Before turning back to Sora, Bross made an almost imperceptible gesture to Alleycat before turning away, running a thumb across clamped lips as if sealing them shut.

Returning his attention to Sora, he accepted her thanks, and moved on to the matter of Melody. He said "I should hope she didn't run, but... I understand, I suppose. Not everyone has a stake, here. As it is, if things were different, I'd have gone to find my family- just like how Taria was saying her family might still be coming?"

He set aside the idea that Taria might have decided to see about that personally, and went back to what Sora was saying... something about needing a second mystic? He made a note of that.

"Bross Tallcut" he said, offering his hand. "...I suppose, just here to see what can BE done. I didn't understand a word of the..." [Here he mimics what his ears say Draconic sounds like. He may have accidentally said something] "So all I know is we helped deliver a great deal of money that this town can ill afford."

His mind wandered, for a moment, to what would happen- he hadn't seen the graineries or other food stores, but there was more to surviving a winter than that, and nobody gave credit, not on that scale, for what would be needed. Dark, cold, damp... that didn't bode well at all. Even if the raiders never came back- which seemed like wishful thinking- they'd struck the town as deep as if they'd burned it.

Shaking his head, he continued. "This isn't exactly home, but these are my people. I'm here for them." [OOC: He's two days' travel from home, more or less. To wider travelers, he probably is pretty much 'home'. His manner kinda screams 'this is the furthest I've ever gone'.]

Trying his luck with this question, again, he asks "But you're not from these parts, I take it? " (It was her bearing that gave it away- he'd met half-elves before, even in his small village) "May I ask how you came to Greenest? It's very... kind, I suppose, you chose to stay."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:28, Mon 31 Jan 2022.

Taria enters the room, reading her small book with finger tracing out symbols and structures on the page. Her dress previously pierced by bolt, soiled by blood, ash, and soot has returned to the pristine state they were before the chaos of the previous night. She absentmindedly moves to one of the empty seats, smoothing her dress as she finally sits down. Closing her book and sliding it into her apron, she mildly smiles and looks at all of those that have gathered.

Bross grins back at Taria, and makes a 'there ya go' sort of gesture to Sora.

Sora nods, happy the woman turned up, and looked at her. "Taria, right? We will need your expertise in this in regards to that kobold and his skill. As i said earlier, i have some arcane knowledge, but not much."

Taria nods, "I think I have a demonstration that could provide some context without becoming too technical about both the rarity of such a level of skill as well as the magnitude of power. If requested I could delve deeper into these sorts of topics, but the more I go off that plan, the more I am likely to spiral into uncommon terminology."

Sora nods. "I think just to prove the point of how skilled our enemy is at the moment will suffice. If the Govener or his staff have questions about it, that will fall to you."

"Afternoon, folks." Hargin nodded to his new (friend? battle buddies? somethings) as he arrived on Antru's heels, detouring to grab some lunch now that he had a minute to sit. There were more prolific speakers in this meeting and even if he was called upon to add his two bits to the conversation, the dwarf was more inclined to listen and observe first before doing so. "I would call it a pleasure to see you, but under the circumstances, that might be a bit much, eh?" The sooner they could take care of this and scatter to their normal lives, the happier they'd likely be.

Antru looks about the room and takes in those gathered. Aside from the locals it seemed like most of those he had fought with were present. He gives Sora a slight nod and sits across from Allycat.

"I will provide a sufficient illustration of that point."

The door to the council room opens haltingly as Amorette enters (with no small amount of effort- Must these things always be made so heavily?).

She takes in those who have gathered already, including the small group chatting amongst themselves. They look a bit worse for wear, but then again, so must she. Yesterday was... bad. Bloodshot eyes and bloodied clothes are to be expected.

Wary of the chumminess emanating from their circle, Amorette directs herself to what remains of the food, gathering a few handfuls of the nuts, cheese, and berries. Normally at least interested in a bit of friendly banter, today she found herself drained. She takes a seat somewhat apart from the others, closes her eyes and takes a breath. Being here now is important. I need to be here now.

Bross took a look at the 3-foot-and-change tall person who came in, and was startled for a moment.
After a gnat's blink of instant, he decided to take a chance. Taking a deep breath, he called out:

[Language unknown: ingiousan, dindonol!e]

...and he seemed, strangely, more at-ease.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:41, Wed 02 Feb 2022.

Alaric collects some notes from the scribes. All but one of them leave the room. The last one remains at the table keeping notes.

He reviews his papers then nods to the Govenor.

"Ready when you are, my lord."

The sound of her mother tongue pricks up her ears. Amorette opens her eyes. It seems that she had been noticed after all...


She takes in the big man. He looks guileless enough. And they are all victims of the attack on the Fair, in one way or another- he's likely just trying to be friendly. More than trying- that gnomish did not exactly flow out of him. I must look pretty pathetic. No need to add to it by sulking.

Raising her hand in small wave, she smiles and breathes a tired greeting in return. [Language unknown: "Aloulo, itwhpaca. Oerinttra a niil, we!"]]

She straightens and turns her attention to Alaric and the Governor, waiting to for them to speak.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:50, Wed 02 Feb 2022.

Nighthill nods and gestures to the gaurds near the doors. The doors are closed as the guards leave the room.

"Welcome everyone, thank you for joining us for our assessment of the attack last night and your offers to perhaps help us further in the days to come."

He gestures around the table,

"For those of you who are new to Greenest, this is the town's council, and our Chamberlain, Alaric Raos."

He gestures to the seats that are not placed at the table.

"I would like to extend our thanks and welcome to a select few who proved their merit while assisting us during the attack and prisoner exchange.

Let us begin"

He returns his gaze to Alaric,

"What have you learned?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:04, Wed 02 Feb 2022.

"The attack was well planned and executed with discipline and precision."

He looks around the room. "Twenty three people lost their lives. Most from the explosion caused by the dragon. It seems the kobalds were content to capture and ransom the rest."

He pauses.

"They must have carried away their fallen. No bodies were discovered when we investigated the fairegrounds."

"Those caaptured were seached and stripped of their valuables. The vender's stalls were carefully searched and looted. All valuables left in homes and shops in town have been taken."

He scratches his head,

"Oddly all food stores remain unmolested."

"The valuables were loaded into carts and hauled away to the southwest."

"It seems they were lead by the Kobald Ichthriss, the Half Dragon and The Blue Dragon who started the attack. We have learned little of their history or motives."

Nighthill nodded.

"Thank you for your report.

This Ichthriss displayed a talent for strategy and was capable of maintaining strict discipline. He clearly has some skill with the arcane arts. No doubt, few under his command question his authority. Do we have any insight into his strengths or motivations?"

His gaze moved to Sora and Taria hoping for something helpful.

Antru looks at the gnome as she enters. When Bross speaks to her he raises an eyebrow. He trusty didn’t think the man so well versed as to speak more than the common language. He listens once the meeting starts and once the overview is given, Antru speaks up. ”If I may, and this is my opinion. I believe that for what ever reason, the dragon and its followers are working to increase its hoard. That we have had no word of them before hand, leads me to think that we may be their first target. As for the Kobold who was leading. I would judge his use of magic as far beyond that of any here. Perhaps on par with some of the Red Wizards of the southern lands. “

A bit of motion over by the door to the room attracted Alleycat's attention, and his hands dropped to the hilts of his rapiers. A couple of heartbeats later, however, he relaxed as he glimpsed who had entered the room

He did not remember seeing the female Gnome during the fighting yesterday, but he well knew that that meant little. The fighting had been  very confusing -- even more so than usual due to all of the smoke -- and the Waterdhavian would be the first to admit that he had only been able to see a small part of a much larger battlefield.

Soon enough, however, Mekkar's attention was directed to the governor, who first opened the meeting, then requested and received a report from the chamberlain -- who had involuntarily spent a fair amount of time among the attackers.

There did not seem to be any reason for Alleycat to comment, which suited him just fine. After all, he had spent most of his adult life flitting amongst the shadows. And he had long ago decided that the less notice people took of him, the better.

Amorette nods, agreeing with the elf's assessment. "He may have the right idea, but I don't think that's all. Loot cannot be his only motive here. Not when only one group of captives was returned to the keep." She pauses, her heart pounding roughly in her chest. For a moment, the air swims thickly around her. Slowly, she takes a breath before continuing.

"I was captured by the kobalds during the attack. What the kobalds didn't know... [Language unknown: kor ionc Ei ta tedvoreveard.] I understood everything they said. I just thank the gods that they didn't notice, and that I was part of the group that got to return here today. They called us "The Ransom".

The rest... the second, smaller group of prisoners... The kobalds kept mentioning them, all excited-like. They referred to the second group as "The Offering".

Taria rises from her seat providing a mild courtsey as she does so, "I do believe that I can speak to his talent. I am Taria, formerly Taria of Beehill. I am apprenticed to Magus Villion and am learning at the library of Candlekeep. Some of you may remember me and I would like to formally reiterate my apologies for the damage done to the festival seven years ago." She exhales a bit as if she had been spending a good amount of time dreading facing the local leaders of the region again.

Once she recomposes herself, she starts again. "What the Kobold displayed was an evocation spell. My master has spent a good deal of time and effort ensuring that I am familiar with such displays and if I may, I have a small demonstration that might be able to help convey where this display places the kobold in the scale of arcane power."

If there is no protest or a sign of permission to continue. She will begin casting a minor illusion spell. In her mind, she begins to form a mental construct. Imagining the crowd of the festival when busy and expanding it to the trips she has made to the larger cities of the Sword Coast. All together, she envisions nearly 2,608 beings no more than four inches of height all contained in a five foot circle on the surface of the table. She can feel a mild pain forming as she tries to hold this vision in place. When she speaks a few phrases of draconic and supplies a mild amount of essence. The Illusion springs forth into the world allowing all to see her imagined figures. "Let's assume that this is the population of Faerun."

Altering the illusion in her mind, she casts the spell a second time. Thousands of the figures fade from existence leaving only thirteen figures behind. "By the best estimates of the learned sages of Candlekeep, this is the relative number of people that can manipulate arcane energies, including Apprentices such as me to the Archmages like Elminster."

She changes the illusion once again shifting from thirteen figures to five, "This is if we remove Hedge Mages, Novices, and Apprentices." And changes another time from five to one, "This is the removal of Initiates." The single figure then shrinks in size down to an inch. "And the removal of the Journeymages" The single figure then shrinks in size down to a quarter of an inch. "And the Adeptus. This is the peers of the Kobold based on the display of power I witnessed. He ranks with the Magi, the Magus at a bare minimum."

She pauses to for a moment to let her display sink in. "That provides a bit of information about the demographics involved and the rarity of individual that might be capable of that display of power. As for the question of capability and power, if we assume that the tiny figure on the table is representative of that novice talent that caused too much damage seven years ago. The relative damage that Magi can produce if they exert themselves would be something like this." With a final casting, the figure begins to grow from a quarter inch, first to an inch, then to four, then to a foot, then to beyond. Once the figure gets to the size of a short man, it begins to duck down until a ten foot tall figure is crouching on the table. "With that much arcane power available, the single display of power was quite restained."

After a moment, she let's the illusion fall. Exhaling a breath out of the mental exertion. "I would be happy to entertain any questions you might have."

At the mention of 'questions', Bross (through gesture) indicates he would like to ask, but after the others.

~~Gruumsh's hairy bollocks!~~ Alleycat thought to himself as he slumped back in his chair after Taria of Candlekeep had finished with her explanation. He had picked up the saying from the Half-Orcs who did a good bit of the heavy lifting down on the docks and quays of Waterdeep, a location where Mekkar had once worked before being recruited into The Shadows.

~~I think that I actually understood all of that bit about magickers -- at least most of it. How in the world can anyone in this room hope to defeat a creature who wields that much magicked power? Do we have Elminster standing by, ready to step in and lend a hand?~~

Mekkar waited to see how the others would react to the information provided by both Taria and the Gnome.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:51, Wed 02 Feb 2022.

[OOC: This is what Bross is 'holding onto'- I'd literally wait until everyone else posted, but it's getting a bit late, sorry.]

When his turn comes, Bross stands to speak. He carefully puts his words together, as if unaccustomed to formally-addressing a Council like this.

"My name is Bross Tallcut, of Tallcut Farms- two days' travel Southeast of here. I came to Greenest for the Harvest, along with… much of my family. I do not know where they are, but that is for later. I am going to go for those captured for ‘the Offering’. As soon as someone says 'how'. And then..." (Here he makes a fuming noise- he clearly intends some sort of payback)

"But first, I have questions, about what I’ve seen.

He pauses. "This took much forethought."

"Those we fought- they were Men- humans, I should say- and kobolds, and… well, we all saw. Not folks that walk beside each other, most of the time, if you catch my meaning.
"And each of them- beside the drakes, of course- wore a blackened brooch with the face of a dragon upon it."

Such- even rough-hewn… those take time. Those whistles, too. Nobody just has those. Not so many.

He looks to Taria and says "I believe you, Taria of Beehill.", with the implication that "Beehill" counted more than "Candlekeep" for current purposes. "But, even if someone could magic that all up... who would? It’s- pardon me- beneath a mage to do such things. That’s…"

(Bross wouldn’t know the word for “logistics” here, so he sort of makes a face and waves his hands to indicate ‘something that would take a great deal of time, repetitive work and stuff.’)

"...And we know that Kobold stole the measure of Greenest’s treasures, right out of Chamberlain Raos’ head- but they knew him- knew who he was- and knew to grab him, if I make sense. This means… scouts? Spies? Something like that?

I only know of war what my brothers say it is, but this seems more like war than a raid. Much too much just to get at us, even for what we’ve lost.

[He lets that sit there for a second, looks to the Guardsmen that spoke to him, for backup, and then wraps up.]

"And- forgive me, I did have questions- If their magic is so strong, and they have that dragon- did the bidding of that dragon- who just roared at us and left, if I remember right?
-Why did they not just sack the treasury, themselves? Why do the graineries still stand?
I mean to say, Chauntea-Be-Restful, nobody will starve, but they left it all be- why leave it be? Is there something else here, that they want or dare not disturb?
And who could, sorry, would do all the work on the side, and hide it so?

And... why now? Besides 'it's harvest', is this time special? (He turns to look at the people who he knows know anything about magic.)

He then retakes his seat.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:18, Wed 02 Feb 2022.

Sora watched as the gnome entered, about to say something, when the meeting started. With Alaric and Tarbaw saying their pieces and then opening the floor, she was happy that Antru spoke up. Then when Taria and the new gnome - Amoretta was it? she tapped her lip with her finger in thought. She did not doubt Taria's estimation, and from what the gnome spoke, she was behind the lines....and the question of offering?

Sora decided to speak. "As you know, I helped Governor Nighthill with the translation - on my own request. I am happy i did as i saw the skills and influence of the leaders they have over the army - for it is an army."

"Firstly, the kobold is one of skill. While Taria speaks true of his skills, she neglets to take into account the various other spellcasters in the world....those who have magic inherently in their veins, known to most as sorcerers, and those who enter pacts with higher entities....warlocks. These two can cast similar spells, and i have heard of clerical magic that imitates such a spell. But i believe this Kobold is either educated as a wizard, or uses sorcery."

"Second is his general - the half dragon. He has a tight reign on the army, as has the kobold, indicating he alone holds some power, martial or magical."

She pauses. "And lastly, the army itself. Mixed races....human alongside monsters, disciplined and ordered. They knew what they needed and what they were doing. Mix into this the dragon."

She looked at Bross. "...and you have stumbled upon a key that may tie it all. The blackened brooch, worn by all. Maybe this isn't just an army, but a following. I have heard of people, groups following dragons...one of the most famous is the cult of the dragon. If this is such or similar, then we have seen but a sample."

she sat back, taking a breath. "And Bross, your question was why did they not sweep through. Fear. Word will spead, and no one will face them. That is why."


She looked at Tarbaw. "The question is, now what?"

Amorette did her best to pay attention as the wizard spoke, but she could feel her eyeballs drying out inside her skull. She still didn’t have any stomach for this sort of thing. The minutia of Arcana... Escape the kobalds and thugs only to be thrown into a crusty lecture. Of course.

Even if the subject matter was enough to calcify her brain, she couldn’t deny the passion of the speaker. The woman was clearly learned and, more importantly, seemed to enjoy the learning. Despite her distaste for this sort of discourse, Amorette had to cede the wizard some respect. To each their own, I suppose…

She listened to the others, weighing what they said against what little she had been able to observe of the attackers. Clearly, with such power and discipline at their disposal, this was no farm raid. The reverence the kobalds had shown to their higher ups, the worshipfulness going beyond even the typical regard a kobald would pay any creature with an ounce of dragon blood... Then the creepy broaches they all wore. The half elf’s label definitely fit the bill.

"A cult! Yes, that would make sense. A cult with an army. The kobalds were very keen to make a good impression of those with higher rank, and there was a sort of... greeting they would always give each other. "Praise the Queen!"

So whatever we're dealing with here is A) very powerful and B) has need of loot and... people to achieve their goals. Fit, healthy people by the looks of them. We obviously cannot leave them to their fates. The question, in my mind, is can we afford to intervene, and how best to do it?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:17, Wed 02 Feb 2022.