"I don't think nymphs don't need to explain themselves", Feather says, hopefully as a sort of compromise position. "Certainly not if they've hurt someone. And - there are a lot of things I want that I know I can't get, that the humans of Cheliax won't agree to, or not yet. Narcis is right when he says instincts can't change quickly, and that goes for the forest people as well. If some nymphs leave the forest and are killed despite not doing any evil or not actually breaking the law, that would be bad, but it would still be a lot better than nymphs not being safe from humans even in the forest. So I want to start by agreeing on that. ...And then of course if you want to go further I would be very happy about it," she adds.

To Taís: "I do think birds and squirrels are people. Meaning that - they can suffer, and it's Evil to kill them or make them suffer needlessly. Hunting is fine, because it's not needless. But I haven't been able to convince any humans about it yet, or maybe to explain it right. So I'm not talking about that right now. I'm talking about people like nymphs who can talk so it's - easier for you to accept them as people. If you want I'd be happy to try to explain later, but I think right now it would just annoy everyone here and not convince them of anything."

"The last time I remember a nymph coming into conflict with the Order of the Pike, her pet bard had been arrested on suspicion of sedition of some kind, and she decided the right thing to do was kill every noble in the village, and every militiaman who got in her way, which was most of them. She died, and the bard was executed for being an accessory to murder. If that's wisdom, gods save me from wisdom. So no, I don't think the law should give her special treatment."

"Sedition against Asmodeus? Isn't that called decent behavior now?"

"Most likely. And the nobles she targeted were likely Evil. But the ones she killed were mostly militia, who were basically innocent. She got angry, and had the strength to do something about it, and wasn't nearly careful enough to ensure that anger landed on the people who possibly deserved it. Like most adventurers who follow Cayden Cailean. I'm not going to ask the Queen to treat her better than a priest of Cailean just because she has more respect in certain quarters."

"We've still got to select a chair. Is anyone putting themself forth besides the Hellknight?"

"Nominate Delegate Ascathel." 

“With all due respect to Delegate Ascathel it sounds like he only cares about his Hell portal, which, if my lands had a Hell portal that’s all I’d care about too, but it’s not a good committee topic, what do we have to say about it? The committee finds the Hell portal is unacceptable and should be closed, any dissent? No? Done.”

Feather doesn't trust Ascathel. She'd rather have Narcis Soler; maybe the other humans would listen to a cleric of Erastil. But he's probably better than Anna and more importantly he's better than the horrible nameless woman who just wants to murder everyone, and the sane people have to vote together to get anywhere, so she'll follow Liushna.

"I am in favor of Delegate Ascathel. Unless he declines," because it does seem likely he only cares about the portal to Hell and doesn't want to be chair, "in which case I nominate Delegate Soler. Of course the portal to Hell should be closed."

Then she hesitates, but - the mostly-silent people haven't actually done anything wrong; she shouldn't write them off as the horrible woman's allies just because they came in together. "Also, can the other people in the room please introduce themselves?" she says, looking at Taís and trying to regain a friendly tone and expression (and deliberately not looking at the horrible woman).

"I'm Taís. I'm here because I don't want monsters to eat my family."

"I have no particular desire to chair the committee, but I will serve if desired. I would also accept Sower Soler, if he wishes to lead the committee."

"Name is Liushna, tribe is Windwhip, come because suspect committee on Forests might also affect mountains."

“Eulàlia de Seguer.”

"Sower Narcis Soler as has been said."

"Lluc Llorente, also on the anti monsters eating my family coalition. I'd back the Erastilian."

"Tuimfane Ascathel, because apparently you wanted a druid from the whisperwood and they said 'you can sew while you talk, Tuimfane." He viciously jabs the cloak with his needle. "I nominated the Hellknight to be head of the committee. I suppose I'll do it if you want me to."

She doesn't want the woman in scary armor or the weird elf making clothes out of plants. At least the priest is probably a normal person? "I vote for Sower Soler too." 

"If Delegate Tuimfane not want it, vote for Soler also." 

"Well, all right, if that's how everybody feels about it. I haven't had reason to hold a pen in thirty years so I'll want somebody in practice at that sort of thing, to have a record and something to turn in to the President if we come up with a proposal."

"Good enough for me, Chair Soler. Scribe Paula can do the writing for you."

The young woman in gray robes nods and takes a seat next to the chair, making herself look small.

"Thank you kindly, Paula. So. Portal to hell is bad, we move that the archmages close that up smart quick, nobody's arguing there. The rest of the forests business is more complicated. Nobody wants to get eaten. The historical approach so far as I know is to fight with the forest creatures all the time if you live near some bit of forest. Is anybody doing better - already doing it, Feather, not thinking about it."

"Assume 'live on mountain too high many forest creature climb' not count." 

"It does not, no."

"I hear you've stopped worshipping Asmodeus, so I don't think you'll have any more trouble from the forest people who are reasonable and can be talked to around the Whisperwood unless you start it. Of course, there's still the trouble when the catfolk raid you humans and you kill an elf about it, that confuses me,* I don't think your eyesight's so bad that you can't see tails." 

(*: It does not confuse him, his explanation is that humans suck.)

"Well, we can write down 'make it generally known that the catfolk and the elves aren't great friends', it couldn't hurt."