I know that. I know most rules about talking to people, I think I'd be about as good at convincing someone to do what I want as I used to be, the things I'm missing are - wanting things for them, I used to do a lot of wanting things for people. 

All right, sorry about that. I don't have a very good feel for what you do and don't have trouble with, yet; I wouldn't actually have thought of that particular thing as a rule.

You don't need to be sorry; I am trying to give feedback on what kind of sorting it might make most sense to explain - I will probably not think about my words hurting people, and when I notice they'll do that I won't want to change for that reason, that's the kind of mistake I'll make.

Nod. Okay.

Can you tell me anything about how names work for Eldar?

I think they're really important. I know people will be upset if I don't know theirs.

Nod. I was afraid of that. And all my ideas for trying to get around it are basically 'have me handle them' - it wouldn't be too hard to get people to introduce themselves to me, if you weren't going to be right there.

You can talk to them briefly first, we just can't rely on having important things relayed through you, they'll tell you I can speak for myself. Which I can. Very well, towards any end I want, I just don't know what that's supposed to be.

If the idea is that they're going to come investigate the portal, I think they're going to find that too distracting to talk to me much at first, though.

Anyway, what you do want should be fine, for that. They're going to want things, too, is what I'm trying to plan for here; they're going to want to help, they're going to want to know how they can help, they might very well want you to go there so they can help you more easily, if they don't they're probably at least going to want to hear about how you're doing on a regular basis and preferably to see it for themselves. They're going to want to know about me, if you're staying with me, to the point where they feel comfortable that I'm doing right by you. Some of those they can't have, some of those they probably shouldn't, some of them are better handled some ways than other ways, and it's hard to figure out how to approach that with this little information.

And they're going to want to figure out whether I should have some sort of remote command of the camp. I don't think I should, obviously.

...after thirty years I'd be very surprised if they wanted that, actually. Cultural difference?

Yes. By law it's mine for certain if I go back, arguably mine for as long as it's feasible for me to command it. 

...huh.

I don't think I can help with that, kobolds do things too differently.

If I had merely been missing for that long it'd make perfect sense, thirty years is not long compared to how long I knew those people. But since I've been tampered with I shouldn't be in charge of anyone until I'm well enough.

Nod.

How long do Eldar live? Because it sounds like you live a lot longer than we do.

I'm not sure what you mean. 

You're unaging, then probably; I don't have a very good idea of how that works but elves and goblins are too. Kobolds live about a hundred and fifty years if nothing else kills us along the way, and we get progressively weaker and less able to heal for the last fifty years or so of that.

That sounds unpleasant, I'm sorry. Yeah, if nothing kills us we don't die.

Nod. It seems unlikely to come up for me, anyway. But it probably changes how we think about time, thirty years is almost my entire life so far.

I've lived around two thousand, I think.

Yeah, that'd definitely change things. D'you think they're going to have trouble with the idea that I'm so temporary?

They probably would if they believed you. I can't afford to take a century to recover anyway, not with a war on.

Blink. Are you expecting them not to believe me because they'll be suspicious of me, or for some other reason?

Because you working for the Enemy makes more sense than you being from another world and conveniently stumbling upon and rescuing me.

Nod. Okay.

Assume for the moment I'm not; if they decide I am and want me to let them bring you there, what do you want me to do?

I can't go home, if you're the Enemy that'd be some kind of elaborate trick to get information from me or make it easier to impersonate me.