Ione, not being able to cast scry herself as the other teleporters can, has appropriated the crystal ball. She reads the next name off the list: "Flax... Millet. Well, I guess I can't really claim mine's any better." She peers into the ball in search of one Flax Millet.

Flax Millet is *rolls dice* scutching! She is blonde and a halfling and whistling.

A halfling out in an open field. Not the most unique location. She doesn't love burning a greater teleport on it, but it'd be more embarrassing if she landed off-target and had to use a second teleport. Bwip.

She unerringly places herself a few yards in front of the scutching halfling.

Flax splutters and falls from her squatting position backward onto her butt. "Ma'am! Can I help you!" she squeaks.

"Flax Millet? You've been selected to represent the people of Cheliax at the upcoming constitutional convention. I'm here to provide transport. I can wait up to an hour while you gather up anything you'd like to bring with you. Do you have any questions?"

"Did my lord sell me, ma'am?"

"No, but he no longer owns you. All those chosen as delegates are made free citizens, if they weren't before."

Flax furrows her brow so hard she goes nearly crosseyed. "Free what?"

"You own yourself now. Did you have anything you wanted to go get? I can answer questions while you do that."

"Do I own... any things that are not myself?" Flax asks, looking down dubiously at her clothes.

Ugh, did they cover the thing where slaves of course don't own any property? She can't recall if they had a protocol for that. "I think if you took your basic personal effects, your former lord would be unlikely to complain. I suppose he could file a request for reimbursement."

Honestly Ione wouldn't blink if the halfling went and packed up her owner's family jewels. She has a whole list of delegates to get through and isn't about to sort through the luggage of each and every one to make sure it's all really theirs.

"Do I own......... any people that are not myself?" she asks hopefully.

Yeah that was the obvious next question. "Your status as a delegate applies only to yourself. It does not transfer ownership of anyone else. You are permitted to bring attendants, if you wish to. I can transport up to six people, in addition to myself."

"But if I don't own my... attendants?... who does?"

"Their legal status would remain unchanged, so, whoever owned them before they went with you would still own them even while they are attending you at the convention."

"Well, how could he find out this happened?"

"You could tell him before you leave, I suppose. Or if he stays abreast of politics he might notice that you all left at the same time as the convention was starting and make a reasoned guess."

Flax frowns thoughtfully.

"And I can go get six?"

"I can take six besides myself, and I am, at minimum, taking you. There is space for five more."

"And you have to take me, I cannot just go be free and work at the hatter's?"

"Yes, I have to take you. If you'd like to work at the hatter's once the convention is over, that's your own business."

"So I own me but I don't own... something. That I would be using to work at the hatter's now and not later."

"You own yourself" - she'd show Flax her letter of manumission, but Flax probably can't read - "and also, it is a crime against the crown to fail to appear when summoned, and you are being officially summoned by the Queen herself to attend her constitutional convention."

Great big eyes of terror. "The QUEEN?"

"Yes, her Majesty Catherine Marianne Euphemia Aspexia de Litran, the newly crowned Queen of Cheliax, is the one who commands your presence. Along with the presence of several hundred other delegates, many of whom I am also going to have to teleport there once I've gotten you, so if there's anything you wanted to take with you we should really at least start walking in its general direction."

"...to be clear, I don't expect the Queen herself will be in attendance, except perhaps for some opening and closing ceremonies or the like."