In response, the adventuring druid steps forward and inclines her head in greeting.

"Well met.  I am Siobhan, druid of the circle of the moon.  I saw your battle feats in defense of this place and joined the fight against those stragglers fleeing so they knew better than return.  Their actions were unnatural."

Her words are smoothly delivered, but there is a sense she is carefully mirroring the pattern of Arisa's greeting.  

Siobhan is easily seven feet in height with a build more sapling than ancient oak.  She is bark-brown and her hair falls into two heavy plaits against her back, as dark a green as a forest canopy.  On closer inspection, one sees the wooden shield strapped to her back and from her belt hangs a simple club.  Underneath that shield is a pack as battered as the wearer.  Both her and her gear have clearly spent more in the elements than not.  The only unmarred thing on her person is the badge of the Emerald Enclave.

Hearing Arisa speak, the halfling woman says, "Ah... so that was you!! I'd heard about a group of adventurers who showed great courage yesterday afternoon in helping to defeat that most unnatural hoard of monsters! What a dreadful event, with goblins flying over the wall, causing such terrible mayhem and fear! The Earth Mother and I both bless you for your service and support! I didn't know that there were any other Enclave members present in Goldenfields, though, perhaps you have come from afar, or are new members, like Siobhan here, who I initiated just last evening. She showed up here after the battle yesterday, very concerned about the events of late, and was eager to take up the call."

"Oooh... but where are my manners, Arisa, Cleric of Mystra!! I am called Sevembra Tumbleleaf, this is my shop, and I am most pleased to meet you!" Were the rest of you also engaged in the battle yesterday?"

The half-elf steps forward, his long dark hair and short beard highlighting his mixed heritage. He wears archaic leather armor, with strange and unsettling runes and designs etched into it. He carries a long spear and a backpack.

"I am Belkas, a wanderer and fortunate member of this group of adventurers. It is a pleasure to meet you Siobhan and Sevembra."

He smiles at Siobhan, "I'm glad you also participated in the battle; there were too many of them for any group to fight alone, and I hope they do not return soon. The town lost too many good people yesterday."

He turns his attention to Sevembra and says, "What is it that you're selling in this shop?

"I sell seeds!" Sevembra answers in a high pitched voice that's full of enthusiasm. "Seeds and cornucopias. Nothing but the finest! And it's not really MY shop, it belongs to the farm, but I am the fortunate one who has been tasked by the Abbot to oversee it. Would you like some free samples?"

The halfling woman reaches into her pouch and pulls out a small sac. For anyone who wants some, she sprinkles a generous pile of sunflower and pumpkin seeds into their open hand. They're quite tasty.

Around a mouthful of seeds, Siobhan speaks, "Well met Belkas.  You do me honor.  I see your band marching away from Goldenfields - do you continue your wanderings or are you taking action in regards to the reason for this unnatural attack?"

Zyllith watches the conversation with the other Enclave members at a distance at first. It seemed something the others would handle as proper members. Once the halfling started addressing the whole group, however, Zyllith decided it was only right to make introductions.

"A good day ta' ye' an' yers, mates. Me name be Zyllith. Wielder of a rapier wit, an' a witty rapier both." She introduced herself to both Sevembra and Siobhan next to her, with a flourish of her arm as she smiled charmingly at both of them, "Aye, 'twas us meddlin' among them giant an' gobbie wankers whot helped tha' guards counter their attack. Rioght mess with 'em gobbie launchers, eh? Whole lot o' giant trouble these days. Which be whot we, tha' Dragon's Aces, be headin' out ta' investigate on."

The tiefling had a statuesque figure, though of average height she still held an imposing presence. Long pitch black hair flowed around her horns, contrasting against her sharp red colored skin, but it was the brilliant, pupil-less, golden orbs of her eyes that seem to garner the most attention. More then anything else however, Zyllith was ... odd. Her speech, her mannerisms, everything about her was clearly not local. Even her clothing, which were of average quality and functional, were also not in any local style and clearly spoke of someone who was very well traveled.

"These are good seeds," Vernon says, happy that at least one of these people is on his height level. He wears a chain mail shirt under the uniform of the Knights of Myth Drannor, which is easiest to identify by looking at the banner hanging off the lance on his back. The emblem of the Enclave is visible on his chest when he isn't holding up his round shield, which has an eye in the center. A more pointed shield can be seen peeking out from his back, although the flaming hammer symbol is not visible from this angle. A fancy Dwarven hammer hangs at his side.

"I am Vernon Garrick, Knight of Myth Drannor, Springwarden of the Emerald Enclave, pleased to meet you." Turning his head up towards Siobhan, "You mention the unnaturalness of this attack. Are you seeking to restore balance yourself? We happen to have recently misplaced our wizard...," he trails off hopefully.

"Well met, Zyllith from afar and Vernon, Knight!" Sevembra says with a smile. Then, speaking more quietly, directly to Vernon and Arisa, she adds,

"Although, Vernon, I would suggest that you needn't be so bold in your public proclamations as an Enclave member, at least not to strangers. That's what these pins are for. Don't get me wrong, I very much appreciate your enthusiasm for the cause, and I have no doubt we will benefit greatly from your membership, but there are many out there who do not know, nor do they need to know who we are and what we do. For the most part, we work in quiet ways, as most folk simply do not understand the imbalances that we seek to keep in check. Most folk are busy contending with daily life to fully comprehend these maters."

"You'll find that were are quite scattered throughout the lands, and many of us are quite reclusive and operate in isolation from others. However, you'll know them when you come upon them, and they'll know you. And you'll never know what services and tasks might be asked of you, or that you might recognize for yourself as something that would help keep the natural order in balance or prevent the unnatural damage to the wilderness or its inhabitants."

"Having heard of the deeds that you and your company performed for our sacred farm yesterday, and having just heard that you are in need of another, it would seem that this meeting is quite serendipitous. Perhaps Siobhan should join you. For one thing, she is a druid, as are many of our members, since it is our very calling as druids to preserve the precarious balance of the natural world."

"In addition, as a druid, she knows the secret language that we speak, and which we will often use to leave hidden messages to other druids and Enclave folk. She can easily spot them and read them, which most folk cannot do without resorting to magical aid. In fact, if Siobhan does join you, it would be beneficial for her to even teach you and your companion Arisa this language. It is forbidden for us to teach this language to non-druids, except to those who are sworn to the Enclave. If she agrees to do this, then you and Arisa, Cleric of Mystra will find it to be a very useful skill, and on that can benefit all of us."

Siobhan stands tall and rests her hand on her club as she speaks.

"This meeting is fortunate.  Vernon, I am honored to join your band and seek to combat this unnaturalness at the source.  The forest I call home is far from here and I need help navigating these lands, but I am no stranger to facing the unknown."  Siobhan looks each of her new companions in the eye.  "My strengths are more in the shapes I can take than my spells, but both should aid you in tracking giants and goblins and other creatures."

“It would be an honor to have you join us.  As it would be an honor to learn this ancient language, if it can be of help in our cause.  One of the people we seek is a Druid, the one who awoke the tree you may have seen me fighting from during the battle.  So it seems our paths are aligned. “ Arisa smiles 

"Welcome Siobhan. I only know of druids through the stories I heard as a child, of wise guardians who change shape into terrible beasts to protect their forests. I am pleased that you can join us. I'm not part of the Enclave, but I would be interested to learn more about druids. 

There is another member of the Dragon Aces here who has not presented himself. His name is Elion - poet, singer, and defender of towns and halflings from hordes of orcs and goblins. He is not usually this quiet, but I think he celebrated our victory a little too much last night and is still suffering the consequences."

Elion, an elf with jet black shoulder length hair, pale skin, and who’s wearing clothes that would indeed suggest that he’s some sort of minstrel or street artist, does appears to be quite hungover. He’s hanging back a bit with a dark skinned fellow that looks like more of a shepherd than an adventurer. Both are pretty quiet this morning, and only half paying attention to this interaction between you all as they try to shield their eyes from the bright morning sunlight.

There's a moment when Siobhan focuses on Elion, taking in his pallor and dark hair, and tenses.  The hand resting lightly on her club grips it tighter, but before she draws it her eyes dart to the sun shining bright in the sky and she releases her grip.  Though there is still a tension in her body as she nods politely towards Elion and his companion.

Elion steps forward and addresses Siobhan. 

"Well met, friend. I have not met any druids, although my father spoke of them as being the stewards of the forests. Nor have I met any of your kind. From where do you hail and, if I may ask, what kind of creature are you? Close to an orc in height, and with at least as much strength, if not more, but certainly with much more grace and comeliness than those horrid, foul creatures."

"If I were to describe you in a poem, I would call you a forest giant. Would I be far off in that description?"

"We are firbolg," responds Siobhan, "and we know ourselves as giant-kin.  The battle from yesterday however was the first time I ever saw so-called true giants."  A short pause and she adds: "I do not like them."

Siobhan does not answer from where she hails and treats Elion's question as answered.  Instead, she looks at each adventurer in turn, mouthing each new name.  Arisa.  Belkas.  Zyllith.  Vernon.  Elion.  After she realizes one remains unnamed, she looks the shepherd in the eye. "Are you also a member of these Dragon Aces?  I would know my new companions."

The Turnami man with dark cornrow bands in his hair and a light fur coat that drapes over leather shirt responds, "Ho ho... no, I am no Dragon Ace, I am but a mere shepherd who likes a nice big flagon of ale at the end of a long day. I came upon these folk when they first came to town a couple days ago. Ended up fighting alongside them last night, sniping goblin and ogres with Elion here from a nice, safe distance. No brave combat like Vernon here, who's by far the bravest fellow I ever seen, taking on foes toe-to toe, that are five times his height and 20 times his weight."

"I just happen to be headin' back to Waterdeep with them, since I'm goin' that way. Better to walk the open roads with a group o' giant' slayers than alone, right?"

Elion responds as well. 

"Firbolg... giant kind indeed. So I was half right. Well, you and I have something in common, because I saw my first giants yesterday too, and I don't like 'em either."

Belkas smiles at Siobhan. "Excellent. I am glad you will be joining us. I would suggest we start walking, though. We have a long way to go, and as we have discovered, the roads are not as safe as they once were."

He turns to Sevembra and says, "Thank you for the gift of these seeds, along with the seeds of friendship we received here in Goldenfields. May they grow and flourish and bring a little more joy into this dark world."

Sevembra nods and says, "I wish you all good luck and good will in your task ahead, and may the blessings of the Earth Mother be upon you as head back out into the wilderness. Is there anything else that you need for your journeys ahead?"

“I don’t think so-  but perhaps we can purchase some seeds for the road.” Arisa says, enjoying a handful.  “Thank you!”

"I also think we are well, thank you. Unless you happened to have magic seeds that might help us. My grandmother used to tell me a story of a boy who climbed up into the land of the cloud giants after planting magic seeds that grew into enormous beanstalks. Of course, once there, he got ground into flour and eaten by the giants; the moral of the story being that you should never ignore the warnings of your grandmother, a fault of which I was apparently prone."

Belkas realizes that he is rambling, and stops talking.