Café de Nuit

"That right, mon fils?" the old man asks, innocently. Or seemingly innocently, anyway. "Whatchou think I want, then? Your voice? Your soul? Maybe your strong, undead hand?"

The old man grins, displaying several brown teeth and the gaps between them. "Poppa Sweet does like to laugh. He laughs a lot during games. But games need everyone to play them proper. So, little boys and little girl; why you looking for the Maiden of the Swamp? Whatchou doing out in Mama Souragne's skirts? Maybe if you tell Poppa Sweet, he helps you out a bit."

Zumba step in the conversation.

"It is my idea to visit the Maiden. She is my loah of devotion, we seek her help and protection. We want to save Souragne from this drought, and it seems the solution for that is deep in the bayou..."

Orda having watched the scene unfold had stayed silent even as the now slightly more odd elder man speaks to them. She was watching more behind them but she had been about to speak to break the standstill when others had actually begun to ask the strange man questions. Though now she is unsure if the man is even human at all from what has been said and wonders if he is one of these strange spirits.

Of course he could also just be a strange old man. She had not been called little in a long time. Still it could just be his way.

But all this is not what is what interests her.

Either way he could give them some much needed information, and they are asking every question but the simplest one. Pushing the slight unnerving feelings the others inspired aside, after Zumba speaks she just asks the obvious.

"What is the price?"

Orda speaks up directly giving glances to the others and to this Papa Sweet obviously asking the question plainly on her face. Whatever the man truly is they cannot afford to wait this long. If it is too much then they refuse the help and if not then they pay and at least have the lead or truth of the matter of this man. Still her attention is split behind them still as if waiting for something to give away it is still behind them following. She however waits to hear what the old man says.

"Ahh," Poppa Sweet sighs, nodding. The maudit drought. Very bad, yes, very bad. Fair enough, I'll take you chillens to the Maiden. And my price is..."

The old man winks and smiles. "One piece'a sterling silver each. That's a fair day's wages, innit?"

Goren looks at Sweet Poppa, face straight. "Messieur Sweet Poppa, I have only possessions on my back, messieur. I take oath, no keep wealth, must give all wealth away, so I finding myself no coins, sir. I no understanding whut is this obsession of coins, sir. Whut you use the coins for? I live fine without any wealth messieur."

Zumba looks aside at Goren and says

"Don't explain yourself, I'll pay for us all".

Zumba has 6 silver coins and gives them to Poppa Sweet.

"Is this enough?"

Mildly surprised at Poppa Sweet's price Orda is stunned in amusement at it somewhat. Before she can act however she is also stunned at Goren stating his lack of wealth. Still just as she is about to reach to get a piece of her silver from her pack Zumba pays for them all.

She makes a note to pay the man back later but otherwise waits to see if the old man keeps his side of the bargain.

"Merci Zumba. I am sure Sweet Poppa va utiliser cet argent wisely."

Goren is sarcastic with his remark, clearly unimpressed with the old man.

"Thank you, Zumba," says Lucien. "So... 'Poppa Sweet,' you will show us the way to the Maiden, s'il vous plait?"

After everything that the group has been through, it's taking nearly all of Lucien's willpower to keep him from throttling the old man with his "strong, undead hand" and get him to stop playing these games. Claude silently counsels patience: Be at peace, Lucien. This will be worth it ... in the end. The prattling madman is still useful. When that usefulness is over, well...

The old man grins at you all. "I got me money, honey, so let's go a-sailing."

(OOC: Just for Ken of Ghastria:) "Tie this to yer boat," the old man orders, as he tosses you a rope, which is already attached to his own craft.

Once that is done, Poppa Sweet starts to row - back the way you came. The splashing sound that was following you halts, and then starts to move away. The old man glances after it and spits into the swamp, his expression contemptuous.
"Yeah, you just keep moving. I'll tell your Big Pappy on you, coming 'round where I'm at."

Time passes, with the old man rowing and pulling your craft through the fog and the eerie sounds of the swamp. Every now and then, he croons a Souragnien song, his mood apparently unaffected by the foul surroundings. And then... you feel your raft run aground. Somehow, the old man is ahead of you, still rowing merrily away, but when the fog starts to lift, you find yourself on the shore of a marvelously green island, the rope coming undone from your raft.
Zumba instantly recognizes the place; this island is the place most sacred to the Maiden...!

"You kids be good now, y'hear?" you hear Poppa Sweet call out from the fog as it rolls away. "Good an' heroic. Momma Souragne, she counting on you."

Lucien was silent for much of the trip. Something seemed to have disturbed him... perhaps the half-elf was finally letting the magnitude of what had happened to his hand sink in. Perhaps. He says only, "I need to concentrate for a short time to recover some strength. Excuse me...."

He sits cross-legged on the raft and closes his eyes. He shuts out all sounds around him -- and even silences Claude. He puts unsettling thoughts aside for a time -- nothing to be done about them now, in any event -- and allows the gentle, rhythmic motion of the raft ease his mind. After a minute, he opens his eyes and stands up, his manner seemingly much improved.

When they arrive, he steps off the raft with only a brief glance at "Poppa Sweet" as he passes the old man. He concentrates again before saying, "We're guided by you on this part of our task, Zumba. Lead the way, please."

______________________________________
Lucien takes the rare opportunity of a lull to sit down and regain his expended power points. After they arrive, he expends 1 pp to manifest force screen. Power Points remaining: 46.

Zumba jumps onto the land eagerly. He kneels and kisses the earth, and then moves into the island in a quick stride, looking for the Maiden. He holds his personal charm in his hand, mumbling prayers to the Maiden of the Swamp, and doing any ritual that may be needed to invoke the loah.

Orda looking as the others move to set off, she ties up the raft, and as they begin following Zumba she moves to do the same. She is tired of being upon the boat and quickly follows thankful for the somewhat drier and more sturdy ground beneath her feet. Still the others have been quite quiet for the time they followed the old man now vanishing ahead of them. Still she stays observant of the landscape, prepared to move quick should she be needed. For now she remains quiet as the others perhaps have more knowledge of the land and its strange spirits and mysteries.

Vincent is silent. Watching and listening for now.
Arriving at the island he looks around nodding as if agreeing with the change of scenery.

He steps onto land and stretches his body, as if been asleep or cramped.
"lead on Zumba" he says

The island seems to be one of roughly middling size; it is difficult to tell with the fog lingering on the edges of your vision.

As you progress deeper inward, you soon come upon the trees. Tall, healthy, beautiful trees, their foliage defying the accursed heat. First they stand haphazard, but soon enough, you come upon a circle of them. A circle of trees -- no two of them of the same species.

At the centre of the circle stands a small, stone altar, engraved with a vèvè of one of the Loah. Small charms crafted of dried flowers and seed pods hang from the branches, their rustling and rattling as they twist in the soft breeze a gentle music that soothes the soul...

OOC: Knowledge (religion) check DC15 to identify the vèvè.