(Mobile)

"I am ember. We have come to rescue catherine a girl from our town. Does time work the same here as the matereal plane?" Ember bows politely

Celesta says

“I am Celestathielei Finnwelian, scholar of history and arcana, and aspiring wizard,  returning to the Truelands of my birth after years of study.  But you may call me Celesta- as all my friends do!  (She smiles broadly) “I am deeply honored to be granted an audience in your court and sincerely appreciate your time and generous hospitality in this beautiful setting.” 

Kellen’s mouth hangs open in awe as he takes in the sights of the new room, eyes darting from one curiosity to the next, shining stone to horn to delicate flowers.  He is startled when the Lady approaches him and after gazing into her eyes he looks away red-faced, he was in fact thinking about pocketing several of the items in her collection.

He gives his deepest, most graceful bow yet “My Lady, I am Kellen of the Nackle Clan, and I visit your realm today seeking after the Lady Catherine.  While you are most gracious hosts, she has been away too long and her father grows worried.  My talents, limited as they are, are at your service.”

Keeping moving is difficult as they all enter the room. Triss wants nothing more than to stop and study every little thing along the way - they'd never even encountered dryads before! What kinds of stories could they tell? And trees with faces? Those are new, too! But Triss knows how to keep their head in the game, for lack of a better term. It's important to do so now, as well.

Their ears twitch a little as the beautiful elf touches their longbow, but they bite any comments back. Keep caution, little one, Triss hears their father's voice in the back of their head. Treat all as friend 'till proven foe. And what a good idea keeping quiet had been, when the elf turns out to be the Lady they're here to speak with.

Triss gives a little bow, knowing it's always better to be respectful than not. It gets you a lot farther in life, anyway. "Everyone calls me Triss, my lady, and I extend that offer to you, as well," they say.

As Parolanta and Watcher return and ask the party follow,  Tellior slings his cornett again at his side.  To Parolanta he says,  "I would love to play whenever anyone asks. Kellen as well I'm sure."

As he passes the two dryads he smiles and says a quiet, "Hello," to each. But entering the large two-storied hall, Tellior again is struck speechless.  He looks from one item to another, wanting to examine each but pulled into discovering what else there was to see.

From the moment he can first hear Lady Danelian's voice, his attention is drawn to her.  He finds himself nodding at everything she says about Tender, but then is a bit taken by surprise when she turns her attention to him. "Uh, yes, thank you," he mumbles quietly, though the elf had likely already moved on.

He continues watching, though not really playing attention until the Lady ascends the dais and formally introduces herself.  Once there is an opening he steps forward, giving a formal bow.

"I am Tellior Naïdon and a Cleric of Melil.  It is a great honor to be welcomed here in Hedgegrove.  And especially to meet you Lady Danelion Lionbright." He looks directly at her,  giving her a smile. "As my companions have said, we were sent by Catherine's father, who is very worried about her.  We heard she was here, and thus hope you will be able to lend us aid."

(Mobile)

Tender is dazzled by the room, unsure where to look first. She manages, barely, not to startle at the Lady's close inspection, though she does grin and laugh delightedly at her words.

"I am honored, my Lady," she says, still grinning. "My chosen name is Tender, and as my friends said, we're here to ask after Catherine, on word of her father, who worries about her," she offers, bowing slightly, in a respectful manner. 

Lady Daneliean nods and smiles warmly at each introduction. As they conclude, she says, “It is a great pleasure to meet you all. I have so many questions for each of you! And I can see that my collection intrigues you as well.” She gestures gracefully at the entire room. “I do so hope that we will have time to address our mutual curiosity. For now, I can at least answer Ember’s concern: I do not leave Hedgegrove,” and her face clouds over for a moment. She brightens when she adds, “But I have heard many stories of independent travelers between the Everwood and the mundane world from which you hail. They often find that a shorter or longer time has passed in one plane or the other which causes mischief in their brief lives. However, I have the power to return you to your proper time as you wish. You need not worry over this matter.”

“Now, we must discuss dear Catherine,” she continues. “I was delighted to meet her when she arrived here, full of energy and eager to explore. Unfortunately, she was too impatient to wait for a chaperone and ran afoul of our tradition of the Open Bargain. She is safe and reasonably well, but does not enjoy full freedom. Rendul, could you explain Catherine’s situation to our guests?” 

Your attention has been drawn fully toward the Archfey before you, but as she turns, you see the handful of attendants who stand to the side of the throne. An elf with strangely gray skin, dark eyes, and long black hair streaked with silver steps forward with a nod to Daneliean. “Greetings, I am Arbiter Rendul, mediator and adjudicator to the throne. To explain Catherine’s situation, I must ask what you have heard about making bargains or agreements in the Truelands, or as outsiders refer to it, the Feywild?”

Tellior turns to his friends, shaking his head. "I can't say I know anything. Maybe vague stories,"  he says quietly to the others.  He gives Ember a quick, worried glance, as the half orc seemed to have a number of notions about Feywild affairs. But his attention focuses on Celesta, thinking if any of their group knew anything it would be her.

Celesta (arcana check 10, in log) is not really sure what is real and what isn’t-, but she shares what she knows:  in a soft, melodic voice she says..

“The people of the mortal realms believe many strange, terrible  and funny tales about the Feywild, as they call it. The humans call these stories “Faerie Tales”, and tell them at night to their children.      I’m afraid my knowledge of the truth of some of these stories is lacking- I don’t even know if the rules would apply to me after my time in the prime material.   I spent my years studying other things.  I do know some of the traditional rules however: 

• Don't accept a gift from the fey.
• Don't consume the food or drink of the Feywild.
• Never dance with a fey.
• Never tell a fey your full name.
• Never stray from a path in the Feywild.
• Use your manners, but don't say "thank you" (or you owe them)
• Don't give a Fey (cheap) clothing
• Always keep your word.
• Don't repay more than you borrowed

I fear we’ve already broken a couple of these…  “

(here she smiles nervously, and glances at those still nibbling on the delights from the other room) 

"Um, Celesta, you just told us moments ago the food was safe.  Now you tell us..."  Tellior pauses a moment, starting to grin as he looks over at Celestra. "Ah! You must be trying to pull one over on us!  Trying to get Ember for all his comments!" 

She stifles a giggle, but then looks up at the Arbiter.  (She was pretty sure the food was safe,  but not totally  sure…) 

Kellen looks in shock at Tellior and Celesta, then laughs loudly as the joke sets in, at least he hopes it was a joke. He scratches at his beard for a moment, looking off into the distance “I know little of the Feywild, and can’t say I recall anything about open bargains or agreements.”

With a quiet smile, Arbiter Rendul listens to Celesta’s list, “Yes, these are the traditional tales we’ve heard from visitors before. They stem in part from the difficulty in shifting between the Truelands and your world. Outsiders settle on any explanation for this problem. But as Lady Daneliean has said, she can easily return you to your world. The food here is safe.

"Many of your tales arise from the nature of agreements that are made here. There is a power inherent in such contracts that cannot be denied. They must be fulfilled. The Open Bargain occurs when one person takes from another without any previous agreement. In this situation, the second party may choose anything they like as payment. Unfortunately, Catherine unknowingly entered into an Open Bargain.”

Lady Daneliean explains further, “Your friend wandered into a beautiful garden, picked some flowers, ate a peach, and shot a pheasant. The garden is owned by Lady Melleanala Faris who decided that the payment for each item is ten years of light service in her household. For many here, thirty years is a short time, but I have studied the brief lives of humans and half-elves, orcs and tieflings. I understand dear Catherine’s plight. Unfortunately, no one here at the palace can speak on her behalf. It would be improper for us to show partiality to a visitor who has overstepped boundaries to the detriment of one of our nobles. And there is no one else in Hedgegrove who knows or cares what might befall this outsider.”

(Mobile)

"I knew some of those rules. And im glad i know more now, even if they are mostly superstition." ember says oblivious to the possible joke. "I know a way we could release catherine. We can try and trick lady melleanala into entering an open bargain with us. Its risky but its the safest way i can see. Other than killing her and thats not a good idea."

Kellen instinctively jams his hands in his pockets and his eyes go wide, with the open bargain rules explained to him he thinks to himself  I must be extra careful with collecting trinkets during my time in the Feywild, I must remember!

He turns in amazement at Ember “Why is it that you want to go around lopping the heads of everything with that sword of yours?  Killing a noble of the court would not be a good idea, nor do I wish to try to trick those that know more about these contracts than us into one.  That is a sure way to come out on the worst end of the deal”

He turns back to Lady Daneliean “My Lady, but what can we do?  I am not sure we have the standing to speak on Catherine’s behalf, or that Lady Faris would even listen to us if we did.  Perhaps we can see if we can perform a service for her to lighten Catherine’s service, but it may be risky as well. What can you recommend?”

Tellior nods at Kellen's words.  "Yes. Surely there must be some service we could do or some bargain to make with Lady Meleanala to get some leniency for Catherine."

“If I may address their concerns, mi’lady…” Rendul begins. Daneleian nods graciously and he continues. “It seems Ember would fit in well here: trickery is often the answer in the eyes of many who live in the Truelands. But Kellen recognizes the risk to those who are new at the game. The good news is that you need not deal directly with Lady Melleanala, whether with sword, trickery, or agreement. Lady Daneleian, Warden Kylem, and I serve as the Trello of Hedgegrove: we have the authority to determine if the payment named for an Open Bargain is just. We just need someone to argue on Catherine’s behalf. But our gnome friend has identified the one remaining barrier: your standing in Hedgegrove. As visitors, you have no standing before the court.”

“But there is a solution to this problem as well,” adds Lady Daneliean. “Should you successfully complete three tasks for me, you will have earned a sort of honorary citizenship in Hedgegrove. Then you will be in a position to be heard before the Trello and suggest an alternate payment that Catherine could make. What do you think? Tellior speaks of service. Will you all offer your service to me?” Her bright eyes watch you all carefully and her exceedingly long elven ears twitch a little as she waits for your response.

Tellior tries to get a feel for Lady Daneliean's reaction.  (Is she being at all deceptive, just helpful,  etc.)

Insight Check: 5

---------------------------------------------------------

"Your offer seems quite generous Lady Daneliean.  Providing service for you would be an honor."  Tellior is now speaking slowly and deliberately. "We will need to know much more about all three tasks before we could agree, of course."

He looks around at his friends to see if they agree.

19 insight check

Celesta is cautious to agree too quickly- remembering old Grommet telling her she lacked wisdom and patience- and was too naive when it came to dealing with untrustworthy people.   So  she thinks for a moment , concerned maybe there may be some trick- or the challenges might be too much… but it all seems good to her!   Before the others can respond she says “it sounds like a wonderful idea!  As long as the tasks are something we can achieve- we would be honored to serve”. 

There's a glimmer in Triss' eyes at the very thought of tricking someone like Ember had suggested. They look away from the fey in front of them as they're warned against it. Sure, they'll take that into consideration. But if the chance arises, well, who could blame them for taking that route?

Both their head and their ears perk up at the thought of honorary citizenship. That would be something, wouldn't it? But they cock their head at the phrasing. Best tread carefully, Triss. Because that Open Bargain thing is sounding a lot like the things they've already done since entering the 'Wild.

"It sounds a lovely bargain, certainly," Triss says, letting their smile brighten their face as they bounce onto their toes. "And, similarly to my friends, I'm most curious to know what kinds of tasks you could have for us."