"...well, I have no idea if that signifies anything of greater importance but if it does I'm glad you're on the trail."

"The pursuit of knowledge is a reward in itself! Furthermore, it would be an embarrassment to the very concept of scholarship if my encyclopedia described them with only the limited information I currently have."

"If you ask me, I think those guys are creepy."

"I do not think that additional information is sufficient to render my encyclopedia article adequate."

"Well, two out of two people venturing an opinion on the matter so far agree that they are creepy."

"That gives me an idea. Perhaps I should conduct an experiment to determine what proportion of beings assessed as 'creepy' actually hold malicious intent."

She starts taking notes on survey design.

While she's writing, Seelah turns to Blai. "I'm guessing you won't have time to help me help my friend find his engagement ring, then? ...Do I need to get your permission to go help him look?"

"When I'm through eating I should probably go back to taking meetings, but I do not believe you presently require my leave to go looking for missing objects."

"Got it. I don't want to miss your speech, but I'll probably head out with him after."

If no one has anything else to say about the Crusade Nenio will treat them all to some running commentary about experimental design for her creepiness experiment. The real problem is that the question is hard to specify in a way that captures what's really relevant to people; it seems like a mistake to classify skeletons as non-malicious because they aren't intelligent enough to 'intend' much of anything, but it also seems like a mistake to use a harm-based approach, as it would classify some creatures that are definitely hostile as non-harmful merely because they are not very competent at causing harm...

Wilcer Garms stops by as Blai is finishing up his lunch to drop off the Wisdom headband, Cloak of Resistance, and Ring of Sustenance he's being issued. "And I should have the chainmail for you soon."

"Thank you, Mr. Garms." Does Nenio want a look.

What kind of question is that? Of course she does!

"Regrettably, these all appear to be fairly standard items. Perhaps you will eventually come into possession of replacement items with more interesting effects. For example, legends speak of a magical cloak that allowed the wearer to transform themself into an intelligent tree."

"That doesn't sound very useful..."

(Woljif and Thall will also take a peek at Blai's new magic items.)

It's so convenient that of course the wizards want a look, in case anyone ever slips him something cursed! "Really the question is whether they could change back," he remarks, putting everything on. He pauses for a moment before settling the Wisdom headband in place - Owl's doesn't actually do a whole lot to him besides metaphorically alphabetize his thoughts a little bit so it's easier to find the ones he needs to pay attention to, but bracing himself is free - but no, it's fine, he is just slightly alphabetized, it is good to be alphabetized.

"I am familiar with multiple versions of the legend that provide conflicting answers to that question! The one that is most popular in Absalom claims that the cloak was an improved version of a previous design, which transformed the wearer into a completely ordinary tree that lacked the mental faculties to transform back."

...You know, he might be a wizard, but if the first version of a magic cloak did that he sure wouldn't be interested in trying the second one.

"Oh, that must have been terrible. I hope someone found a way to change him back eventually."

...Blai notes the temptation to file that as simple delusion evidence item #37 and discards it. He's not necessarily expecting an opportunity to come up but if they find one this is Finnean's registered preference.

If he's finished with his lunch, Captain Harmattan can speak with him now. It should be a straightforward conversation, as long as Knight-Commander Artigas isn't planning to make any radical changes to the army's discipline or anything like that, but there are still a couple matters he was hoping to bring to his attention before they become emergencies.

"I've been informed that Mendevian law is not centrally written down so my plan is to adopt the Lastwall disciplinary handbook, with some modification on Baroness Gaunther's advice to account for the availability of a penal legion. What are the prospective emergencies?"

"...I'll want to review the handbook before I comment on it," he says, in the tone of someone who thinks this is absolutely a prospective emergency. "But I was hoping to consult with you about the clerics Her Majesty recruited on the march to Kenabres — most of the forces gathered here were with our mobile army, but she pulled some people from the stronger forts, and some clerics from the towns and villages she passed by along the way. It's that last group I'm concerned about."

Blai hands over Liotr's copy of the handbook. "If you read Taldane. It's not too long. - that does seem concerning, that leaves a lot of ordinary people without healing or water -"

He nods. "And most of them were never soldiers to begin with. They were midwives, or farmers, or abbesses, and most of them were expecting to go home once Kenabres was safe. Their healing and support casting could be valuable on the march ahead, but I'm not sure it's worth the costs."