Hollis speaks up in answer to Del's question. "Some humans came into the camp looking for our leader, and instead of properly challenging me and taking the responsibility off my shoulders, they said, 'Hey, how would you like some free wine?' and we said 'Yes, please,' but of course it didn't turn out to be totally free, and involved a much more long-term commitment than any of us were interested in.  Still, it was free wine and all, and we figured when we got bored enough of it, we'd move on to some other place and let them shuttle their own wood scraps.  But somehow we didn't get bored enough with the free wine to stop doing the pickups."

Elwin stares into Lemmet's eyes.  Is that a gleam of honest innocence behind the shifty demeanor?  Or the other way around?  Or neither? He's uncertain...

Mindartis's dance is met with cheers and swarms of pixies circling around his head joining in the dance.

The fools chatter and whisper amongst themselves.  Eventually Lassilar steps forward. "The judges have decided!  While you are all immensely talented, astoundingly agile and as graceful as the illegitimate offspring of a swan, an angel and a unicorn...except for you, Supreme Wizard High Lord Lemmet, and congratulations on being freed of office...we declare the wizard with the spotless cloak and the fancy pants to be the GREATEST FOOL IN ALL OF TALAVEROTH!  Command us, great one, and we will obey...if we feel like it."

The fools cheer and whoop in approval. Pixies spin through the air throwing confetti into Quentin's hair, a small band of centaurs gallops around you at a frenetic pace, and a pair of treeants in the back give out thunderous, echoing bellows of approval so loud that the blast knocks some of the elves off their branches.

Quentin sighs and says, "Not what I had planned today but lets see if I can do some good." Turning to the crowd he begins to give a speech, "My fellow fools! Time to have a real discussion. The world is more of a stick in a mud now than it has ever been. Beer, wine, and mead are no longer free flowing! And do you know why!" He takes a deep breath, "It's all because of the knolls and the hags! They are stealing all of our sugar! Ruining are harvest! Making it impossible for the good times to flow freely like our ancestors intended! And what are people doing about this!" He takes another pause, "Not enough! They fight but only in their tight knit closed formations! They don't fight like true elves and fey! So I say, as my first act of Lord Quentin the Flying Delight we take the fight to the gnolls! We show them how real elves and fey fight! And we take back out sugar and our crops so we can have THE BEST PARTY EVER!" 

Persuasion: 9

Weeeelll, your speech might not have been as inspiring as you hoped, but you ended with the right words.  All the fools start chanting, "PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!"

Del will play an appropriately somber coronation song for His Spotlessness Mage-Emperor Quentin, Lord of the Dance, Wisest of Fools (or whatever sobriquet he chooses)

But when he starts his speech he'll play something more rousing (it oughta be this, but Q has a certain majesty - maybe some Copeland?

Hopefully adding some Help to his excellent words (( here is another d20 for convenience 7 ; Q's persuasion is +5, Del's is +10 ))

Raven just sighs at the speech.  It would be like sending lambs to the slaughter if this group of vagabonds tried to take on the hags and their gnoll minions, but she figured any help was better than no help.  She slips back into the shadows and moves around to continue her survey of the camp and make sure no problems were coming their way.

Stealth: 21

Mindartis closes his eyes and slowly counts to 10 in his head. "You're coming with us Lemmet. You've already tried to escape punishment once, let's see you try again."

With Del's soundtrack, the crowd seems a bit more fired up. They look at their no more-or-less leader waiting for more specific direction.

Raven slips off into the shadows again to patrol the perimeter.Nothing untoward seems to be happening.

Lemmet just snorts, crosses his arms, and leans against a tree.

After a quick consult by Message, Del does a little chronicling, telling about the Arch Witch Hag Gnoll Barleyman Kidnapping Conspiracy, as we know it - so they know what to look for: missing or overworked kids, sprites, pixies &c. Clues to the hoop transport system. Suspicious trade and supply shortages and excesses. The players and names we know (like Annie Bracken, "Auntie", Rainon Greyelf, whatever M saw on his little solo trip). He will try to play up any humor there is, division between the hags, yadda yadda yadda.

((so that they know what to watch for when His Duditude the Dancing Despot Deposer gives instructions to prank and thwart the bad guys))

As discretely as possible, Elwin approached the others and let them know he'll be taking off in preparation for the evening and next day.

He then gave Quentin a sympathetic, "better-you-than-me," look, before heading toward his owl and mounting it.

Once back at the Hall, he made sure to relax with a long, hot bath before settling in to sleep for the rest of the day.

(Summoned owls last for only one hour...but you wrapped up your business fairly quickly, and Elwin makes his excuses as soon as possible.  Elwin finds his owl starting to fade into nothingness just as he gets back to the hall...)

The fools don't have much of an attention span, but a lot of them seem interested in playing spy and looking out for Hag influence, especially the pixies. They promise to keep an eye out for kidnappers, hags, gnolls and such.

((I woulda guessed we spent over an hour, but Brother Sir E has those boots anyway))

Quote from skuk >>

((I woulda guessed we spent over an hour, but Brother Sir E has those boots anyway))

 (LOL, the boots slipped my mind, or I might have said the owl left him stranded in midair!  At any rate, even if they had disappeared before he left, he would just have had a couple hours' walk back.)

Quote from Astalda >>

Quote from skuk >>

((I woulda guessed we spent over an hour, but Brother Sir E has those boots anyway))

 (LOL, the boots slipped my mind, or I might have said the owl left him stranded in midair!  At any rate, even if they had disappeared before he left, he would just have had a couple hours' walk back.)

 (( We can go with that if it makes more sense... the boots have 4 hours of flight time, so Elwin should be able to get back on his own if he dashes the whole way. ))

Quote from RodTheBard >>

Quote from Astalda >>

Quote from skuk >>

((I woulda guessed we spent over an hour, but Brother Sir E has those boots anyway))

 (LOL, the boots slipped my mind, or I might have said the owl left him stranded in midair!  At any rate, even if they had disappeared before he left, he would just have had a couple hours' walk back.)

 (( We can go with that if it makes more sense... the boots have 4 hours of flight time, so Elwin should be able to get back on his own if he dashes the whole way. ))

 ((That works, too. At any rate, Elwin makes it back to the hall and collapses in bed in time to get a long rest before his vigil tonight.))

After Sir Elwin heads home for nappy-time, and The Grand Wizard-Vizier gives Imperial Suggestions to His Indirect Subjects, Del suggests it is time to head into Yongpingal, and close out our business with Tagrec. We can return the rings and get our information as payment. And I am thinking we were unfair - Eggric should get a little cut, he did do some real fighting. The gnoll lord equipment to go with his helmet - worth 240 gp retail but we'd get less than that and he'll have an easier time moving merch. Agree?

And about you, Master Lemmet - it is a short walk into town, or you can ride in our rather comfortable dungeon. And again back to the Hall of Courts, same choice. Or we could ride owls if my fellow amateurs prefer. Don't think of walking as an opportunity to escape, mind. I am a little sympathetic to your plight - growing up Naica can't have been a picnic - but the barbarian would love to do some smiting if you were to run

(( Presume Elwin left his shrinking ring with Del... ))

Lemmet scowls and says he will walk.

Eggric's eyes light up at the offer of loot. "Eggric thanks you for your generousness. But would rather have bowling ball, if you'd like to swap."

((Del was checking with the group before offering out loud to the goblin))

Mindartis scowls back at Lemmet and walks behind him, ready to tackle him if he tries anything.

Lemmet glowers at Mindartis, strolling along sulkily with his hands in his pockets and muttering under his breath.

Apart from the surly Naica, it's a very nice morning for a walk.  Half the court of fools has immediately hared off into the bushes to chase down hags and gnolls, many stay back in the clearing to skip right to the party phase of the plan, and a few trail along at a distance...

As you come to a small clearing, you see a horrific sight--Elwin, bound and gagged, tied to a tree as grinning green hags throw more wood onto the fire they've started around his feet!