That Time Fenris Got Roped Into Talking About The Puppetmistress of Ironstead - RPLOG
Participants
Date
14/4/480
Log
It is early in the afternoon, and the small lecture-hall at the academy that has been rented out for the day is already packed with beings of all walks of life. Most of them commoners, although there is the occasional noble, and there's even a minor member of the royal family in one of the front seats, flanked by two guards.
On the podium, two beings, one large bull, and one tiger.
Fenris, the tiger in question, is wearing his unusual uniform, leaning against the podium. "I understand that you all have questions," he says, "About the missing Miss Snowfeather, about Ironstead, and about the Spirit. I hope that I can answer some of them. I may not look like much, but I know about as much as anyone when it comes to the Spirits."
In the back of the crowd, Cara is just in her regular outfit as usual. She had recently gotten back from another training trip in the western mountain and she heard that there was going to be a mention of a recent incident. Her tail moved through the air as she waited for the talks to begin. Considering that this has to do with a Spirit, it only seemed right for her to ask, "What exactly happened?"
"Care to handle this one? You experienced things first-hand, after all. I only have the reports from you guys and Leonard," the bull offers, voice a little gruff, as he scours the various beings in the crowd, gesturing, and resting his big, meaty hands on the lectern. "If you have a question, raise your hand. We don't plan to end this session until any and all questions have been answered to the best of our ability.
"One of the hard ones," Fenris says with a smirk, "What happened was an attack on Ironstead by a particularly powerful and gifted caller. An owl who called herself Anne-Marie Snowfeather convinced a large portion of Ironstead's people and the people of the surrounding territory to pledge themselves to certain Corrupt Spirits and carry out a sort of rebellion in their names. It is rather more complicated than that, but that is the gist. Thanks to the timely intervention of a team of freeswords and Strongheart retainers, we were able to save many lives and the crops that support Firmament."
Cara's smile immediately turned into a grimace of pure rage. Her fur stands on end as she immediately shouts, "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" The shout is heard throughout most of the hall. From there, she immediately feels the looks of everyone in the room on her before she rolls her eyes and asks, "Ahem, where exactly are Miss Snowfeather's whereabouts?"
The large bull coughs for a moment, before tapping Fenris's shoulder. "The Firmament area has its own sprawling farms. Leonard's farms largely sustained the area around ironstead, although they -did- produce some of the finest Strongheart wines."
"Miss, please remain seated. Or standing in place, as it were."
"As for miss Snowfeather, she unfortunately escaped, taking a good fraction of the beings from Ironstead with her."
This doesn't seem to sit well with most of the beings in the room, especially with the royal, who soon raises his hand, coughing for a moment. "How much of a threat to Sweetwater, and Firmament, would you say this... Snowfeather is?"
Fenris nods his acknowledgement to the Strongheart representative. "Sorry," he says, "I'm a singer, not an economist." The tiger turns his attention to the Royal hippo. "Snowfeather alone is a significant threat," he confesses, "She was able to subvert a sizeable majority of the successful population of Ironstead to her cause. She is intelligent, persuasive, and has access to information she should not and power beyond what even I can properly guess at. And that is not including whatever technology she managed to plunder from the archives in the Ironstead church."
At that moment, Cara begins to get an idea on seeing if she can help by aiding in tracking Snowfeather. It'll certainly be hard, but it's better than doing nothing. For now, she remains quiet so to avoid attracting more attention than she already had at the moment.
More rabbling. Doesn't seem like Fenris's words are particularly good at soothing the people, and it takes a bit of gesturing from the Strongheart to usher the people to rest once again. "However. As is evident by the fact that Ironstead is slowly bouncing back, and the fact that the region is, once again, secure, means that we can contain this issue, should it arise. Right?" he offers, as his meaty hand rests on Fenris's shoulder.
"Yes, next question," he offers, as he points at a youngish mouse-being, standing on her seat and raising her hand.
"I have a friend in Woodford, which is somewhere in that area, I think. She hasn't contacted me in a while. Is... Is that related?" she offers, looking particularly worried.
Fenris smiles at the audience, in spite of the rather painful squeezing. "Of course," he says, "The situation only need a few prepared individuals who knew what to look for. Crisis averted." He turns a sympathetic look on the mouse. "I would not jump to conclusions," the tiger says, "But it is possible. I promise, the guard and the Freeswords are doing all they can to get ahead of Snowfeather."
The Kendrac dedicant raises her hand in the air before asking, "How would you like me to help out in handling the situation?" Her tail moved through the air as her ears twitched once more. She stares at Fenris for a moment before turning her attention back to the bull. "Just tell how you want me to help out and I'll listen to you. Would you like me to search Woodford with aid from the Freeswords and the guard?"
"First of all, we don't want to do anything rash," the strongheart offers with a shake of his head. I'd also like to remind that not all beings dedicated to the corrupt court have ill intent, odd as it may seem. Keep an eye out, but do not fall to the level of those who've wound up twisted," the bull offers, looking out over the understandably upset people. "We are hard at work trying to discover who, exactly, followed snowfeather, whom we managed to apprehend, and which beings are still unaccounted for, but it is a slow process."
"However, if you provide me with a name after the meeting, I'll personally see to it that if we hear anything, you'll be among the first to know, miss," he continues, before turning back to Cara. "If you would like to assist, there are plenty of small jobs to do in the area, although it'll keep you away from firmament for a while. Bringing food to nearby towns, helping gather up able-bodied and willing workers to help tend the farms for the coming season, and so on," he offers, before he gestures at the next being.
"These... Spirits. What do they want? What does this snowfeather person want?" comes the voice of a rather more elderly tarsier.
Fenris lets his partner's response to Cara suffice and turns his attention to the tarsier. "The Spirits are strange," he says, "Mostly, all that they want is our recognition. Worship might be to strong a word, but they definitely want us to see them and to seek them out. As for Snowfeather, she wants anarchy. She feels that the world is broken and that it is time to burn it down and start over. There are several drawings of her being circulated. If you should see her, do not speak to her or stay to listen. She is supernaturally persuasive."
The feline's ears furl downward, but she nods and glances over to the elderly tarsier. Then, she grabs a sketch before looking at it immediately. From there, she remains silent since if she asks if she can attack Snowfeather, then every idiot will try to do so as well.
"What do you mean, exactly? Supernaturally persuasive?" another voice calls out. A vixen. Definitely someone who works for a living, showing signs of age, but still in the prime of her life. "How persuasive are we talking?" she ventures, as she looks to the other beings present. They seem to be at least -somewhat- calmer, although it isn't much yet.
Fenris lines up his words carefully. "I mean," he says, "That she convinced the people of Ironstead to destroy their own homes and to kill and eat their friends and neighbors. Beings whose greatest crime up to that point was to think badly of their neighbor for what they said to our Jason last harvest festival. She can talk night into day and black into white, and she knows things she should not be able to know. She should be avoided."
Cara remains quiet for a moment as she suddenly gets an idea that isn't awful for once. "Err, shouldn't you mention which spirit she happens to be dedicated to with anyone who might be involved in apprehending her by any chance? Also, shouldn't the apprehension team be made up of people that she can't convince at all?"
The people do not seem to find this any sort of comforting. A single being with ill intent with -that- much power? How could they feel safe? "As it stands, we are currently investigating our options, and deciding on the best course of actions. As such, we ask that none of you move on your own accord, for risk of worsening the situation. However, do let us know of any sightings."
Fenris looks curiously at Cara and shakes his head. "I will not share the names of any Spirits," he says, "It calls their attention." He tirns back to the uneasy crowd and smiles. "I apologize," he says, "I do not mean to frighten you. I only urge caution. Your best defense is simply to be aware. Should you see her, do not confront her. Get away and report her immediately to the guard."
"Any other questions?" he asks, smiling.
Cara shakes her head in response as she waits for the meeting to end. After all, that's all she has to ask about at the moment. She glances toward the doorway and begins to make her way out of the room.
Sure enough, many more beings rapidfire their questions, ranging from the more serious questions about the fate of ironstead, to more minor questions about friends and relatives living in the area, to outright inane questions about the fate of this years wines and the grapes for next year's wines and so on... Certainly doesn't seem like Fenris'll get to leave for the next hour or two...
Fenris is not sure how he had been roped into this, but he does his best to answer questions that he can and listens amiably to Lord Strongheart for those he can't, paying particular attention to the royal Good in the front row. Probably just what he gets for being so approachable.
