Town Meeting in the Field

[Joy Rosewood]

*Most of the town is sitting/standing in the field near the knights camp*

*We were discussing the events of the weekend, most notably the Gloin and Talia's recent transformation into a beautiful and perfect Halfling*

*Talia has just reverted back into a human*

[Lady Val]

"Well that was... unexpected" Lady Val gives Talia a quizzical look.

[Timmean]

Timmean also sits nearby, and shows a similar look of confusion.

"That... yes, unexpected indeed. Talia, um... are you feeling alright?"

[Talia Swanheart]

"Ummmmmm....I feel fine, I think?", Talia says looking down at her now hairless hands. "Does anyone have any ideas on what just happened?"

[Joy Rosewood]

"OK. You have appeared to have reverted back into a human. I did not see anyzing else happen. I assume ze mages didn't see anyzing vith zeir avareness?"

[Degren Brightforge]

" No. It just happened. I have a few theories, but they're all less likely than the idea that you could just revert back."

[Timmean]

Timmean stares intently at Talia, though he still sits a little ways away. "Nothing magical, nothing in the psychic realms... nothing at all that I could see. It just... happened." He pauses for several seconds, then adds, "Could you... attempt to change back? I doubt it would work, but... it's worth a test."

[Talia Swanheart]

Talia closes her eyes tightly and tries to concentrate on having hairy hands again. She opens her eyes again to realize it didn't work. "Nope!"

[Gurok]

Lady Val, would you mind going over our orders of buisness? Obviously Talia's.. situation is one of our main concerns, what exactly are the others?

[Lady Val]

"Well, I think chiefly we have four things we need to cover:

1) What do we do about the Gloin?

2) Town finances and the necklaces

3) What exactly is happening with the temple the Halflings are building?

4) What happened to Talia?"

Lady Val takes out her notebook.

"We have already discussed the Gloin somewhat, but I think we need to formalize a non-violent plan."

[Joy Rosewood]

"I have a non-violent plan."

"Zey invested und focused zeir efforts ze ozer night on turning Talia into a Halfling. I zink if ve vant to find out vhy, vell, ve vill have to give zem vat zey vant. Ze next time zey come to Holdfast, I vill join zem, villingly und in goot faith."

"Most likely, I zink I vill be entranced, just as you all were and put to vork on vone of zeir schemes. But consider zis: zey did not entrance me last night. Vat vould have happened if zey did? I might be able to learn more about zese Fae, maybe learn somezing ve could do to deal vith zem vithout killing all of zem."

"Honestly, I don't zink zey are here to hurt or kill Fae. Zey are Fae und Faerie knows about zem. I zink Faerie has a plan. Zey know about the Rift und its dangers. Zey aren't going to bring an army of veird bug Fae to Holdfast und kill us all. Zat makes no sense. Unfortunately, ze humans do not have ze same protections. I don't know if Faerie seems zem merely as an obstacle, or even resources to be harvested... and converted..."

*Joy looks at Talia*

"I need to pray to Faerie. Zey need to know my intentions."

*Joy pauses for a moment and sighs*

"If my plan fails, I vill join ze knights in pushing zese zings back. Zey don't deserve to have zeir humanity ripped from zem. Even if it means going against Faerie."

*Joy sits down in the grass*

[Malva]

"I was thinking that perhaps we may wish to distract them with light; I heard Gurok was able to lure them with a lantern. I could make light potions, however, I would need a Kaern's whiskers for that and I'm not sure if any of the local Kaern would be happy to give them up."

[Gurok]

I like your plan joy, but as a backup I'd like somone to accompany you, blended, with some untaint spells ready. My light strategy did not work on all of them. I think It has something to do with the fire and anti-fire factions. I assume the light spell does not actually create flame, but is sounds very usefull anyway. Our local Kaern may be willing to part with some for a price, particularly if they are able to be regrown. If not, we might be able to buy some from ingredient merchants in applevale.

[Keket]

-shed would be there lessining and thinking her mind seem to be wonder abit as shes deep into thought-

[Lady Val]

"It is possible that they were simply attracted to the elemental circles and the Faerie circle and simply sought to make a home here. It is possible that their role is conversion, but why turn people into halflings? How would that protect us from the rift? It seems odd that Faerie would allow their children to be controlled as well. It makes no sense. I think perhaps they were not sent by Faerie and instead have come of their own accord but Faerie says we will learn more about them in time."

[Malva]

"Turning people into Fae would allow them to blend with the Faerie circle. If they are trying to protect us, that may have been their intention."

[Lady Val]

"True but the Faerie circle can only hold up to four Fae at a time. If Faerie's intention was to allow individuals to blend and escape the Rift, why not turn them into Elves who can blend freely? And why send the Gloin in the first place? Faerie is a deity, why not simply manifest themselves and change everyone en masse or transport everyone to the mists? We have already seen that they can be incredibly efficient when they want to achieve a goal. It makes no sense to use a mechanism as inefficient as the Gloin."

[Gurok]

We need to find a way to communicate with them, without being entranced. There is untainting, that requires manna and people who know the spell, (I do think know how many we have) is there any enchantments or potions, or psychic effects we could use to combat this?

[Timmean]

"Um... why do we think they were trying to protect us? I don't think they were malicious, but from the visions I remember, they seem to be a kind of slaver race. I did see visions of their cities, and enormous slave graveyards. I assume the rest of you did as well? What I'm unsure of is how they treat their slaves; are they kind masters, and the number of graves was merely because of the size of the city? More importantly, can they communicated or reasoned with? Because I don't think anyone here is alright with giving up their freedom, no matter how kind the taskmaster."

[Malva]

"Gurok; if untaint spells work, antidotes should as well. If you have any tolerance to magic, that may work for a couple minutes or so too. I believe there are also a number of psychic effects that could be used to prevent being entranced."

She turns to Timmean: "Showing you visions of slave graveyards is concerning."

[Timmean]

Timmean nods. "There was far more to the vision; it had the entirety of their city. But... yes, there were graves. Multitudes of them."

[Joy Rosewood]

"Vait, you had.. visions of zese creatures!? I vas unavare of zis. Ven did you get zese visions?"

[Lady Val]

"Why did you not mention these visions before?"

[Timmean]

Timmean blinks, looking slightly confused. "It was how they communicated with us; or at least, with me. It's how they gave directions on building the house... thing. I suppose I assumed everyone had seen them, since everyone acted so uniformly..." he glances around, now looking a little alarmed. "Did no one else see visions?"

[Lady Val]

"The one I spoke with psychically before escaping used a basic language that I could only just decipher. There were no visions or pictures."

[Sponsored content]