When I was young and started my training my grandfather told me, "Faith is the ultimate concern of all conscience beings." Jalt says as he backs away from Tangle. And to never doubt faith is to never fully understand, for how could one believe blindly without questions or concerns. No, I'm no zealot, Tangle. I'm a man of principles. My secrets, my questions, and my doubts remain locked away. How could I trust you when I couldn't even trust the people who sent you here. I'm sorry, I'm not Soar. He looks to the paladin. Bless her heart, but she's much more trusting than I will ever be.  But you have gained my trust, eladrin. 

Jalt quickly turns around and looks a Ontharr.. It is the council that has yet to earn that. 

Tangle cocks her head as Jalt backs away, giving his speech. When he turns on Frume, she meets Soar's eyes and says quietly, "And the fir ún-feui call the Fey strange."

The second Brawnanvil mentiions thousands dead, Soar is off through the door, right after the elven king, with a there-and-it's gone look at Ontharr that says, "I'll try to salvage this."

When she is within speaking distance again, she says to Melandrach, "I have lost things in this fight, but nothing compared to you and your people. We will do what we can to drive off or defeat this scourge. Forgive my companions, if you can. I have long given up on trying to guide them to avenues of courtesy that would make their journeys easier, and perhaps make some friends, instead of highly tolerant allies, or enemies. I hope you have not given up on us." She nods, and, turning back to the room, she sees Brawnanvil who has likely heard the last half of what she said. She nods contritely to him as well, and walks back.

(Assuming she hears the argument starting a few posts in.)

She pauses at the door, not going in until she hears Jalt back away from Tangle. She walks in, meets Jalt's gaze when he says she is trusting, and nods, still staying quiet. She looks to Ontharr, raises her eyebrows and widens her eyes in a "this is a lot" look. 

When Jalt confronts Ontharr, she says to him, "what if the Platinum Cadre joined the council? Would they earn your trust?"

She sighs. "I understand frustration with getting little information or support on task and mission from some of the most powerful people in the Realms. We risk everything. We do it because the world faces an existential threat. I may be trusting, perhaps too trusting in your eyes. But I also have to have some faith that we are not the only items of concern. That there are other worries, that there are perspectives on this struggle I don't have." She looks back at Frume. "That everyone is doing their best with what they have."

Soar, Melandrach still sports his carefully neutral expression. "Thank you for your words," he says, "and thank you for aiding my people, if indeed you decide to do so." He gives a polite nod, and then turns and walks away.

Connerad Brawnanvil is muttering something under his breath in dwarvish, so Soar isn't able to understand it I think. He almost bumps into her, steps back, steps around her and stomps off without addressing her.

Jalt, Ontharr looks at you for a long, long time before speaking. Behind him, Binden's eyes are almost popping out of his head before he gets his face under control; he attempts an imitation of Melandrach's calm expression, but doesn't come close to pulling it off.

Trust, Ontharr says eventually. It takes time. More time than we have, perhaps. There is less trust than I would hope for, even between the members of the Council. And yet we work together as best we can, for the good of all. But it takes time, and hard work to keep them from breaking apart, falling into old rivalries, and bringing doom upon us all. It's politics, an art I came to late and have little affection for, but must practise nonetheless.

Your... accusation that the people here care more about manners than facing this threat is a foolish one, and does you no credit, Jalt. Courtesy is part of how we build alliances and hold them together. If you do not have experience of this, then well enough, but I ask you to consider that others may know more of this than you. And I would hope you are more courteous and considerate to your comrades, since you will need to rely on them, and they on you.

So, if I understood your... words correctly, you are unhappy that we offer little information and do not wish to answer questions? Very well, ask your questions, and I will answer as best I can.

With all the spies this city has, Jalt looks to Ontharr, what information has been gleaned about any other possible Wyrmspeakers? We were told the White Dragon Mask is at the Well of Dragons and the cult has regained its possession. With all your men and armies, you still send the 4 of us against their armies. I'd rather have the help than the compliment. Before Ontharr can answer, does this council actually have a plan or is this just something being tossed together?

Jalt stops to compose himself and says We need more help. I had to bring Bazavur back to life.... slight pause Bahamut came through me and he breathed life back into him. Why is no one helping us?

Tangle nods along as Jalt gets going, but she keeps her tongue for now.

Soar silently marvels that, despite their completely different personalities, backgrounds, tones, conversational tact, and social mores, she and Jalt managed to arrive at roughly the same place. Asking to more support from the most powerful in the land, in order to do important, dangerous things. Honey vs vinegar, but still hunting flies. She claps a hand on Jalt’s shoulder and looks at Ontharr, trusting him to understand, after all they’ve been through.

The Wyrmspeakers.  There is believed to be one, their leader Severin, at the Well of Dragons surrounded by the bulk of their forces. Though he has recently been sighted in the Spine of the World, speaking with giants. And also in Thay.

There is another, a human whose name we do not know, but is spoken of by the cultists as the carrier of a powerful blue mask. He has been sighted in Luskan, and also in Cormyr; perhaps one of those is true. We do not know what he could be doing in either location.

It seems that the half-dragon Rezmir has already been replaced; we know nothing of her replacement, other than that they exist, and have taken control of not a small number of cultists east of the Greypeak Mountains.

We know none of their locations with any kind of confidence, and very far from certainty. We would not send you on a wild goose chase; that is no doubt one thing the enemy hopes for.

We do not send you against the cult's armies; they gather at the Well of Dragons, and already number more than ten thousand. If we marshalled the armies of the cities of the Lords' Alliance and marched there now, we could not overcome their strength. And they continue to grow, fed by bandits, monstrous creatures and mercenaries and fanatics from the east and south. We need allies, and time to enlist more soldier - and train them, too. Unlike the Cult of the Dragon, we do not send conscripts to their deaths as 'cannon fodder'. He says those last two words with emphasis, and with a hint of anger behind them for the first time.

No, Jalt Rhogar, we do not have a plan. Not a clear one, that leads to the defeat of our enemy. We do not know enough of their plans, or their weaknesses. We need time, and we need to thwart them in the meantime, slow their advance, and watch for their mistakes. If this seems insufficient to you, then I have a number of texts on military history I can share with you.

His face softens a little as he comes to the last point. I understand that you need help. But we are stretched thin. Very thin indeed. There are attacks in the Misty Forest, in Silverymoon, in the towns near Baldur's Gate, in the north near Neverwinter; it seems the cult is everywhere and nowhere, and each time they strike, more innocents are lost. 

You are very skilled and powerful. You wear magical armour and carry magical weapons. Of course I can requisition healing potions for you, or a magical shield. And that takes them away from soldiers who may die without them, and who do not have a powerful cleric or paladin at their side on the battlefield. Do not forget how rare your skills are. But I will do what I can, and find something that will help you.

I am glad that you returned to us, Master Bazavur, he says, turning his attention to the silent dragonborn. I have experienced this too, though it was less than a minute before I returned to this world. It was a difficult thing to experience, and difficult to move on from. In the end, I believe it gave me cause to think hard on many things that are important in life.

Soar listens to Ontharr, with patience and compassion on her face. When he finishes speaking, she claps Jalt on the shoulder, looking up at him, before stepping forward to Ontharr. 

"I can only imagine the strain you are under. I'm sure you'd rather be out in the thick of it, tearing up the senders of this cannon fodder, to stop the needless violence at the source. Yet you're here, anticipating what's coming, reacting to what's happened, sending forces here, pulling them back there. You need more support. And less guff from people like us. We certainly carry a share of the burden, going out into the mist with the information we have, trying to avoid catastrophes, prevent slaughter, stop evil megalomaniacs. Risking life and limb. This last mission was frustrating and perilous, and I can only hope it was worth it. But you know that, and we are one piece of a very large puzzle. Our roles complement each other. I do hope to fight at your side one day!"

She claps him on the shoulder.

"I, for one, thank you for the fuller explanation, and the trust it takes to share all of that, in spite of the... prickly nature of the demands." She looks at Jalt and Tangle, raising her eyebrows. "We can find healing potions and other such things on our own -- other soldiers also need them. It was foolish of me to ask. Just, if you find something we could use that someone else can't, please send it our way. Do you think chasing down this green dragon is the best use of our time? It seems important, and getting the elves back on their feet would be useful. Keeping away from the white dragon hunting us seems smart, because if he's distracted, he's not plotting or actively destroying, I hope. For what it's worth, Sir Ontharr, I do trust you."

She offers her hand to shake (of course it's going to be a strong forearm grasp).

Ontharr does accept the handshake, and is unsurprisingly very strong in his own forearm. He does seem interested in Jalt's response, but doesn't push it.

To Soar, he will reply: "I am glad of your trust. As for the dragons, any defeat of a chromatic dragon will aid us well and is a good use of your time. I would advise seeking the green dragon, though. It is closer, has been seen more frequently. And... the folk of the Misty Forest need to know that they have not been forgotten, and that they have allies still. As I say, these raids have hit them hard. I had hoped you would have more time to rest in the city before venturing out, but perhaps there is no opportunity for that this time. And I'm afraid that there will be no magic to carry you this time; with so much else happening. We can offer you horses, though - strong enough to carry even a heavily-armoured dragonborn. With that, it should take you no more than four or five days to reach the forest, and we can send word ahead so that a guide can meet you and take you to Altand. If you decide to go, of course."

"We will go," Tangle says from where she still stands. "How soon will the mounts be ready?"

Looking one last time at Jalt and Bazavur, Soar lets go of Ontharr's arm, and nods at Tangle. "Seems the best option right now. It'll do us good to stretch our legs. I need probably a day, maybe less, to restock and check in at the chapterhouse. Ontharr, let me know if it'd be helpful to encourage my brethren to help more. Jalt maybe could do to same with the Platinum Cadre. Let us know when the horses will be ready, or we can obtain our own if it's too much trouble." She takes her leave. 

Happy to split up into buddy system, perhaps with Tangle and Soar going now to Kelemvor's temple and the doomguide chapterhouse, where she can update Ariana, her mentor, on the latest and especially the anathema. She'd also ask her if there's a way the gods' chosen can get more involved to confront the threat.

Assume that can happen in the same day, and then return to the inn. While walking about, she'll disguise self to appear as different people. The next day she'd want to stop by the same stores they've tried in the past to see if there are any scrolls, potions, magic items, etc are in stock. She reminds the party that everyone has the 1,000gp ruby to use or keep, plus the gold they found in the tomb. Otherwise she'd keep in touch with Ontharr or look for messages, and keep an eye out for tails (but really, relying on Tangle and Jalt for that), and preparing to leave to the Misty Forest.

Tangle will chuckle wryly at the thought of her accompanying Jalt, and stick with Soar. She will watch for suspicious people, keep her tongue in her head, and be quite interested in any magic shop they visit, though she is looking for a longbow, nor potions.

Soar and Tangle head off in one direction; Jalt and Bazavur in another.

Soar, you reach the Temple of Kelemvor where you find Arianna in much better mood than during your previous visit, as she stands at the centre of a training ground, mace in hand, fending off attacks from some of the older paladins and knights in training. She hasn't noticed you arrival yet.

Soar watches the training, her mind going back to the many years she spent fighting, sweating, and hurting in this very spot. She glances and Tangle and points to a corner. "Those cracks over there? I made those! And that was my favorite place to catch my breath. They thought I was crying, but I never really felt like it. I love a good cry, when I can get it. But somehow I almost never felt like doing it here. Before I got here, well, that's another story. I-- I never thought I could get justice for that time in my life. You mentioned that's why you're here. I'd like to help you get justice. And maybe you can teach me how to try to get some of my own. But for now, you get to watch one of the strongest people I know beat up some very grumpy doomguide wanna-bes. They mean well, but they never smile, and that's where they fail. So many people come here after tragedy, steeped in tragedy, looking for more tragedy, and assuming Kelemvor will show them the path to it. But that's not Kelemvor's way, at least not for me. Death can be a scary thing. He's there to comfort. A 'jumped-up mortal', it's true, and his very name can terrify some. A guide into the next world, whatever that may be for every soul. But he's a balm, and a mirror to life. To relish in every second of it, because he helps us remember that it doesn't last. Even the immortal can die. If we spend all of our time in this realm focused on what's bad about it, then what's the point of being here at all? That might be silly to you, but it helps me get through things."

She pauses, letting silence punctuated by grunts and clangs fill it, or letting Tangle reply if she wants to. She waits until Arianna finishes and notices her. She waves happily, once she does. "Bad coppers always turn up, don't they? Anyone wanna have a go?" she says with a grin. 

After greeting anyone she recognizes and introducing herself to anyone she doesn't, (and re-introducing Tangle) she'd happily spar a round or two to work out the kinks and relish the familiarity after such a frustrating mission. 

But her main focus is on Arianna, and she is eager to debrief her with everything that has happened since the last time they saw each other. She focuses on the description of the anathema and she asks what the religious orders are doing to help the fight against Tiamat and the cult -- if there's anything she can do to help them do more.

Tangle listens to Soar appreciatively, her eyes roving over the combatants. She raises an eyebrow slightly when Soar calls back to Tangle's comments about mortal gods, but make no other comment. When Soar finishes, after a moment, Tangle offers, "Elves do not much relate to death. It is not that we ignore an inevitability, as humans do, but rather that it will come when it does. We do not have the human feeling that the present moment is not good enough." She shrugs, "It is not dissimilar to your own philosophy, Soar Jestalle, but very different from that of most mortal people."

While Soar spars, Tangle will watch both her and Arianna, marking their moves.

(OOC > with apologies to Pema Chödrön for the non-attribution.)

A few of the initiates take up the offer to spar; none you recognise, and though a few of the onlookers are familiar there are none you were close to.

For the sparring, roll me an Athletics check to see how well you perform. Either way, you get a good, refreshing workout.

Later, in Arianna's study:

I have heard of such a thing. This yuan-ti that seeks to become divine. They have been seen before, always at the edge of some great catastrophe or doom in the making, slithering their way towards power. Had you not stopped it, this creature would have become... well, not a true God, nor even close to it. But a powerful being nonetheless, like a devil or demon, able to give its strength to the yuan-ti people and their causes, which never bode well for the rest of us. You did a good deed when you defeated it. 

As for the meaning of the event, I think it is related to the activities of the Cult of the Dragon. The yuan-ti are deceptive, and opportunistic. Regardless of what rituals the Cult might be performing, I think the very fact that Tiamat might soon be free is enough in itself to weaken certain barriers, and offer opportunities to those with the skill and determination to face them. You mentioned there were devils in the yuan-ti lair?  I think you should prepare to face more such creatures, demons too, in the future. It is only a guess though.

The boons you received from the Gods seem to be the Gods themselves lending you their aid. Such things are rare, but as I say, so is the risk of Tiamat's return. I doubt they will interfere more directly than this - it has always been their way to work through mortals, their followers if they can, though not always so. Except for the Time of Troubles of course, but those days are long behind us.

Arianna talks a little of the preparations they are making to face the Cult; they are training, co-operating with the Order of the Gauntlet for the most part and expect to join their forces when any true battle comes. She has sent word to other strongholds of Kelemvor's faith, and believes there will be time for at least some reinforcements to arrive to help. She has little in the way of weapons or armour to offer; what you carry already is powerful beyond most warriors' dreams. She will offer to give you healing potions, up to two superior, two greater and four common healing potions, though if you were to buy them rather than take them as a gift, the money would be spent on replacing them for the benefit of the Doomguard's warriors.

Soar athletics: 25

Soar listens, and nods at the appropriate places. "I'm glad we killed it then. It was a surprise, and nearly killed us. Killed a lot of people by the bridge." Then, "the devils seemed bored. Waiting for something. Not sure what. Kelemvor does not like demons or devils, right? I was never good about that part of my education."

She says she is glad to hear about what they are doing to prepare. "Can I ask you to seek out Sir Ontharr when you have a chance? He is a good man. He has a lot on his shoulders. He is trying to face all of this, coordinate everything, and he feels too alone. He needs allies. Friends, even. We try to take care of the hard problems he identifies, but we have given him... feedback that he does not deserve, especially with all he's facing. You and he are kindred spirits, and I think you could help each other prepare for what lies ahead. More talking and coordination is better, given all the chaos and mistrust."

At the offer of healing potions, she thanks her and takes them. She hands over the ruby (1,000gp). "We found a few of these in the yuan-ti lair. You need resources more than I do. Outfit the fighters. And if you have a warbow, Tangle here has been looking for one. The ruby should replace all of that and plenty more."

She stands, thanks her, and, knowing she's got plenty to attend to, leaves with as much grace as she can muster. She trips on her way out, swearing happily at the same divot in the hallway that has been the bane of her clumsy existence since she was young.

"Well, let's head back to the inn and prepare for tomorrow, right?" Soar says to Tangle. "Maybe Ontharr will have horses. Have you been to the Misty Forest before?"

Arianna tells a little of devils, evil creatures that serve evil Gods; the servants of Kelemvor do not seek them out for destruction in the way they do with undead, but will fight them when they serve an evil purpose.

(The potions of healing would normally cost 50 gold for standard, 250 gold for greater, and 1000 gold for superior. Soar would need to give 1,700 gold to cover their cost - will she?)

Arianne offers a standard longbow, well made but otherwise unremarkable. And she agrees to speak to Sir Ontharr, though she says she has been in touch with the Council through Dagult Neverember and is already co-ordinating their efforts. I have heard of the man, and he has a good reputation. If you think it is important, Soar, I will speak with him.