Speaking of our friends, it’s probably past time to make sure we’re all on the same page with what’s going on. Teemo pens letters to everyone while I wonder if I need to expand the public war room. Or the secret one. Either way, there’s a lot of people I want to keep abreast of the situation.
Aranya, Yvonne, Aelara, and Ragnar, of course. My two Residents and their party are definitely involved, and with Aranya also being my High Priestess, she definitely needs to be kept in the loop. In a similar vein: Larx, Folarn, and Ed should all be invited, as the leaders of my enclaves.
Checking in on my birdkin, I’m seeing progress on their bars again, as they hash out their government better. I’m not sure if they’re going to be electing a president or something, but it definitely looks like each season wants to mostly govern themselves, with a begrudging acceptance that they need some kind of body to unify all four. They might end up with a council instead of a singular head of state. Whatever they end up with, they’re still not ready to join a meeting like this, though I’ll need to keep an eye on them so they don’t feel abandoned amidst all this chaos.
Rezlar needs to be brought in on this, as the Mayor of the town. And if he’s in, I should invite Rhonda, Freddie, and Pul, too. I really don’t want to let them get involved with the actual assault, but I do have an idea for them to contribute to the effort without needing to leave Fourdock.
An idea that will also involve the two guilds. Karn is easy to invite. I’ve had dealings with the thin orc for a while now, and he’s good people. I’m still a little leery of Jondar, but there’s no denying he stepped up against the Harbinger in the canopy. With his guild having a lot more of the heavy hitters, I’ll probably need his help to have them organized for an assault on the Betrayer.
Tarl and Berdol should be there, too. The Dungeoneers know more about dungeons than I do. I might have access to peek behind the curtain, but they know how other dungeons actually behave. While the Betrayer isn’t exactly like other dungeons, I still want to have their expertise and experience to lean on.
I’ll also need to invite the military, Lt. uh… Something.
“Nimis,” supplies Teemo as he continues writing.
Ah, yeah, Lt. Nimis! The military folk should be happy to have the baths, and probably know better than most how dangerous the Harbinger that attacked was. Fighting dangerous things is basically the job of the military. I doubt they’ll be allowed to come join the eventual attack, but no harm in asking. And if they can’t come, it’s definitely in their job descriptions to guard Fourdock while most of my stuff is out.
I should also invite Torlon at least, and probably Old Staiven, too. Torlon kept the one Harbinger busy until Fluffles could get there, and I’ll probably be relying on the gnome to coordinate not only the Shield’s forces once they arrive, but also to make sure things run smoothly between everyone else that shows up. I want Staiven involved because he’s an expert in alchemy and enchanting, and if he can work with my antkin, we’ll be able to stockpile even more goodies by D-Day.
I set the meeting time for tomorrow. While I’m sure a lot of the people invited could show up immediately, some of them have obligations they need to tend to. Tomorrow might be a bit short notice and rude to set the time myself, but I think everyone will be better served with a definitive time, instead of trying to schedule a meeting just to figure out when to schedule the actual meeting.
And it’ll give me a chance to check in on the birdkin, and maybe get them settled enough to actually have a representative at the meeting. Their bars are making progress again, not just because they’re actually organizing, but it also looks like the induction forges are working. I think the batches are smaller than more traditional forging, but they’re still able to make things like knives, nails, hinges, and all the other little metal things that civilization needs.
They definitely need a few more iterative improvements, but I can see the antkin are eagerly working on them in the college. I bet they’re going to go even more nuts once Thing and the others get a chance to show them the enchantment etching technique, too.
My birdkin are looking like actual birdpeople now, which is heartening, too. Their wings are still a little oversized, making their arms look longer than Yvonne’s, but I can’t tell if they need to progress a little more, or if ravenkin just have longer arms. I kinda hope it’s the latter, because it’ll make it even easier for them to fly with gravity.
Even now, they don’t much like shoes, and I get the feeling their feet aren’t going to change too much. They’re not very dextrous with them, but they can definitely still hold things, so they might be able to carry quite a bit while flying, too.
Looking at what they’re actually doing, instead of just how they’re changing, it looks like all of them are gathering in their respective seasons. I decide to settle in to watch the Winter section, enjoying the fact that I can enjoy their big fancy hats without them obstructing my view.
As they settle in, one with a leather fisherman’s hat, topped with a big orange ball of fluff, stands and speaks. “Ravenkin of Winter! We have all seen the danger Lord Thedeim seeks to protect us from! He has given us safety and time, but to continue our squabbles now would be to squander what He has given us! There is a time for bickering, and a time for action, and I think we all understand which time is now. We must choose a representative to speak with the other seasons, so we all may come together, in one form or another!”
Most of the birdkin squawk in agreement, but a few caw and heckle him. “And I guess that representative would be you, Biwen?”
Biwen caws in laughter. “Lord Thedeim protect me, I hope not! The priesthood looks to serve the people, but we are best suited to the spiritual needs, not governmental.”
“It’s not like anyone will pick you anyway, Corb!” shouts another voice at the first dissenter, earning laughter all around. Corb grumbles, but doesn’t try to argue that point. No, there are apparently a lot of other points for everyone to argue, and everyone takes to it with gusto.
I peek in on the other seasons, and they’re all as loud as Winter, if not moreso, though each seems to be tentatively guided by a priest or priestess. The Summer priestess has a small tiara with an orange orb on it, Spring has a necklace similar to what Aranya has, and Fall has a tabard with a large orange circle on it.
I’m still trying to make sense of all the noise, but the priests and priestesses mostly nod and occasionally shout their own opinions into the cacophony. There’s as many positions as people, but slowly, compromises are made and a consensus is slowly formed in the seasons, and I return to paying attention to Winter. Corb is being stubborn, but is steadily losing supporters to a tall birdkin apparently named Enara.
“Shut up and save at least a little dignity, Corb!” comes a cry from one of the others. “Enara already has most of the backing! She doesn’t need yours, but she’s trying to get it anyway! She’s being unreasonably reasonable!”
The others caw and nod in agreement, making Corb grumble even more, but at least he can finally admit when he’s beaten. “Fine! I give Enara my backing, too!”
The birdkin cheer and Enara smiles as she walks to the front to address everyone in her Season. “I hope the other representatives are as eager to start as I am. Biwen is right when he says the time of action is upon us. Lord Thediem has given us ample time to find ourselves, and though I think He would give us more time still, the world isn’t as patient.
“We know the tales of the Harbinger and the battle at the Maw. But as dangerous as those foes were, they were merely puppets to the true danger. The High Priestess tells of a fallen sanctuary, you all know the legend. Lord Thedeim will be fighting the Betrayer soon. No matter how deep it is hidden, we ravenkin will not simply stay in our nests. We will seek it out, tear it out if needed. We will figure out how we will live as dwellers, not simply denizens. We will not squander the gift Lord Thedeim has given us! We will join Him and His allies and end the threat of the Betrayer!”
The Winter birdkin cheer, even Corb, and I have conflicting feelings as similar speeches and cheers are given and received at the other Seasons. I want to keep them safe, to stuff them into a cage for their own protection, but I won’t. The caged bird cries for freedom, and fledgelings are eventually pushed from the nest to soar on their own.
Or to fall. I can do all I can to prepare them, but I can’t close the door to keep them in and safe. I have to let them seek their freedom, and hope to catch the ones that fall, and rejoice at the ones that fly.
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