The Nisse here was obviously the leader of the three when they were back at the Stock Exchange.

Now, he extends a cautious hand.

"I'm Rolf," he says.  "They told you everything, didn't they?  The gathering of power, the Christmas Troll... we're not causing any kind of problem, are we?  I'm sure we can come to some agreement.  We can cut you in for some of the.. um... well, whatever we'll get out of this.  Cocoa and cookies, at least."

"We really can't let you change everyone memories. We have to figure out something different" she is not wild about coco and cookies.

Gremian snubbed Rolf's hand. "Like she said, we can not have an deal with you while you want to change human memories. And yes, that mean you are causing problems right now." He frown for added effect.

Mouse sat and politely lifted a paw to shake.

"We think we MIGHT have a better plan as to how to go about this... if you're willing to listen." Violet added. Rather than simply say that they disapproved of the Nisse's memory altering plan. They had discussed an idea after all.

"They do seem to think Human memories are important," Arna says to Rolf.

"I wouldn't have thought so," Rolf says.  "Look at all the effort they make, just to fill their heads with things that aren't even real.  I mean... every Human out there remembers what Santa Claus looks like, and he's not real.  Yet.  If they were so concerned with memory, they'd take better care of it and not fill it with nonsense!"

"But the Library," Arna says.  "We dare not cross them.  Perhaps the Veil is not the only powerful magic they have."

Rolf sighed.  "Tis true.  The Library... we picked this city for the strength of its Belief, the power of thought they possess, focused on the Yule.  But the Library chose this city also.  There is strength there.  I do not wish to oppose you.  What is your plan?"

Julian was glad the Nisse were seeing reason. It was perhaps a good thing that some Fey feared the Library...though as a researcher he had no real understanding why.

"First...could we see the Troll Prince please? That was the whole reason we had to find you. The staff he has, it's dangerous and powerful. We need to make sure everyone is alright and safe and then we can consider how to fix your problem in a way that will benefit everyone."

HOW they were going to do that, Julian had no idea...

"Yes, we need to see the troll prince so we can work all of this out. So where is he?"

Mouse lay on the floor, his head on his front paws.  His tail wagged occasionally as he listened to the conversation.

Although, frankly, if the kob didn't require biting something or scaring something he wasn't really that much help.  Maybe, he decided, the troll would be all wicked.  He hadn't bitten a troll in a long time.  They were tangy.

Rolf looks at the other two.  "He's in his cave," he says.  "Karl, why don't you.. and be mindful, of course... he won't be asleep at this hour, Trolls being fairly nocturnal, but never surprise a Troll in its lair.  Bad move, always."

Then the little Nisse turns his attention back to the party as Karl scurries away.

"There's a rock outcrop in the park, not far from here.  The Troll Prince made himself a little cave there, wanted to be at home.  Best if we fetch him, instead of going there, I think.   Well... while we're waiting... would you like a cookie?"

Gremian was relieved to heard that the Nisses would fetch the Troll. He didn't want to go anywhere near a cave. He hoped that they wouldn't need to bring back the Troll home. The offer of cookies took him off guard, he was hungry, but he feared that it was a trap. He would wait to be the third one to take a bite.

Mouse lifts his head and yips happily at the mention of cookies.

He would, very much, like to have a cookies.

Amara grins "OK, lets get going to meet this troll prince. Then we can see what we could work out with him and you. We at the library want what is best for everyone. And no I don't need a cookie right now. I normally make them" she waves her hand and makes several sugar cookies appear in her hand.

"Well Mouse and I will have some cookies." Violet said firmly, smiling at the small fellow. She was a bit disappointed by the hostility of the group and general disparagement, despite what they had already discussed they seemed to have forgotten ideas and hope and focused on telling the Nisse what NOT to do rather than how they could try and help. "We have a plan, hopefully it will work. If the magic is making you into Christmas Elves, rather than making the memories fit the troll, we make the troll fit the memories. Decorate a grotto, make a big red suit, get some presents to give out... Then hopefully the magic will take things from there."

The party does not go to the Troll.  The Troll is brought to them.  The Nisse are adamant about this- they do not want to shock "their" troll.

Most of the party has now seen at least one Troll- Shvunker.  This one is similar, but taller, and with a decidedly more regal bearing.  Muscular, rocky arms on either side of muscular, rocky shoulders beneath muscular rocky head.  Somewhere in there is a neck, at least in theory.  It's hard to tell.

But the Troll glitters with gems and precious stones.  It is hard to tell whether they are actually part of the Troll's skin or just stuck on.

"I am Dovregubbenson," the Troll grumbles in a voice reminiscent of rolling logs. "You are friends of the Nisse?  You have come to help free them?"

Amara looks at the troll "What do you mean free them? We are trying to help them as we can not permit them to do they plan they wanted to.

Julian took a moment to eye the troll, making mental notes of his appearance versus Shvunker. Perhaps the gems denoted a measure of authority?

"Your highness..." The researcher was unsure of what title to use precisely, "We have been sent to help find you...your disappearance and that of the staff have been very troubling to your people and your King."

"Free them," the Troll repeats.  "For they told me they were held by a terrible magic, and only a great leader could help them overcome the spell."

"We might have, err.. insinuated as such," Rolf says.

"They also told me the power of the Troll Staff could bring about their liberation, as well as making me a great and beloved hero."

"Well technically, all true," the Nisse says.

"All they had to do was focus the attention and belief of the mortals.  They would come to see the trees they decorate... they do quite a lovely job, no?... and from them, the rune stones on the trees would gather magic and deliver it to me, to my staff.  Where there is sufficient belief, there is always magic."

"Also all true," Rolf says.

She glares at Rolf "Well, technically. We will have to discuss this further." she said though she was not sure how at this point. It wasn't like she should turn them all to toads or anything.

"Your Trolliness", said Gremian with a small reverence, "I'm asking you to be careful and listen to us before doing something. When they told us their plan, it sounded more like you will be transform to fit into the hero's suit than make you one." He paused. "But with that said, we do want to free them, just not with their plan as if.

Dovregubbenson looks down at the Gremlin.

Fey come in different categories, and even though the Troll has never seen a Gremlin before, there is an instinctive recognition of kinship.  If the Pixies were born from the first laughter of children, the Trolls, Goblins, and even the ancestors of Gremlins were born from the first unexplained noises in the dark, echoing through the deep halls of caverns that mortals explored only as far as their light would go.

"I will listen to you," Dovregubbenson says.  "I am new to this land.  There is still much I do not know. Have the Nisse misled me?  They say they spoke the truth, I do not think they have the courage to lie to a troll prince."

"Oh dear me no," Karl says.  "Cowards, the lot of us.  Just watch me snivel, I would never lie to a troll!"

Mouse had calmly finished the cookies while watching the goings-on.  Finally, he rose to his feet and padded over to sniff curiously at the troll.  This was the first one he had encountered.  His tail wagged cautiously as he studied Dovregubbenson.  Were all trolls so... sparkly, he wondered.

"I am sure the fairies didn't lie but were not as sure about what they are doing. There might be other ways to get what they want. Their original plan has some flaws. Ones I can not allow to continue.

"Thank you for listening to us, your Trolliness", said Gremian with another reverence. "First, like my companion said, your King and your people sent us, the Library, to find you. A message should be sent to tell them about your well-being. The sooner the better, I guess." He paused, thinking that he should paid his respect to the Troll King someday. "Second, from what they told us, the magic that had trapped them is Human belief, nothing else. It is because children got them mix with another myth: Christmas' elves. So, they told us, they wanted to alter the belief to include you as the leader and get a little more power for themselves. And I'm under the impression that if they do it, you, your Trolliness, you would be trap like them in this new belief, condemn to be the Yule Troll Santa King or something like that", he conclude with yet another reverence.

The Troll Prince looks at the Nisse, who are now shaking.

"Trap??  TRAP!?  We Trolls say, Be Thyself Alone," the Troll says.  "Don't worry about what that means, it befuddles every literature student who has ever studied Ibsen.  For me it means this: I should never be what I am not!"

"Humans do not speak like that," Rolf says.  "Humans say to be all they can, and be what they wish..."

"I am NOT Human!  I am Troll!"

And the Nisse now well, angry Trolls can break very large things very easily.  Nisse, not a problem.

"We meant only the best," Anna says.

"We need cookies," says Karl.