The Thousand Isles - Favored of Erzulie
Jean Pierre leaned over the table in their room on the upper floor of Black's Alice's Brew, setting down his empty flagon. an intense look on his dark, aquiline, face. Below, Fantastic Freddy really had the crowd whipped up, the cheering and music were making the floor vibrate. Jean Pierre had to almost shout to make himself heard.
You Valorians think of Loa as gods but they aren't They are powerful as gods yes, but they are more like acts of nature or cosmic forces. Might as well call a hurricane a god. They live in the shadowlands and mostly don’t do big flashy magic. Mostly. They touch the real world through people, especially their followers, in more subtle ways. But nothing that happens on this isle that doesn't have a Loa’s hand in it, mon. Win big at the table? “Captain Picker favors you”. Unlucky in love ? You made Erzulie angry
Each Loa has as many aspects as you have hairs on your head, some helpful, some hurtful, some sweet, some savory, but all wild and unpredictable. So Erzulie Fréda she all sweetness and light but Erzulie Yeux Rouge is not someone you would want to meet. Ever. But they are both Erzulie.
We priests and priestesses that seek their favor are often granted great power from it, but as often as not, are destroyed by it in the end. Channeling a loa, bringing them into your body, being possessed by them, is hard on the human soul, burns us up eventually, wrecks our minds. And yet we do it anyway, the rush is something that cannot be described! Voodoo, Santeria, Hoodoo, each island has their own flavor but it’s more the same then it’s different.
Do not mistake, Voodoo, is the real religion of these Isles, not those foolish priests in their temple. Some even say Mithra himself was really just a big Loa, hero's and ancestors often become so after they pass over.
The story is that Black Alice had something to do with Santierra here on the big island, and even more to with Voodoo on the Gardens . Some say that she still has followers and students here to this day.
Suddenly Marius, from her perch by the widow. interrupted.
"Have you noticed, it's getting quieter?"
"Freddy hitting a mellow section of his set?" asked Whisperleaf
"No." Marius listened intently. "Not quieter. Farther away!"
The heroes rushed to the window, to see the tail end of huge precession, more a mob really of musicians and revelers headed down Port street.
"I see Freddy, he's right in the middle of it" said Marius.
Jean Pierre joined them at the window. "Ah, la fais do-do she take to the street, no? They do that here. Be a big carnival, head all over town I bet. Plenty fun."
"Not exactly a safe thing for Freddy to be doing" remarked Whisperleaf. "What with all that trouble with the church."
"Yes" sighed Dakhir. "Guess we need to go talk some sense into him. God I wish we had brought Ozraeline"
"Someone had to stay and keep an eye on my ship" said Ricmo.
"Your ship?" said Whisperleaf
"Yeah but now Freddy doesn't have a keeper" sighed Dakhir.
"Good luck" Jean Pierre smiled. "Pretty hard to stop a fais do-do once it gets going around here. Maybe with cannons. This is what we are, you see? During the daytime, it's all merchant this and buy-sell that, but once papa sun go down, you see the REAL islands come out mon. I go with you, I love a big party!"
Jean Pierre turned out to be right. The street party seemed to be taking on a life of it's own, picking up more revelers as it moved through the town, like a snowball rolling down hill.
"We can't even get CLOSE to Freddy" complained Whisperleaf. "There must be over a thousand people here now". The music was deafening as musicians of all kinds joined the procession. Drummers, flutists, violin, guitar, somehow all managing to carry the same tune.
"Have you noticed that all the ones close to Freddy wear the White Rose of Erzulie?" asked Marius. "What the innkeeper described as the 'Queen's Men'? Those loyal to the Governor's Wife, Maria Cristinia?"
"The last thing we need to do is get pulled in to some feud between the new Governor-elect, his voodoo-queen wife and the merchant oligarchs. I think the Mithran priesthood is enough" complained Dakhir. "Damn you Freddy!"
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Meanwhile Freddy was having a blast.
The energy of the show had been phenomenal, so much so that he has barely noticed the performance moving outside into the street. He had been 'in the zone' before as part of performances, but this felt like another level, almost like a waking dream. There must be at least two dozen musicians as part of the street party, all playing, none of them had ever rehearsed together before, it should have been chaos and cacophony, but it somehow wasn't, it somehow worked. And his music was the center of it all.
The summer breeze was fragrant with the perfumes of the tropics, the crowd was boisterous but good natured. People drank and sang and drank and danced and drank and flirted and drank. The crowd was feeding on it's own positive energy, the city was ripe with mystery and possibilities. Freddy was in his element.
Plus the art was flowing heavier then he'd ever felt before. He was composing songs in languages he didn't even speak, and they were GOOD!
Freddy sang, not even sure what it meant.
Then suddenly a halfling flew down from the sky and almost landed on his head.
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Ricmo had never flown before, but had always been more then a little envious when Dakhir had cast that spell on others. He was pretty tickled it was finally his turn.
"Go talk some sense into that idiot please. Tell him to stop tempting fate and come back. And don't let the crowd see more of you flying then they have to, we have attracted more then enough attention" Dakhir had said, before he had started the infernal incantation. A red flash, heat, the scent of brimstone and now Ricmo was airborne.
He took a few minutes to enjoy it. If anyone had been looking up and possessed the ability to penetrate the dark night sky, they would have seen more then a few barrel rolls and loops. But eventually Ricmo got down to business.
Freddy was easy to spot, the crowd seemed to have gotten bigger, and the line of torches making it's way through the streets was easy to see from the air. His darkvision penetrated the night easily and he identifying Freddy was not problem, right in the middle of the thickest crowd. Surrounded by pretty girls of course.
Ricmo kicked up and dived down.
-----------------
Freddy did a double take
"Hey Ricmo, you're flying?"
"Yeah it's amazing!" Ricmo answered. "If Dakhir had to sell his soul for this, it was worth it!" He did a little loop just to show off.
"You need to come back Freddy. Dakhir and Whisperleaf are worried about those holy rollers that are looking for us."
"Those two are always worried about something man, just tell them to relax, daddo" Freddy replied tranquilly.
One of the dancers nearest to Freddy, laughed and agreed. "Yes Freddy! You got to come with us, we got someone you need to meet! You are going to really like Maria Cristina!" The women had a white rose armband prominently displayed.
Ricmo started feeling a sinking feeling.
"Uh Freddy. That's the governors wife I think. You know the voodoo queen, Jean Pierre was telling us about?"
"Huh" said Freddy. "Is she pretty?"
"The prettiest!" the woman laughed back. "The most beautiful women in the Isles! Beloved of Erzulie!"
“Groovy” said Freddy.
Ricmo looped over and positioned himself right next to Freddy so he could talk into his ear. "Shit Freddy, this is a setup man. This is some kind of trick. We need to get out of here" the levitating halfling half whispered, half screamed into Freddy's ear.
"Man Ricmo, turn right side up brother, that's not right, makes me queasy"
"We gotta run Fred" the halfling insisted urgently.
"Huh". Freddy's rationale mind tried to reassert itself. There were a surprising number of white armbands surrounding him, and now that he noticed, it didn't seem like this path the crowd was taking through the city streets was entirely random. They were definitely headed west.
Freddy tried to stop walking and playing. And found he couldn't stop either. Walking or playing.
"Shit Ricmo I can't stop, baby. Think I am all spelled up man. This island mojo got me!" Freddy said desperately.
"Try really hard Fred" said Ricmo.
Freddy summoned all his willpower and managed to stop in the street. But the instant he did so, a blinding pain ripped through his head. He whimpered and started moving again."
"No-go Ricmo. They got me good."
"Ok Fred, just try to fight it as much you can and I'll get the rest of the team. Hang tight Fred!" Ricmo soared away.
----------------
Ricmo reported back to the rest of the party, where they followed in the tail of the precession.
"Ok enough screwing around." said Dakhir worriedly. "Sturg, we need to get through that crowd to Freddy. We need to do that NOW."
The Sturg nodded, flexed his arms, cracked his neck, then started moving forward purposively while unlimbering his shield.
The crowd was thick but it was still flesh. Flesh compressed if you pushed hard enough. The Sturg pushed hard enough.
"Hey what the hell!" the group of rose-wearers right around Freddy had just enough time to say before The Sturg hit them, carrying his shield before him, like some kind of slow motion bad tempered battering ram. He didn't hurt anyone. Much. He just made it clear he was going where they were standing, and they found it expedient to not be standing there any more.
They moved aside cursing, there wasn't really any choice.
"Hey Freddy how are you doing?" asked Whisperleaf.
"Good good, I seem to be going somewhere though. Not sure where but I'm a going there daddyo ".
Jean Pierre tutted again. "Oh I see now. Erzulie Fréda has him. I see her brand on him plain as day. Nothing to be done about that mon, but go with it and enjoy. She wont hurt him. Much.
"What does 'much'" mean" asked Freddy?
Jean Pierre returned a big grin.
"She be the Loa of Love my friend. And you are a very pretty man. You must have caught her eye. She's not a bad sort, fickle, vain, a bit temperamental, but she Rada, not a bad one at all."
"Sound like anyone you know? snickered Dakhir to Whisperleaf."
There are much worse loa to be ridden by, trust me" said Jean Pierre. "You are best served to just go with it, otherwise you might anger here and bring out one of her less pleasant Petro aspects." He shuddered. "She don't make a good spurned lover mon."
"Well he's the expert" said Whisperleaf. "I don't know any spell to kick out an inhabiting spirit, do you two? Both Dakhir and Radiant shook their head.
"Ok Freddy, just try to stay in control and we will watch your back" said Whisperleaf.
------
This advice turned out to be hard for Freddy to take. As the crowd wound it's way through the streets, the dreamlike feeling returned, and try as he might he could not resist it, plunging into the depths of the moment, the music, the smells, the crowd.
Eventually the crowd spilled up against the gates of a great fortress on the western edge of the city. The fortress was old, very old, and the walls seemed very strong. The gate guards took one look at the approaching crowd and ducked inside, shutting the great gate.
"The Governor's Keep" said Jean Pierre. “This is where Marie Cristina and her husband Governor Don Rodrigo Gonzalez Davila live and hold their court.”
The crowd washed up against the walls, dancing and singing, but after awhile a single chant started to dominate the disparate noises.
"Maria Cristina, come out and dance!
Maria Cristina, come out and dance!"
the crowd chanted.
And after awhile, the figure of a woman walked onto the battlements above the gate.
She shouted down to them
"Mon trésor! What brings you to my doorstep this fine night!"
"Maria Cristina, come out and dance!
"Mon cœur, it is late, I was sleeping! I go to bed so early you know" she shouted down playfully.
The crowd laughed. "Maria Cristina, come out and dance!
"Very well ma chérie, come in and let us dance!"
And at that exact moment the great fortress doors swung open, far faster then any hand could have opened them"
And Freddy went in.
At that point, as the crowd poured into the castle courtyard, the heroes realized that everything up until now had only been a preview to the actual party, a warm up, and now the fais do-do was getting started.
"Who was that?" asked Dakhir suspiciously to Jean Pierre
"Oh that is Maria Cristina, she is the Governors wife" replied Jean Pierre
"And where was the Governor?" asked Dakhir suspiciously
"Oh he is probably sleeping I imagine. I am sure he was unexpectedly very sleepy. Or perhaps called away on some urgent matter. That is the way of these things with Erzulie. Or who knows, maybe he has no problem, 'eh? He did marry a priestess of Erzulie after all. She knows what she's doing maybe he does to? Not so sure about your friend though"
The crowd was so packed that even The Sturg couldn’t push his way through. Eventually Ricmo climbed up on The Sturgs broad shoulders so he could see over the crowd.
"Hey guys, Freddy is singing to that incredibly pretty lady" said Ricmo
"The Governors wife, Maria Cristina" said Jean Pierre helpfully. "Or Erzulie Fréda depending on how you think about it, it's not really her anymore exactly when she is so deeply ridden. It's not exactly your friend Freddy anymore either. It's. Complicated"
Hey guys, Freddy is dancing with that lady" said Ricmo. She dances REALLY well.
"The Governors wife, Maria Cristina." said Jean Pierre with a huge grin on his face. "Is known to be quite a dancer."
Hey guys, Freddy and that lady" ..."The Governors wife Maria Cristina.... are headed off into the fortress. Real friendly like." said Ricmo. "Real, real friendly."
Dakhir sat down in a dark corner at the edge of the throng and put his head in his hands. Whisperleaf walked over and put a supportive hand on this shoulder.
"This is really going to happen isn't it?" said Dakhir. "There is nothing we can do about it, is there?"
"No, no there is not!" said Jean Pierre chortling. "Just don’t worry, be happy, enjoy the party! Welcome to the ISLANDS mon. I am gonna dance now!" and he disappeared into the crowd.
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