>>5389844>>5389759>>5389642>>5389624>>5389616>>5389614>>5389980You give some thought to these two issues, and decide to first address the Throat-singer’s more personal one, which seems the more straight-forward:
“Jussst sstudy the bardic artsss,” you suggest. “Paeriss… An Infiltrator who sserved me… He played an inssstrument, eyss, but hiss magic, ass with yoursss, ssemed to make little use of hiss ahndsss beyond that. Your insstrument iss your voice, sso perhapss handss will prove unnecccesssary?”
The Throat-singer nods slowly, then asks: “And this Paeris… He can teach me how to get better at bardic magic?”
You shake your head.
“He perished,” you explain, “when we captured your former home.”
The Throat-singer stares at you with confusion, slowly morphing to a silent frustration as he realizes what you have also come to understand: this solution to his new physical challenge is, in fact, a second and different challenge. How is he to grow in skill as a bard with no instructor or aid?
You’re no bard, and even your command of more somatic spellcraft is that of a skilled amateur, buoyed mainly by a surprising native skill and by rote practice of forms and theories from manuals and Novice-taught lessons—not by actual studied expertise. He does not raise his voice in protest or complaint as you finish the daily meditation session, but he does not attend your later magic-lesson with the Novice, and you do not force the issue. You feel your youthful inexperience in that moment.
Turning your attention from this matter, you focus upon the Geologist and Engineer once more. Specifically, through wheedling and roundabout conversation, you hope to uncover exactly how the latter could best be of use to you. Militarizing her aptitudes is still first and foremost at the fore of your mind—if no arm-cannons are forthcoming, perhaps then siege weaponry?—but you will settle for major advances in resource extraction and underground construction, in a pinch.
Now that you know how to manage the Engineer, the entire process is easier than your first attempt to thus finagle results from her.
