"Well, if you're going to be transactional about it maybe I should charge OTC for information? Speaking of, if you brought your shop along with you I have a wish-list based on rumors and hearsay."

She laughs. "You can do that if you like, we'll pay you for it. But I'd rather we were friends. I did in fact bring my shop with me, give me your wish-list."

She hands over a list. At the top are: Rings of nine lives, bags of holding, and ka. It goes on for a while. Her eyes twinkle. "Ask your questions, dearie. It's really best when everyone gets along. Mine is, I suppose, do different world have different gods?"

"What's the map for? And as for gods, we have them and ours answer prayers as well. I can sell you most of this list in the next few minutes if you have the kronor for it together, you've assembled quite a good profile of our inventory."

"We track sightings of trolls and beasts, especially particularly dangerous ones, try to predict trouble areas. We keep notes on their behavior too. They have personalities of sorts. Hard to investigate without being eaten, but. Places to avoid, places to hit hard and clear out, an aid to planning and tracking our folks in the field. As for the prices, I have friends. Friends are wonderful things. They write me letters and send radio messages. They were less sure of the prices; We have millions in the safe in the clanhall, though."

"You'll be able to afford your list, then. I'd rather not hold you up unnecessarily on getting crucial gear for your people; I'm sure there are expeditions happening all the time. Is there an office in the clanhall where I could bring through all the equipment?"

"Not as many as you'd think. Summer's when they're most active, and winter's when it's safest to go on deep runs, but spring and autumn are just... Mud. Let's head over there and get that safe open." She stands up and dusts nonexistent debris off her shirt-and-pants, grabs a coat. "I'm not quite entirely sold on the laser weapons, by the by. Seems a bit hazardous around snow and ice."

"They can be," admits Thorn. "Stray reflections are a known issue. There's a reason why I carry a slugthrower and not a las; newer isn't always better. But I wouldn't discount them entirely - two different tools, that's all."

"Silent killing is a really big deal. We poured a lot of money into some air-pressure rifles that turned out to be a useless boondoggle, a while ago. Tanks wouldn't keep long enough for field use. We'll see."

"A lasrifle's charge pack is good for five hundred shots and can be recharged by putting it in a fire. They're reliable enough, from what I've seen."

Out the door they go. "Mmh. Literally just putting it in a fire? Sounds like an explosion waiting to happen. Is it possible to get ring-of-nine-lives healing in non-emergency form?"

"You'd think so but it's engineered very carefully to not. And yes, it is; our house doctor was doing casts of Cure Serious Wounds just the other day. A wand with fifty charges would probably run you about the same as a ring."

"I think we want one or two of that. And if you can tell aptitude for magic in people, perhaps one of ours could try to learn it. We don't want to depend on you in the long run. No offense."

"None taken. I'll see about shipping you some books and if you want to purchase a tutor then you can. And I'll add the wands to your order."

"Great! I do think you're going to do us more good than harm on net, quite a bit. But there's not much-"

Someone who looks about twenty-five comes up to Mama Ingrid and starts talking about- Her kid, apparently. He's been acting sullen ever since the summer expeditions came back and she thinks he might just be nervous about his field training, but got all angry when she told him he could decline to be a hunter instead, you know how kids are... Ingrid listens patiently, then recommends someone to go for advice to, and then they're almost back at the clanhall.

"Sorry about that, what were we talking about?"

She doesn't interject on the advice-giving, though she's tempted. These people have more context than her.

"Importing magic training."

"You can give out intrusive personal advice if you want to. Feels like half my job is mothering everyone. That's the title." She smiles. "What sorts of skills and attitudes indicate talent for magic? There must be kinds surely, too. Our mages are quite unlike Finnish mages."

"We know about a hundred meaningfully unique magic systems, but many of them don't transfer well off-world because they rely on local physics or resources. Let me see. For themes there's Druidism, Skaldwright, Wizardry, Psionics. Sorcery and species magic. Clerical magic like that practiced by your mages, though from the fragmentary reports I've had of Finnish mages they sound like they could be Sorcerors. Inspiration and Awakening - both nasty to handle around non-mages. Artificing and Summoning - both technically forms of Wizardry. Persona and Incarnum. Naturally occuring magical items. I could go on.

"The different kinds of magic require different skills, but the ones that transfer well without needing strange prerequisites are Druidism, Skaldwright, Wizardry, and Persona. Druidism is based in attunement to the natural world - not too dissimilar from the kind that you learn when you're doing ranging. If you have a ranger who also gardens, they'd be a good Druid candidate. 

"Skaldwright is the art of master poets and musicians. It comes from charisma and a love for verse. It's basically songs and poetry that, when you perform them well enough, do things. If you have performers and garrulous sorts, they'd be good candidates.

"Wizardry is book learning by rote and being able to visualize complicated objects in your head. It's complex, fiddly, and takes years to get anywhere. I wouldn't recommend it to you. Maybe there's some bright spark here who'll love it, but it's a magic for soft people who have all the time in the world to study and learn. Druidism you can pick up in the field as you go along, and skalds have been skalds since forever.

"Lastly there's Persona magic. It comes from knowing yourself deeply and having a good relationship with your own soul. I'd recommend it to veterans like yourself. You learn a lot about yourself being in dangerous situations."

"Some learn more about themselves than others. I'm having some trouble picturing how all this fits together- Though we do have some people who sound druid-like, a few would-be skalds about, and one young lady who would have been better off Swedish who might do well as a wizard. I'll think about who might fit."

Into the clanhall. It's fairly cavernous and decorated in a way that calls back to preindustrial times. Wood and stone and simple art and a few animal trophies. It's pleasantly warm inside, and there is nice stone flooring, with a bit of natural light let in from thick windows. There are big rows of well-made tables. It's mostly empty at the moment, just someone cleaning and some kids playing tag where the one who's 'it' has to stay on top of the tables and benches, jumping from place to place. Ingrid shouts not to put an eye out or break any bones and calmly walks towards the raised area at one end, then to a door slightly hidden behind the stage. There are a few pieces of technology here - a corded phone handset, for one, and some electric lights, a typewriter, and a thermostat. And a large safe.

"I'm sure you could break in with all your shiny powers, but let's not have you actually see the combination, hm?"

Thorn nods and drops the topic. She's more interested in seeing the clanhall anyway.

"Very sensible precaution given I have a perfect memory," Thorn deadpans. She turns her back.

And now here is a big, big stack of paper bills. Multiple briefcases' worth. Also some gold. And the Eide clan's shopping list can be fulfilled.

She hauls their order in through the portal, with the aid of helper bots for anything particularly heavy or bulky. They should be able to afford most of their list.

She adds a few books, and also cuts off some items on the bottom of the list, wanting to keep enough of a reserve for more normal expenses.

"Wonderful. Simply wonderful. Do you have anything else in particular planned for your visit? I don't go in the field anymore so if you want a bit of an adventure it'd be with someone else. Not that a patrol is likely to find any trolls this time of year, but you could find a vermin-beast or see the training course."

"I'd like to see the training course, get a sense of the standards you work to. No need for field work, I get enough of that doing my job. I was dropped into a city in the Silent World when I arrived here. At dusk. That was enough interaction with trolls for a while."

"Thor's balls, I'll say so. It might make a good tale at dinner, no doubt dozens of trolls swarming you! I can get someone to show you the ropes, for sure. One of the usual trainers?"

She scoops up a leather pouch full of ka on the way out.