It resists EMPs. It can't charge while it's doing that. Depending on what it's supposed to do it may have other limitations. It doesn't break or need to be reset afterward.

"So it sounds like the problem is that there are four of them and they're using lots of resources fighting each other. How about we figure out how to make you unbeatable so someone can win the fight and your world can start recovering. Milliways has lots of stuff that might be useful for that, there's books on almost everything and people come in with all kinds of magic, but what I can do personally takes some planning and more information than I have so far unless you just need some people a short walk from your door killed."

The stun gun can't fire or transfer data while resisting EMPs. The chips inside keep processing at least. This is still very good defensively.

"I want this done to my other equipment. Fifty credits in total for an impressive level of EMP resistance is a good deal... You should not trust me. I don't have any incentive to unify the corporations or allow one to become dominant. I would lose my work. Central would like you, that crusty old idealist. But I am perfectly clear to everyone that I am in it for the money."

"I guess you wouldn't have any way to know this already but there's more money in it if you conquer the world than if you're a mercenary. But I understand if you don't want to take my word for that." Sigh. "Yeah, I'll ward your other stuff."

"I know there's more money in taking over the world. I just think it's not worth the risk."

Still, he has things to be warded! And money!

He wards everything.

"Even if you're not going to try to conquer your world you should ask Bar about books, she probably has some you'd find useful."

"So noted."

And he goes off.

Nik comes back after a few minutes. "Looks like all our steampunk friends have moved on to greener pastures."

"I'm glad they found places, I was worried about them!"

"Don't know where exactly they ended up, but hopefully somewhere good for them, yeah? Now is a good time to remind you about education systems. I bet bar has books on that as with every other conceivable topic."

"Thanks!"

And off he goes to bug Bar some more.

Nik wanders the bar, chatting and managing to sell a crystal ball question, then gets a room and heads upstairs.

A bunch of nondescript humans and a few vaguely interesting patrons (some kind of skimpily dressed plant woman who flirts at and propositions everyone until someone accepts, a giant talking crab wearing a top hat that wants his shell protected, and a tall and blue man with strange eyes who doesn't talk) come in over the next hour or two.

Valanda protects the crab's shell, quotes the plant person a price higher than he'd make doing magic for the same amount of time, reads whenever he's not doing anything else.

The plant woman is pretty sure she can get it for free from someone, and also kind of confused about the idea of money, so nah.

And then a kid dressed in worn clothes comes in, and looks confused for a moment-

-Before confidently smiling and walking up to bar, (quietly, observing everything,) as if nothing is wrong.

What a nice kid. Reminds him of some people he likes.

Valanda waits to see if he needs anything warded.

Bar greets him and he gets very excited by the new books!

...He doesn't have much money.

He talks to bar and reads for a few minutes, then comes over and asks, "How much business d'you get with that sign? I might want to do the same thing."

"More than I would at home! What kind of magic do you do?"

"All sorts. Depends on what needs doing. But surely there's going to be some kind of comparative advantage. Doing total invulnerability is really, really expensive for me."

"I'm not as good at doing things to dynamic systems. Bar can sell arbitrary objects including books, Dareni is a knowledge mage and there's a guy who might come back down soon who can give you weird visions that explain things somehow, so you probably don't want to deal in information. What does that leave you that you can do?"

"Fire and light and ice and stuff like that. I can change things into other things. Colors, shape, sometimes chemistry. I can teleport people. Magic shields. I can do telepathy, but it only works if the other person wants it to. I can boost people's senses. I can use Heal Lesser Wounds and, uh, Encourage Plant but not any other green stuff. I can make magic automatic or do things from far away. I can make most of my magic into potions or wands that can be used at any time by someone else, but that takes more points."

"What do you mean by Heal Lesser Wounds? And points?"

"...You don't have to use up points to do magic? Neat. I have points. Doing magic uses them up. They come back after a while. If I use lots of magic or get into adventures I'll get more more quickly. Heal Lesser Wounds is the standard healing spell everyone learns. Three green points, it'll fix a bruise or a little cut or a hangnail, or make a broken bone set a little faster."

"Are there better healing spells?"

"Yeah but I only have seven green. Can't do 'em. I'm a kid."

"I could use some plant encouragement but I can't let a kid out into my world alone. What can you do besides magic?"