Oasis

[Mahou-Shoujo]

It wasn't like keeping in contact with Gora would be at all difficult, his new job as a teacher to so many people would likely place him in a fairly centralized location... Though it was hard to tell if the great forest even HAD a location that could function as a cultural or economic hub, the Uhar fort was certainly a possible 'capital' of sorts for everyone to gather at, but maybe in the future a proper one could be built, rather than a rapidly built up village around an old crumbling fort.

Gora and Edric seemed to have no idea what the rodent was on about, but more concerningly, neither did Lizzy, the only one there who had anything approaching an 'education'.
"I... What are those words? Immune system?... Adrenaline? I know what an infection is, are they related to that?"
She questioned, actually extracting a notebook from her bag, how far behind WAS medical knowledge here?
"That's unlikely... Everyone has a baseline protection against magical intrusion just from magical energy in the world, they would have to have been born and raised in a dead zone and the guild mapped all of those centuries ago, they're forbidden now".

The healers were too busy to greet Ratty properly, it seemed that quite a lot of minor injuries had been occurring during the rapid construction, nothing serious, no guts spilling out or missing limbs, so they definitely had it all handled.
One healer did give Ratty a grateful nod as they spotted the herbs and took one particular leaf and made an uhar who's arm was bent at an odd angle chew it.

Up topside the stone seemed a little different, it was hard to tell for sure but the plant inside appeared to have spread just a little, one of it's tiny leaves having grown wider, signs of not just stable life, but growth even.
Lizzy listened to the concerns and shook her head.
"Most of the equipment should be standard enough that it couldn't be tracked back to anyone in particular, or would be personal goods the guild would have no record of, and of course, if you did keep things, there is no need to worry about tracking spells, they... Don't work well in the forest, at least from the outside of it, inside it's easier, but if you're far away there is too much interference, too much old magic everywhere".
The trip to the Syol village would likely take the rest of the day, a long tiring trip, if only they could ride the many rivers and tributaries that flowed through the forest, most villages were established near them after all.

 

[Fyrra]

Looking around on the topside, the rodent almost immediately pined for... a longship? Why that specific type of boat? It certainly didn't have the staff required to operate something of that size, even if it could navigate rivers, or the time to just build one. Yet. Perhaps something smaller, like a canoe or a kayak, would work for smaller groups? It'd be a bit cramped with four people, but revolutionizing the local transportation lines could start on a smaller scale. What was the idea, messengers first and supply chains second? If adventurers were in abundance here, such a thing would do wonders for the communities at large.

Knowing all the natural barriers to scrying that the forest provided was a strange comfort. Maybe it didn't work so well with hindering Pellinta's scrying methods, but being able to evade the pursuit of anything but the most fixated cleanup crew was still a great benefit. The creature visibly relaxed when Lizzy explained all of this: clearly the little ratling had been rattled by its last two missions for the neighbors and was still anticipating skirmishes. All the more reason to take a break from that.

"Well, it's a long walk, but where to even start? Most animals can be grouped together according to their similarities. Birds have wings and feathers, lizards have scales and rely on external sources of heat to stay warm, mammals have hair and milk, fish breathe through their neck-gills. We have variations in the small details, even down to humans having several different types of blood, but on a generalized level, any creature with a spine has a body that works one of five different ways."

The rodent stretch its neck to the side, sidetracked by a stray thought: Lizzy was part reptile and part mammal, and how that worked did not mesh with what the rodent knew, but it also wasn't important to the introductory subject, never mind trying to figure out how mermaids worked.

"Well, perhaps it's more than five around here. I'm not familiar with the inner layout of a bird and how all of the moving parts work, aside from birds having a higher concentration of spongy-bone in their makeup in comparison to our primarily compact-bone skeleton, but if I'm working with a human body I can more or less point at a small internal organ and feel out what it does. The heart pumps blood through the rest of your body, specifically distributing the oxygen from the air you breathe in through your lungs, using the blood as a medium to deliver the air to your brain. I'll spare you the entire journey and how it all works together because it gets complicated, but the short version is that a body uses chemicals to respond to things it identifies as... wrong?"

Stimuli? Was that even a word that had a translation here?

"It's all on a very small scale. Suppose... a branch cuts your arm. A thorn pierces your flesh-tissue. In doing so, it touches a nerve, which sends a pain signal from your arm, up to your spine, then to your brain. Your brain assesses that this is a threat to your body and sends a signal outward to get more blood over to where your arm was punctured. The blood clots up and starts drying, closing up the barrier to prevent more disease from continuing to get in through the wound, The blood is also carrying something to counteract what infections did get in. It's-"

Oh, right. There was a much quicker explanation. The rodent palmed at its forehead.

"The immune system is a group of body organs that work together to fight off disease, and adrenaline is a name for a body's chemical response to stress. It provides a surge of strength and energy specifically to deal with threats to one's survival, and is typically produced in response to fear, for the purpose of escaping threats to one's survival. We should have just said that from the start, but better to talk out here where nobody's listening in than in a village full of people that'll start wondering how many lives were lost figuring all of that out. As funny as it is that that one guy called me a demon rat, if everyone starts doing it we'll have problems."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Well, it wasn't like they would lack for materials for making boats to traverse the rivers, at least on the wood side, Ratty had been able to spot at least five different types of tree so far, at least one had to be a reliable hardwood.
Of course things like tar for water proofing or nails to hold things together would be a bit harder, the Uhar clearly didn't have any sort of metallurgic industries and the Syol got all of their metal through trade, who could know if the great forest even HAD any mineral resources?
Though some of the jars in the Uhar medical room had seemed to be sealed shut with an odd black substance around the rim, so it seemed that at least wouldn't be a hard resource to acquire.

It also seemed Lumina was subtly helping Ratty by constructing designs and listing needed materials, it appeared they also had an unusual interest in the existence of longships, or at least traversing the rivers in suitable craft, of course if queried about it they would not have an answer prepared, even Lumina wasn't sure why they liked the idea of boats so much, perhaps it was related to their previous state trapped at the bottom of a river? Boats were good at keeping things from being at the bottom of large bodies of water after all.

Lizzy did at least know more or less the animal classification system, there were plenty of exceptions to what Ratty had said but of course she put that down to keeping it brief, she herself had traits of both the mammal and reptile groups, and many other magical creatures combined two or more groups... Or even failed to fit into any of them at all! Slimes for example, an incredibly broad category, didn't fit any normal animal class due to their nature as beings created entirely via magical means.
Which... Did bring some questions to mind about goblinoids like the Uhar but now was not the time for that level of thinking.

Even while off on this thought tangent Lizzy was able to take notes almost automatically, it seemed at least one skill from her student days was transferable, other than the fire of course, that particular skill was usable in a surprising amount of scenarios.
Even thought she only understood half of what was being said, it was a start, and she could muse on her notes later.
"You're not wrong... I don't think even the best healers would have even a vague idea at these concepts, even if someone believed you they would assume you learned through dark means".

 

[Fyrra]

The rodent grumbled a little as it collided with a piece of brush too thick to just squeeze through, lowered its snout a bit, and started moving some branches aside. As well as the creature was taking to being on two legs, part of it missed the ease of just being able to pounce through bushes without being hindered by clothing, but being tiny would make conversation and carrying things a little more awkward. At least it helped pass the time. Perhaps the noise was also enough to ward off anything that would otherwise pose a threat in the wild?

"Too tempting to play that up. Suppose we could use 'amicable witch' as a title around these parts? Mayhaps warm people up to the concept before we start scourging about and upsetting the balance directly?" It smirked, before shaking its head. "Perhaps not. Last thing we need is somebody savvy to evidence of interlopers having reason to watch us. 'tis possible my shallow magic-font is a blessing to that end. Difficult to reveal myself as a person who can do the work of five mages if I lack five mage's magic."

There the rat went, plotting things far in advance of its current phase. Between thinking about mountains in response to Lumina's nudge toward metals, and digging in general, there were too many directions that needed to be scouted out, and neither the goblins nor the elves were the type to go rummaging about in mountains and caves. Adventurers, though? There's no telling what all the local villages have uncovered. All the more reason to drop in and say hello, and maybe put together some sort of disguise to start blending in. The dressy robe-garment could work for... trying to convince people it was a vagrant spellcaster that liked rats? No, too accurate.

For the next good while, the ratling starting imagining disguises and outfits that ranged from roguish, functional, and protective to pretty, outlandish, and just somewhat unsettling. The woodland-ranger getup with the cowl made sense with the elves nearby, the coastal-warrior ensemble had design-flaws to work around, and the less that was said about the garish silver armor with the green scarf, the better (even if there was a hypothetical purpose for something so bizarre and identifiable while also concealing the wearer's identity). Based on those, and a number of tunics, skirts, and dresses imagined, it was possible the rodent liked flowy things? Maybe Daoin was onto something, calling the creature Miss Rat.

Speaking of,

"Ah, Hin. We are not as sensitive to the feel of," the creature gestured back toward the fort, "that. No doubt after the last incident, everyone nearby might be able to guess what happened. Have you been home since?"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

All this thick brush brought up more problems than just being annoying to push through or under... If the rat wanted the locals to have anything resembling a coherent economy and construction industry, they would need to have room for things like wagons and horses to pull goods and materials around, which meant they would need wide, well maintained paths to move through, even the rivers wouldn't be enough as quite a lot of settlements were inland.
Horses were not as dumb as many people might think, but they also did not do amazingly in heavily forested regions like this, especially when carrying heavy loads.

"That's true... You do seem to run dry rather quickly".
Lizzy commented thoughtfully.
"Though your growth has been... Incredible, even now you're nearing the level of some apprentice mages despite no formal training, at least in your raw potential... Every time you exhaust yourself your potential grows a little but that shouldn't explain this level of growth".
Well of course it was more than just the normal method, Ratty had a magical little pearl improving them whenever it found enough energy and came up with a solid idea for it.

It was true that the Syol were unlikely to be of much use scouting out the mountains that Lumina's helpfully constructed if rather basic mental map suggested were bordering the great forest, though the Uhar HAD chosen a dank old fort with multiple underground floors as their home so they at least were not wholly opposed to cave dwelling.
But their smaller size did make extensive travel difficult, perhaps the adventurers information would be best after all, or if they didn't have any information... Well adventurers were quite well known for exploring strange places for money.

"Yes... Anyone who is better at feeling such things almost certainly knows the threat has been banished, including the periphery settlements, though that doesn't rule out the possibility of them investigating, it just won't be as urgent".
Hopefully the adventurers were not going to be as annoying to deal with as groups like the mage guild.
"I've not been home since this latest incident no, I was part of the team escorting the elders, and stayed there until more arrived to take over from me".

 

[Fyrra]

Roads. Never mind horses, oxen and carriages, the metal contraption Lumie had signaled an interest in would scarcely fare better without a proper road, and for that the ratling would need... well, lots of things, but limestone was a good start. For some reason that type of rock specifically. Maybe it could do the sorcery thing and show Lizzy how to make cement? How hot could she make a flame? Really, having a fire specialist around was a stroke of good fortune, but any specialized elementalist of any level of potency could serve a number of roles. There just weren't enough hands to bring everything to its full potential.

"Oh, growing too quickly to keep beneath notice. Guess it can't be helped. Not something we can replicate outside my body. Probably a good thing. Having just one of me around is a right terror, but if we are able to grow like this, it stands to reason that there are other things out there capable of similar growth and power." The creature paused after voicing that thought, then shoulder-checked another bundle of brush to brute-force its way past. Being in humanoid shape really did bring back its old muscle memory and habits: it was far from graceful in its past life, and being shorter did little to change that. "What we can share, however..." The creature flicked its tail back and forth, imagining a number of very angry lordlings, wizards, knights, and priests. A creepy little giggle followed. "We were lucky to nest here, and not in the middle of some king's territory. One little stunt like stopping the shroud would have been enough to attract the cutthroats, elsewhere."

Then again, it's not as though the rodent couldn't stay covert if it put its mind to it. Having a natural hiding place to build from might have been less convenient on the short-term, but this was the perfect arrangement to start introducing new technologies to the world. But maybe not that technology: Lizzy said this world had a problem to the effect of a magical arms race, so it might be better not to make that worse.

"You should visit Daoin soon," the rodent stated after another awkward pause. "Probably worried when you stuck around while everyone else returned home." The rodent had originally worried about another awkward heroic welcome, but that seemed a bit self-centered to fixate on. And... slightly hypocritical? Truth was, Daoin was an uncomfortable subject too. Hin knew what sort of dangerous things his rodent friend got up to, and it would be difficult to imagine him being comfortable with the idea of his sibling getting involved. Then again... Daoin had a few friends their own age, if their first meeting was anything to go by, but if that were the case, would it explain the way they fixated on their new friend back then?

Oh, right. Talking rat. Talking rat hero. Had the same ritual as the arraness of legend and everything. Any of those youths would think that's the coolest thing to happen in a long time.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Considering the fact that Lizzy had previously managed to literally burn stone, albeit very old decrepit stone held together more by magic than by virtue of being a solid object... It was safe to assume she could make some very hot flames, even without considering the extra assistance that could be granted through Ratty's knowledge of science and physics.

Even so one fire mage wasn't going to be enough for anything near an industrial scale... Perhaps the Guild would be a double edged blessing there, while it's existence certainly made reliable recruitment of mages harder, it also undoubtedly had a long list of those who would be grateful to escape the organization and serve someone less stifling, Ratty would just need to be careful not to accidentally recruit a lich in the making, such magics never seemed to be learned through peaceful study.

"Yes... There are many records of beings who achieved great power very quickly, their fates are as varied as their origins though, power does not always assure a good or even long life".
Lizzy commented, as their resident educated city slicker she had the most knowledge of history and folklore, so had pretty much assumed the role of nerdy exposition girl, not that she knew what either of those words even meant, though whatever magic Lumina used to allow Ratty to communicate so easily might still get the point across even if someone didn't know the words.
"If you were born elsewhere... And still became strong, the best you could hope for is to be used as a tool in some scheme... And I somehow feel you wouldn't be very pleased with that'.
Hin commented as he easily slipped through the forest, putting a lifetime of practice to good use.

"I know... They understand that I get busy a lot, but I do try and check in when I can, it's just that... things have been unusually busy lately".
Quite an understatement, though Hin did seem the type to try and downplay things despite the stress making itself clear in his voice, Hin after all seemed to have some sort of tie to the elders, perhaps using his familial gifts to represent them.

 

[Fyrra]

To think on an industrial level, it was starting to sound like Lumina wanted to set up a factory? What a tall order; the rodent-host couldn't be more proud of it symbiote. Just having one of those could change everything, especially if hidden from public view. It wouldn't even matter what it was producing, but just for the sake of restriction, the ratling decided against armaments for that project. For now. Crossbows could still be on the table for a future project, just by nature of not being too out of place when carried by a bunch of medieval forest folk.

Confirmation that there were historically other powerful creatures of the world kept the rodent's mood tempered: it did need to be smarter about how it approached danger in the outside world. "Getting out from under somebody's thumb is a trial we would wish upon no one, least of all the people here. But if doing so would help others out west, we might have to devise a plan for that regardless." Oh yes, growing up out that way would have presented a fair number of challenges, but a little rat couldn't deny its urges to make a big splash, even if it meant Hin would be burdened with more work.

"Agreed, what a week," the ratling continued, taking some comfort in the cleanup mission seeming less dangerous than everything else going on. "We should apologize for adding to your work. And for making plans to keep shaking things up." Still, what a problem for the syol to have. Village leaders could handle unrest born from knowing there's a wild beast nearby that prefers to prey on tyrants, but it was hard not to feel for someone whose job kept them from their loved ones.

The rodent stayed relatively quiet for the remainder of the trip.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Mass production on that scale is still unheard of... As far as my knowledge goes..."
Lumina commented, sounding somewhat proud of it's idea.
"As such... Factory style will allow for an advantage in production... While not being as hampered by the small local population".
They were 'speaking' quite clearly too, their confidence perhaps helping keep their communication normalized.
"However... More investigation is needed... Into the use and limits of magical power..."
It would do them no good to invest their meagre resources into constructing a factory only to find out that mages couldn't get the right effects for long enough to make it all worth it.
Crossbows were definitely quite plausible, in fact it might be worth seeing if anyone had already made them, there were dwarves in this world, and if they were anything like the stories from that other world then they seemed the most likely bet to have such things, as normal bows would be less effective with shorter stature.

"Being under someone's power is a fate to be avoided".
Hin agreed, he of course had experience with such things, having not been born in the woods, much like many of his kin, it was truly a small miracle that they were so stable considering that the majority of the local populace seemed to be made of the gathered diaspora from all over the continent.
Perhaps Ratty should look into acquiring more allies so that their inevitable chaotic schemes didn't rely so heavily on the locals to resolve, of course that was hardly easy, few people were as capable of keeping up as Hin and Lizzy.
"I cannot really speak on behalf of the elders but... So far at least all your 'shaking up' as you put it... Has ended with saving us from great threats, as far as I'm concerned, that's more than worth some extra work".
It would have been a LOT more work if they all had to leave their homes and flee after all... Or wage a war against an undead horde for that matter.

The journey itself was quiet, apart from the slowly returning wildlife, still wary that their home would once again be disturbed by threats their animal minds could not even begin to comprehend, the more sentient travelers merely focused on getting the journey done with so they could all rest properly before the next crises demanded their attention.
There would not be any great greeting party at their destination, the people there understanding by now that it was best NOT to crowd their heroes.

 

[Fyrra]

Most of the anticipated obstacles just seemed like little hurdles to overcome in order. Skilled workers were in short supply, but those could probably be recruited or trained. Sudden population influxes could put a hamper on food supplies in what was certain to be an already trying cold-season, but between the farmboys and a rodent, that would be fixed in short order, and it provided its own reason to postpone any daring border-crossing assaults on the kinds of places the local population originally came from. Indeed, now was the time to clean up one's own nest, and maybe the surrounding parts of the forest as well.

But, maybe the ratling shouldn't tell Hin about their plans to terrorize any neighboring slave-keeping states. No doubt it would be a popular movement, but it without some proper infrastructure it would cause a lot of problems for the elders, mostly stemming from the difficulty of keeping a lid on such exploits. Better to practice lying soon, the creature thought as it reached the gate. After a quick look around Enial, just long enough to note people maintaining their distance and not staring very hard, they exhaled a long breath.

"No sweat. It was but a philosophical debate we were ill-prepared for. And lost." Surely that comment would catch Hin's attention, in the way that he was sensitive to deception. "But for this job, what are we thinking? Two hand-carts, some ropes and rations, a few extra hands?" Their gaze drifted from the market's direction, to the houses up in the trees. There really wasn't a good reason to avoid Daoin today. Or their friends. The artisans could be bothered in the morning.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Yeah... While most likely the vast majority of the local population would be more than eager to aid in fighting slavers and helping more people into the relative safety of the forest towns, such exploits would bring too much attention to the locals who were still recovering from the recent events, and most likely didn't have the military strength to fend off constant revenge attacks from the slavers and their backers and allies, it was a good choice to work alone on these plans, or at least with a small group of close allies who could keep a secret, so far it seemed Lizzy and maybe Hin could do that, though it might be unfair to expect Hin to collaborate too much, and Daoin was too young to be involved in potential murder.

Though a few people were caught staring or glancing at the returning heroes, especially the younger ones, it really did seem that everyone was doing their best to be polite by not crowding the scary battle rodent, elves, and by extension Syol were really a rather polite people at heart, it just so happened that their sense of politeness could vary quite wildly depending on tribe, the Syol here at least had developed a habit of adapting their politeness to the individual due to their heavily mixed culture.

Hin's ears perked up at Ratty's comment but he didn't say anything in response, either deciding to question them later or not at all, at this point he figured that Ratty would tell him anything he should know, and he wasn't exactly the most interested in philosophical or political discussions, he preferred to just deal with problems.
"Yes... A couple of hand carts should be easy enough to get together, I am sure you would find many willing to volunteer to help you as well, even without your... Reputation, it is expected to help those who need assistance with such tasks, and to expect help in return".
Hin explained a little bit of the local culture, when they had arrived there had been nowhere near enough housing or food or... Anything really, so everyone had had to help out, and as more people fled to the forest, they too needed aid.

 

[Fyrra]

Flicking its ears, the rodent kept watch, not letting its eyes linger on any one person for very long. It was rude to stare, after all, but if nobody was coming up to say hi, trade waves or nods (that was how the manfolk did things, yes?), then perhaps the syol were just sensitive to the mood fluctuations of others, or good at reading people from a distance? What a nice trait; it was similar to the dog-folk of the old world. No wonder the ratling was so eager to befriend these people... though, an intrusive thought did interject with that trail: sensitive hearing and walking on eggshells were also traits of people who've been abused.

Yeah, this was still a little depressing and disorienting.

"We shelter guests as well. Always good to look out for friends. I think the old song said, for someday you may need a friend too. But this is... different. I plan to share much of what we retrieve with everyone. As much as hoarding everything for the nest would help with future problems, we all have things giving us trouble at present."

The creature yawned and did a big stretch, squeaking at the end before turning about to face Hin and Lizzie. "So, your place, or should we crash at the guest-house again?"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Of course Ratty did receive various nods of respect and a few waves if their gaze happened to meet that of one of the Syol, they were doing their best but were fundamentally a very welcoming people, so a silent casual greeting was the best compromise to avoid crowding and overwhelming their less than socially adept hero, even though a few of the kids were being notably held back by older parents and guardians, a natural inclination to respect could only defeat childish excitement for so long after all.
People who were abused... From what Ratty had heard of the past of the Syol people as a group, that certainly did seem to fit, generational trauma was a bastard, and even Hin and Daoin had experience with that.

On one good side, the mention of 'dog folk' seemingly prompted some batch of memories from Lumina who happily produced images of dog folk on two legs.
"You may be interested... In the kobolds of the far north... They are very similar in appearance and behavior to the canid species".
Unfortunately Lumina failed to provide any sort of map or exact details on the Kobolds, their damaged memories failing once again.
Though 'far north' did at least imply a general direction and climate in which they could be found.

"Your intentions are quite similar to the rest of the people here then... Sheltering guests and sharing what we have is an unwritten rule among the Syol, and the Uhar too though, I admit to having less experience with them".
Hin commented, honestly he was pretty sure Ratty's people would fit right in with the rest of the locals, their values were aligned and it wasn't like there was a lack of space in the massive forest for more people, if anything it might deter some of the would be entrepreneurs who kept trying and failing to set up shop deeper than the current periphery.

"The guest house has rooms prepared already... They expected you to come by".
Hin explained, he was pretty sure the Elder had cheated just a little with a bit of magical communication, he hadn't learned those methods from her yet though, magic just wasn't really his forte aside from the natural gifts he had been born with.

 

[Fyrra]

Looking over the crowd once more, the ratling pondered for a moment. Here were some people who've lived through some of the worst conditions civilization had to offer, escaped, found a home in one of the most dangerous parts of the region, and thrived for long enough to settle and have children. Something about that sent a ping of self-depreciation through its thoughts. These people had the drive to live.... and the rat-child didn't? It was getting hung up on that subject a lot. Even the voice of its past self mentioned that self-termination was a futile endeavor, but why would anyone think to do that?

The realization hit quickly: she thought to try it. But if that were the case, why fight so hard against the lich? Prodding the void for answers once more came up with nothing, leaving the little ratling with a realization: Lumina wasn't fond of that voice, and maybe the ratling didn't like who it used to be either, but maybe it shouldn't be too hard on that voice: she did stick around for the fight.

The ratling's ears suddenly perked upright at the mental image of dog-folk. These were kobolds? They weren't reptiles, or tiny, but full-figured human-sized puppy-dogs? Actually, that sort of made sense. the word 'kobold' meant 'goblin' in some tongue or another, and if you get a bunch of humans that hate anything different from them, everything can get called a goblin. Still, this made sense for something that lived in the far north: a hirtasi water-lizard wouldn't last long in the snow without a lot of lamp oil. This was definitely a project for after building a proper boat, and worth getting excited over. Who knows how many different kinds of people inhabited this planet? Never mind how unlikely it was that different sapient species emerged on this world, this was cool stuff!

"The guest house, then." Hin was sharp, answering questions that weren't asked directly, but the lack of invitation stung a little bit, even if it was easy to understand why. Nobody wants to encourage their little impressionable sibling to hang out with the local enthusiastic lich-slayer. Suppose Daoin vanished one day? "Suppose... we meet there tomorrow? Tomorrow night?" The ratling glanced toward Hin, Lizzy, then back to the group of young'ns being held back. "I might not be able to escape this one." And yet, the rodent relaxed, taking a few steps toward some group or another with a more enthusiastic wave.

Youth should be enjoyed.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Ahh... Kobolds... I know of those".
Lumina declared, it seemed things as basic as what species existed in the world was the kinds of knowledge that was firmly within their ability to recall, despite their memories being even more fractured and locked away than Ratty's memories of the other world.
"They come in two forms".

Lumina provided some simple images as example, one of a more 'typical' lizard like kobolds of so many stories, and the other, a taller, stronger looking doglike humanoid, not as tall as an average human though, more like a particularly tall goblinoid, and it's 'breed' was impossible to determine, assuming they even had things like that.
Lumina also seemed oddly pleased at having been able to project these images into Ratty's mind, they themselves were not a kobold enthusiast, but it seemed their host was interested in the creatures to an extent...

The amount of different sentient species around would certainly be impossible in the other world, but this world was vastly different, for one thing there were artificially created species such as the goblinoids, and of course the matter of there being actual godlike beings, and if their egos were anything like the tales from the other world... They were probably making all sorts of creatures to serve them or show off their power.

Seemingly picking up on ratty's disappointment, Hin was quick to offer excuses for his lack of invitation.
"A lot of people wanted to invite you to visit them as a guest of honor... But the elder thought it would be best to keep you in the guest rooms for now".
It was an excuse for not just himself, but the whole town.
"Ahh, yes, I will be sure to come by and greet you tomorrow, Daoin will probably come along too".

 

[Fyrra]

Whoever it was Lumina traveled with before, they must have been a worldly person, to know creatures that called different climates their home, and of course the rodent-host was interested in that sort of thing. Sure, it was sort of a dog enthusiast, but that was like saying it was an otter enthusiast, or a mammal enthusiast, never mind that humans, goblins, elves and the like weren't excluded from that sort of classification. Plus, the possibility of uniting more tribes and clans was always something to look forward to, even if cats made the creature uncomfortable, and bears were more of a thing-to-not-antagonize.

Hin's explanation stopped the rodent in its tracks. It couldn't go approach eager-looking strangers while hearing that, so the creature turned about to face him once more, looking him over. After a moment, it decided to just be upfront: speaking in subtext was too easy to get caught in a misunderstanding, and the creature's habit of not speaking with contractions was tiring in its own way.

"Oh, so it's not that you're trying to set a boundary; you're just trying not to welcome the impression that we're favoring your house over the rest." The rodent stared a moment longer, before turning to look upon the onlookers again. "Well, the guest-houses are better suited to having dinner-company than a personal dwelling, so we can draw attention away from you. You deserve a quiet night... and I can always go play another day." The rodent wouldn't admit that its legs might give out if it spent this night trying to make friends its own age among the locals. Doing a meet-and-greet with everyone would be draining in its own way, but it was all part of the heroing profession, no? At least with the uhar tribes getting settled, making a sudden public meeting here, now, shouldn't cause diplomatic tension. Besides, it would be weird to meet with Daoin again without first deciding on a name, especially after all the fuss the rat made the last time that subject came up between them. At least with relative acquaintances, a social blunder would be a little less awkward, but now was the time to stop putting it off.

With another wave, the ratling signalled out to the crowd, shouting "Come say hi after dinner! Or during! We are all friends here, yes?!" before striding off to the guest-house to undoubtedly frighten the elder's assistants with the burden of company.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Hin let out a quiet sigh as Ratty immediately worked out exactly what he had been doing, for someone who was a rat until recently, they certainly were surprisingly good at picking up on subtext.

"Even when I try and be discrete I can't help but be understood... But you're right, you're much better known now than before, there are those who would seek to curry favor or accuse others of doing the same, no one in this town would do that, and I can't expect you to have noticed but... There are quite a few Syol from other towns and villages here right now".

It might bring some level of anxiety to know that strangers had traveled there to stare at and try and talk to the rat, and normally most people within the great forest would never be so impolite, but there was something about stories of heroes that made someone seem different from the average person, especially before you had met them in person.

"Also our house quite untidy right now".
A familiar voice commented as Daoin approached seemingly out of nowhere, Hin having turned to look only moments before his sibling had reached them and so suddenly exposed his secret shame... Aye his house was a mess, how could it not be? He had been running back and forth for days and had had to prepare for a sudden evacuation twice now!
"Daoin, you were supposed to be waiting at the guest house until I returned".
Despite the berating tone of his words, Hin seemed more amused than anything at the antics of his only family member.


"Oh! Umm, that reminds me I need to go help teacher again, I'll come visit later".
Just as soon as they arrived Daoin was running off with a shy wave to Ratty, their momentary confidence vanishing without warning, though they might indeed just have had to help whoever their teacher was, they were still young so having a teacher sounded like something that would happen.
Hin seemed as if he wanted to comment on his sibling's sudden appearance and departure but thought better of it.

The guest house was quiet, the elder was still out it seemed and much of her attendants were with her, though the same servant girl as last time was there to greet the guests with a smile.
"Welcome back! I prepared the same bedroom as last time for you if you want to rest, and if you need food I can have some made".

 

[Fyrra]

Word must have been spreading quickly. Never mind Daoin having an eye on the town's entrance: strangers coming to investigate mere days after a second disaster was averted could either be interpreted as proof of notoriety, or that all these guests had other business in town that was no longer being postponed due to imminent danger. The idea that there could be an audience here specifically for the rodent was somewhat familiar, not just from that tending to happen during town-visits lately. Maybe the circumstances of being the local lichbane were a bit different, but with that sort of framing, just being known as a lichbane could have people lining up with requests around here. Better to give people the benefit of doubt, at least until one got a little more immersed in the local culture.

Of course, despite Hin voicing annoyance with how easily he was understood, maybe it wasn't fair to read between his spoken words for intent: it wasn't like the rodent and Lizzy were keeping this rat's nature as a former-human secret, but they weren't announcing it to the world either. Even if moments of clarity and maturity coloured the creature's otherwise childish habits, the ratling could have just as easily been making something up to give Hin an excuse to not invite guests in. Little stuff like that wasn't worth risking a friendship or an alliance over, and in the elves' defense, having a public figure around was a lot to deal with.

With a smile and a wave to both Daoin and Hin, the ratling departed for the guest house, waving hello to the attendant that greeted what remain of the entourage.

"Glad to be back, friend," came the cheery reply, "Food would be nice, but do we have a room suitable for speaking with guests? 'twould appear we have a few curious travelers in our midst."

The ratling pulled its bag down, retrieving the plant-golem core from its hiding spot, before looking toward Lizzy. "Did you want to stick around for that, or would you prefer a little privacy?"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Syol seem... Polite, shouldn't make requests carelessly".
Lumina commented in an attempt to put Ratty at ease, the forest was at peace for now, no great threats rising up to destroy everything, so considering how bad the elder seemed to feel about asking for aid even in an event that threatened everyone, it was unlikely that random members of their civilization would visit to start making demands.
Besides, the Syol were not exactly a defenseless people, they had assembled a decent sized force to attack the lich after all, so presumably they could deal with at least some problems on their own.

Though she hid her surprise at being referred to as 'friend' the attendant did let a slight smile show, she was a fairly recent immigrant to the community so was still not quite used to how friendly everyone tended to be, the cities certainly were nowhere near as pleasant to live in.
"Of course, did you have any requests for you meal? And would you desire some tea to go with it?"
She asked professionally, they were in a much less hectic situation now so could once again offer a proper selection of food for their guests.
"Hmm... A room for guests? I suppose the diplomatic suite would suit such a purpose, it is a room with an attached meeting room, it is not currently being used".
Such a room would allow Ratty to immediately retire to their bed after the exhausting task of speaking with people.
"Would you like me to let any would be visitors know where to find you?"

Lizzy seemed quite apprehensive about accompanying Ratty to a meeting with so many strangers but also determined not to let them down.
"If you think it will be a good idea I would be okay with joining you".
She declared.

 

[Fyrra]

The rodent smiled, a little more at ease between Lumina's assurances and the promises of food: sure, requests might still happen despite there being no mention of taking requests, but if Hin was anything to go by, then such things would probably be important if someone were to broach the subject. Maybe the rodent was still just remembering bad experiences with humanity? But still, a spur-of-the-moment meeting with whoever felt the need to come say hello was more just... getting to know people? Showing a lack of animosity? All told, the rat-child wasn't sure what the purpose of this was, but doing it felt right, and if Lizzy wanted a seat at the table, then...

Well, it was better to not look like the rodent was taking credit for everything. Having the other major contributor and advisor present was just being responsible, even at the risk of keeping the plant-golem's core visible to strangers. Perhaps the stone didn't care so much for the musings of the fleshy folk, but they were still part of the group. That just left an odd feeling the rodent was getting: something about Pellinta, the weight of responsibility, and a small fraction of the public having opinions about a scary little rat that's chased away a crisis or two.

Oh, right. Commandeering a diplomatic chamber for such a plain purpose might be interpreted poorly, especially if the elder wasn't even present.

"Perhaps, we could move a small table out here for a bit instead? If we get disruptive I could always move outside, too. Nothing lavish for me, but a bowl of water for our stony companion."

They tilted their head after making their choice known.

"But what is tea?"