wildestlogs | THE PARLIAMENT OF TREES

THE PARLIAMENT OF TREES

[]It happens after most things have been discussed at Elrond's Council, but before anyone has left.]

[It is unreal. Reality warps and trees shoot up from the ground around the meeting area of the council. They don't destroy Rivendell but it's as if Rivendell is suddenly shoved away and off in the distance. Civilization retreats at disorienting speeds and suddenly the squad, Elrond, and his guests, in the middle of the woods, under massive trees that stretch up into the sky. The trees are taller than skyscrapers and thicker than the average lighthouse. Their branches intertwine as they reach up to the sky in a way where the branches seem to form almost a natural cathedral.]

[The ones immediately circling them also have gnarled faces. They chant in an unknown language, in deep musical tones with voices nearly indistinguishable from the creaking of branches, then speak to them in weathered voices.]

You have been summoned by the Parliament of Trees.

[Elrond stands, almost imperious in his expression. Though his voice is calm, he clearly has taken issue with the sudden abduction.]

A summoning we would have answered readily, if asked. It is considered courteous among our peoples, if messengers have been sent, for one to send word of agreement to a meeting first. [A tilt of his head and a slight narrowing of his eyes] But the Green truly does prefer to offer little forewarning when drawing others away from their homes, it seems.

OOC DETAILS
❧ Free-for-all Post: This event will be in "free-for-all" format, meaning that threadhopping is encouraged and that threading should be treated in the same conversational way as network posts with branching threads. This post will only contain the part with Elrond and others. The agents of the Green will be set up with their own Q&A post after they've had time to talk to Elrond and co.

❧ Joint network Post. Due to the magic mirrors having the ability to be widened and set to float, any characters that don't (or can't) attend the meeting will be able to still participate. The mirrors will have been transported too and still broadcasting.

❧ Post in bracketspam format. We're trying to keep a brisk pace and allow a network vibe where speech matters more than action, for some talking heads rp.

❧ NPCing. The mods will handle all the fantasy npcs and some may show up that aren't specifically listed in this post. There are many people at the Council.

❧ It's okay if the conversation gets messy. It's a giant group that's going to be talking here. That means it's natural if side conversations happen, interruptions happen, or things get missed because people are talking over each other and switching conversational partners.

❧ A private discussion will happen later. A crossroads post and private conversation among the squad will happen after the Council, and after the meeting with the Green, so they can decide for themselves what to do next and how to handle what they've learned.

❧ Please only post to the sub-threads below and not to the main post. This allows the mods to add some if we need to.

❧ Please treat each appearance in chronological order. It may be good to spend some time talking to Gaia first or reading her answers before moving on.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Oh, just fend off the Apocalypse. It's almost like being at home, except there's even less of them to do the thing.]

Can you advise us on how either of those things can be done, or is that for the Seasons to do?

If you choose to bear the burden alone, I cannot say how it must be done. Every timeline where we give explicit instructions results in Sauron or the Unfinished Princess' victory.

You will have to wander the Wilderlands and find your own way to power.

If you choose to empower the Seasons they will have the power to disentangle the worlds. Everyone in the Wilderlands will be sent back to their own worlds. The Unfinished Princess and Sauron will only be the usual threats they are to their own homeworlds.

[Stacia supposes that a clear to-do list was too much to hope for.]

So you've brought us here and altered our magical abilities to empower the Seasons, and that will resolve the situation and send everyone home? Us included?

Yes. They will have enough power to unravel this world, return all lands to the correct plane of existence, and return all to their homeworlds safely, yourselves included.

You may not like our methods but our goals benefit all.

Yes, it's clear that our thoughts regarding your methods are irrelevant.

[Stacia's tone is breezy, but it's a breeze off of a glacier. The Collective Gaia doesn't care what they think, and Stacia likewise doesn't care to hear the excuses or sad stories of the ones who have been out-voted. She and the others are the ones who have to live with the consequences of the Collective Gaia's actions, the least they can do is accept responsibility for what guilt they feel.]

[She moves on quickly, before any of the Gaias can respond to that.]

Is there any other assistance you can provide us? A way to locate potential allies perhaps, as our enemies can locate us through your mark upon us? Supplies, caches of food or goods to trade with others? Many of us lack experience in these environments and levels of technology, and we'll be better suited to your services if we're not sick or hungry.

The mark will fade. It will only appear when you use any powers or weapons granted by us.

[Meaning that it'll be when they're facing their enemies anyway.]

We have obtained a moving shelter for you. Abandoned by its owner. Able to walk through the Wilderlands.

It is a place you can safely rest and gather supplies. Even if parts of your journey may require you to travel some distance from it, it means you'll have somewhere safe to return to. And you'll be able to store any supplies you'll need in your journeys.

And the magic will guide you towards conflicts where you may find something useful or where enemies can be defeated.

Um...

[Filbo has been largely silent, letting others take the lead. Talking to Elrond was far easier, allowing him to gather his courage and be able to speak without his usual meekness, but something about the Green feels pretty unnerving to Filbo. There he is, raising a paw like he requests word to speak]

Uh, Ms. Green? Lady Green? Group of...Green? I...well, titles aside, good to know there's a safe place to return to, but...what's stopping our enemies from attacking that while we're gone? I mean, are there any guarantees it's a safe place, even if we're not there?

[Guarantees being what he's worried about the most, really. Seems risky to rely on a base of some sort if it's not inexpugnable, especially since their enemies are powerful]

It is magic. The original owner cast many protective spells over it, and we have added some of our own. Unwelcome guests will find bypassing them or damaging it difficult

Great! Not gonna lie, for some reason I'm not feeling any calmer but that's...probably a me problem. Thanks for your protection.

[He barely suppressed an 'I guess...' at the end there, mostly because he's trying really really really hard to stay very cordial even though he's really unnerved. These beings brought them, they're really powerful, and a lot of people here probably are trying their patience, him making it worse won't help at all]

Another thing, if you don't mind? Suppose we all get murdered horribly in a week. What'll happen? Will you... [Darn it, what was the title to use...? Just 'you' feels insufficient] ...will you bring, uh, a new group to try to go on after we failed?

[Surely they won't give up, he thinks. This is the fate of not only the Green themselves, but a whole many worlds out there! It's unlikely they'd just watch these few dozen people perish and then just shrug and say 'welp we tried, guess we will lie down and die too']

Edited 2022-03-23 04:56 (UTC)

We lack the strength to do such a thing. Our only hope would be to help those fighting the threats to the Wilderlands in whatever ways we can.

So if we fail everything is over...uh huh.

[Welp. Nothing that can be done about it. He guesses they'll have to do their best, then]

Alright. I see. Thanks.

[...It better not be Baba Yaga's hut. Stacia's parents raised her very divorced from their original homeland (likely at her mother's insistence), but she knows enough about Baba Yaga to be wary.]

What can you tell us about Sauron and the Unfinished Princess and their forces? And what of the other forces in this world?

[She very much doubts that it's only those two that will be a problem. Plus, Elrond is here, so they'll be able to compare Gaia's words with his assessments.]

Not much more than Lord Elrond has offered you.

The Unfinished Princess is fond of burning. City and town, forest and glen. Those who oppose her and her people face an end by fire.

They both conquer though she sometimes leaves the conquered peoples mostly intact if they don't fight back. But they are still treated as lesser, compared to her people.

[A pause.]

The Green has overheard rumor, however, that she cannot die. Every time she takes fatal injury, she explodes and renews form. There is rumor of a phoenix involved, and it is reinforced by the standard her soldiers bear - a symbol of a phoenix. There is also rumor she has killed and absorbed the powers of several evil queens, such as the Ice Queen.

If that is true, she may hold many powers.

Sauron's threat is more straightforward. Where the Princess favors strategy he is fond of brute force and overwhelming numbers.

THE PARLIAMENT OF TREES

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