Logging Re-N to 'logs\Re-N.Chatsociety.log'
The_Guild	You find the chair fairly uncomfortable to sit in due to the large pair of leathery wings you're currently sporting, btw.
Do-N	[Was this all a conversation with the Room or the Thinkers, can I ask the Thinkers for a more useful explantion?]
The_Guild	[The room] [And yes.]
Do-N	~Okay, so the point is, we have to be changed to fit into rulesets. What exactly do they have to change?~ [That's to the Thinkers, not the Room.]
The_Guild	~You abide by certain rulesets inherited from your dimension of origin which you carry with you when Travelling, but sometimes these rulesets are incompatible or contradictory to the rulesets of the dimension you are entering. Translation prevents any sort of conflict or instability created by your entering this dimension, whether that instability occurs in you or the dimension.~
Do-N	~So, for example, my body is translated to be composed of particles that actually exist in the dimension and to work as expected, but using it's chemical processes. Right? And if I got to a static dimension, I'm basicly fucked, because my rules will be overruled by the static rulesets of the dimension?~
The_Guild	~Precisely.~
Do-N	~Can I know much about the rulesets and process of translation before I travel? Is there anyway I can abort a translation part way through if I don't like the way my rules will be compromised?~
The_Guild	~Translation is done between dimensions, so is not abortable.~
Do-N	~Can you predict how a translation will go before you start it?~
The_Guild	~Information on known dimensional translations is available through the Thinkers.~
Do-N	~But that only applies to dimensions that have already been explored, correct? When we're breaking virgin ground, they can't predict what will happen. Correct?~
The_Guild	~Correct. That is why Travellers enter a dimension Black.~
Do-N	~Meaning that we're as translated as can possibly get? I thought black was the designation of how we were to behave in the dimension, now how we'd exist in it?~
The_Guild	~It is both.~
Do-N	~How can our translation be anything other than Black? There aren't any ways to control the translation process? Also, I thought dimension travel had to be started from within a particular dimension. How can our Shargat pull us out of a scripted dimension if our actions and positions are determined?~
The_Guild	~Translation is a mechanism of Guild-guided dimensional travel. It does not happen without control, but is a prerequisite for interdimensional travel according to the Trans-Dimensional Charter.~
Do-N is mimicing Alice's knowledge of Guild-style Dimension Travel.
The_Guild	You don't feel any smarter.
Do-N tries.
The_Guild	A ball of light appears before you.
Do-N tries to make herself glow.
Do-N tries to imagine a window into a prison cell where that guy with the staff [from first session] is being flogged.
Do-N	[Lots of detail, blood, spittle, cursing and pleading... rust on the bars... lots of scribbling on the walls.]
The_Guild	Almost instantly, the image is before you, though the image of the man is hazy and indistinct.
Do-N	[Okay, switch that guy for the military guy from this morning, and with me doing the whipping. "You like discipline, little boy? I've got your fucking discipline right here."]
The_Guild	The image behind the window disappears.
Do-N	[Do I still have the bars and everything else?]
The_Guild	[Yes. But now the inside is black.]
Do-N	[Okay, I'll deal.]
Do-N continues with the exercise. She's going to try to turn herself into a boa constrictor.
Do-N	[First one then the other]
The_Guild	The blackness beyond the window parts to show a view from high up of a wide green vista cut through by rivers that flow to the edges, and with a range of mountains clustered in the top right corner. And then you're a snake.
Do-N zooms into the rivers and starts looking for settlements and people. Ideally, people she can peep at. She tries to will into existence a harem girl to feed her peeled grapes.
The_Guild	You find several settlements along the rivers and coasts, and plenty of people to peep in on. Deep in the forests you also find an encampment of pointy-eared elves. The hazy outline of a harem girl appears, feeding you grapes... which don't really taste as good to your reptilian senses.
Do-N starts checking out the elf people and tries to solidify the harem girl (while turning her into an elf).
The_Guild	The elf people seem to be quite peaceful, though you do find a training camp of archers, each of them chanting a word before each unerring shot. The harem girl gains some hazy pointy ears, but does not become more solid.
Do-N	[How detailed is my snake body, compared to the harem elf girl?]
The_Guild	[You are a snake. She is a shadow.]
Do-N experiments more with changing herself: if Lopez is still a distant point, Do-N tries to give herself eyes accute enough to see him.
The_Guild	You can't seem to focus your eyesight that way.
Do-N scrolls the window around trying to find places where she can hear the language. She also tries to split her body into two parts.
The_Guild	You hear several conversations, and while you don't understand the words exactly, you understand the content perfectly. They are discussing the upcoming shipment coming from the Dwarves. Your body remains one.
Do-N tries to mimic their language and actually understand the words. Then she flips back to the archery range and tries to mimic some of their techniques. She also turns her body into a gigantic dragon's.
The_Guild	The language becomes clear, and you suddenly feel much more dexterous. Then, you are a dragon.
Do-N	Fuckin' yay me!
Do-N goes looking for underground cities, in the mountains I guess.
The_Guild	You got it. You find a village in the mountains near a cave entrance, and a short jaunt through the cave brings you to a cavern filled with dwarven buildings. And dwarves. Another window appears near you, showing off samples of technical gadgetry - self-writing pens, horseless carriages (actual carriages though), things like that.
Do-N checks out the human wizards, to see if they've got any tricks she wants.
The_Guild	They know magic. Some are pretty fancy, but it is all fairly mundane stuff: controlling weather, growing crops, artificery, lighting candles, that sort of thing.
Do-N grabs a couple of parlor tricks to play around with when they're done. Then she moves back to the elves to see if they're any trickier.
The_Guild	Everything the elves seem to do is surrounded or at least aided by magic. Featherfalling is common, as is levitation, silence for hunters, illusions and distractions and all manner of divination. They keep a watchful eye over the humans and dwarves.
Do-N grabs as much of that as she can. She also tries to grab "Manite-using" skills from them.
The_Guild	Okay.
Do-N	[So, what can I know about crystals? What do I think of their war preparations? Actually, I'm gonna go looking for generals and stuff too.]
The_Guild	What do you want to know about crystals? What DO you think of their war preparations?
Do-N	[About the crystals, I guess I want to know why they're so valuable, what they work them into. As for the war preparations? How do the head-counts and skill levels look for the respective factions? How 'bout their equipment?]
The_Guild	There are human generals in the capitol city, and a small army camped outside the city. It seems that they are in war council, still debating plans of invasion. The elves seem quite content to sit back and stockpile, training their archers with deadly accuracy. There are some silent troop movements though, spreading forces through the woods to make them a most unfriendly place. The crystals are worked into the artificery of the humans, are used in an alloy form in all forging of the dwarves, and are used as focus crystals and sources of energy for the elves. Head counts, the humans have an advantage in numbers, followed by the dwarves and finally the elves, but the elves are highly regimented and skilled. The humans fight among each other a lot of the time. The dwarves are also well-trained, but seem like they would be less able to react creatively.
Do-N	[Basicly Manite's a raw-magical energy source? How powerful is it? How much better is an alloy with Manite than one without?]
The_Guild	Exactly. It seems to be very powerful. The data that Alice collects shows that it doesn't actually have a chemical formula, but that it's a conduit to a more basic energy source built into the dimensional rulesets. An alloy with Manite is always better, and depending on the craftsmanship, can take on additional special qualities. Flaming swords, frostbrands, life draining weapons... each pattern etched into a weapon seems to channel the magic inside in a different way.
Do-N	[Cool. I'm definitely trying to learn me some of that.]
The_Guild	You learn it... but there seems to be more that you're missing.