"Is there a place where there are more humans? What do they speak there?"

"The humans are up north. I think they speak common, same as us? Most people speak it. The writing's different, though. Don't know much about them."

"Can you help me write a note I can show people asking if I may cast Share Language on them, so that I don't run into a problem where casting it would constitute nonconsensual use of magic on them?"

"Sure. Dictate it for me?"

"Uh - 'I can cast a touch range spell which will give you fluency in my language for the next 24 hours. If this is agreeable to you and there is not a better target for this spell available today please take my hand'."

He writes it down and gives it to Blai.

"Thank you. - as long as I have had this idea may I also have one explaining how Comprehend Languages works and one advertising my ability to heal and one to bring to the scribes to ask for tutoring in the local common?"

Jeiss will take dictation.

"For the food thing as well?" he suggests.

"Yes, thank you -" He dictates an explanation of how that one works including that it will all come out needing salt but he can customize the nature of the food otherwise.

Notes are produced!

He writes on the back of each one what it's for so he can keep them straight with Comprehend Languages off. "Thank you for all of your help."

"That's the job." He shrugs. "Hope you'll like the city."

And if that's all he'll let himself out and go find the scribes.

It's a straight shot down the main street from the Watch House to the Scribe's Guild. The streets are bustling with merchants and runners and clientele of all sorts. Stores dealing in clothing, equipment, food, potions, monster parts, all quality goods going for silver. The streets move fast: if Blai doesn't stick to the sides of the roads, he might get run over by a wagon.

He won't see a single other human. It's mostly Drakes, but he'll find plenty of Gnolls as well going about their business, especially as he gets to the city center, where children go playing in the parks.

No one stares at him, specifically, but he's noticed, definitely: for his species or for his foreign clothing, who can tell? There are some comments about whether the trade caravans have come early, or if he's an adventurer from up north, but it's just chatter, not addressed towards him. No one will try to talk to him except to tell him to get out of the way if he's blocking a path.

The Scribe's Guild is on an avenue just off the main street, a blocky building with the quill-and-inkwell symbol emblazoned above the doors. Beneath it is its name inscribed in several types of script.

There's not really any foot traffic. If you stand there for five minutes, you might catch a runner come in and out. The doors are chained open and no one's going to stop Blai from strolling in.

He has seen gnolls before and it is weird for them to be acting civilized but like in a good way. He sticks to the side of the road and walks in to the Scribe's Guild after anxiously cross-checking his notes to make sure the symbol is right.

There's a lobby and a reception desk manned by a violet-scaled Drake that's just about dozing off. There's a wall of cubbies and mailboxes and some closed doors with signs he can't read, and what looks like a waiting area, where a young (or just short?) Gnoll is reading some papers and jotting notes.

The Gnoll looks up when he enters, but goes back to her work. The Drake receptionist doesn't notice him come in.

"Excuse me," Blai says, approaching the desk.

The receptionist startles awake.

"Oh. Hey." He squints at Blai. "I don't know you."

Comprehend Languages has worn off but he can cast another one and hold up the card explaining it!

"Huh. What do you want?" He raps the sign on the desk. It's a price list for various copying, dictation, editing and publication services.

And he has a card for what he wants: language tutoring. Dang it, he doesn't have a card explaining that his financial situation is presently negligible.

"That's not a standard service we offer."

Not at the "learning how to speak" level, which is a task most toddlers can rise to without a dedicated tutor.

"We can put out a job posting. It's a two silver a week, it'll be posted on the board over there—" he points "—the city hall, the east exchange, and the Merchant's Guild."

Does he have two silver, absolutely not. He shakes his head and backs out politely and heads for the mage's guild instead.

(Weirdo.)

The Mage's Guild is hard to miss, bigger and fancier than the already big and fancy buildings around it, right on the corner of a major intersection. This one has a lot more people coming in and out, but it's not difficult for Blai to get in. There seems to be multiple queues? One of them is shorter than the other two.

He still has his second Comprehend Languages up, is there a sign?