I love this game.

  can we get a listing of the elders and where they are from?

Before the Ranger has even finished speaking, Caewin holds up a hand in a gesture of peace.  "Now, now, let us not be hasty," is as far as he is able to go before Mogdred rises once again, a thunderous look in his eyes.  "This is an outrage!" he cries.  Then, as if on cue, every hound in the hall begins a terrible barking and howling, drowning out any further word he tries to speak. 

As if by some unheard command elders and warriors, visitors and locals alike are all of a sudden rising to their feet and pointing angry fingers at one another, each man and woman shouting dire accusations that go all unheard beneath the frenzied noise of the dogs.  Barely has the hall begun to calm when Artamund dashes an earthenware pot against the stony side of the firepit.  Shaking with rage, he faces the two outsiders.  "ENOUGH!" he screams, the word silencing all other voices in the hall.  "Such matters are for the elders of the doom-ring to decide, not for wandering wastrels to speak to us!  We will hear no more of such things and you, who think so little of our ways should perhaps seek hospitality elsewhere!" 


So, two things have happened here: your rolls both succeeded, which has shifted some opinions, but you've also suffered a Revelation episode (given the current goings-on, the threshold for Revelation in the lands of the Woodmen is lower than usual and you've had one hanging over your heads for a little while).  Hathcyn and Esgalwen will have to make some apologies to the elders if they want to address the doom-ring later on, and should probably look for somewhere else to finish the evening. 

Let's let the dice-gods determine how many elders' support slips away from Arbogast due to his obvious association with you two troublemakers:

Interesting!  Let's see how well your arguments are received with some Persuade rolls: 

Esgalwen


Hathcyn

 

On Hathcyn's endnote, Esgalwen stands, too. "Thank you, Artamund, for your insight into the customs and laws of your people. As an outsider, I have little to add to this moot, save as witness to the last Folk-moot that Ingomer hosted those years past - enough years that some of the younger clansmen here might not have been present, or aware.

"You say that the law of the folk binds each of the clans in a common agreement, but I remind this - one who has presented himself was never accepted into the clans, by vote. The Toft was never part of the clans of Woodmen, either. So, as I am a stranger from my lands of Gondor far away, so too are others who are present here, even though their houses border your own.

"Do you wish the interests of the Woodmen clans to be guarded by outsiders? Outsiders with interests of their own? Or shall you present and choose from among your sons and daughters for this honorary position?"

With her question asked, Esgalwen sits back down.

  so yes, a good faith attempt as part of the opening shots of the contest.

I'm also hoping Mogdred is sufficiently prodded to rebut and the dogs bark him down. 

  The goal is for several reasons. First, I'm proposing that a town chief is ineligible for the position as the law was rendered and that this is wise because it means the warchief may speak for all woodmen and not overly concerned with the needs of their town.

Second, if we can invalidate Mogdred and Caewin as a point of order it means we dont have to outright campaign against them. So saving a friendship with Caewin to help him later and removing Mogdred as a candidate and marginalizing him.

Third any other candidate those two would have to propose will be weaker than the two already put forward with Arbogast a more likely choice and in the lead.

Fourth, if there is sufficient doubt planted any power play by the others can be challenged later.

Finally, as we say colloquially in the US, "Mogdred can eat the biggest of dicks, F that guy." Embarrassing him and making him look ineffective is not only a joy, but keeping a promise. 

Interesting.  Do you mind if I ask where Hathcyn's going with this?  Is this a good-faith attempt to have everyone else disqualified?

  going to have a Odysseus moment here, bear with me.

"Artamund, again I rise to speak. Pray all here excuse me for I do not know your ways as well as a native woodman does and many years have passed since last there was a need for this council. The Law-giver says 'from among their warriors'. Was not Ingomer first warlord and then came to be chief of Woodman-hall through wisdom and age?

 By your words must not the elders nominate among their warriors as Amaleoda has done?

We could perhaps overlook the fact that a chieftain has nominated themselves, but does not the position of chieftain of a folk invalidate a claim to war-chief? True Ingomer was both, but he was unique among men and perhaps the council was not so accurate in his day so as to keep to the traditions of the people. Was it not wisdom of the before-comers that established that the war-chief not be swayed by the needs of just one settlement, that which they also governed?

By your rendering of the law however the only real candidate that has been put forward is The Firewatcher of the Black Tarn. These times are full of troubles and the War-chief is unlikely to be idle and I may have misheard the law. Would it not be better and best for the Woodmen that the war-chief not have responsibility over one settlement, but to keep all the Wood-men in mind?

Let the deliberations be clear and ancient customs adhered to from the ouset to avoid confusion later."