Rhydd stopped himself from smiling at Lady Mallory's comment. He had found himself doing far too much of that as of late whilst in her company. ~~Best not to let anyone inside the walls you have constructed, Rhydd-me-lad. The one time you did that, it resulted in great hurt.~~

And so it was that he simply nodded his head in reply to her inquiry. "Of course," he said. The archer ended up carrying most of the woolen blankets as Lady Mallory trudged over to the group of beggars, moving carefully due to the uncertain footing, Rhydd supposed.

His eyes narrowed when the man threw the blanket that had been gifted to him into the fire. Since his hands were filled with the remaining blankets, Rhydd stepped over to the fire and kicked the blanket out of the flames.

Rounding on the man who had thrown away the length of wool that might mean the difference between life and death in the frigid conditions, he snarled "What's the matter with you, sirrah? Are you overcome with rudeness in response to a selfless act of kindness, or are you simply a lackwit?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:19, Sun 23 Jan 2022.

"Kindness?" the man growled. He wasn't a large fellow, and remained somewhat hunched over, and while it was difficult to determine the age of some of the other vagrants, this one was clearly elderly. He left most of his face uncovered, having elected to not wear as many layers of clothing as the rest. "No, *cough* this is foolishness. Crawl back up whatever snothole you came from and leave us be. We've got enough trouble as is." He turned to sit back in his spot. "Listen to some wisdom — burn them all. It's all that fire is good for."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:57, Sun 23 Jan 2022.

Rhydd turned to Lady Mallory. "I have not the patience to argue with the likes of this one."

"But you have already shown that you have more kindness in you than I do. Perchance you might care to do so."

Mallory was quick to pair each given blanket with gentle assurances and kind smiles, as well as a helping hand to those vagrants who were too stiffened by age or cold to easily move on their own.  But when one fellow literally cast charity into the flames, she gasped aside in shock at the sudden billow of smoke from the half-smothered fire.  She was aghast for only a moment while Rhydd, faster on the draw, both saved the blanket and rounded his ire on the ungrateful fellow.  But, unlike Rhydd, there was no burst of outrage in her when he turned about to her once again... simply a somber look of sadness in her one visible eye.

Seemingly undaunted by the man's harsh response, the young noble handed out the last of her blankets and dusted off her emptied hands with a passing clap.  The scorched blanket was plucked up instead and held out at arm's length for her to look it over; a bit seared and stained with soot for its foray into the flame, but in all truth the blanket had done more harm to the meager fire than the other way around.  She gave it a hard shake and toss to snap it out as, with a crack and arcane shimmer, the wool instantly became clean once more in the blink of an eye.  Another beckoning gesture to the fire itself caused the flames to momentarily surge higher and hotter; just enough to be stoked back to life fully from the brief smothering that threatened to quench them.

"There's nothing to argue about, Rhydd." Mallory said as she folded the blanket over her arm and eased to his side with a smile.  She wasn't convinced at all about his claim of lacking kindness though.  Given his habit of threatening people who really ticked him off with grisly death in the wilds, the fact that he even bothered giving the ungrateful vagrant a moment of his mind said much.  Mallory stepped up to where the coughing man sat in his stubbornness and, despite her charity having been cast aside once, offered something else in its place.

"But if you have such wisdom to spare, I'm willing to listen.  Please?" she asked patiently.  That so many people in a such a small town could be driven to huddled destitution without their neighbors springing to their aid?  That a man would stubbornly cast aside a life-saving kindness?  As with Targos, there was bound to be greater woes in Bryn Shander lurking just below the surface that would render up such an awful state.

---

Mallory casts "Prestidigitation" to clean the blanket and re-light the fire, in case it was in danger of going out after that.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:14, Sun 23 Jan 2022.

"Snooty one, aren't ya? Oh, o'savior of us wretches! What would we do without you?" the ungrateful vagrant spat. "There's not an ounce of wit rummaging through that hollow skull of yours . . . if you think blankets are going to keep the cold at bay, you are sorely mistaken, miss High-and-Mighty." He shivered and brought a fist up to his up to his loosely tied scarf, revealing purple lips as he hacked twice. "No, they'll do the exact opposite. You're making it colder for us all," the old man said before continuing his coughing fit.

"Oh, would you quiet your rambling?" one of the other beggars interjected from where she sat huddled on her log. A younger, more lively voice. She had dark green eyes, and a strand of red hair peeked out from underneath her hat. "And frankly, I’m sick of your coughing. It'll be the death of you within the Tenday. What good then will your pigheadedness have served you?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:03, Sun 23 Jan 2022.

Mallory would at least afford herself a sigh behind her own scarf.  But that was the most of it - she didn't rile to the man's insults at all one way or another.  She knew pride in the face of charity... not just having seen it before, but having fallen to it herself on her sullen trek northward.

"Speaking of the Frostmaiden, are you?  She's going to blow and bluster either way, so you might as well have a blanket all the same."  When another of the group spoke up, Mallory shifted her stance a bit to more openly address the lot as a whole rather than just that one stubborn fellow alone.  "He's not entirely wrong though; it's not going to get any easier exposed like this.  What's driven you to this point?  Is there nowhere for you to take shelter?  A temple or a public property?  Surely there must be somewhere you can go for your own safety?"

"Though we typically stayed out during the day, we could seek refuge in the temple," the woman said, wrapping the blanket more tightly around herself as a particularly chilly wind decided to make a timely entrance. "But we were cast out. The new clergy aren't as welcoming as the last. Thankfully they open the Town Hall for us during the nights now." She nodded toward the building just across the square.

The cross beggar grumbled. "'Bluster and blow', she says," he scoffed, "*cough* like it's one or the other — either she leaves us be or she doesn't. Simple! I thank you for clarifying."

"Shut up," the woman retorted. "Or I'll beat the cough to it."
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:04, Sun 23 Jan 2022.

The notion of any well-meaning clergy actively turning away those in need brought a look out outright consternation across Mallory's face.  She wanted to press for more information on the matter but, given the surly grumblings close at hand, felt their continued presence was just going to stir the pot.  She'd have to ask Farwalker if she'd noticed anything when she returned.

"So long as you have somewhere to go, then.  I wish I could do more, but I can at least do this much."  It wasn't as if she could solve all their problems so easily, after all.  But whatever she could do, she would.  One man's scorn wasn't going to so easily quash her charitable spirit as she reached into her breast pocket and produced two gold coins.  The spurned blanket was folded and set to the ground before the ill old man along with the two coins atop it.  If he wanted to toss those into the fire as well, at least they'd survive for someone else to pluck up from the embers later and make use of.  As she'd handed out blankets to each of the needy, so too did Mallory go to each in turn to give money as well.  Two gold for each, in hopes they'd be able to make better use of it.

---

Eight vagrants means Mallory hands over 16 GP total, 2 to each.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:47, Sun 23 Jan 2022.

Rhydd looked on as Lady Mallory treated with the beggars. As she was wrapping thing up, he spoke to her.

"That was . . . very generous of you. It is almost unheard of in this place and in these times. I will admit to being impressed."

"Are all nobles in the part of the Southlands where you are from as free with their golders as you are, or are you an oddity?"

"A free pot? Maybe.. Nah, not a buckler man"

"Could this..?" He covered the scarred man's bald head, trying to imagine him with a full set of silver streaked locks. "Absolutely not."

"Wizard, knight, yada yada yada... Southwell, that's good to know, yada yada"

Torgrim let out a sigh of relief after getting through the last poster. Probably not wanted, at least not officially. It was a start. He fished out his notebook and was in the process of jotting down details from some of the more relevant postings when the cloaked figure caught his eye. He'd been spied upon before, but never quite so blatantly. That was usually reserved for his visitors, who did not have to mind how others perceived them. Though ghosts rarely saw a need to stay in the shadows.

He turned his toward his onlooker. If they saw no need to hide their gaze, then neither would he.

OOC: Does Torgrim recognise the figure at all?

"You are much too kind," the red-haired vagrant bowed as Mallory handed her the two gold coins. While it wouldn't last longer than a Tenday under normal circumstances, it was certainly more than any peasant could hope to make in a day. The others, too, accepted gratefully. In some, one could visibly see them contemplate how to spend it, twirling the coin around in their fuzzy gloved fingers.

The vitriolic old man simply scoffed at the additional gesture. It appeared he had no intention of accepting neither gold nor blanket. At least not immediately.

---

The cloaked figure, upon having their gazed returned back to them, retreated slightly in to the shadows while still remaining within sight. They weren't familiar to Torgrim at first glance, but whether it was someone he knew or not was impossible to tell with that cloak covering them up like that.

To be thanked for what she considered to be the bare minimum of Human kindness;... it brought an ache to Mallory's chest that she couldn't quite bear.  In the end all she could do was offer a demure bow of her head and wish the group a safe evening before she took once more to Rhydd's side.

"That was... very generous of you. It is almost unheard of in this place and in these times. I will admit to being impressed."

Mallory seemed sullen as they walked up the road together toward Kelvin's Comfort.  At first she simply shrugged to Rhydd's praises to play them off, but his insistence on the subject forced her to look it square on herself.

"Are all nobles in the part of the Southlands where you are from as free with their golders as you are, or are you an oddity?"

"Yes and no to the lot." she sighed out a plume of steam into the evening air.  "Charity isn't uncommon in Neverwinter, though more often the noble houses simply give sums to organizations and temples who carry out goodwill in their name.  It's not a bad thing but it's... distancing.  It's removed from the heart of the matter and becomes abstract, where money can simply be signed away without ever meeting those in need."  Mallory spared the briefest of glances back over her shoulder at the then-distant group of unfortunate souls, then sighed once more.  "When my parents were younger, a volcanic eruption near Neverwinter destroyed much of the city.  It killed thousands and to this day there are still scars on the city itself.  So many became as refugees in their own home.  But in its terrible wake and in the time of rebuilding that followed, for a short while at least, the social stratum all but disappeared... people were simply there for one another, keen to help and pick up the pieces together.  When it comes right to it, there's no real difference between any of us.  My family's roots are placed within ashen earth; we rose from the same humble place as so many others, and it's all too easy to return there with just a single bad turn of luck.  Would that man have scolded me as he did had he met me a week ago, when I was down to my last two silvers en route to be stranded here as he is?"

There was much that flitted about in her mind as she dwelt on such thoughts.  It had all been before her time but she grew up seeing the impact it had on everyone around her.  She'd heard the stories and seen the wounds.  Her father never spoke of it all himself... never directly, and she'd learned quickly enough that some suffering was kept in silence by choice.  Though she felt she could go on and on about the whole affair, Mallory feared to tax Rhydd's already thinned patience.  They'd each been through so much that day alone and it wouldn't do to overwhelm him any further.  So, instead, she simply shook her head and shrugged.

"Sorry, I'm rambling.  I just... wish there was more I could bring myself to do."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:25, Mon 24 Jan 2022.

Rhydd chuffed when Lady Mallory spoke of Neverwinter's noble houses using the local temples as go-betweens to hand out alms and charity to the needy. "And I wonder how much of that coin sticks to the fingers of the local priests -- you know, to cover handling costs and various other expenses -- and never reaches those who are in need."

"No question about it, your more direct method is much preferable."

He waved his hand dismissively at her effort to apologize as she wrapped up her comments. "Stop with that. Please . . . just stop. You have no reason at all to hang your head, and I will hear no more of it."

"So chin up, and walk with pride. 'Tis a good thing you have done this night."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:38, Tue 25 Jan 2022.

That distrust of nobles and the clergy Rhydd bore seemed to be a common trend, Mallory noted inwardly.  It wasn't as if she could really say otherwise though... there were genuinely good people in such places yet, as always, there were those who'd abuse a position of power and make a bad name for everyone else.  But that Rhydd would so readily give her reassurances and praise in the same breath left the young noble with a guilty feeling she couldn't quite shake.  Just as before, he seemed to see her in a better light than she felt she deserved... worse yet, she realized, was a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach that he might someday see her with the same scorn he offered others of her ilk.

"I'll keep my chin down behind my scarf, I think.  It's too cold otherwise." she tried to joke away the matter. "Come on then, let's get inside.  With any luck we'll find Moyrah and --"

---

"Dannika-ah-ahhh!"

Mallory sounded like she was about to cry as she hurried her way across the busy tavern room and upstairs, heedless of the spattering footsteps of shed snow she left in her wake.  Such was her haste that Astre bailed off her shoulders to amble along beside Rhydd's boots instead.

"Goodness, do you know how worried we've been?"

Such was Mallory's relief that she couldn't even contain herself despite knowing Dannika wasn't as comfortable with overly familiar gestures.  The young noble caught her up in a crushing hug all the same, too glad to see her again after their brush with doom to resist.  A brief, if almost smothering, embrace before Moyrah ended up the receiver of one as well thrown about her middle.  "You've no idea how happy I am to see you both again!  That was an absolutely terrible experience; we nearly died!  Again!"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:40, Tue 25 Jan 2022.

Clearly whoever this was either wanted to be followed, or they wanted to make sure Torgrim knew that his entry into Bryn Shander had not gone unnoticed. He put both hands up to shoulder height, showing the cloaked stranger his open palms as a sign of non-aggression. After making sure no one else was watching, he lowered his arms and casually approached the shadows.

Best case scenario; they were a simple low-life dealer looking for an easy sale. Worst case, Torgrim's presence would be reported back to someone with a grudge. In case of the latter, it was preferable to stay in control of the narrative.

Once close enough, Torgrim put out his gloved hand for a handshake. The index finger was folded onto itself, presenting him as a member of the criminal underworld to anyone in the know.

"Hello friend, see anything you like?"

The shadowy figure initially shied away at Torgrim's approach, though hesitated and averted their gaze, ultimately remaining close. A palpable silence hung in the air as Torgrim's prompt was left unanswered for a time.

"Cannibals." the figure eventually said, looking at Torgrim once again. "Four days ago, a group of furriers and trappers left from here. They have been captured by my tribe, who are eating them one by one. All the sled dogs and most of the elderly are dead. Our camp lies to the southeast, near the woods. But we won't stay for long. If you wish to save some of their lives, you must act quickly." That was all the person said before they grabbed their hood, turned, and hurried off in the opposite direction.

---

Torgrim's Perception Check [14]: The character had unnatural eyes, too round and too intensely blue. And though it was difficult to tell in the darkness, along the ridge of their nose a tuft of grey fur poked out from the cowl they used to cover their face.

---

It seemed the tavern wouldn't be as busy if it weren't for the overwhelming amount of Dwarves that currently occupied the room. In fact, there seemed to be more Dwarves than any other race combined. "HAAAH!" one Dwarf's drawn out, one-syllable laughter boomed above the general chatter as ale dripped from his lips and onto his beard.

As Mallory had suspected, the hug had caught the scholar off guard and Dannika wasn't exactly quick to return the embrace. "Oh, wow. Okay," she muttered as she awkwardly patted the wizard's back. Moyrah, on the contrary, reciprocated in kind with one powerful arm that pressed Mallory close. "It is good to see that you managed. I do bet the Yetis had it worse than you, no?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:06, Tue 25 Jan 2022.

"Yetis would've been preferable." Mallory gave an exhausted sigh and practically melted into a seat at the table.  It wasn't until she stopped moving that she realized how much her legs hurt from trekking for so long; high steps in deep snow were going to be the death of her.  "No, it turns out what made the tracks was a Werebear.  Which actually wasn't too bad in and of itself?  I got the feeling they might've been able to be reasoned with... right up to the point that the giant White Dragon swooped out of the sky and ate them.  You surely know of Arveiaturace from her assault on Candlekeep prior, right Dannika?  Turns out she's in this neighborhood, presently.  Swept in from the north of the lakeside and flew off back that way again."

The noble moved to draw her hood back but hesitated a moment.  Normally she'd just whisk it over her shoulders as soon as she was indoors but, given the tiny passenger she had tucked amid her tresses, she instead took a more careful gesture to lower her hood.  "Of course, we did thankfully stumble upon something far more pleasant as well on our way back..." she noted as she lifted her hair aside to try and find their newest companion.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:28, Tue 25 Jan 2022.

"I must say that is quite the turn of events," Dannika began after listening intently. "While Arveiaturace was prior to my time at Candlekeep, I do know of her visit. Everybody does! In fact, I wouldn't be-" she trailed off once the Chwinga's mask peeked out from beneath Mallory's locks. The little elemental had remained peaceful the entire trek. Now was no exception.

Dannika's eyes grew wide as surprise washed away word and thought. "T-that's-" was all she managed to stammer before she bunched her hands and began tapping her feet, squealing in excitement. Now she lunged forward to embrace Mallory across the table, bumping against the edge to rattle the plates and cutlery atop. She only stopped short once she suspected any sudden movement could very likely upset the Chwinga. "Oh, sorry, sorry," she apologized, foregoing the hug to extend her hand invitingly to the tiny being. "May I?"

Mallory couldn't help but wonder if Dannika ever realized just how adorable she actually was when something caught her passion for academia.  That barely-bottled excitement of hers made the noble want to hug her once again but she refrained.

"Well, that's hardly up to me to decide.  This fellow is quite the willful adventurer." she swept her hair aside over one shoulder to let the Chwinga have full view of its new surroundings and Dannika's eager invitation.  "Little friend?  This is the person I told you about before; she's been very eager to meet you.  Would you like to get to know her better?" Mallory flexed her intonation up and down in that same sing-song manner as before to emulate the Chwinga's chiming vocalizations.  She honestly didn't know if it helped or not, but it was a little fun at the very least.

Rhydd was delighted to discover that both Dannika and Moyrah were already inside Kelvin's Comfort. For that meant that not only had they arrived safe and sound, but that Rhydd would not have to venture back out into the frigid conditions and travel down to the Southwest gate in search of them.

In no time at all Dannika and Lady Mallory were nattering away at one another, and as the archer had expected, Dannika was positively entranced by the Chwinga.

WIth a shake of his head, Rhydd smiled a thin-lipped smile and turned to Torgrim. "Well, they will keep each other busy for a while, methinks."

"Did you find anything of interest on the Notice Board?"

The Chwinga chimed softly — very softly — as Dannika moved her hand closer. "It sings!" It had been enough for the scholar to hear, but the Dwarves and minstrel downstairs were all loud enough to drown it out for everyone else. After a moment, once the scholar's fingers were just next to it, it reached out with its tiny hand and gently grasped the tip of her index finger.

Dannika chuckled. "Hello, little guy," she started introducing herself, carefully moving her finger as if to shake its hand. "My name is Dannika. Of course, you don't understand a word of what I'm saying. Still, it's nice to meet you!" She tilted her hand to make a platform for the Chwinga to step onto, but it seemed hesitant, leaning closer to Mallory for reassurance. Aside from the barest of melodies, it had given the noblewoman no tell indicating it had understood the unfamiliar Human had been vouched for. But after a moment it still took the step, leaving the comfortable and warm lodging of Mallory's silken hair.

With Dannika still avoiding any and all sudden movements, the Chwinga was slowly served a close up of her face as she brought it nearer for an inspection. "Incredible . . . they look just like the illustrations I have. Can you believe it? Where did you find them? Were they alone?"

"I'm honestly uncertain about their level of comprehension.  They can most certainly converse among themselves just fine and I think I was able to get across to them with illusory illustrations, but anything else?  I have a spell of linguistic comprehension, though I lacked the safety to cast it while out in the wilds.  Would you like me to try and see if it works on Chwinga-speech?" Mallory could only shrug helplessly on that point.  She tried to reassure the Chwinga as she reached to cup the side of Dannika's offered hand in a show of trust, and a length of her long, dark hair served easily enough as a tether to hold onto if the little fellow was truly uncertain.

"In truth, they found us when we were hiding from Arveiaturace.  They were quite cautious of me, but the Dragon's presence scared even them enough to overcome any worry and take refuge with us.  They seem quite curious once they're at ease." she scooted her chair a bit closer to Dannika's side for the sake of keeping the Chwinga comfortable.  All the while she ensured her touch remained close so that the tiny Elemental could retreat to her if it so chose, never leaving it stranded for want of escape.  "Once things had quieted down this one led us to meet two of their companions amid the trees.  While I'm glad you weren't there for the Dragon, I wish you could've seen that..."

Thus Mallory set into a lengthy explanation of what they'd experienced, albeit tailored specifically to where the Chwinga were involved and without mention of Rhydd's singing.  Her free hand gestured about as she conjured illusions to relay the tale visually as well, supplying Dannika with examples of the tea party scene they'd come upon, the other two Chwinga with their varied masks and thatch clothing, and an echo of the way they all sang together with her conjured piano trills.  Dannika's theorizing had been correct; they seemed quite fond of music and she replicated their darling harmony as best she could recall.  She was certain the fascinated scholar would want every last detail and, despite how rough a day it had been, Mallory wanted to satiate that curiosity before she drank enough to blot out the last few hours in a haze of wine.

"They all seemed quite enthralled by man-made items.  This one entrusted their spoon to a friend, and they were all practically enraptured when Rhydd contributed a 'plate' to their tea party.  Honestly, I still can't imagine where they scavenged up such trinkets to begin with." she mused aloud.  "Do you have a bauble you might part with?  They may trust you more if you give them something to keep."

---

If Dannika requests it, Mallory will take a few minutes to ritually cast "Comprehend Languages" to see if she can understand the Chwinga.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:01, Wed 26 Jan 2022.

"Wait, what? What are yo-" It was all Torgrim was able to get out before the mysterious figure disappeared into the darkness. He had half a mind to run in pursuit, but ultimately decided against it. He of all people knew that there were very good reasons to keep what anonymity one could in a place like this.

As he walked back to Kelvin's, Torgrim started filling in a new page in his notebook, opposite the sketch of the Chwinga and summary of the notice board. By the time he arrived it read:

"Blue Eyes"

• Blue eyes (duh.)
• Eyes uncomfortably big.
• Grey fur/hair on nose (tiny werebear or hairy teenager?)
• Tribe eating people southeast near forest.
• Ghost or living? 95% 90% 80% chance they're real. Very concerned with hiding for a ghost.

---

Locating the others were not a particularly difficult task. As the door into Kelvin's Comfort opened, Dannika's squeals somehow managed to reach out across the busy tavern, a feat impressive in itself even before taking the predominantly dwarven clientele into account.

"Well, they will keep each other busy for a while, methinks. Did you find anything of interest on the Notice Board?"

"Nothing that jumped out at me, no." Torgrim admitted before consulting the notebook. "An issue with a whale, figured it could be related to our friend.. Terrorfish? but probably not. Bald scarred man wanted, red wizard caught. Sheriff here is Southwell, and some dwarven lads lost a sled." Torgrim read aloud from his jotted down stream of consciousness.

"There was also a hairy blue eyed fellow who talked of cannibals eating trappers near the forest, but he ran before i could squeeze him for details."

Torgrim shut the notebook with one hand and put it back inside his coat. "Now, how about that bottle of Firebrandy?"
This message was last edited by the player at 20:54, Wed 26 Jan 2022.

"I-" Dannika began, but the Chwinga was now close enough to have access to her nose. And it exploited its opportunity to the fullest. That it was somewhat unsanitary and definitely socially frowned upon to brush ones fingers against the inside of other's nostrils did not matter to any Chwinga. Dannika steered away as a sneeze built. "Tchi! Hang on," she scrathed her nose, lowering the Chwinga to the table as she turned to access her bottomless satchel which she had slung over her chair. "I should have something . . . don't run off now, please . . ."

The Chwinga, however, now closer to the table, had already set its eyes on its price — a fork by Moyrah's plate. It climbed out of Dannika's fingers, beelined for the cutlery and hefted it askew in its arms like a grown man would hold a log. It didn't seem to matter that it was a bit dirty.

"I have this," Dannika said and showed a hairpin. She held it out for the Chwinga to grasp, who eyed it briefly before accepting, only to immediately put it down in favor of the fork, serving up a short trill as a 'thank you, but no thank you'. Then it put that fork down in favor of a different fork.

"Okay then," Dannika leaned back in her chair, far more amused than upset. "There's no mention of them producing music in any of the notes or books I've read. I always figured they were mute. Perhaps it's a unique trait of Chwinga here in Icewind Dale? If you wouldn't mind casting your spell, I would love to know if its legible, or if its just random noises similar to what an animal might make. Although . . . they're Elementals, not animals . . . Curious indeed. Sorry, I'm thinking out loud."

"Does it eat?" Moyrah interjected. "You know, since it seems to like forks."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:26, Wed 26 Jan 2022.

Mallory was certain to keep an eye on the Chwinga so that it couldn't skitter off somewhere unnoticed and fall underfoot of some careless bar patron.  Even if it might've eluded any of their potential efforts to hold it, Astre would have no trouble snatching it up before any harm could befall the little thing.  She tittered softly over the Chwinga's antics as Dannika reeled back to sneeze.  "Curious, aren't they?  They were batting at my earrings the whole trip back."

Dannika's prompting for the spell earned a gentle nod in return and Mallory set her focus inward.  Normally she could chant to invoke magical effects on the fly, but some techniques of hers required a more lengthy meditative process.  "No apologies, darling, I do the same thing.

They seem to behave more like children than animals, though it's always hard to tell with beings like Elementals and Fey.  Their psychology is so alien to ours that it's easy to misinterpret their mannerisms.  But the trio did seem to be able to communicate with one another in some manner, so they appear to be acting on more than just instinct." she continued, apparently able to at least converse without breaking her focus.

"Does it eat?" Moyrah interjected. "You know, since it seems to like forks."

"I don't believe so, at least not in the conventional sense.  Elementals, Spirits, and the like generally don't require physical sustenance as they're naturally fueled by ambient Planar energies drawn from The Weave.  I think this little one just likes flatware.  They were quite attached to a spoon earlier, and the lot of them were delighted over an imaginary tea party." Mallory couldn't help but giggle over the memory of both the odd little experience and Rhydd's grumbling song, though the latter was kept to herself.  "It's a bit odd to think that they might see us as being just as strange and ponderous as we see them, isn't it?"

---

Takes 10 minutes, but Mallory casts "Comprehend Languages" on herself.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:17, Wed 26 Jan 2022.