Little__Lady

[!] Letters are sent out on messager bees. Dear friends of the wee folk, The halflings have made a new home in a distant village near the volcano. We have settled within old dwarven ruins, shaping them into something warm and livable, as it was the farthest place we could reach where the soil would still take seed. Though the road is long, our doors remain open. As always, friends are welcome to visit, trade, and share in our company. Once we are properly settled, we will be holding celebrations and gatherings, and all are warmly invited to join us. Until then, may your journeys be safe. Sincerely, Primrose

[!] POSTED ALL AROUND LADIES, GENTLEMEN, BIG FOLK, WEE FOLK— ARE. YOU. READY? This season, the Warren proudly presents a clash for the ages—ripped straight from the pages of The Book of Destruction: KNOX OF THE GOLDEN WHEAT FIELDS vs. ARUGALA OF THE DEEP In a no-holds-(well, mostly)-barred, cheese-covered, crowd-roaring REENACTMENT BRAWL! Watch as two fearless champions take up the mantles of field and sea— One fighting to protect all halfling kind… The other to drag the impropers down into the depths! Expect dramatic entrances. Expect shouting. Expect at least one questionable use of cheese. THIS IS A PERFORMANCE—no true harm meant, only glory, storytelling, and a bit of theatrical bruising. And what’s a proper clash without snacks? CHEESE. LOTS OF CHEESE. From soft to sharp, melted to mysterious. Plus keepsakes for those who want to remember the day (or prove they were there). GET YOUR TICKET NOW with your local warren halfling. Tickets cost 1 Mina for woman 2 for men! COME FOR THE LEGEND. STAY FOR THE CHAOS. LEAVE WITH CHEESE. RINGSIDE (or pit-side) spots go fast—don’t miss it! [Event will take place 5pm EST on the 25th at the Warren]

Friends, neighbors, and others, The Warren is pleased (and perhaps a little too excited) to announce our upcoming Pipe-Weed Festival. There will be blankets. Many blankets. Possibly more blankets than strictly necessary. We will be sharing traditional halfling pipe-weed freely with our guests, along with plenty of comfortable places to sit and a scattering of hookahs for those who prefer to linger and chat awhile. For those who find themselves suddenly and deeply interested in food, a self-run stall will be offering cheese munchies, along with souvenir pipes and a few… creative festival treats. There will also be a Wonk petting area. Please be gentle with the Wonks. The Wonks will not be gentle with the cheese. Come spend the day stretched out in the grass, meet new friends, lose track of time, and perhaps discover that doing very little is, in fact, doing quite a lot. [OOC: Sunday April 12 at 8pm EST. Coordinates -365 43 -2099] Sincerely, Primrose

To our friends and neighbors, The halflings of the Warren are pleased to invite you to our upcoming Cheese Festival, a day set aside to enjoy good company and the many fine cheeses we have gathered and prepared. All guests are welcome to taste the cheeses freely throughout the event. We believe good food is best shared, and no one should go without a sample. For those who wish to take some home, there will also be a small self-run cheese stall where wheels, wedges, and cheesey surprises may be purchased using Mina. The halflings themselves will not be handling these sales, as trade in mina is not our way, and the proceeds will be directed toward a charitable cause. Come hungry, bring your curiosity, and enjoy an afternoon of dairy, laughter, and friendly conversation. We would be glad to see you there. [OOC: Saturday 9pm est cords -365 43 -2099] -Primrose

[!] A letter is sent around. Notice to the Halflings of the Warren, Our Friends, and Strangers In these uncertain days, with our Sheriff missing and our Thain presumed dead, it falls to me — not by desire, but by necessity — to step forward and guide our people until proper leadership can be chosen. I will not take the title of Thain. I remain what I have always been: Pumplar, servant of Knox of the Golden Wheat Fields and watcher beneath the gaze of Arugala of the Deep. Yet until such time as we hold a proper election, I will act as the temporary steward of our community. To my fellow halflings: I will not rule over you. I will consult you in all matters that shape our future, and no decision of consequence will be made without your voices being heard. We will choose our next Thain together, and when that day comes, I will gladly step aside and return fully to my duties of faith and field. To our friends and neighbors beyond the Warren: should you seek the halflings for matters of alliance, negotiation, partnership, ransom, trade, or any other business, I ask that you come to me so that I may speak for our people with clarity and fairness. If you cannot reach me directly, you are welcome to speak with any halfling you meet. Word has a way of finding its way home. Still, if you require names, Ruth, Cori, Beth, and Flint are all trusted voices through whom messages may be carried safely and swiftly. And to any halfling wandering far from hearth and kin: Know this — the doors of the Warren are not closed to you. If you seek a proper home filled with warmth, food, drink, and the easy laughter of your own folk, you need only knock. As Pumplar, I say this with a full heart: you are my kin, and your return will be met with joy. May Knox keep your fields golden, and may Arugala watch your steps and keep you from the depths. With hope I soon retire, — Primrose

nice!

[!] Letters are handed out without much care as to who gets them. Spring continues, and so do we. The halflings have moved to Bunnfell in Norland, thanks to the kindness of Big Dog Ulfric! With spring moving through to the woods around Brunnfell and the days growing warmer, I thought it might be time for something lighthearted to bring folk together. Particularly, our new potential friends since the war has ended! So, we’ll be hosting a Spring Social and Speed Dating Evening beneath the trees just outside of Brunnfell, where the new village will be built over time. All are welcome — halflings, big folk, and anyone in between who enjoys good food, better drink, and the chance to meet someone new. The evening will feature a structured series of brief, friendly conversations in the style of speed dating, intended to encourage new acquaintances, shared stories, and the strengthening of ties between folk of all walks of life. Guests are warmly welcome whether they attend alone or with a partner. Those who are already spoken for are encouraged to join us regardless, as the gathering is as much about fellowship and cultural exchange as it is about courtship. Additionally, there will be fresh bread, sweet cakes, and a modest selection of drinks to keep conversation flowing. No pressure, no expectations — just a pleasant evening in good company as the forest comes back to life around us. Whether you come seeking friendship, romance, or simply an excuse to sit beneath lantern-lit branches and talk to strangers, you’ll be most welcome. - Primrose [OOC: Friday 27th 9:00 pm EST]

Primrose is standing there next to Hazel and Cori as this is written. Perhaps this is a lesson about telling lies that will make Prim stop. Probably not, though.

[!] A new poster is hung around. To our neighbors, friends, and any curious souls, The Warren is pleased to announce the opening of our newly established zoo, a project overseen and lovingly managed by Badger—who has assured us that all creatures are fed, comfortable, and only occasionally inclined to bite. To celebrate the opening, we will be hosting a guided tour through the enclosures, where visitors can see a number of animals and curious creatures gathered from our travels and trade. Following the tour, guests will be invited to a special presentation on our new Mega Frog Program, where you’ll have the chance to learn about the new breeding program. In which the chunkiest frogs have been selected for breeding with the goal of creating a new breed of mega frog. All who wish to attend are welcome in the Warren for the day. Whether you come out of scholarly interest, simple curiosity, or just to see what a halfling-run zoo looks like, we’ll be glad to have you. We hope to see you there. — Badger the Zookeeper [ooc: Friday @9:00 pm est]

[!] Letters have been handed out to halflings with extras left at the Warren door to hand out to visitors. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To all halflings, friends, and neighbors, With the most recent volume of the Pumpkin Paper coming out stating flowers are the new gold theres never been a better time to welcome in springs return. This weekend in the Warren I’ll be holding a Flower Festival to welcome the growing season. Guests are invited to join for an afternoon of planting, crafting, snacking and good company. Spring seeds will be handed out to any who wish to start something new in the soil, and those with a creative touch are welcome to take part in the festival’s main event: Bouquet Making. Flowers will be gathered, shared, and woven into arrangements both beautiful and strange, as Knox prefers them. Whether you come to plant, to craft, or simply to enjoy the community, all friendly folk are welcome in the Warren that day. Bring your hands, your laughter, and perhaps a friend who could use a bit of spring. - Primrose [ ooc: Sunday at 6pm est]

[!] Pinned to the wall of the unused building in the dwarven capital where the halflings have been staying is a note. My friends, I managed to slip into the Kurai Kuni to do some fishing and to my shock their waters have fish I’ve never even seen before. At first, I didn’t know what to do with these fish but after a bit of wandering (and some careful observation), I think I’ve figured out how they should be eaten. From what I’ve seen they use these fish to make a dish they call sushi. I’d love to try my hand at it — and I’d love even more for you all to join me for a sushi night. I’ve also acquired a few bottles of their alcohol for us to sample. This weekend [OOC: Sunday at 3:30 est.] — Primrose

[!] A note goes out to all the halflings. War Sucks, get drunk You, my fellow halfling, are invited to the War Sucks Party. Halflings have been fighting and dying in this war, and sadness and grief have spread. With all this doom and gloom, we are desperately in need of a good party. My fellow wee folk, join us for a day of drink party and friendship on [Saturday 28th @3pm est] We will end the night with a BANG as we set off the best FIREWORKS show the shire has seen in years. Be there, or you're a stinky improper! Love, Primrose [!] An additional amendment is added to the bottom Big folk welcome on the condition they do not fight inside the village. Please take you war to the streets.

Help the Halflings Peace, Pie, and Books [!] A letter is sent out across the Alliance of the Four Brothers Hello again, It’s Primrose. Since my kidnapping and subsequent release, I’ve made it a habit to visit the people of Norland with gifts of Pumpkin Peace Pie. Because it simply seems cruel to deprive those so desperate for pumpkin that they would nab me from my home of the most sacred plant of the halfling faith. Last month, I started sharing stories of my frequent visits to Norland with the halflings of my village, and to my surprise, my fellow wee folk were eager to join me. Thus, over the past month, I've been leading a few excursions to Norland. My people long for adventure, it seems, and overall, the trips have been very fun for all. Especially a trip I took with two friends, Beth and Cori. Now this is where the real story starts. Cori is the village librarian, and on our trip, we stumbled into Norland's library. Can you guess what we found inside? Books of halfling history lost to even us! Cori, the good librarian she is, insisted that we find a way to acquire copies of these books, and obviously, I agreed. Thus began my challenging journey to find the librarian, a task that turned out to be more difficult than I expected. Simply put, people don’t read their mail, and I don’t blame them—I often forget I even have a mail box. However, running out of ideas, I decided to bake some pie and make the trip to Norland to knock on every door till I found the librarian. What I did not expect was that half the village would decide to join me after seeing me head out. Really, I thought I was being quite leaving at the crack of dawn, but no, my people can practically smell adventure like bloodhounds. But I can't blame them, and honestly, I like traveling as a group better than alone. Fun fact: halfway to Norland, we ran into my former rescuer and rickets survivor, Ruth, and her massive f***ing tortoise, Smorphus. Now, Smorphus, big as he is, is also slow, really slow. So it took us a long while to reach Norland, but at least we didn't have to walk on the cold Norland ground. Eventually, we made it to Norland. When we got there, the gate guard was nice, if not a little put off by the fact that we had to push the Smorphus into the gatehouse on his side. After making our way in, we set Smorphus up in the square and got permission from the king of Norland to hang out. I'll include some doodals of the hangout below. I handed out pie while Ruth gave out drug gummies. It was a great time. We made many new friends in Norland, like Revekka and Kynric. Cori even made friends with a romance novel and traded drugs for some of their work. Also, Cori started a conversation with them about a commission for a custom romance novel featuring our God protectors, Knox and Arugala. Hopefully, the deal goes through, and you'll be able to read such great work soon. But most importantly, I found the person who runs the library. The High Keeper, I believe, is what they are called. Now here’s the important part: The High Keeper is willing to trade for the Halfing history books. However, they want cookbooks in return. I thought this would be easy because surely my fellow halfings have many cookbooks. Friends, I have never been so wrong in my life. Turns out I live in one of, if not the only, villages where everyone eats raw vegetables and drugs to satisfy their hunger. Honestly, it’s a disgrace, and I truly fear Arugala's retribution for our divergence from tradition. Even worse, I know Knox is greatly disappointed in us, and I fear that if we do not rectify this error as the war heats up, we will be without the blessing of our gods. This is why I write to you all, please, if you have cookbooks to spare, help us by donating them to the library or handing them over to any halfling you find in the village. We desperately need this to rediscover our history, earn back our gods' favor, and most importantly, save us from the nightmare of a raw veg diet. Doddles are drawn below

Primrose has watched Hazel write this note and can't help but find it funny. Blessed to be a halfling.

Primrose reads the notice, softly touching her pendant of Arugula, and wonders to herself if anyone knows about the underground sanctuary she made for the Squidlord Lady Arugula. She quietly hopes it's not a problem. Perhaps she should encourage more halflings to practice the faith, write a few hymns, or something.

[!] A letter would go out to the members of the Alliance of the Four Brothers. Hello, my name is Primrose. A few days ago, I was taken hostage by the people with a big burning tree. I think they called it Northland or something. I wasn't too focused on names at the time, given the whole "being taken hostage" thing. Anyway, they came into the village a few days back while I was doddling about at home. A human man knocked on my door and very politely asked if they could take me hostage. I was very surprised at the politeness of it all. I even felt as though they wouldn't mind if I said no. However, I didn't have anything planned for the upcoming week, so I said yes. They bound my hands pretty loosely and put me on the back of this massive horse. I'm not fond of horses, given I'm the size of a small human child, and I'm pretty sure I would have died if I had fallen off. Good news, however, the Northlanders were very nice and made sure I did not fall off the back of the horse the whole trip. Speaking of the trip, I think they got lost at a few points. Every now and then, they would stop in the woods to get off their horses and argue about what the signs said, which is fair, in my opinion. The signs are very high up, and I cannot read them from the ground either. Eventually, we reached the capital of Northland, which was very cool. Big place, lots of stuff going on, where they unbound me, provided me with food and hot cocoa, and then began to write a ransom note to my village. Turns out they knew my people don't use money, which made it really odd that they took me and not literally any other person in Urguan. But nevertheless, they started talking about what they wanted from the village, and frankly, I zoned out. The cocoa was really good, and I focused on that rather than their talking. Eventually, they handed me a letter and told me to send it to a friend who would come pick me up. In case you don't know, halflings spend most of their time high, and while it's a great pastime, it does not make for the most reliable friends. So with no sober options left, I sent the letter to the one halfling I knew would at least read the letter, whether she was high or not, Ruth. Ruth, great lady that she is, did come to my rescue, but she would have to walk. And poor old Ruth had rickets a few years back and has been slow as a snail since, so I had a few days to wait. During that time, the Northlanders assigned a human man to watch me. He took me fishing and showed me around. He even showed me where they keep the bodies. FYI, it's in the burning tree. Eventually, Ruth showed up, and lo and behold, she had brought Big Pumpkin in exchange for my life. Big Pumpkin is the frog that had been eating my flower back home, so I wasn't too sad about having to trade him for my life. Unfortunately, the humans did not want Big Pumpkin the frog. They wanted a really big pumpkin, as in the food item. Honest mistake, but Ruth and Pumpkin had walked days to get there, and it felt unfair to ask her to go back, so I asked if we could see the king and see if he would accept the flower-eating frog instead. Great news, the King liked the frog. Hopefully, he will give Big Pumpkin a good home. Sadly, though, the Northland people apparently were really fond of halfling pumpkins, especially our pumpkin pie, and that's why he asked for it. Ruth smartly pointed out that if they wanted food from us, they could have just asked. But nevertheless, after a little more talking, it turns out the king would like us to set up a pumpkin patch in his kingdom and throw a pumpkin party. Ruth reminded the king that, on account of the whole war thing going on, our landlords, the dwarfs of Urguan, would probably not be okay with that. The king seemed very sad at this but thanked us for the frog and said he'd talk to us about the whole pumpkin party thing after the war. He let me go after that. All in all, it was a very nice time being kidnapped and held hostage by the Northland people. Also, I think we could just end the war with pumpkins and pie. What do you think?

The Sheriff Anne reads over to missive as her dear Thain shows it off, "Oh tha's ra'her odd... oi never heard bou' all this." The lass then gives a little yawn, "Well oi hope teh 'ave fun and don't fall in wi'h teh wrong kindeh people or 'ave teh village jus' become eh village of little humans running bou'."

~~xXx~~ Anne sits alone at her desk in the office of the Shrimp as it sways on the sea; the sounds of the twilight play a somber lullaby in the lasses ears as she scratches out a letter. Salty tears soak into the parchment while the lass wipes away at her runny nose. Finally, her work is done, and with a shaking hand, the lass passes the parchment over to a bronze rat. The critter takes the parchment and scuttles off into the night. As the sunrises, each remaining crew member would find a note resting on top of their chest when they awake. "To my dear crew, I am incredibly sorry for what you all went through. I never foresaw us to come across such a foul beast, and never in a million years would I have expected it to take so many of us. You all did so well, and I will say this before I overlook it; this was none of your fault. You did your jobs, and you made it home. I know we lost many, some of which were my closest friends since childhood, and I have spent the past few days reconsidering if we should even sail the ship once more, but I have come to my conclusion. We will sail once more. I know that some of you might not wish to take up arms and storm the sea with me ever again and believe me, I understand and will never hold it against you. If you wish to leave the crew, you have a month until we will travel out to get your things and move on. If you choose to do this now, you will always be welcomed back on the Shrimp, as once you are part of the crew, the crew will always be part of you. Though if you decide to stay ready yourself, we will be sailing the sea once more in a mouths time. We will sail in honor of our friends lost too soon to the sea and her cruel waves." At the bottom of the letter rests the Rat Queen's seal. ~~xXx~~

~~xXx~~ A sand-covered rat totters up to each crew member of the remarkable ship known as the Spicy Shrimp. The rat lay down a note at the feet of each person before waddling away. Upon opening the note, the crew would find it to read as follows. "To my dear crew, It is time for us to set sail! Pack up your bag, gather your food, and ready your sea legs! We will be setting sail out on our first ride across the grand mistress that is the deep blue sea in the coming day. Now keep in mind, my dears, that this is our first trip out on the sea as a group, so I ask you all to be kind and patient with one another, for you never know what you will come across on the sea. At any moment, you could find yourself in the grips of a cannon fight with some living dead or wrapped up in the tentacle of a magnificent squid. Now for the logistics of our little trip, we will be heading out at the same time the sunrises and then taking a simple trip out into the deep waters of the ocean and anchoring down there for a few hours before heading back home. Truly simple, so there's absolutely nothing to worry about. Now get ready and stop wasting time!" At the bottom of the letter rests the Rat Queen's seal. [OOC: Meet at the Shrimp @ 5EST 5/9. This event will have a good bit of CRP, so be ready for that and make sure to have any items you want to use taken out of the chest on the ship and in your inventory.] ~~xXx~~

~~xXx~~ A soggy coffee-colored rat totters up to each crew member of the tremendous and extraordinary ship known as the Spicy Shrimp. The rat lay down a note at the feet of each person before waddling away. Upon opening the note, the crew would find it to read as follows. "To my dear crew, As many of you know, we were traveling out on our first sea-faring trip in the coming days. However, my precious crew, your remarkably knowledgeable quartermaster, got food poisoning from devouring ALL of my rats' treats. And it is because of this; we will have to push back the trip till he is feeling well enough to traverse the sea with us. But have no fear, my fabulous crew, I will be holding a Shrimp Drinking Night in place of the trip. Feel free to bring any food or booze you want to share with the crew. I will be making an extraordinary meal for you all. And I swear to you, my cooking for people is immensely better than that of my rat teat making. And who knows, mayhaps Monkey might even feel good enough to do some of his flashy drug magic! We look forward to seeing you all there!" At the bottom of the letter rests the Rat Queen's seal. [OOC: 5EST 5/4] ~~xXx~~

~~xXx~~ [!] Brown and black rats run around from city to city, dropping off handwritten notes in front of anyone they can find. Today is the day, my friends! Come to the village of Bramblebury and join the crew of the Spice Shrimp. We have many jobs on our crew open and beds for the first few that join! Get ready to set sail and start a grand adventure! [!] At the bottom of the page drawn in black ink is the insignia of the Rat Queen. [OOC: 4pm EST 4/12] ~~xXx~~

The Ballot: ((MC Name: )) Little__Lady Name: Anne II Vote Anne Cottonwood for Sheriff? Yea (x) Nay ()

Anne's eyes flicker over the paper as a small smile makes its way onto her face, "Well et's rather sad teh see her s'ep down wi'hou' eh figh' oi guess oi unders'and why she's doin' et. Bu' none teh less, thank yeh Memaw fur all yeh work and if oi deh take yeh place oi'll hope teh deh jus' as good eh job as yeh did." The lass the turns on her heals and walks off a few rats moving along with her.

~~xXx~~ [!] Small rats run around, dropping off handwritten notes. To the many people and other alive-ish things of Almaris, I would like to extend to you an offer of adventure and freedom and life on the sea. Hidden away in Bramblebury, there sits a ship that has sat dormant on the sea unused and untouched until today. I, Anne Gardner of the Cottonwood clan, Warden of The Sea, and Rat Queen, am stepping up to take my rightful places as the Spice Shrimp's Captain. My father, Taurin Gardner, was the last captain of the ship, and in his final note to me, he gave me the ship. And now, my many friends with the ship cleaned up and fixed; I am searching for a crew. I have no requirements of my crew beyond a willingness to work and a love of the sea. Please send me a letter if you wish to join the crew and sail the sea. In a few days, we will have a meeting for the new crew in which I will give out jobs, and we will do training for the ship's running. [!] At the bottom of the page drawn in black ink is the insignia of the Rat Queen. [OOC: Little__Lady#0556 to join the Crew] ~~xXx~~

The Ballot: ((MC Name: )) Name: Demeter Pebblebrook Vote for Elder: James Peregrin () Greta Goodbarrel (x) Filibert Applefoot () Jordan Applebottom () Winter May Gardner (xx)