MOSS
As the dragon leaves the confines of the castle, he takes flight and sees that the gathering down the road has doubled in size: now twelve individuals lie in wait, sprung around. Even though the postures are lighter, the expressions are still heavy.
Suddenly, Moss' instincts tell him to pull back and upwards. He jerks his body, moving swiftly, only to realize that the highest towers in the castle are now occupied by watchers. They remain hidden behind the very same branches that covered the lower areas, indistinct and denounced solely to Moss' acute senses. Their presence is faint, casting occasional shadows in between the ivies. Odds are they prepare for a potential attack.
The maneuver comes to Moss' advantage, though. Up above, he can see the areas beyond with ease. He meets a band of swallows and descends, approaching the gathering just as a line forms from the camp below. It seems they'll become quite the mob soon enough. Amidst them, it seems, a pair of elves speak in cryptic tones, casting lots and speaking against Gallena. "The gods no longer protect her!" - an elderly elf seems to speak while casting bones over a stone. "A'course, she has abandoned all reason!" - another says. If they are to be believed, some of them might be favored by the gods, and may even know a spell or two. Be as it may, the mass alone would be enough to cause some damage.
As for the heroes, no one seems to amass against them, neither outside nor inside. But tensions clearly arise...
ARDUNIEL
"We would appreciate if you could name the sick, Gallena. I know, or can easily find, them and maybe someone will say something relevant. And we can see who is at Beltanes. Who should we inquire about?"
"You are sure to know them, Arduniel, for they've shared more than one feast with you under the Festival of Lights. They are Meroveus the Snake, wise Mawdir and the healer, Morrigan. Meroveus is under the care of his fellow gnomes at the caves; Mawdir rests at the Hills of War, being tended by his maidens through the only means they know.... The last I heard of Morrigan, she was taken to the Sunken City, donned in the Nymph's collars and sheltered in their underwater grove." - her voice is still dramatic and authoritative.
"I am glad to see you through it, Arduniel. Maybe your care will help mend their souls... And if this doesn't affect their bodies as well, at least it might bring some comfort as their minds dwindle." - she pauses for only a moment, a scornful undertone in her voice - "And should the guilty party be uncovered, maybe it would be time to deal with the culprit... harshly." - her presumptions lead her eyes to rest upon the contours of runes.
ALICE
"The Causeaway, hm? What can you tell us about the person we're going to meet there, and what sort of place it is? Rather not go off half-informed, after all."
"He keeps to himself, mostly. People have taken to him, given his skills with a hammer. I've seen him fixing armor around. From time to time, people say, he shares details on a few trips, and corrects misdirected notion about the Underworld. How does he know it, I can't be sure. They call him the Bat, always clad in black. Try him out. He might be willing to help. His disposition towards the others has been gracious, so far."
"As for the causeway, it used to be a road that led north to the groves. After the rains sank the eastern areas of Alessia, it became one of the few paths to the northern sector to remain above the water. It is there that traders go to partake in the Fey Fair. You'll find the bazaar filled with distinct faces every day - some common, others... Not quite so." - she smiles defiantly, as if she took pride in the Causeway's existence. "Beware the manner of business you conduct there, though. The Green Knights are vigilant and they resent disorder."
DAXIO/ZYARA/ARANEL
She turns an affected gaze towards the others.
"I've often found you unwilling to contribute your share" - she glances at Aranel - "...but I'm glad to see that you've taken your kind more seriously. Since you've come to help, I will send word of your commitment back to your settlement. " - it almost seems as if she's trying to be nice, for once, but the impression soon fades. "A half-blood needs all the help
it can get, after all. Also, I'll consider you responsible for the humans. See to it that they behave properly while within our frontiers." - she looks at both Daxio and Zyara. A second later, a white owl appears, perching upon the back of the throne. "Your escort is here. I assume your tasks are laid before you." - she rises clearly considering the conversation over.
SETTLEMENT MAP
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F_AoQ7vBXmDZvXEERwfE9qljK5tle6DzmrbytTJV_v4/edit
[Ooook, any more actions? If you depart, what's the first stop? 
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Neurotic @
KahlessNestor @
Shayuri @
MetaVoid @
Charlotte of Oz @
Kaodi
