else about the man's banter is for show. He's sharper than he appears. Papa Doc, that is, not Lucien. Heh. Consider that during your time-consuming negotiations. Then the voice is gone.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Youse fine gennelmens wanna 'elp Mama Souragne?" Papa Doc asks, a faint note of amusement in his voice. "Dat soun' joos' fine ta me, joos' fine. But y'all tell Papa Doc, 'ow you gonna 'elp Mama Souragne?"

The old man stalks closer to you all, pausing only to tousle the little boy's hair before he leans close, his face nearly touching all of yours in turn. His breath smells of raw booze and rawer chewing tobacco. His body smells of sweat and the swamp. All of which combines into a mighty aroma, that almost - but not quite - cloaks the faint, sweet scent of sickness.

"Youse all look like forenners ta Papa Doc," the old man states. "'Cept you, you a good ole down-home boy." This last comment is aimed at Zumba. "Fallin' inta company, you are. Good, bad, whae'er. Company." The old man cackles at this comment, but then scowls at Goren. "Don' sic your saw-bones on Papa Doc. Las' time I gets stuck wid a damn saw-bone, Papa Doc poorer one leg an' richer se'en wives. Thunder an' lightnin'! Big ole mess dat was, still sufferin' fer it. No-good chilren, no-good chilren's chilren, no-good chilren's chilren's babies, an' they all know Papa Doc an' where Papa Doc keep 'is money hid. Bah!"

The old man stalks back to the spot he was sitting at before, and scrutinizes you all with his one good eye. "You tell Papa Doc, 'ow you save Mama Souragne? Mebbe gi' you discount. Mebbe 'elp you out. Dat there good down-home boy, he no swamp-boy, are you? If'n you a swamp-boy, no askin' fer Papa Doc's raft, you making piroque yer own self, mebbe borrow your pappie's sister's boy's boat fer a chickin. So you tell Papa Doc, mebbe 'e 'elp you out a lickle, too."

[Ail]

Zumba is confounded the first time he hears Papa Doc. It had been a long time since he had anyone truly speak like that. It brought back memories.


"Ach, the company was found on the road, more or less... Abroad. Yes, I've been away from Souragne. But she's my land and I love it.

And now that I'm here, I don't want to let it die, dry and parched. Say what... we have to go to the swamp, there's something going there. We need the help of the Maiden, of all the Loahs that always cared for this land. There's a new loah around, they say, L'homme broché. Have you heard about it? We need to find more about what this Loah is, about its believers. And the answers are in the swamp, yes...

I didn't grow in the swamp. I only lived there for a time, passing. I was born in the plantations. The swamp was a refuge when I fled. That doesn't make me a good swamp-boy, no no... So, now you know more about me and us. Can you help us at all?