Keranos strolls through the crowd of refugees for well over an hour, taking in the scene and getting a sense of the pulse of the crowd.
Of course they're desperate. That much is obvious at a glance. What he is interested in is the fears, the hopes, the dreams, and the culture of these people.
As he drinks it all in, under his breath he practices the local dialect, knowing that these people will be more receptive to his message if he sounds like them.
Only one thing gives him pause as he wanders through the crowd, and it's enough to make him stop in his tracks and grow pale.
"I tell you what," he hears an old woman say, "If I never see another giant spider in my life, it'll be too soon."
Keranos can't say exactly why the idea of a giant spider evokes such a visceral reaction in him. Perhaps it was something that happened in the Long Ago, in the time before he was imprisoned by his arch nemesis. But the mere suggestion of a spider the size of a person produces such a horrible pit in Keranos's stomach that he very nearly abandons his entire plan and goes back to bed.
Fortunately, the horror subsides enough for him to get back on task. He finds a particularly elevated tree stump and clears his throat, then announces to everyone nearby, who quickly gather closer so that they can hear better.
"Free People of Telmur!" he begins. "For too long you have suffered! Alien invaders from another world have invaded, and seen that you are cast from your home. But fret not, for the reckoning of your tormentors is at hand! Keranos, King of the Pantheon and God of Storms, has returned from his eons-long imprisonment to deliver you from the madness which threatens to engulf these lands!"
His sermon continues for a good long while, but unfortunately the crowd does not seem to be particularly interested, given their robust numbers. By the end of his speech, a mere six Free People are still listening and appear to be interested in his message.
Mildly crestfallen, he steps down from the stump and hands each of them a replica of his holy symbol.
"Bless you," he says to each one in turn. To the group, he concludes: "Take heart, ye faithful: Keranos, God of Storms, shall deliver your homes to you. And when He does, I implore you all to spread the word to your fellows of the great blessing that He has conferred."
He bows to the six followers politely, and then turns on a dime to march back toward the castle.
((Persuasion check = 20))
