"Figuratively. Do I have to talk to them? Every one of them talks like they've swallowed a very obnoxious book."

"You probably don't unless they're relevant to security but they might be."

"Might want to hire on someone who can talk to spellcasters once you start worrying about it. I'll stick with you for a few months, if you end up needing me that long."

Daernir nods, although he's not sure that's actually very useful. They still need to talk to the divination specialist, and maybe that could help with planning somehow. Divination is usually good for that.

"Thank you," Lintalai tells Iozhe, "I'll swing by your room again before we leave town." And she steps out into the hall to find the next room.

In the next room, they find a bird-person. The bird-person says hello and wants to know their business here.

"Hello! You do divination magic, right? What sorts of things can you divine and what do you charge?"

"That's a broad question. I can detect magic, living beings, and invisible persons nearby. I can locate objects and hear from some distance. I can identify a person's allegiance or an item's magical properties. I can also see what a person is doing from nearly any distance, if I target them specifically. Are you requesting my services for something? I will need to know the purpose before I agree to assist you."

So Lintalai explains her project again. "But I'm not sure any of the things you listed are specifically helpful, mostly what I need at this point is to know what kind of magic will be useful for getting to Amenta and if there's a way for me to learn that or any other useful magic when I don't seem to have a soul."

"-well, I've never heard of that exact problem, but most fighters and spellcasters who come to Arcadia need to learn new ways of working since their bodies are gone, and their souls can no longer align with what they're used to. As for getting to Amenta, I can't help you with the travel, but I could recommend some actual wizards- I listed divination as a skill because I know more than the average person, but I'm primarily into abjuration, and I have a few friends who might be able to help with planar travel once they get to the right level of education."

"What's abjuration?"

"Abjuration is one of the schools of wizardry. It covers barriers that protect the body or soul, negation of other magic, defensive damage, and banishment- that last is quite fascinating, really, since it interacts with the fabric between the planes- but I doubt I could learn to transfer anyone between them, again, one of my colleagues would be the port of call for transfer."

"I'd appreciate a referral to someone who knows how to do that!"

"Not a problem! Pinning someone down would be difficult if you don't have a university, though, how will they conduct their research in a new settlement...perhaps I should direct you to someone who can help with starting a university. Unless those are very common on Amenta, then you might not need my help."

"Universities are common but I have not personally started any. I do think it would be good to get that done early on."

"I'll consult with some of my colleagues over the next few days, and those most interested in helping found a wizarding university will join your settlement. I assume your preference will be for conjuration specialists, since those can eventually travel the planes, but is there anything else you've always wanted to be able to do?"

"...fly."

A bird-like laugh.

"Flying! Of course. I'll find you an alteration specialist. And you, silent companion, anything you would wish for?"

"Oh, uh, I like abjuration! And illusion."

"Abjuration could be useful for protecting a city," the bird-person allows. "Alright. If I bring you specialists free of charge, will you overlook their...deficiencies? They have never been accepted into prestigious universities, for a variety of reasons, and that is why I intend to ask them first. If it depends on the reasons, I will come back to you with more details once I've spoken to them."

"...can you specify the deficiencies..."

"I would prefer not to without getting their permission to divulge personal details, first. I can try to entice less relevant wizards without any, if you think having a prestigious starting population of wizards is more important than attracting those with the relevant specialties."

"I don't know if the prestige matters very much - it might, if the first batch doesn't cut it and we need to attract or train more - I'm more worried about the deficiencies making them hard to work with, or dangerous, or off-putting to immigrants."

"All valid concerns! Personally, out of loyalty to some of my colleagues, I would rather come back to you with a specific list of the qualities, traits, and so on that disqualified them from enrollment than reach out to those I am less confident of- but I understand if you would prefer not to wait for that. In the latter case, I will accept payment to give you a single name now, and he should be able to assist in creating the right atmosphere to attract wizards, even if he knows no conjuration wizards with the right interests."

"How much payment?"