Meetup: Wilderness and Am'shere

Ferawyn: Short, red haired sylvan elf

Lothos: Human male, dark hair, regular clothing, no armor.

Ssylrath: Green lizardman, short and wide, with a Swiftclaw.

Uneth: Slight and hunched sildanyari in a deep brown cloak.

Just outside Mictlan, the Sith-makar holy place inside the skeleton of a great dragon, is a clearing in the woods that is ready for the feast. In the center is a firepit with a roasting elk on a spit and at one edge are tables loaded with foodstuffs of all kinds, delicacies from Am'shere and further afield. It is apparently expected that people will serve themselves what they wish from the wide array of options. The refreshments are tended by a combination of Sith-makar and other races, all wearing the emblem of the Wards of the Invisible Path, the organization that guards the portal to Am'shere. Any who have taken the portal in recent years will probably recognize at least a few of them.

Around the fire is a wide circle of logs set up as seats for guests with no one seat being any more of a focus than any other. Visitors drift about the clearing, chatting in small groups, and eating and drinking as they choose.

Ssylrath stands at the entrance to the clearing, greeting all who arrive with the traditional Am'shere 'peace on your nest' and an open palm of nonviolence. Today his swiftclaw mount is off to one side with several others, happily scarfing down some meat scraps.

Lothos has arrived, mainly to listen to information that will be presented if any. He is curious about many things, and so he has come to listen. He gives a nod to Ssylrath and then makes his way to some of the food, picking some fruit to eat on while he waits for things to get started.

In the area of Mictlan is Ferawyn. She smiles towards Ssylrath and smiles softly as she sits down near a tree. it's a strangely colored tree with odd looking leaves, which Ferawyn had just finished watering.

Into the middle of the clearing, in front of the fire, strides a stocky Dwarven woman. She wears the clothing of the well-to-do, expensive yet practical, and she clears her throat for attention. "Welcome everyone, I am Mistress Rekah the representative of the Wards of the Invisible Path, your hosts tonight. Please enjoy the food and drink that we have here for you, and in a little while we'll start the main business of the evening. In the mean time we'll allow stragglers to arrive so please, consider yourselves guests of the Wards."

Uneth emerges from the surrounding underbrush, drawn by the smoke of fire, sounds of others, and word of some form of gathering. Another celebration of The Hunt? This is a more appropriate place than the middle of the city, in her mind.

Lothos seems to move through the tables of food, picking up a few things, eating a bit. Finally he settles down on one of the wooden logs, eating and waiting until things will get started.

Ssylrath nods companionably to Mistress Rekah and fetches himself a small plate of pastries with cheese. He looks a little silly nibbling them with his massive toothy snout but he seem to enjoy them nevertheless. He makes his way over towards the fire with his plate and then speaks up himself. "As our host says, we'll be discussing the business of the evening later but I jussst want to remind everyone why we are here. Assside from the usual reasons to feast, we should talk about the war between Rune and Dran and how that is affecting the land there."

Ferawyn smiles a bit as Rekah welcomes everyone. She stands and begins to look at the food that was laid out for everyone by the wards for them. "Wonderful set up."

"The land will endure, the creatures will endure," comes Uneth's opinions from her cloakhood. "The battles of man matter not." It is later, though perhaps not as later as was intended. She moves closer to pick up a few morsels in passing from the spread. No need to waste food.

The servers keep supplying a wide variety of foodstuffs, many from far away.

Ssylrath noshes for a bit and then steps forward again as things seem quiet. "As you may know, a volcano appeared in Dran resscently, and although it has quieted there is ssstill a mountain where there should be none. The Wards of the Invisible Path wish to hear what the adventuring community has to sssay about this." He pauses and looks around. "I myssself have been inside and fought a creature there, but that abomination is not what consscerns me. The disruption to the Green caused by this is."

Lothos looks around a moment, to see if anyone was going to say something. He doesn't add a comment yet, simply taking another bite of food and waiting to see what is said next.

Ferawyn says, "Do you know what caused the volcano? I mean...if it wasn't there before....what brought it now?" She sounds pretty skeptical about the whole deal at the moment. "Unless someone WANTS to bring about destruction on a massive scale.""

Ssylrath shrugs. "I do not know, I wasss hoping someone would. Perhapsss the Wards do, but they have not ssshared with me."

"It would take great power to awaken the earth," Unetha comments between bites of meat and green. "I know none with that power."

Lothos finally comments, "To be able to raise a volcano, that sounds like it would take quite a bit of magic. Do the wizards of rune have an ideas on how something like that could happen?"

Mistress Rekah speaks up again. "While we do not know how it happened, we do know that it disrupted several trade routes, they will have difficulties starting up again when the war is over. It also released a number of... creatures into the surrounding lands including several powerful elementals." She makes a dismissive gesture. "It does not seem that we can do anything about it at the present time though, I would like to take submissions for anything we can help with. The Wards of the Invisible Path watch the portal between Am'shere and Alexandria, and we have extensive contacts both with the local Druids, the Yggdrasil Union, and the Sith-makar shamans. We would like to make our services available to those who share our values."

Lothos shrugs a bit, "Personally I'm concerned with the Rune Dran conflict. I wouldn't be suprised if this volcano is related to that as well, perhaps something done by either side for some benifit. I'm not sure how your sitting on the conflict, beyond simply trying to minimize the damage to the green."

Uneth munches a little longer as she listens. "If you think they can truly damage Ea, then we should end the war as quickly as possible."

Ssylrath grimaces. "The Wardsss are allied with the Empress at one remove, and the Empress is at war with Dran. For my part I believe that Heth isss the main threat as he can corrupt the land, and he wantsss the war to go as long as possssible to exhaust all threats to him."

Ferawyn says, "Unfortunately, Dran is a distraction from the main threat. Worse, Dran is the more immediate threat, even if it IS to rune." She then looks to Ssylrath. "worse, Dran's leader seems to want to kill anyone weaker than him, physically.""

"If Dran is strongest, then it would be easy to bring them victory. No war, no damage. Then all could look to the greater threat," Uneth offers.

Ssylrath says, "The Warlord wishesss to crush Rune and bring it to heel. Rune has the greatest magic of any place I have heard of, if it fallsss Hesh will be strengthened."

Lothos nods "Heth is a big danger, but he is also patient. He hasn't moved from dragonier for a while, he is likely waiting for the opportunity to take more territory. Anyone who gets weakened, even dran, would give him someplace to possibly take over. So it would be best to stop the conflict without crippling either side."

Ferawyn says, "Unfortunately, the only thing that would probably stop the conflict is when their warlord is either subdued, or kill." She makes no bones about it, does she? "and from the rumors I've heard, this guy isn't going to be looking for negotiation.""

Ssylrath nods emphatically. "I believe that meansss removing the Warlord, preferably from within Dran. As long as he can defeat challengers he will continue to rule." He grimaces again. "I do not sssee a good way for outsidersss to do that."

Lothos nods "I agree that he needs to be stopped. Killing will work, but an assasination doesn't go over well with the dran community."

Svarshan has arrived.

Svarshan: Demons: BBQ with Spice

Ssylrath nods at Lothos. "Not an attempt from outssside, perhaps helping other Dran warriors who wish to break away? Each... clan is independant, perhaps with the war ssstalled some can be convinced to break away?"

Belladona has arrived.

Belladona: Curvaceous Ourch in Hide Armor

Svarshan pushes the brush aside, and a youth ducks underneath. The young sith-makar wears a mail shirt and a training sword. His eyes are round as he stares at everyone. Svarshan leans down to say something quietly to the youth, and nods towards the general space.

"If their leader is strong, why not help him to end the war quickly?" Uneth asks. "Strength and unity against Heth."

Lothos shakes his head, "Because helping him win the war means helping him destroy Rune, and they have knowledge that is too valuable to lose."

Svarshan nods towards the sith-makar present, and then presses his hand into the youth's back, and sends him onto the food and feast. That's all it takes: the scent, the smell, and the young teenager VANISHES, leaving behind only the trod of feet and the flash of reptilian tail.

After a pause, Svarshan heads after. A thump of the tail towards the Beastfriend says he'll stop by soon.

Ssylrath grins at Uneth. "Alssso, Rune has not lied blatantly and attacked othersss, at least not recently. The Warlord will not ssstop with Rune, and I fear he will ally with Heth. Or he already has, quite possibly."

Uneth ahs at this news. "This would explain much... and makes our choice more difficult."

Lothos shakes his head, "My choice is easy, I support Rune, Alexandria is supporting rune. Not much to decide for me. There has been some investigation, into how Arendt came to power so fast. There is likely an alliance between him and some khazad too."

Ssylrath pulls himself upright. "I ssstand with the Empress of Am'shere. I stand with the Green and againssst Heth. I stand against needless death, and thus I ssstand against the Warlord but not against the country of Dran."

Belladona comes along with her animal companion and she nods politely to the other that are all ready there, "Hello there." She gives a wave as Samafa looks around for a place to lay down. She's in her mithral barding and moves over to find a spot to lay down as Belladona goes to mingle.

Ferawyn says, "Something tells me this warlord has a bit more than rune on his mind. Heth, or someone else, may have addled his mind.....""

Tarbeast. Shocker lizards. Turkey. The youth fills his bowl before finding a place near the beetle gravy station. His eyes are wide, and the rumbling of his stomach could mimic small armies. Svarshan settles for a smoked shocker lizard, and grips it on its stick as he heads over to join the small group. He looks from one to the other, silently listening.

"I stand for those most ignore," Uneth notes. "If the problem is the Warlord, then we must cut the head from the body."

Ferawyn says, "Easier said than done....and it's been tried, apparently."

Ssylrath agrees with Ferawyn. "I am told it hasss been tried and failed. He has the resourcesss of a country behind him. We need to ssseparate him from that sssupport I believe."

Lothos nods "Information, as I mentioned earlier, I think there is some secret in how he rose to power, a secret that if revealed would shame him to his people, and lose much of his support."

Svarshan looks over and...he's quiet. He listens and at some point the youth comes and sits down. The youth years the Dragon's emblem on an emblem over his travel-armor. His plate is also piled, and piled high.

Uneth's head pans around. "Because it failed it is impossible?"

Ssylrath shakes his head. "Every time it failsss he gains power in sssurviving. He alssso plays politics, inside and outside his country, and having Alexandria try to kill him weakensss his foes and strengthens his grip. A sssuccess would be good, but how do you keep sssomeone powerful dead?"

Lothos nods "Another failed attempt will just strengthen him, and with his supporters, unless we destroy the body in specific ways, he can just be brought back to life. So discrediting him is a start, then kill him." The man stands up, "Thanks for the food, but I need to be going." With that he starts off.

Lothos has left.

"I am curiouss. If he were killed near Dragonier. ...if Heth would. Let him live. ...not even hiss followers would. Ssuffer the. Undead." Svarshan cracks open the shocker lizard, and begins working one of its arms loose.

Ssylrath looks curious. "Cannot sssome undead hide themselves?"

Belladona shakes her head as she listens to them talk about the Warlord, "It's not the head that you should be attacking it's the heart. We have to turn the people of the Dran against him and back to our side perhaps we can find a leader that will lead them in the right path. They'd stop fighting us and start fighting each other."

Uneth has disconnected.

Mistress Rekah clears her throat for attention again. "I think we have about exhausted what we can accomplish tonight, I'd like you to enjoy the rest of the evening. We have some musicians starting up soon, I merely request that you all think on what you have heard tonight and see if there is any way you can act to make the world a better place. That is all." She steps back with a smile and heads towards the food tables her self.

"It. Dependss. But I wonder." Svarshan succeeds in snapping the limb, and then crunches down. The smoke-smell touches the air, then infuses it. When Rekah stands up, he offers a thump, then two of his tail in thanks. A few moments later, he has to get up to look after the youth, who's tugging and wanting to talk with one of the shamans.