Having so many blues works all right! Some people think there should be fewer, but it's difficult for various reasons to arrange that; the balance will probably correct itself when there's an Arcadian colony, actually. Purples do farming and manufacture and shipping and service work and cleaning and stuff like that. What would formians like from potential neighbors?

Formians would rather like to outsource some of their workers' and warriors' functions. As far as they can tell, workers and warriors are only capable of personhood while connected to the hive mind, which is...disconcerting to the other castes, as well as to outsiders. They would like to work to reduce birthrates for workers and warriors. Purples and greys as neighbors would be incredibly useful. Additionally, it is very important that their neighbors not be interested in building underground, as the formians would like to continue expanding Mandible. If they live near Mercantus, that should be fine, but underground development must be kept to a minimum and should be supervised by formians.

Purples and greys will be happy to be desirable in quantity for exportable labor! Amentans usually do not like to build underground; some buildings have basements but usually not more than a few stories' worth and the formians probably build much farther down than that and Amentans will not miss basements if they must have building codes that exclude them. (They will need metros and sewers, but if they shouldn't have subways they can do all surface lines and if they need to restrict sewer-building they might be able to just find a magic solution.) Do formians have spellcasters?

Formians have some spellcasters but it's not particularly popular. They have war-gymnasts, if those would be helpful in some capacity?

She is curious about war-gymnastics since someone recommended it to her but she doesn't know much about it.

The taskmaster mentions watchers, which she elaborates are war-gymnasts who align themselves with the Astral Plane. They are good at protecting locations and individuals from outside threats, and they can often see through the enchantments and illusions which might beguile or obscure the vision of others.

There are also seekers, who are war-gymnasts that align themselves with the Positive Energy Plane. They can mimic some effects of spellcasters simply through meditation.

There are also thieves of some kind, but they are considered anti-social and so if they have any useful abilities, she wouldn't know.

Those both sound cool! What spells can be emulated?

They can more easily tame animals, find metals and minerals more easily, detect traps and sinkholes, instantly determine heading, make a person more difficult to attack...make their skin tougher and more difficult to damage...their abilities do vary somewhat based on their own preferences and beliefs about what would be the most beneficial abilities to acquire.

Neat! Can people be more than one kind?

It takes a lot of time to improve beyond the basic level, so she hasn't known anyone personally who did more than one, but she's heard of it happening. Do they not have any kind of magic on Amenta at all? Not even the kind of magic a species has which other species can't do? Maybe they have that but don't know it, since they only have one.

Amentans don't have any magic! She's not actually the same species as regular Amentans and she has a little but it's not very useful.

She's still curious about that! Formians have their ability to communicate instantly, within a limited range, with other formians.

That's really cool! Amentans have technology that lets them send messages very fast but there is some delay increasing with distance.

Yes! Unfortunately, it is over a limited range unless there is another forming settlement nearby to use as a relay, and they can't do this with non-formians. If there's any way their ability could synergize with this Amentan technology, hopefully they can find it!

Eventually, the taskmaster informs Lintalai that she has to meet with some ambassadors, but she can let concerned parties know that she wants to talk to someone about settling nearby.

Lintalai appreciates that. She wanders around doing photography for a bit of formians and their architecture.

Formian architecture looks plainer to Amentan eyes than most of Arcadian architecture; most of the buildings use very simple, blocky shapes and natural colors, without much variation.

Various formians go about their daily business. She can take pictures of them lifting boxes, counting coins, running around, and guarding merchants.

What do the merchants need guarding from?

Predatory customers!!!

(It appears that perhaps the guards for the merchants are somewhat superfluous, but the formians all seem to expect them to be there.)

(Intrepid, meanwhile, goes for a run. He thinks Lintalai has this well in hand.)

What are the formian merchants selling?

Razors, cleaning products, spindles, whetstones, shirts, perfumes, wool clothing, silk clothing, dragonhide clothing, linen rags, soaps, amber, toys, fish, shellfish, flour, livestock, herbs, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, pepper, cinnamon, liqourice, cotton candy, saltwater taffy, glassware, talking skulls...a mixture of items which are perfectly mundane to Lintalai, and those which are completely exotic.

Lintalai could actually use more clothes even if the rivers are magic. If they have anything in two year old humanoid size. She buys cotton candy and likes it a lot. What do the skulls say?

Upon closer inspection, the 'skulls' appears to be constructed out of metal. When spoken to, they all begin jabbering away.

"Quiet, you lot. One at a time, please!"

"Yeah, yeah, alright. We're mimirs! Walking, talking encyclopedias of everything!"