Voshrelka does, actually, figure out how to get officially designated as A Delegate, with a placard and everything. A very harried looking staff member runs her quickly through procedures. Apparently the committees happen after the whole 'open session, every single person argues in one big room together' thing. This... suits some of her purposes in some ways, but also means that she probably should actually say the speech she has written.

She was really hoping to avoid that.

(Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!! She can still run, she could turn into a bird and fly off right now and no one could stop her, she can get out of this room that is definitely within range of Detect Thoughts with someone, and she does not have the practice most Chelish citizens have with the requisite sort of - doublethink in order to sneak past it, and they're probably not even going to listen to her anyway and if they figure out the trick with - SHUT UP YOU DUMBASS.)

She waits until there’s a lull in… whatever these people are arguing about. She is far, far too anxious to pay much attention. When things are... as quiet as they're likely to be... or at least when people are between sets of arguments about stuff, she quietly does the requisite procedure to get to talk. See? Placard. Have a placard. (Whywhywhywhywhywhy could someone instead please just kill her it would be more comfortable!!!) She's... probably done more dangerous things than make a speech in the capital of Cheliax, but. Well. She's having trouble remembering any of them for all of the screaming. At the very least, she has the pride to not cringe when her turn comes, and has enough practice of age that her voice doesn't shake as she speaks. (and wants to crawl off and DIE) Also, actual practice, of this exact speech, where no one could hear her fumble her words. As long as she focuses on that and nothing else, it'll be fine.

(It's for the dryads. Do it for the dryads. Nobody else will.)

"I am Voshrelka, druid of the Barrowood," she says, and lets that hang for a second. She is aware she's showing up late and should probably, like, apologize for this or something, but. ... It's not on her written speech, so it's not happening. Deal with it. "I will not pretend that I expect this announcement to fill any of you with feelings of delight. I know how things are, between the forests and your people. I expect I do not need to elaborate further." Yes, yes, we all know you don't like druids, or their forests, and frankly druids don't like you back either, you're all a bunch of murderous self-absorbed entitled shit-heads. The anger and spite helps carry her onward. This is a little easier, now.

"I know many of you would say good riddance, and that the forest is a dangerous waste. Felling the lot for your farms would be better for you, your people, your families. And to that I will say again: it was not always this way. The danger they hold, that wanders out to kill you in your fields and homes, has been magnified by many factors. I won't waste time with all of them, for they are many, but here are the major two:

"The first is that many of us were dead. Massacred, actually. By the Thrunes. They promised a chance at our borders solidifying, the end of walls ever-closing around us and suffocating around us, and like the naive fools we were, we trusted them. We were not very wise in the ways of civilization, then."

Next is... hard, to say, but if she wants the scales to be anything even resembling even, she must speak of their crimes. Because she knows that these people are already against her.

"I do not expect any of you to understand what I mean when I say they burned and desecrated one of our sacred groves, and killed all of the druids of its clan with it." The sacking of a capital. The slaughter of its citizens. The razing of a library. "I spent a while trying to figure out how I could possibly explain, but I can't." Well, actually, it's more that they won't care, but she's also just happy to get out of more talking. "But it is one of the greatest pains you can inflict upon my kind, and so it shouldn't surprise you that the Thrunes did it. This is why those of the Barrowood are so disinclined to care, when any of your people die. You didn't care for us, you see. So it's only fair. Anyone who's lived in this country would know that."

"The second is more practical. We cannot cull the monsters that would threaten you in our wood, when so many of them are human. You, too, have been used by the Thrunes and by Hell itself. There are rare and expensive magical woods that Cheliax has taken to exporting, in the past seventy years. Barroak and Shade Maple, are the names of them that I know. There are likely more. Found only in the Barrowood, impossible for it to be found but in the oldest and deepest growth of the forest. They can't be purposefully cultivated or grown, and only Cheliax does so. Have you ever wondered why? It's because each tree of these types felled, a sapient dryad dies for. I know druids fretting about trees gets rather old, but ask any neutral or good temple. Ask any paladin, or cleric, or learned scholar, and they will tell you. Killing a dryad is an Evil act. It's no wonder you would be tricked and paid to do it. It's no wonder Infernal Cheliax would profit from it."

"I bore you with this history lesson because the context is important, and I will not lie. Things between the Barrowood and Cheliax are bad. They are better, than they had been, but still bad. I want it to change. I want us to go back to the way things had been, hundreds of years before."

Deep breath. Okay, speak the witchcraft: "As a show of good faith, I've blessed one of the fields outside of Westcrown with Plant Growth. I've got a second prepared, and a wildshape saved to get out to cast it, if I can but be directed where. I am willing to. I will do it again tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after, for a year if you will outlaw the felling of dryad trees. I'll do it for ten if you will solidify your borders with the Barrowood and then keep to them. Longer, probably, but by then I expect some of my brethren will have come around, and it will not just be me." That's up to them, though. She's not promising shit on their behalf.

"But that will require trust. So. Shall we build it?"

And then she can sit down now. (aaaaaa everyone is looking at her she wants to turn into a rat and hide in the deepest sewer of this city, she wants to turn into a bird and fly away, she wants to be out out out out of range of Detect fucking Thoughts...)

There. See? She is a good druid. She knows how to cast Plant Growth. She will be a good little Plant Growth bitch, just for you. Now stop being crazy state sanctioned murderers. Put a law in your constitution about it, you fuckers.