That magic something-or-other was definitely not there a moment ago. Also it's very weird. 

She has less than an instant to throw power into every defense she's got going or can on that notice and grab Genea to her magically. She does that.

Then they are somewhere else. She catches Genea and pours more into defenses and jumps up and says someone trying grabbing people with weird magic or something to Genea and looks around.

(She of course is taken by complete surprise. 

'grabbing people with weird magic or something'. Well, it looks like that - happened. She gets up more slowly and stays close to Aye and also looks around.)

He and...

...and his counterpart sigh at the same time. Well, grabbing two people is not that bad of a spell flaw.

They are in a room with a very high ceiling, with elaborate archways and pillars made of green-blue stone. There is a total of sixteen creatures around them, most are humanoid, but some have animal parts, some are twice as tall as a human, but with extra arms. There is even a red-orange bird and a horse with a crystalline horn.

Yep, weird. 

Not an illusion and no one's messing with your mind. Far as I can tell. If you were wondering.

She was somewhat wondering. Is - probably somewhat reassured.

They're the random kidnappers here, they can try talking first.

That's definitely something that they can do. "We are terribly sorry for bringing you here, but we mean you no harm," says one of the tall four-armed people, they might notice that the other is identical to this one, "do you have any immediate or pressing needs besides knowing what's going on? Something urgent happening where we took you from?"

They understand perfectly, and it sounds like their native language, but his lips are not moving in sync with what he is saying.

That's probably better to hear than not to hear.

She notices the lips. Checks with Aye about what language she's hearing.

Aye is hearing her own native language rather than Genea's. Fancy.

She agrees with that take on the situation. Smiles.

"Nothing urgent!"

Nods. "I will explain the situation then. You two have been moved to this world. We recently underwent a major disastrous event that left it inhospitable and thus we are currently searching for a new world to put our refugees in. Our currently plan to find such world is to summon inhabitants and interview them about the state of the world and possibility of taking people in. We are aware that this is a disruptive method and, once again, offer our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience and scare. Regardless whether you want to answer questions or not we will try our best to keep you comfortable until your return, which shouldn't take more than a few hours and definitely won't take more than a few days. Provided that you don't turn hostile, in which case we will still return you. Questions?"

He manages to speak this clearly and without running out of breath.

...if that's true than that sounds - very serious, obviously, and like they're being - very good about this, despite that.

"If that's true we accept your apology. I'm sorry, that - sounds terrible." ...and, that is a question, isn't it.

"Do you have some way of showing that it is true?"

She looks around for any other people who look like they're being interviewed. Doesn't think she sees any, not that they couldn't be in another room.

"We the first people you're trying? How'd you pick?"

The other four-armed giant speaks. "We can show you the darkened planet below through a window in a few moments - we are on its moon - we can show you the refugees that we have here, and even show its monsters we keep for study. In an hour or, so we can even take you there."

"It's a new field of magic to us. So we are still working out the details. But we are trying to aim for: No one experiencing strong emotions in general, with no fear, anger and sexual arousal in particular. No one too fragile to be harmed by transportation. No one who would find our environment hostile. No one who would find our proximity a health hazard, or who could be that to us. No one currently handling harmful or unstable substances, mechanisms or energies. No one who is partially or completely inside another being, pregnant, egg laying or budding. No one likely to turn hostile, though that last one is hard to aim correctly. Optimally, but not restrict to lone healthy humanoids that communicate through sounds and whose minds are structured similar to the casting group. If you don't fall under those parameters we would like to know. Your summon is number four. You are individuals five and six."

(on its moon? How does that -?

But that's not what's important first)

She's trying to think how to be - careful right. What she needs to try and think of. Someone who says that might - actually anything up to 'have themselves done the damage they say they're worried about', and be wanting to do the same to someone else. Be looking for a place to conquer. Be - bad neighbors, for some reason. Be doing something awful to some of their own people, but that wouldn't be the same as the others - if another Sovereign Crossing or Tscher needed a new world she wouldn't want to leave them all to die, would she.  

Their - thoroughness, thinking - looks admirable. 

She's also very interested in that 'on its moon' but can also tell it's not really the time to go asking.

"Well, I wasn't quite lone but lone and not hostile might be kind of hard to find depending on how lone lone is.

Others didn't do it or you need more than one or just concurrent interviewing?" (She's also interested in the others. Might want to go asking, though of course she's also interested in them and they're already right there. Also possibly in a lot of (urgent) need.)

"We are still perfecting the ritual which we can only do through practice. The other summons have been from three different worlds and none vouched for their worlds. The first was lone lone, the last living person in his world, he is with us now. The second brought us a couple from a politically unstable world with very long winters and plagues. The third claimed his world had an all-powerful deity that demanded tributes, monolatry whorship and the following of weird rules that didn't appeal to us to follow. He was also uncooperative in a way we didn't find reasonable. To answer your question more directly. They didn't do it, and we are not interviewing others at the moment."

...some of those are somewhat alarming things to know exist.

"So the thing you're saying sounds bad, you seem nice - not that that should happen to people who don't seem nice, really - we'd really like to help. We'd also really like not to have it turn out that you're going to do something unpleasant to where we're from. I have an idea about the second; don't know if you'll like the idea. You have anything?"

"Could you clarify what do you mean with anything?"

"Anything that might help assure us that you're not going to do something unpleasant.

Very sorry about that. But."

"Ah, it's an understandable worry, no need to apologize."

"I am getting a sense she has an idea already. But in terms of things we could tell you? We don't want to conquer some place, and we definitely don't have the means to do so that wouldn't cost ten of thousands of our lives. What we need is a place that could host thousands refugees while we figure out what to do next. Which next meaning anything from just staying where we are to finding properly empty worlds to divide among people that helped things work out."

(Finding empty worlds. That could - matter, maybe, to their own problems.)

She consults with Genea, silently.

Alright, I have one way I can use to check things. You know the one. Don't know if it works on them but I would bet more I can get it to. There's things it won't be proof against but.

Could tell them about our place first - maybe it won't suit them anyway - but if they're lying about something big they could say it doesn't. 

...Could also maybe need the information for something, but they might need us standing here for something and on the balance I'm not at 'try to run off'. Also maybe they could grab someone else from our place anyway.

Or someone from somewhere else.

Or that.

"Alright, here's what I have. You have something better, let us know.

I've got a mind thing I can do. Can't shove things around in it, can't dig around for secrets. Pretty obvious when I'm doing it, pretty obvious when I stop. Can be somewhat more sure people tell me true things. 

I've done it to her," she indicates Genea, "she can tell you more of the receiving end if you want to know.

Can also scry, but that will kind of take a while if I'm trying to hang everything on it."

"Okay, we would like to know more. It's some sort of emotional manipulation or compulsion then? How targeted that is? Duration possibly side-effects?"

"Do you want to pick who gets affected?"

"Emotional manipulation not really, compulsion not really? Emotions - don't work really well when it's happening - maybe a little? And I can make people do things like that - though you'd know I was doing it, like I said it's pretty obvious - but don't think it's compulsion per se. Very targeted - if I do it to someone it's happening to them and not anyone else. Duration's pretty much as long - or short - as I want. Never seen side-effects that I know about.

We want to pick - is that bit particularly a problem?"

"It's - dreamlike," she adds. Not sure if that element has come across. 

They could watch you do it to me?

"My friend here has also volunteered as a live demonstration if that might help any."

"There are some considerations about the potential target." They break formation, some people have been leaning against the wall, the four armed giant approaches his identical twin.

While another set of identicals, this time winged and with pointy ears, approaches them as a pair. "Hello. Part of the issue is that the four of us are more vulnerable to mental magic than normal."

Then at same time, maybe for theatrics, one of the four-arms and one of the winged ones speak at same time. "And the other issue is that we are mentally connected. While not typical, it's possible your magic could catch both of us at same time."

Then by himself the four-armed one says. "But if you're willing to let us take safety measures, we would like to see the effect on your companion first. Am I correct in assuming that you communicated through telepathy as well?"

"You are correct in assuming!

I'm not sure what the problem with the vulnerable bit and the mentally connected is - I could do two people at a time myself if I wanted, by the way, it wouldn't be that different. So if you tell me what the problem is I can see if I can address it.

What safety measure might you be thinking?"

"Restrain either giant with stone or metal bindings." He points at himself and the four-armed tall man. "And knock out their faen counterparts unconscious. They can't be targets of mind magic because they have a potentially destructive long-ranged power."

"Understood. Don't see any reason that would be a problem if it's not one on your end.

Any measure you need to take before I demonstrate on my friend?"

("a potentially destructive long-ranged power" sounds also potentially of concern...)

"They can control the weather," Phelix clarifies, maybe he read something in Genea's face. "And go ahead. Just don't try to aim to anything outside the octogon." he waves at the octogon marked on the floor around them.

Nod

(Is the octagon magic-y?)

Ready?

She can think about implications of such a power later (she can't think about it very well without knowing more anyway).

Yeah.

And, 

Even without further action it is, as Aye said, pretty obvious. The way she holds her body (the way her body holds) changes; her expression changes. To an outsider she'll look suddenly more and less focused. More intense, in a way, and more relaxed. Its very own sort of stillness. Not all there but there.

Phelix searches for tells of a deceit. He looks around to see if people found any tells of deceit. Apparently none.

"Is this unpleasant?"

She doesn't respond.

"Someone would like to know, is this unpleasant?" she repeats.

"No." Her voice is different too. 

"What does it feel like?"

Aye passes on the question again.

Her facial expression changes like she's trying to figure out something complicated and not entirely cooperative. 

"Quiet. Things are - far. Slow. She echoes. It's important."

"Does she need to you to ask her directly every time?"

"I could tell her to answer questions from other people, but then if you ask her something unfriendly she'll start answering and I'm not doing that."

"I see. Are there things you can't make her do in this state?"

"Well, nothing she can't actually do. 

Otherwise, depends. The less I'm - pushing it, the more it'll not work if she doesn't want it. The more I'm pushing - if I'm strong enough, then no that's about the limit."

"Well, that's a scary capability. Is there any negative side effect to resisting it? Do you have a safe example of something she could resist?"

"Not that I know of but I don't think resistance is really the operative thing." She considers.

"Fore-citizen, come punch me in the face, please."

She looks somewhat similar to how she had at the previous question. Shifts a little. Doesn't move.

"That's because I'm not pushing.

If you're worried about me going around grabbing people, it'll stop if you cut off my head or something."

She doesn't think that's exposing a secret or anything; she'd figure it'd be most people's default assumption that something like that will make people stop things.

"Please don't take actions that are likely to lead down that path. That sound disastrous. Before letting you out to wonder about we will assign you an escort that should be immune to this sort of thing. Hmmm... do you have other offensive capabilities?"

She's not sure if she should tell them that doing that won't per se kill her, and telling someone later is doable and untelling isn't so much so she's going with no.

She gives an affirmative sign.

"Yes."

"Are they magical capabilities?"

"I'd like to settle the 'you don't mean us harm' a bit further before I hand that out. Why do you ask?"

"It influences who gets to keep watch on you, who interacts with you and how much freedom of movement you would have outside the circle. Though, we would be willing to get the information after your confirmation."

Affirmative sign. 

Do they need more from the demonstration?

No, that's should be fine

Then she brings Genea out of it.

You ok? 
Wasn't sure if I should bring you out and ask about the punching thing.

Yeah, she says to the first.

...It's different with people watching. 

But this - is important. And she is ok and will be fine.

Don't think it would have mattered much.

She checks in a bit more, then,

"Ready to have me pick people or need something else first?"

"Go ahead."

She wants the two who've been doing most of the talking (points to Pherikles and Phelix) and one of the random people around the room she doesn't know yet (she picks one at random).

Pherikles, Phelix, Dalfelins, Dalfereon and the random person (a woman with scaly skin) are bound with stone-restraints and the winged Dalfelins and Dalfereon are knocked out unconscious.

She looks out with magic. Any of them currently being affected by someone else's magic?

Nothing external, though the two giants are connected to the two winged-people.

Fortunately she has at least kind of seen telepathic connections without magical enslavement before, if differently, so she has some reference for what she's looking at.

(Non-magically, she looks for signs (consults Genea for more) that any of them really actually don't want to do this.)

"Ready?" she asks, if that checks out.

"Ready."

No one is thrilled, specially the snake person, but they are proffering to fulfill this condition.

As long as it looks like 'not thrilled' and not 'desperate not to' or anything, she'll go ahead.

It feels like distance inside, and an odd sort of focus, and time stretching like sticky candy. And Aye backlit, highlighted, extra note if she speaks.

(If they really need saving, and they've been taking people without asking for it, then - she doesn't disagree on 'not thrilled' and treatment of it, with that.

If they're lying, then.)

They are, thus very well under her thrall. More so than usual.

She can't say that's her favorite feeling but at least probably useful just now.

Then she will ask them every question she can think of or Genea can help her think of on the themes of are you (plural, as concerns the group) telling the truth in general, do you have any intentions to do not that, have you done something bad in this world, do you have any plans to do anything bad in worlds you make or have made contact with, do you know of anyone else who might, and so on.

The ones under the effect have not lied to them and don't want to, though the larger group might have divergent opinions on the matter of how they are approaching the summons, as many wanted to be more aggressive about it. If too long pass without the summons yielding progress, the group will likely decide that their survival outweighs diplomacy and honesty. They are not at that turning point yet. The four-armed giants are hoping to counter such attempts by denying access to the summoning magic. They are confident that they can...

Many outside the octagon shift uncomfortably upon hearing all that.

"Please don't ask them how they are planning to do that." Says one a dark-skinned horned person.

They have neglected to use their powers for the sake of rest and entertainment. They continue explaining that they have consorted with pirates to get transportation and supplies. They also have helped escaped slaves, which is a crime. They have killed in self-defense, specially after the end of the world. They have collaborated with keeping the fact that the moon fixes the world's infertility problem a secret for several years(they had a infertility problem before the end), thus denying ten of thousands the ability to have children, because they prioritized making the moon defensible against a war over it. They expect that even the most diplomatically successful contact will result in some friction and are willing to accept that cost, with the possibility of waiting until groups have enough food and shelter, then locking them into different dimensions until they are not foolish enough to cause trouble again. They are planning to build themselves up and use magic to go back to previously visited dimensions and do things like steal slaves and some criminals (like people that have committed homosexual sex where that is illegal) which is likely very disruptive and hostile, though their man goal is figuring out how to provide safety and well-being to the multiverse...

They can name several political figures that might try conquer other worlds, but they (again) are not planning to give them the chance. Here are their names and countries. None are on the moon, and most are in this specific besieged city...

...should have considered that they might have things it wouldn't be great for others to hear. 

Yeah

Well, even she can't turn back time, so, not much to be done for that at this point. Except possibly not-asking-them-how-they're-planning-to-do-that; she'll find out what's up with that later and in fact refrain from asking for now.

...There's some senses in which this is really more reassuring than a 'nope no bad things' would have been. Including that it's actually far far less likely this is a planted-story-because-they-anticipated-some-kind-of-mental-magic, or something like that. 

Well. Definitely convinced we're not leaving at this point. In fact, she's going to take several more magical efforts intended toward hopefully being able to jump back here herself, if she needs to. Not that she's ever done that before, or has any idea how it might work. But she can make some attempts. 

And if what their takers had said was the truth then they want to help; that much they already knew. Now it looks like they know the other part.

They don't like slavery. That's - good.

It is!

And this has been enough mental contact that she can go for telepathy.

Anything else you think I'd want to know that you weren't going to tell us anyway?

Depends, because there is information that would get her killed or worse for it. But there are various security measures, magic knowledge and political information that could be potentially be useful. Phelix in particular also thinks she would want to know that it's much better to solve problems without violence, but he understands that people are sometimes afraid-

Jeza, the scaly-skinned woman, doesn't know if that was going to be kept secret from them and doesn't think that the others actually think is relevant. But on the moon, a few miles away there is a Dragon/Phoenix/Thunderbird Hybrid that's easily the scariest creature on the world, called The Inevitable and said to have defeated many armies by himself. He spends all his time in deep meditation to see the future and didn't do anything during the end of the world. Which, might mean that there was nothing to be done about it, but she wouldn't be surprised if the creature could single-handledly conquer a world. Or do nothing while their won world is conquered. But keep a distance.

...Why is there information that would get her killed or worse for it? What is worse? (Well this makes her pretty glad she asked.)

Information is a great and useful thing to have. 

Her own experience thus far is of having a very large capacity for violence (she isn't thinking of what she's doing right now as violence) and this being completely not useful for solving any problems she cares about. She doesn't know if he's thinking of the same thing or something else. (She doesn't express this whole part to him). ...Why is that something he wasn't going to tell her anyway?

That is definitely very good to know too. Also concerning, but if she thinks about it a bit, then in as much as it might be a threat to their own world that's probably already happened when they were brought here and may or may not even be affected by anything they do from here on, and at least if they're doing things it's less likely to just be a random surprise. Might be an extra reason to avoid contact with more worlds at the moment? ...She asks the other two about this Inevitable. 

She relays information to Genea.

Some information is private, state secrets or magical secrets that can't be trusted with an outsider. Having that information would mark a person as a potential threat and something to be eliminated.

Most people don't like when Phelix talks about peaceful cooperation because they have strong attachment about torture, dismemberment and slavery as punishments against crimes and it's often not diplomatic to make Phelix known to be against those.

(This is might be some weird magic interaction with how they are vulnerable to mind magic.)

Oh, the Inevitable is a really weird figure, even for their standards. They know from history that he participated in a great many deals of wars and an even greater deals of conflicts where he ruthlessly destroyed the opposition and some legends even say that he turned a forest into a desert by desecrating with the blood of his enemies.

But on a personal level, the Inevitable played board games with the children of the moon. He didn't move, he stayed in constant deep meditation for the entire time they've known him, but would move pieces with his powers and even let children fly around his head sometimes. Also, he is definitely capable of some form of prescience, enhanced speed, enhanced tactical thinking, long ranged perception, weather control, and likely some form of immortality. He never actually spoke or communicated in words. They don't know what are his goals if any.

She is at first confused by the concept of state secrets/magical secrets as 'private'. Consults with Genea. 

Genea doesn't have any existing real life instances of that to be familiar with either, but she can think it through pretty well, somewhat based on stories left from before Southern Crossing.

Right. ...Well, she's pretty interested to know that exists, but. She's not going to push enough to get private information, even if it's weirdly private. And also she should probably at least wait to maybe bring on being targeted for elimination until everything is less all-of-a-sudden, and definitely doesn't want Genea targeted for elimination.

...Looks like our worlds are in good company she says to Genea about the torture/dismemberment/slavery part.

...Alright, good to know.

And - she thinks that's about all they need that she (and Genea, when she asks) can think of right now, and also they should probably get to more doing stuff.

She brings them back up.

They resurface and go from calm and relaxed to unsteady and shaken.

People don't move to get them out of the circle, but they are casting something.

"Comments?" Asks someone. 

What are they casting? 

She thinks they're talking to their people but they shouldn't keep them all in suspense either, so

"We want to help you and we think we can.

How many people do you need places for? Also, anything you need more quickly meanwhile?"

And, to Pherikles and Phelix, silently, sorry, didn't think to think you'd have things others shouldn't hear. Sorry about that. We can probably also help with problems if that caused any.

They are apparently casting some form of detection to see if there is any lingering effects on the people who have been mind affected.

"We have at least three thousand on the moon. Can't be sure on the planet, but could be a thousand times that. We don't know. If we have time we can come up with multiple ways to save people, but that may take years."

We should have thought of that before offering. It's okay.

There isn't. (Well, not a magical sense. They have mentally now done this before and emotionally now gone through it).

"Three thousand we can definitely do, don't think there'll even be a problem." She does math. "Three million is... a lot.

We've still got stuff though."

"Stuff?"

"Where we're from actually has land no one's using, if you don't have a reason to live near anyone. If you do that might be more complicated but we do have info if you need it.

And I'm a mage; dunno if I can do anything you can't but I can do some things."

"We should keep them in isolation for at least half a hour." Someone else comments in earshot.

The person that was talking to them continues. "Well, taking three thousand somewhere remote would already alleviate our situation a lot. Humans might want to stay with other humans if you're open to that. What sort of things can your magic do?"

"Your humans magic?

Off the top of my head, healing, wards, crop growth, heat, some teleportation, moving things, scrying, making objects magic. That all I know I can do. Can probably do more if I try."

"They can, through rituals and a lot of effort. Are those common capabilities for your world?"

"Which ones, mine?"

"Yes. Here it would be uncommon for someone to do so many things easily, though I don't know if they are effortless to you."

Think your people would take 'through rituals and with a lot of effort' magic-doing humans?

...everyone can make blood-iron. Or train as Helas.

I don't know if people would think it was - the same kind of thing, but -

"Not effortless, particular effort depends on what I'm doing. Same deal as doing things with your body and all.

Most people aren't mages but we have a lot of mages. Power level I have isn't common; most mages can do most of what I said with less power. And with more effort, generally, while we're at it.

My friend thinks the people where she's from might take some humans. Can't be sure, but might. If your humans are fine with how they're living. 

I don't really recommend them trying to live where I'm from, though if they really want to I can give tips on trying it. 

Third place we have people will almost definitely try to kill them so that's out."

A bit of startled blinking. "Why? Can you explain how do they live there? We don't have that many options, but still would be good to know."

"Well, living not with other established humans is another option.

Which bit's the why about? Where I'm from is ruled by mages, they're not very nice about it - could also put it as 'everyone else is enslaved to them', depends a bit how you want to draw that line - and I don't think they'd find your humans as described mage enough to count.

Third place hates outsiders and generally tries to kill them if they show up.

My friend's people enslave all their mages - that one you can't really argue about the line, and generally very unpleasantly. The setup they have is also not very super nice to their laborers - not up to where the mages I'm from get up to, but. We don't think they'll find your humans mage enough to count either, though if they have mage babies they'll want them given over like everyone's."

Genea is looking at the ground somewhat.

"Everyone is supposed to be citizens - not mages, but everyone else. But - we're - they're - we're - not doing it right, not really."

We're not fans of the enslaving part she replays to Phelix and Pherikles specifically. But don't think a bit more humans will matter one way or the other on that. And seems a bit much to insist your humans can't hang out there, given they're doing it anyway.

"Would magical species be on the same category as mages?"

The slavery is not really something I am glad about our system.

Nice to be on the same page.

New place can be all slavery free.

"Don't know. Might depend on how they show up and present themselves."

And to the known-antislavery-contingent: I think mages where I'm from would be up for an alliance at least, but there I think new players make a tractability difference to the current problem. Not that we really have ideas about the current problem, but.  

"How can we present ourselves correctly then?"

"Considering some of their capabilities. I think finding somewhere remote on their world a safer option."

I think ending slavery would be easier if we found a place that would take us in but only if abolished that. People are too attached to it as a form of punishment and... well, possessions.

"I do not think I'd do a good job of guessing that at all.

My mages might think you're a threat they have to fight, might think magic slaves they can overcome would be great fun, if they can get them. My friend's people think mages are demons and kill magic Beasts that try to stampede into their towns as routine defense." Is she stressing one side of possibilities based on what he's saying yes she is.

Well, I don't know if only taking in if you abolish it is the word, but if I'm helping with the going to unoccupied land part I'm sure requiring abolishing it. ...If you can do it without my help that might be harder but, well, trying when it's harder was kind of where we were before you grabbed us.

"It sounds like, her place might be an option for magical beings, but a very complicated one. Our state is weak enough that I don't think we can put that much of a fight. Just look at what she did to us. We should discuss more when I am better recovered. Her world has potential."

I am trying to imply to him that I don't want to talk while you're right there. I am going to pressure in favor unoccupied land as well. We get a sense that you put pressuring against slavery is more useful than we doing it, because then it isn't a supposed ally making a difficult situation more difficult.

The people on this world absolutely need all help that they can get.

Honestly unoccupied land sounds easier on basically all parameters even without the slavery problem. All the slavery problems. I'm stressing the one side of possibility here but I'm not not making it up. 

Let me know if you need more examples of the horrors that can befall respective victims where we're from for convincingness; I have a collection.

Very happy to put all the pressure you want. If we need angles, my friend'd be a slave-or-whatever where I'm from, and vice-versa - well, I'd be dead, but, details - and I spent a bit as a mage-slave actually. 

Well, we've got lots of help to give and have been kind of stuck on how to manage giving it, so.

"Don't think anyone's answered me yet on if anyone needs healing right at this moment, by the way. Or some crops or wards or something."

Oh, if you see an opportunity insert that fact in the conversation. Though, don't blurt it out without context now. The timing is off.

"What are the limits of your healing? More crops would be useful as well."

Which fact?

And, just let me know when, don't know how good at spotting local opportunities I'd be.

"Regrowing limbs takes a bit and then there's a wait time and I may have to revisit. Can't do anything for dead people. Haven't done anyone but humans before; pretty sure I could but it'll be new.

If you take me to some crops - or seeds, that also works - and tell me what you need I can help you out with that."

That you have been affected by how different cultures affect slavery. I will let you know when it's pertinent.

"Regrowing limbs and other wounds sounds like a better use of your time then. We will see if any of our seeds are stubborn against magical growth, maybe they will bend to your magic more easily."

Affirmative sign, mentally.

"Wounds goes easier than regrowing. 

Haven't met stubborn seeds before but happy to try."

They still want to do some minutes of testing and warding, then they can relocate to a nearby room to take a breather. Is there anything they need or want?

Testing and warding?

More information about this world and what's going on might be handy!

You're stronger than we expected and the mind thing is more than a bit intimidating.

They will send someone on their way.

Alright but what are they therefore testing and warding?

That you are not currently brainwashing everyone with their mere presence, mostly.

Good thing to check!

She'll magically check on their magic doing that. Also good to check, AND practice!

Genea looks around the room manually.

I think they are going to move us somewhere where they will block the telepathy. But we will be able to talk to each other later!

They are led out of the room, down a curving corridor and then to another room. Everything is all the same style of complex interlocking stones, but the colors vary. This particular room is red-purple and contains some large round and puff mattress on the floor alongside low tables.

Soon enough a fourteen feet tall man in dark-blue robes walks in. "Hello. I am Viosophos, I am to understand that you wanted someone to answer your questions?"

Well she supposes if you're trying to check for lingering mind effects anti-telepathy's pretty reasonable.

See you later!

She pays a lot of magical attention to everything around. 

She's not really seen anything like this before, and stares a little.

"Don't know if we know enough to ask much questions yet, but that sounds about right!"

There is a translation effect, and some things that appear to monitor temperature and maybe... toxicity? There are faint traces of telekinetic magic.

"Huh... I am not sure where to start? I am a giant. A magical species. What sort of species you have in your world?"

Looking at magic she's never seen before is pretty fun!

"Is magical species like, you're a species and have magic, or like, you were made by magic, or something else?

Well, fun fact, assuming you don't mean animals and all, we don't have any species coming from our world. Everyone showed up from elsewhere. Everyone is all humans, so that's what we've got now - well, I suppose if people in the third place weren't humans but looked a lot like it we might not have noticed. People from her place-" nod at Genea "think mages aren't humans but I'm pretty sure they totally are."

"I meant a person from a species that has magic, but there are people that fall on the category of created by it as well. Where they showed up from?"

"Huh. I take it you guys are just born with magic? All of you or not that?

No idea! Three different places though. People still have some stories - her people more than mine - but that's about all we've got. Well, and couldn't tell you about third place, maybe they know everything about theirs actually." 

"Humans are not born with magic, but can practice ritual magic. Every member of a magical species is, by definition, a little bit magical and our gifts start to manifest at age of eight, becoming completely developed at age of sixteen."

"Neat. What's ritual magic like?

D'you grow up at the same rate as your humans?

Is it humans and then magic species or more categories?"

"Complicated? Ritual magic is partially about shaping ambient magic energy into something you can use."

"We do grow up at same rate as humans, but at some point between sixteen and our twenties it slows down significantly, and we only really show signs of aging again around two hundreds, we live eight time as long as humans. Unless, they have the gift of longevity, like I do, I don't age."

"Those two. I guess you could count hybrids separately, but they are really just a sub-class of magical. And unique living creations are not unhead of, but not significantly numbered."

"Huh! And ambient magical energy just flies around?" Can she find any with magic if she looks?

"Nice. We don't have that; mages grow up faster and we're less likely to die early from anything happening - and we don't show signs of aging much - but we don't actually get that much more time. Kind of unclear if it's any more time or not.

Gift of longevity? Unique living creations?"

"Yes. As far I know it's just there." Hard to tell if it is true enough, the magical effects mentioned earlier might be more pronounced, looking at Vio will reveal him to be more magical than the effects on the room.

"I am so sorry." He tells them about aging. "The gift of longevity, or also the gift of preservation makes changing harder, which includes old age, scars and rare magics that change the body. But it also makes healing slower. It can be extended to others, and the more people sharing with you the longer it lasts, but with only one person it will only halt your aging for as long contact is maintained." He quietly offers a hand.

"I am not sure what you want to know about unique living creations? There had ever been cases of people creating new magical beings that are alive and unlike what has been seen before, but even the ones that could have children never managed to get a proper population going."

Looking at Vio like that is pretty neat. She's not feeling the other thing, not really, but it seems like something she should totally be able to feel. ...Like that trick with the lenses one of the hobbyist mages had shown her, for seeing. Except she doesn't have the lenses. Which, makes sense, she's not actually done anything like this before. She'll work on that.

"I mean, it's not like we're having a problem all humans don't. What does 'gift' mean? 

Huh that's interesting - mage sparks are kind of anti-change - some kinds of change - but they go the other way on that, we have really fast healing." She'll take his hand, more because she wants to know what it's like then because she thinks not aging for a few seconds or something will matter very much.

"You can make magical beings?" She's about to say she can't do that, then considers that she has in fact never tried that either. Doesn't exactly seem like the best thing to try though. "What happens to them next?"

If she works on it, she might make progress? Maybe.

"Ah, every person from a magical species has at least one, often two, gifts. They are discreet magical powers and there are sixty-four of them, belong to eight elements and eight categories. Each individual species has access to gifts of an element or category. For giants the element is mental and the category is skill. The gift of longevity belongs to both metal and protection, so Giants can have it. The other species that can have access to it are Sea Serpents. I happen to be married to one."

It would've been easy to miss the effect of the protection without the help of magical detection, it is subtle, vaguely reminiscent to the touch of smooth metal.

"Yes. That is an entire gift category, but it is restricted to the eight magical species. What happens to various created magical beings... varies, depending on why they are created. I know another giant that used it to give himself a daughter. But the potential is far from nice."

She'll work on it! She won't be surprised if she has to do more work than 'two minutes, while also doing something else', though. (This is pretty cool!)

"So you - might get any mental or any skill thing? Are you more likely to get the one that's both?

What does element mean? Protection's another skill?

Huh, what happens when you marry across species?

Other stuff's not restricted to the eight magical species? What are the eight?

Do you make them just like kids or some other thing?"

Neat feeling! What's the magic part (trying to) do to her?

"As far we can tell, people are not more likely to get the gift that's both metal and skill. Some gifts are more or less likely than others."

"Protection is a category. Element loosely refers to the thing is worked upon by the gift, loosely."

"You mean, on a reproductive level? Not all magical species are natively compatible. When they do have offspring, the child usually has the elemental weakness of both parents, and gifts accessible to either species. They are more likely to have gifts that work differently, but it's rare for it to be drastically different."

"A lot of what magic is known to be able to do is somewhat related to the gifts, I think the main one that isn't there might be space distortion and some forms of altering subtances, specially living substances."

"The eight magical species are: giants, faen, spirits, dragons, sea serpents, phoenixes, unicorns and thunderbirds."

"Companions can be any age when created, most are created as young adults. I know a Giant that made himself a daughter."

The magic apparently has strong opinions about how she should stay this way. Which is mainly about her age, but also some details like how her nails and hair should slow down this nonsense about growing and growing.

"D'you know why more or less likely?

Elemental weaknesses? Differently how? What about if the offspring have offspring?

Do you mind if I scry?"

As it happens, her nails and hair already aren't growing. Her magespark seems to be tolerating this other presence/intrusion for the moment, what with such currently compatible goals, but with a wariness to it.

"Why some gifts are more or less likely to show up? Some just take more magic than the others."

"The magical species are more vulnerable to a specific element, the opposite element to their own, and resistance to their own element. For Giants, our elemental is metal and our weakness is wood, trying to hurt us with a sharp wooden stick is more effective than with an iron blade."

"Sometimes the gifts lack certain limitations or just performs slightly differently. Like being unable to turn off, or having some sort of unique synergy with another gift."

"What about offspring of offspring? They still are hybrids and subject to similar laws of their blood. Though, at some point it gets too diluted to matter."

"Scry for what?"

"Take more magic? How does that work?

In this case for what everyone looks like, but I'll probably want to scry something else at some point!"

"...I am not sure how to explain? A sensory gift will require less magic than the gift to control an element because while they both require magic, one requires more than the other?"

"Ah, you want to scry for the species? Could you do it while somewhat respecting their privacy? What do you need to successfully scry?"

"No, that part makes sense, I mean, how does them taking more magic give you some of them showing up more often? Is it like, there's only so much magic around every year and if people born early got high magic gifts then people getting born later can't? Or some other thing?

What? Oh, yeah, totally. And I don't need anything, just, if it was going to freak you out I didn't want to suddenly start."

"I never heard of the time of the year affecting. I think it is just that the magic grows into a gift and it's easier if the gift is smaller? Instead of being a limited thing that everyone shares."

"As loing the scry isn't going to affect anyone else, go ahead."

"Yeah I totally made that one up, wasn't really a real guess.

So it - succeeds more often?

Nope!"

She raises a hand and water coalesces out of the air and into a thin sheet. After a moment it'll start showing her pictures of various magical races.

"Anything you need scried, while I'm at it?"

"Could you scry for other worlds? Or relatives of people? I had a brother..."

"Can't scry worlds you haven't been to, far as we know - people have tried for where our original settlers came from before. Can scry worlds you've been to but not as well as worlds you actually are and it's mostly places in them you've been to a bunch and it gets worse with time. Don't know if I could scry or something and find out about worlds existing, not sure anyone's tried that.

Think I can do relatives, give me a sec here. I'm gonna need to run some magic around and through you, that sound ok or is everyone going to worry I'm stealing your mind?"

"It's likely to set things off, and I am not particularly hopeful either way."

"Can't tell if that's a yes or a no."

"It's a no."

Nod.

"If it changes once everyone has ascertained to their satisfaction that I haven't mind-stolen anyone, let me know."

"I'm sorry," she adds. "We're sorry."

"We have to be careful. And its okay."

"Definitely not blaming you."

She lets it be silent for a few moments, then

"More about your world, while they're still on that?"

"Sure... anything you would like to know?"

"I mean, I want to know things about your world, but I don't think I know enough about your world to get down to the specifics myself here? 

If someone landed in where I'm from from where my friend is from and somehow hadn't heard of us already, it might occur to them to ask how we run our mage-slave compounds, and isn't going to occur to them to ask who owns outposts without mage towers, even though we don't actually have mage-slave compounds - or mage-slaves - and do have the second thing.

So, you know. Here I am not knowing anything; what can you tell me?"

"Oh, sorry." He appears to be regaining some composure. "I could tell about how the different species run things? There are only giants, faen and humans political units. There used to be one with dragons and sea serpents, but it fell apart. The other species never got large civilizations of their own."

"Nothing to be sorry for.

So they - live in the other species' ones? All run around on their own?"

"Varies, but mostly they live in the other species' territories. Unicorn lack of hands and fairly desirable powers means that they seek and are sought after. Phoenixes and Thunderbirds sometimes make tribes of their own. Dragons tend to be over competitive and not team players and Sea serpents are similar, but more prone to hide among other beings. Also, the different territories are ruled by the mentioned species, but have members of the others. Specially, Faen."

"'Sought after' in which kind of way exactly?

How come specially Faen?

So what sort of ruling does this look like?"

"Ah... there had been plenty of cases of unicorn slavery, if that's what you were asking. Though, keeping them happy through cooperation is relatively simple? Or at least simpler than the alternative."

"Faen's powers are either life-related powers or companion powers. They can create companions of other species, the only ones that can do so. Thus, their society already have a place for other beings. It's just that that place is strictly below the Faen themselves."

"The ruling varies per species. And well, it also varies per territory. Faen's nobles usually have command over the laws of their respective territories, though mistreating non-humans is never a good idea for stability. I think humans had a similar model, but with humans on top - their empire is entirely gone and obliterated - and much fewer members of the other species around. Giants do have a nobility, but do a lot of voting and officializing laws in written format - it fits our outlook of learning and improving."

She has some - subtle, but visible - reactions to mentions of unicorn slavery and of nobility.

I wonder if there's anywhere that's - already learned not to do things like that, she thinks to Aye

...or anywhere where they never did.

Not really much to say to that. Yeah... Well. Guess we can see how we can do if they go for it.

"What's 'territory' meaning here? 

Why non-humans specifically? Is anyone going to get ideas, if they're used to mistreating humans, since here we are being humans?

What's your voting like?"

"I am not a fan of slavery and I don't even think it was particularly common, but it did ever happen. And by and large, gifts are random. For example, you could have in one generation a unicorn that had harmless gifts like purification or repairing, and then their kid gets the ability to squish people with telekinesis and create portals. Which can easily be used to cause mayhem and escape. Not stable."

"Territory is just... the bits of land that a given group can enforce their laws in."

"The problem is lack of powers, not just being human. I trust that everyone here will know to respect you, regardless."

"Depending on the city-state, but in mine all masculine people born there had a vote. Voting was called for things like going to war, or to vote for big city projects and some laws. It was obligatory to go in some cases, but one could send the head of family. There was also jury duty, but that rarely was obligatory to go, so there were representatives that effectively voted on behalf of large groups of people."

"You don't have a way of stopping people from using gifts they have?

And there's... a bunch of groups with different laws? How does that work out?"

'The problem is lack of powers, not just being human' is not a super great thing to say to Aye, let alone in front of Genea, though she doesn't react with more than maybe a facial expression.

"All what people born there?

What's head of the family entail?"

"There are ways that vary per gift, but nothing that works on everything and is also simple to implement."

"I am not sure what's confusing you."

"It has been a while since I heard the exact word of the law, but I think it requires your parents to own a house within the city's limits and then have you. Which not everyone can afford. There was a phoenix sometimes."

"Head of the family is an entirely informal position, it just happened to be the oldest masculine person, or their heir."

On one hand, you could describe both Tscher and Southern Crossing similarly. On the other hand she got the impression that the local groups-with-territories may disagree with each other more? "What happens when people go from place to place? Do you get arguments between groups over where the edges of their part should be?"

Why would you even call that 'born there', she doesn't say to Genea, because this is Genea's problem to be upset about, not hers. 

Genea has indeed noticed the relevant similarity. She doesn't say anything either. Exchanges something like a telepathic look - yeah, I noticed - with Aye.

And, he said that word again. What. 

"OK, that's the second time you've said that word. The oldest what person?"

"People are expected to obey local laws. Sometimes someone is infamous enough that they are hunted across political units, and how that's resolved varies. There are definitely arguments over the edges and who gets the taxes."

"Oh, masculine? Giants don't do gender quite the same way other species do. Masculine is someone that takes the roles usually associated with men."

What

"...Why are there roles associated with men? Why are they associated with men if anyone can take them? Why is that the people who get to do things?

...what do other species do?"

"Sorry, it's just how our societies are, it's not something I support about them. There is so much I don't. Humans default into something like what giants rule, but without the flexibility of allowing people changing roles. Not all humans are like that, nor are all giants, I am just giving the general way things are. Faen have women be in the rulling and commanding roles. I am not sure about the others, if they even have anything."

How is that even a problem you end up with?? 

...Something about sex? Or children?

...well guess I wouldn't know anything about that. 

Still though.

Yeah.

"What else don't you support?" she says out loud.

"Uh, could you be more specific? I generally don't like cruel punitive sentences for the sake of inflicting harm on the perpetrator? I am not sure how I feel about indentured service. Either the voluntary kind or the punitive kind - places where they don't do punitive indentured service use other methods that can be just as bad or worse."

"Still don't think we really know enough to be more specific." 

She makes acknowledgement of his list. 

"What kinds of other methods?"

"Mainly death fast or slow. Some forms of harm and mutilation that might result in death anyway."

"...Accidentally?"

"You mean, like a thief that gets a hand cut off and dies anyway when the goal was nominally keep them alive?"

Would that kind of thing happen in Southern Crossing?

...Maybe sometimes? If - field laborers couldn't afford healing, and the landowner wouldn't. Same as if they were sick or injured. ...Probably might happen in town too? But - it'd be a bad landowner.

Maybe if someone was - a problem, but they hadn't been caught for something worse yet.

Yeah, about same here. Well, except the last part, we don't tend to care if people are caught. Or if they're problems for not us, for that matter.

Mage who didn't care. Or sadistic one, you probably don't have that one so much.

But it'd take a mage like that to cut off someone's hand to begin with and not put it back; not really great for getting anything done, that. 

No. We don't do that. 

"Is that the kind of thing that happens all the time, or would that be unusually bad for some reason?

Also - we just compared notes on where we're from - why is cutting off a hand a punishment?" 

"I am not sure how often it happens. The idea is that the person would be too scared to do it in the first place. And also that they used the hand to commit the crime, so it's somewhat symmetrical to take it. Never mind that it makes so much harder to earn money, including healing money."

...I think it's like - field laborers different from town laborers. If people are someone's, sort of. If someone's punishing people who are theirs. So it'd be to their loss, if they did that. She doesn't need to add 'not that that's good', or try to list the ways it's worse; they both know that. 

They - wouldn't do that in town either, it'd obviously - make the town worse. But if they didn't care about that.

...Helas would do that. The - symmetrical.

Yeah sounds about right. Unless whoever has some people doesn't care. Or just wants to hurt them for fun, though like I said that's more our problem than yours.

Cutting it off would be too fast, they'd break all the bones first or something. And if a mage-slave was stealing they'd do much worse. But yes.

('Mages heal', neither of them need to say, even to each other.)

"Just checking, does 'the person would be too scared to do it in the first place' work very well here?

Where we're from you usually have to do worse to get people that scared, and you have to catch people mostly every time, and you have to make sure it wasn't that something awful was going to happen to them no matter what they did. And it still doesn't work all the way."

"I honestly wouldn't know, but I wouldn't be surprised it doesn't work."

"Are there symmetrical punishments involved if someone commits crime with their gifts or other magic?"

"To a degree? But someone with a gift might just be killed on the principle that's harder to contain some gifts. I think depends on the circumstances, I suppose."

Acknowledgment.

"How about with ritual magic?"

"Easier to... stop with symmetrical punishment, though putting shackles around someone's ankles and wrists is also enough. So, I suppose the punishment would depend a lot on circumstances. Ritual magic tends to be on the weaker side, your summoning not being a typical case."

"Shackles?

What kind of circumstances would they care about here?

How'd this one get that much stronger?"

"Something, usually made of iron, around their wrists and ankles to stop movement? I think they would care the motives of the crime and how it happened? This one got stronger because we found a world with wells of magic that after a lot of work we manage to tap into. That world is not hospitable on the long term, it has these plant-like things that are both resistant too and feed on magic. They grow on your lungs if you're not careful."

"Just physical shackles? Why does that do anything?"

Well that's incredibly cool(!)

"How did you find something like that?(!)"

"Rituals require specific movements combine with speech, symbols and other elements. Just disrupting one's movements hinders their ability to do rituals greatly. Not completely, but enough that in most case you can stick shackles on someone that you don't want to kill right away."

"We have known of people going to other worlds, my husband being one, and we considered it as possible way to solve the fertility crisis. After some time researching the topic we figure we could find a world with magic fuel - without it we need months to gather enough energy for interworld travel - we found a few, all too dangerous, but that one was stable enough to be useful. We still have to be careful, whenever we do a summoning some energies spill out and the not-plant things grow faster."

"...I might be able to help with the energy part, if that's worth trying. 

What're other worlds usually like? How's that usually happen?

The fertility crisis would be solved by moving?

Are there not-plant things around here?"

"Help with the energy how?"

"As far we can tell every world is either really empty or very different. Or sometimes both."

"The fertility crisis actually affects the area, it might find a way to worm itself to other places, but it didn't do it for the moon. And even a few years would help some."

"The not-plant things are unique to their world, and we have managed to keep them there. Though that was helped by the infertility crisis affecting them as well. But our current method does not rely on that."

"Well, lots of what I do is kind of making energy, and I've never tried making your kind and I'm not sure how much you need, but if I can make it and make enough of it-

What kind of different? You can't move into an empty one? How does 'both' work?

...We probably want to be pretty sure it won't move on over if we're taking you back to our world.

That's good!"

"Different, as in space was really distorted, and there was one that was apparently entirely composed by something sort of white fire. Empty here means that it didn't have things necessary for life and not more useful than trying to accommodate everyone on the moon. Both would be the one that was just... dark void with purple lights. We will test to be sure that the infertility thing doesn't spread, but the experts are pretty sure."

Oh she'd thought empty meant of people, that explains it. Also that sounds rather cool, though indeed not very helpful with a problem that requires moving. Can people somehow be in those worlds and not die?

Also, speaking of, what exactly did happen here? They know "major disastrous event that left the world inhospitable", and that there's an infertility crisis, but that does not amount to very much information about it.

(She's also still curious how people usually get to other worlds.)

"Oh... apparently, a long time ago, some humans were turned into spirits or something similar enough. They were very powerful and were called Gods over it, but people managed to bind them and use them. The people who bound them eventually declined and then were forgotten. But the Gods tried their best to break out of the prison. The infertility crisis was them draining power from us. They eventually cracked their bindings and used that to create an eternal night and create crystal covered zombies to drain even more power. Then they used that to completely break free and kill themselves."

Well then.

...Are people now able to try something like that again, since it happened the once? (Use them?)

(Also was the eternal night also necessary for that purpose or was that for some other reason, if they know?)

We are hoping - for certain values of hoping - that the gods are truly dead. Creating a new one sounds very hard, a few orders of magnitude harder than bringing all the recent dead back to life and moving them to a new world. The eternal night helped absorbed a bit more energy from the sun, but it was probably just pettiness. They are not entirely sure.

Values of hoping?

"You can bring back the dead?"

"It's something healers can learn, but it's very tiring. A typical healer can bring one person back and then get knocked out for eight days. We have a few around, but any effort to bring back large quantities of the dead will take a lot of power. Or time."

Wow. 

...What does that do to their societies? Do they have powerful rich people who are like thousands of years old around? Are people really desperate to get whatever you use to pay healers with?

They have some, but not that many. Turning people young again, is a separate albeit related healing skill. There are some limitations that might or might not depend on the healer level of skill. Like needing the body or at least the brain. Healing brain damage is a required sub-skill for proper resurrection, but it still is tricky to bring someone back properly. And trickier the more damaged it is.

There is also a gift of resurrection, which Phoenixes and Sea serpents may have. Dragons too, because one of their gifts might be the ability to choose a gift and that's a popular one. Unlike the healing variation, this one requires to touch the person while they die. Using it on a lifeless body won't work. If it works the body turns to ash and the person enters a "queue" that resurrects a person every eight days. With a limit of eight people stored. If someone with resurrection and full queue dies, then they will have to let go of one the dead or everyone will be lost. And because the bodies turn to ash, very few healers will be able to bring them back from that state.

On a social level, it means that the most powerful people will invest on having healers or resurrectors around on call. Which also means paying for these healers and their families to be fed and protected. Vio's society is also of opinion that the more one makes one's life an obstacle to other people's ambitions the more in danger they are. Meaning, that would-be eternal kings tend to be shorter lived than kings that eventually step down.

Well this sounds like it might introduce some complications, but it's probably not a thing to respond to by not trying to help, so she'll just save it for the rest of everything to be discussed when they're actually planning.

About how much resurrection is usually happening when there isn't the crisis going on?

...Also it might be useful to check at some point if her world's mages can do anything about healer tiredness.

That's actually very hard to tell. No ruler wants to make such attempts known - it shows vulnerability. Going by the numbers that they do hear from it can easily amount to a daily occurrence, but maybe not on the double digits. Definnitely not more than twenty a day on average.

If they can untire healers it would make the process so much easier. Just allowing a healer to not have to miss eight day of their lives every time would increase people's willingness to deploy the skill.

How does that show vulnerability? Do those numbers count the Dragons and Phoenixes and Sea Serpents doing it or just the healers?

Well then once his people are sufficiently convinced she isn't up to something to let her do more stuff, they should try that.

It's a vulnerability because the chance of temporarily killing someone correlates with the chance of doing it permanently. Also, since healers get knocked for eight days after the resurrection, there is that time window where they are short of a healer. And one of the most skilled ones at that. The numbers should count for everyone that does resurrection one way or another, though Vio thinks it's pretty rare for Dragons and Sea Serpents to get that kind of work.

Yeah, they will definitely want to figure out useful magic interactions.

Oh, so since people getting resurrected are probably more powerful people, a resurrection may suggest someone managed to kill one of those?

Why is that rare? He said the gift was popular in Dragons.

About how many rulers are (were) there? (So, about how many places were these between-one-and-twenty-per-day resurrections being distributed among?)

Yes. And it's basic security not to point out that your security has flaws. 

The gift is popular among dragons, yes. Using it on other people is what it's rare. Dragons don't tend to be the kind of social where one just sells their goods and services.

How do they define a ruler? Among the Faen there were about three people that disputed of ruling all Faen and who have been at war over it for centuries. But among the Giants you could easily find dozens of people with a tenth of the forces of the three disputing Faen monarchs, but without anyone questioning their authority. People with access to resurrections are probably on the thousands.

Were. Were on the thousands.

What do dragons (and sea serpents) do? 

She has no opinions on how to define a ruler and was asking with respect to what he meant by it. Numbers with access is good to know. ...Her condolences. (She's not sure how to react really properly here...)

...how does that disputing and being at war for centuries work? (In as much as she has information about war, she has it as different people control different places and those places fight). (And does he mean like, the same three people or some three people and then their descendants?) ...Also that sounds kind of like a problem? ...Like it was a problem and she doesn't know if it still is at all but also they probably don't want more things like that happening.

In what sense? Dragons appear to be either loners with hoarding problems. Sea Serpents form small family-centric communities. Both may shapeshift and hide among other species from time to time. Those don't tend to be very open about their nature.

The descendants of the same three people that started the dispute. Usually, war for centuries means friction or lack of contact between the different sides, with the occasional small fight at the borders, which can escalate into big fights under the claim that a side has the right to the other's lands, servants and possessions. In practice, they are just greedy and stubborn.

She shivers a little at the war images.

Well, he mentioned that Dragons often choose the resurrection gift, so presumably they want it for something and are doing something with it. And it seems it'd be odd if the Sea Serpents who had it weren't using it, even if they didn't pick it on purpose.

Oh, that's interesting, how does the hiding work?

That... continues to sound like a problem. Will they have to worry that these people will start fighting again after the move?