If they can manage the travel on their end, that's still good news. They can consult gods only where it would make an appreciable difference in quality of life to land in a specific place: unicorns, faen, and thunderbirds, she assumes?

Sounds about right. Unicorns being a priority over the other two, Areus thinks the birds will find the Air Plane agreeable. But that depends how easily can they contact their gods.

Difficult, but it should not take more than a few weeks.

That sounds doable then.

That's all of his friends. He doesn't have that many friends, something which he should probably work on once this is all done.

"What do you want to do next?"

"Maybe learn more about the planes? Maybe just Water. If refugees want life not in City of Glass, where refugees go?"

"Maybe other Air pockets. You remember pockets? Parts of one plane that have parts of another plane in them. Air pockets in Water are places where there is some of Air."

Technically, "Air pockets" are so rare because they actually require some other pocket to form initially, replacing the local Water, and then for an Air pocket to form inside them. He's not trying to explain that, though.

"I remember. Maybe could make small pockets? Not City. Maybe buildings with Air." He waves at a nearby building to get a sense of size. "Some Actana to clean air."

Nod nod nod.

"We would need to keep the Water out..."

Talking about the mechanics of how to solve Areus' problem helps distract him from his unfortunate conclusion that this influx of Good people might interfere with moving the city. Still, in the long run, it's probably better to have as much of a resource like this on Water as they can.

Maybe Areus would reassure him if he shared those conclusions. As it is, he is happy to talk about what he knows about what underwater settlements in his world do.

A few days pass without much incident...

...Then an incident happens!

The incident is a ball of cyan fabric suddenly popping into existence right above Areus. The ball unfolds with arms, legs and a head popping out. There is no way they could've been merely hidden under the fabric, the volume wouldn't fit.

Amidst this weird sight, one might even be forgiven for missing the vaguely humanoid figure that phases into existence a moment later, right next to the first stranger. A foot tall, where half of that is an oval head with a very elaborate mask or a very simple face.

"Areus!" Says Temperance to his half-brother, looking around.

As usual, Merves is with him. This is not usual.

Merves says, "Aaa!"

"Temperance! Couldn't you give a warning?" Areus says in his language.

The humanoid figure translates that, to no one in particular, pointing out that is said by Areus in his native language.

"Oh, sorry." He who the translator spirit claims to be Temperance apparently says. "But we really couldn't. Also, hi! I am Areus' half-sibling. Sorry for the scare." He says this while apparently getting used to the lack of gravity, keeping himself in the right orientation.

"A pleasure," he says, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What manner of thing are you?"

"Thing is the right word."

Temperance gets this translated.

"It is an actual pleasure to meet you!" Temperance counters the sarcasm with quite a lot of cheer. "I am a half Sea Serpent and half Dragon. With shape-shifting."

Temperance's companion translates the species' terms, with interesting collisions in Aquan.

Half-dragon. Half...dragon???

Merves has never credited the theories that kobolds bear any relation to dragons, and he certainly doesn't believe that this stranger does. What a poor translation. Not that he intends to offend Temperance's companion over something so minor.

"That sounds incredibly entertaining. Is it an ability of much interest, to you, or is it as mundane as eating and sleeping is to the rest of us?"

"Both? It's tiring but changing shape is sort of a need for me."

He starts growing... tentacles? Yup, tentacles, four of them, with suction cups.

Fascinating. Can he use them to pick things up and manipulate them? Merves puts down his flask.

He uses two tentacles to stay in place and - realizing what he is doing - demonstrates the dexterity of the tentacle by picking up the flask.

"Very well done! Do you have sensation in those tentacles? How strong are they, compared to your arms?"

Grin. "Oh, I can double the amount of force that they exert if I want to. And they are sensible like my hands."

"Temperance is a really capable shapeshifter. Only has trouble with poisons. Also, you are not going to introduce your translator friend?"

"Our translator friend prefers not be addressed to unless when they ask for music. And poisons are not worth the trouble."