A Stitch in Souragne: The Siege of Lac Noir

[Guzrath]

Vincent smiles warmly when Zumba speaks and about the turn this conversation is taking.
He looks at Goren, curious about his answer.

[steveflam]

Goren listens to Zumba's words carefully. Taking his time he tries to really understand them and at the same time, weighing the pro and con of the words. He folds his arms across his chest, and closes his eyes. He motions to the others he is going to sit a moment and does so. Crossing his legs under him he breathes deeply a few times, relaxing.

On the one hand, yes, the Zombies could help us which is quite beneficial to the group. Especially given our situation. Giving the wand to this Chicken Bone is a fair enough compromise, that much is certain ..... Lathander, what shall I do?

I have seen what the wand does for that cursed rider. Just having this wand shall help us immensely. Perhaps we can even discover a way to counter it by having an arcane specialist in these matters identify it? And what does my dream have to do with anything? I am sure the others have had dreams or nightmares as well. We should perhaps discuss them.............

Ah yes, the wand. Very troublesome. It stands against everything I believe in, everything I have ever done as a matter of fact. Everything I have been taught. I specialize in fighting undead and now there is a weapon here that can control them! Oh Lathander what shall I do!


Goren hangs his head and sighs. Taking a breath and steadying himself, he stands and offers a few words to Lathander in the Chondonthan tongue, eyes raising to the heavens, hands outstretched. "Forgive me, but we will use this weapon, but only if we need to. I shall not use it, Lucien will. I am sorry, but this is how it has to be. I will, compromise, however."

Opening his eyes, he brings his hands to his sides and looks at everyone, then to Lucien. "I .... decision. You use wand, but only if us needing the undead help. Toi understanding this? When we meeting Man Chicken Bone, you give him wand, he have it. Understanding? You better be understanding."

He takes a breath and continues. "I having sleep thoughts....... you know..... when dormir, you have thoughts, non? About .. moi zombie.... walking walking then shadow guiding moi..... I ....... then see young fille on raft.... in apron... bad bad rock white, she couper her hand and blood hot on rock ......... She speaking to Sweet Lady without Mercy ...... this sleep thoughts.......... show me where fille is..... I see symbols, fleche..... and I know in mon coeur we must traveling there......... is moitié jour from here.... we must going there. This part of my condition of keeping baton. Does some of you having these sleep thoughts? You knowing Sweet Lady without Mercy?"

Goren stops talking and smiles, fairly satisfied with himself.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Lucien is torn between shaking his head in exasperation or smirking in amusement over Goren's seemingly internal debate. Finally, he says, "Well. If I understood that, then we have agreement. I'll use the wand only if necessary to defend ourselves, and yes, I'll hand it over to Chicken Bone to be disposed of as he chooses. Settled, yes?"

He looks at the wand and says, "Now I'll try to disperse my entourage before they get too close." He concentrates and sends the command to as many zombies as he can reach, Stay away. Do not approach yet.

[Ail]

"I had a dream too. But I did not understand it",


Zumba says. He seems unwilling to delve on it, but he proceeds.
It's as if he was thinking about his dream for the first time.


"I saw Papa Doc. I saw him dancing with the Lord of the Dead. They were embracing over the swamp water. They whirled, Papa Doc in the Lord's hands. He is dead.


It's a sudden realization, as he says that. He hadn't believed it when he first awoke, but as he sensed the dream had been deliberate and too premonitory, he recognized its significance.


"But he said... he'd dance with death for a while. I almost thought he was a loah too, and could return from the dead."


And in fact, he believes in that more than he cares to admit.


"He said that I should be careful, and look behind. And I did... I flew in the darkness over a distance I can not measure. I felt an eye spying on me, and I heard voices talking. I'm sure it was about us. There was a master and a servant, and the master said he didn't care if we disappeared in the swamp, as long as it were well known that we had died there. The other said he did not kill us because he thought that should happen with more people seeing. They want us to be humiliated, and they are waiting for us to reappear so they can do us then. I think those riders may have withdrawn as an option and not as a necessity... or someone is not telling the whole truth to the boss."

[steveflam]

Lucien is torn between shaking his head in exasperation or smirking in amusement over Goren's seemingly internal debate. Finally, he says, "Well. If I understood that, then we have agreement. I'll use the wand only if necessary to defend ourselves, and yes, I'll hand it over to Chicken Bone to be disposed of as he chooses. Settled, yes?"

He looks at the wand and says, "Now I'll try to disperse my entourage before they get too close." He concentrates and sends the command to as many zombies as he can reach, Stay away. Do not approach yet.

Goren nods at Lucien. He does add "Peut etre asking Zombies, they knowing where Chicken Man Bone is, oui? Then we rest and tomorrow we go where I saw in my sleep thoughts, oui?"

[Ken of Ghastria]

Goren nods at Lucien. He does add "Peut etre asking Zombies, they knowing where Chicken Man Bone is, oui? Then we rest and tomorrow we go where I saw in my sleep thoughts, oui?"

Lucien says, "These zombies can't say where Chicken Bone is. Something is blocking them from doing so -- probably some magic that Chicken Bone himself has conjured. But between what Zumba knows and what you saw, Goren, I trust that we'll end up at the right place. If we choose to stay here and rest..." he looks at the wand, "...I have the feeling that we won't have to worry about intruders."

_________________________________
Rock: What time of day is it? I've lost track but I believe that it's around midday or perhaps early afternoon.

[steveflam]

Goren yawns, satisfied. "Oui, I dormir maintenant. Bonne Nuit.

The red haired man returns to sleep.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Rock: What time of day is it? I've lost track but I believe that it's around midday or perhaps early afternoon.

(OOC: It is two hours before dawn, on a brand new day.)

[Ail]

Rock: What time of day is it? I've lost track but I believe that it's around midday or perhaps early afternoon.

(OOC: It is two hours before dawn, on a brand new day.)

Wow, talk about bad guesses, now! It's half-a-day off. Not that I'm criticizing Ken, I had no idea of the time either... at all.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

A pale, listless dawn rises over you. Its light burns away the fog and sets the temperature rising. Worse, it intensified the stench of Lissa's zombified body.

As you look about you, you see that the natural corridor is still open. You are free to pass through and continue on your way to Lac Noir and Chicken Bone, provided you are willing to wade.

[Ail]

Zumba rises with the first signs of the dawn. He was never one to stay until late in bed, much less when such bed is little more than a sliver of earth in a fetid swamp. Arg... add to that the smell of decaying flesh!

He looks around himself and shakes anyonw who is not awake yet.

"Come along, we have to go. The heat and the smell will soon get at us, we must move to Chicken Bone."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Lucien wakes with a start as he's shaken awake. He seems troubled, but the red-haired man says nothing as he gets up. It's as though he's listening... for something that he'd rather not hear.

After a few seconds, he says, "More zombies are approaching. They're drawn to the wand... no, they're drawn by the need to be commanded." He looks behind them, sensing if not seeing the approach of the undead. "Let's be on our way, gentlemen." He turns and follows Zumba's guidance.

[steveflam]

Goren wakes and stretches, yawning. Blinking, he rubs the sleep from his eyes. Standing, he stretches again.

"Everybodies bien dormir, oui? I, I can making water for water leather bottle if one thirsty. Um, we going where I seeing girl in my sleep. Is on travel to Man Chicken Bone, non?"

He holds out his waterskin. He realizes that his first attempt to create water was perhaps too risky. Thus he presumes that he can at least fill up his waterskin with it.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

(OOC: Does Goren try to make water to fill his waterskin?)

The party eventually sets out (OOC: Presumably after breakfast?) and plunges into the steamy depths of the swamp. The map Chicken Bone sent out to guide help to him works fine, and you make good time. At one point, you are surrounded by a swarm of buzzing mosquitoes, but they abandon you as you continue to Lac Noir.

You find the place and know it to be what you need when the one walking in front takes a step into what looks like a clearing of regular mud and muck, and discovers it's just a crust on a body of water. You find yourself plunging into unexpectedly, blessedly cool depths, but it is easy enough for your comrades to pull you back out.

Nothing stirs in the water, as you all soon notice. No fish, no bird, no frog... not even an opportunistic alligator. There are no songs in the sky, no buzzes in the brush.

What there is, is a distant sound of grinding, screams and hollow thuds. Looking west along the coast, you see an area where a dense mist rises above the treeline, and you know your destination is near. And so is a battle.

[Ail]

Zumba clenches his teeth. The blood begins to pump in his veins with the excitement of battle and the anxiety of learning hidden secrets. What can be awaiting behind that fog? He wields his sword, hoping it serves him truly and faithfully in the coming strife.