Knowing that this meeting is forthcoming, Volterra abstains from touching the alcohol at the edges of the party, difficult as it is to resist the allure of it. He needs his wits about him when he addresses the herd, so he's in fine fettle as he pulls up alongside Ampere to give their announcements to the rest of the gathered partygoers. His daughter's revelation has somewhat taken the shine off proceedings, as he can't stop thinking about the Kaos patrol hanging over them, but he does his best to keep his features jovial as he listens to Ampere's swift summoning of the herd.

"To add to that, we will also be promoting Pippigrin to Gladiator and Astarot to Sun Physician." He looks from the miniature pegasus over to his son, his eyes softening with pride and adoration. Despite his youth, the boy has set about his tasks admirably and is showing himself to be a fine healer. "As loathe as we are to disturb the festivities with tidings of doom, it has come to our attention that there have been....strange occurrences in the Spectral Marsh recently. My daughter Vezér informs us that during a recent visit there, the earth around the altar began to vibrate, before spewing oddly-coloured rain onto her. Where it touched her skin, she felt refreshed, and when it touched the ground it created black clovers. We believe these phenomena are related to Kaos, and they must be investigated as soon as possible. To that end, we will be taking a patrol into the Marsh tomorrow morning as a matter of urgency to see what we can discover." He pauses for a moment to let his words sink in. He does not wish to bring the tone down, but this is something important that needs to be digested before the ale takes away their wits.

"We need as many warriors and able-bodied adults as possible to come with us on this patrol. I will not lie to you - there is every possibility that this trek into the Marshes could be dangerous, and thus it is important that we have strength in numbers. Naturally, foals are to remain here, to be tended to by those who choose to stay behind." His gaze searches out his children, stern and broaching no argument - there will be hell to pay if he finds them sneaking along.

"I would also like the healers to keep an eye on Vezér in case the liquid has any adverse effects on her, and we have some of the clovers to be studied by those with a good knowledge of herbs." He falls silent again, casting his fierce gaze around the rest of the gathered herd. "However, I implore you all to force this from your minds for now and enjoy the party. You all deserve this opportunity to relax, have a good time, and rest your bodies ready for the patrol tomorrow. I will summon you at an hour past sunrise to give our heads time to recover. Until then, please continue as you were. Any questions, myself and Ampere will be happy to answer." He forces a smile, a valiant attempt at cheer in the face of overwhelming worry. Tomorrow could bring danger, pain and even death, but tonight they must try to forget their woes and enjoy.