"-Caveman is a metonymy for a human who lives before the invention of agriculture."

"And why am I imagining explaining insurance fraud to one, and what does 'renditioned' mean?"

"I'll cool it with the references and phrases. -Try to stop doing it. You'll be weirder if you don't know them though. Renditioned is a euphemism for disappearing without a trace because an elite corporate hit squad kidnapped you. I'm not sure how often it actually happens but, like, sometimes."

"Share Language should actually be giving you some Chelish phrases to use but if they're not applicable to the concepts you're using and you instead translate word for word then I will tend not to understand, which may be fine, I need to know more about the world to live in it. Why am I imagining explaining the abuse of financial instruments or things analogous to that situation to someone who does not have the background to understand them, please."

He thinks for a bit and takes a deep breath.

"Everyone is... Scrying on each other all the time. In a hundred little ways. The drones up there, buzzing around, are eyes, and there are cameras practically everywhere, like the eyes the drones have but on a wall or something, and there's a whole world and culture that I don't imagine you're familiar with around 'computers', devices that do math but so much of it that it starts to seem like magic. Computers can read books, call other people, scry on people, track thousands of people at once, record and play back video, interfere with other computers and devices- That's called 'hacking'- And a lot more."

"...okay. The place is full of miracles of Azlant and so many scrying sensors that it is hard to avoid notice, and if I am noticed, I will be dishonestly arrested by people who want to study my magic. ...is there someone who might want to research the magic, protect me from other people who want the same thing, and not be sufficiently Evil about it that I can't cooperate with them? I could just preemptively go to such an entity."

"...I mean... I've heard good things about Europe. But maybe that's just the progaganda machine working. And Texas is very, uh, eager for war but I've not heard too many other complaints. Serisse is the big dog as far as corps go around here... I'm not exactly an expert and kind of have the impression the corps are all corrupt and backstabbing each other constantly. Corps are - trading houses grown so bloated and influential you should maybe think of them like noble houses, sort of. Private armies, if small ones, and they have the ears of the Powers That Be. You can try to stay low profile. There's so much out there that you can get lost in the noise."

"I think I can take a reasonable amount of time to get oriented and choose a strategic approach but I don't think I'd be a good use of Iomedae's resources if I just continued to lie low indefinitely. What is Texas interested in having a war about, or is it nothing in particular?"

"Arable land."

"...unfortunately it seems more likely than not that it's Evil to invade a place for their arable land."

"It sure is. If you're looking for - kind, good people, you'll find them mostly doing littler things. There's an old saying- Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"That's... an interesting saying. I don't know that I agree with it but if the belief is widespread I suppose it would explain good people failing to seek leverage sufficient to improve matters at scale."

"We should grab you some local clothes and a local bag. The more anomalies about you get stacked up in a database somewhere the more your chances of being found. I'm trying to think of what you could do to get some quick cash, but everyone wants some quick cash, so..."

"I have some donations from last night but I don't know what they amount to." He will take them out for help counting. "I would prefer to keep wearing the armor, there seems to be enough violence about that it may be called for."

"...I guess chainmail will help with, like, knives. Maybe you can put a coat on over it. Let's go."

He starts walking.

"God, if only the world was so kind that you could just have magic and use it for good. I'm really curious about what all magic can do but... Maybe better for my health to not know."

"- then I won't speculate out loud if you would prefer not to be further involved than you are."

The money from donations totals up to $44.

"Spend all my life sure there's magic out there, and hide from it because it'd be too high profile. That's Samuel Brown, boys and girls." He shakes his head. 

The walk is only a couple of minutes. He makes excuses to a couple of spiky-hair-and-leather men patrolling, then stops at the entrance of a store. "-Better you wait out here. Stores get tetchy about weapons. Tower Group, the guys patrolling in armored vehicles, will too, even if a mace is... Unusual. I'll get a basic gym shorts and T-shirt and summer jacket, sound good? And a duffle bag. Probably run me about eighty bucks total."

"...short... pants? If you think it's essential maybe but I'm not accustomed."

"Okay, just some basic jeans instead? It's summer. It'll get pretty hot out."

Surely he's noticed how many people are underdressed, right?

"I have a spell for that. If I can't use any of them to heal people I may as well spend one a day on the heat."

Samuel goes into the clothing store and comes back out with a plastic bag full of clothes. He hands it to Blai and walks back towards the pod hotel's square.

"Have you got anything for old injuries?"

"Lesser Restoration can sometimes solve those. Or Remove Blindness or Deafness, if it's specifically to the eyes or ears, though it only works if they're still present and merely don't work."

"I took a nasty fall some ten years back, and my back has been bothering me ever since, never fully recovered. Can't afford fancy nano-medicine. I'd consider something to help with that payment and then some for the clothes and the room and informing you and all that."

"I didn't know to prepare one this morning, but I can tomorrow."

"That might be one way to disguise your spells. Find a competent - doctor - Chelish doesn't have the word I was reaching for - who's also trying to do good, play it off as fast-acting nanomedicine. Or, like, put them under anesthesia - sleep drugs - to be healed 'in surgery'. There are as many as several difficult steps between here and there, though..."