"Probably. I might tell it wrong. I don't know how long it will be, King Bison is always busy, but maybe I could go ask for priests to come, too."

"Maybe we should talk to the king first and then see about priests. But thank you for offering."

Nod nod. He looks at pictures for a while, if they'll show him, then hears someone coming and runs back to stand by the door.

The boy opens the door again, and the Commander comes through. "Announcing his wisdom King Darener, named Bison for his strength, king of Goldvalley and these lands."

The King is a middle aged man with dark hair and tired eyes and a neatly trimmed beard wearing a bronze crown and holding a chrome, blunt-tipped two pronged tool of some sort - a bident as opposed to a trident. A small group of more guards, servants, and one other nicely-dressed man emerges behind him.

"Welcome visitors," the King says. "I confess myself a bit at a loss here, but I was never one for too much ceremony so let's just talk, yes? Call me King Rener, or Bison as you wish, and please sit. I will hear what you have to say."

He makes his way over to the biggest and most decorated chair and sits, gesturing for his entourage to do the same and indicating a group of chairs for the delegation.

They sit! Cassiel somewhat awkwardly! "Thank you for agreeing to see us, your wisdom," says Nelen. "We're from Vanda Nossëo, a federation of many peoples from many worlds, and have come here to see if your people would like to belong to it."

"Interesting. We are already in agreement with the other kingdoms of metal, to oppose and drive back chaos wherever it lurks and march to their aid if called," he says lightly. "I have of course never heard of your federation, do elaborate?"

"We just discovered this world recently; there are an enormous number and we're always exploring. Teams like mine are visiting your neighbors too and extending the same offers to them. Vanda Nossëo is dedicated to universal access to free movement, free trade, and free flow of information."

"I would not have my people bar any merchant who chooses to risk the journey here unless they are a danger, nor scholars and priests and adventurers the same, but I don't think I fully understand what you mean with just those short phrases."

"Of course. Member states of Vanda Nossëo are required to let their people leave if they want, that's the free movement part. Free trade is sharing technology and goods everywhere they can be safely offered, and free flow of information is an opposition to censorship and the suppression of ideas."

"I do not see why I would forbid folk leaving either, aside if they are criminals or bandits. The great purpose of Goldvalley is to be a place of strength and order, from which warriors who can break chaos and finally make this world as it was meant to be can be trained and sent forth. If you can assist with this, I would find myself eager for some sort of alliance."

"The rule does actually extend to criminals," says Nelen. "A lot of people commit crimes due to conditions that we can help with, and aren't likely to re-offend when they have plenty to eat and places to go. If someone's obviously still dangerous under the circumstances we can special-case them, and Vanda Nossëo does have prisons if there's a crime after we show up."

He looks a bit frustrated and waves his hand. "Here I am considering arguing about the details without even properly hearing your pitch first. What is so great about joining Vanda Nossëo aside from neighbors with magical powers?"

"Vanda Nossëo defends the borders of member states, and provides everyone with a periodic payment just for being a citizen," says Nelen. "That's on top of things you can get without joining, including access to Vanda Nossëo-produced goods, such as the translation magic we're using, enchanted healing objects, cool smokeless lights, and exotic food and fabric; and transit to Vanda Nossëo and allied locations; and automata that can teach your people things like math and science."

The king and the Commander and the minister he brought with him ask about other magic and about the math and science and about what things they can do to defend places for a little while.

They are quite equipped to talk about that!

After a few quick demos-

"Mmmh. I am a brave and honest man, and that is much of why my people follow me. Your visit unnerves and frightens me. For all that you paint your arrival as a joyous thing, it feels as though the soil is about to be washed away beneath my feet and everything will change and be new and weird. You can defeat chaos utterly, should it rear its head, and that will please the common folk. Great magic and artifice will excite the craftsmen. Great learning will excite the scholars and priests. I don't hold with the whole star lords bit as much as most people do, and you've said you're probably not those anyway, but I think if you asked all my people to join the magic empire from beyond space they would throw a gigantic feast and agree almost to a one in a great frenzy. I have some concerns there. I don't think that would be particularly good, to do it like that, when nobody understands what Vanda Nossëo is and is fitting you to half-formed expectations out of myth and legend. For example, I notice you have not launched a great crusade to crush the beasts of chaos once and for all."

"Chaos comes in the form of beasts?" inquires Nelen.

"Yes, the dragons are the greatest agents of chaos, ever hostile to all the people of the world, and the dragons' changed-beast puppets as well. Though there are also spirits - beings of magic and not flesh who roam and rage as they please and cannot be destroyed by our hands. Fey tricksters and other strange things here and there as well, though not in Goldvalley as far as I am aware."

"We'd definitely need to learn more about the dragons before making any specific commitments regarding them," says Nelen. "But your other concerns aren't misplaced - cultures change a lot when exposed to Vanda Nossëo. It would be completely reasonable to want to proceed slowly and learn more about us and the peoples constituting us before making a decision on membership."

"Yes, I think that would be better. I cannot ignore the many good things you can do for people, however. Our granaries are in good shape but if you can heal the sick and wounded, I would have you heal the sick and wounded. There is no need for caution to beget suffering."

"If you'll show us a good place to set up we can build ourselves a base of operations and start distributing that sort of thing right away," says Nelen.

"Ferron is the one who handles the day to day of the city," he indicates the minister, who smiles. "Our discussion of the politics is done for now, then?"

"Unless you have further questions! And even if you do, Natsuko can put up our building herself while the rest of us talk to you."

"Oh, that works. Who is the king of Vanda Nossëo? Do you have a formal code of laws somewhere...?"

"I'm not sure which one of you is Natsuko, but come this way..." The minister stands and heads for the door. One guard peels off to follow him.

Natsuko gets up and trots after the minister.

"We aren't structured with a king at the top," says Nelen, "though some people choose to involve themselves while also separately being kings of some part of Vanda Nossëo. We do have a code of laws, though, would you like to read the whole thing or is there something in particular you're curious about?"

"I suppose I should read it over and give you ours as well, just to get a better handle on each other. A summary first perhaps?"

"How should I address you?" Ferron asks Natsuko once they're out of the room. "My king wants healing for the people and for you to operate as freely as any merchant here would. What accommodations do you require in return?"