You figure that your fellow guild members might be able to tell you more about what to expect from the journey ahead. With that in mind, you decide to approach the pair at their table, and introduce yourself and your party to them.

Moonflower: "Hi!"

Pegasus stallion: "Here are our passengers. Nice to meet you all. I am Cloud Wayfind, your captain for this voyage."

Unicorn mare: "And I'm Sunshine Berry, first mate."

Cloud Wayfind: "Is this your first time outside of Equestria? You must have a lot of questions. Ask away, maybe I'll even answer some of them!"

You nod, and tell the captain that while it isn't your first time, it certainly is the farthest you will have gone. Curious, you ask whether the crew has been to the Kirin Empire before.

Cloud Wayfind: "Ah, never been under a different sky, then? Aye, we've been on a few cargo rounds, but never stayed for too long."

That being the case, you ask if the language barrier was ever an issue for them.

Cloud Wayfind: "Not really; the coins usually do most of the talking."

Sunshine Berry: "To be fair, the ports are as far as we go, and the merchants we trade with speak Ponish well enough to get by. If you're planning to go further inland, though, you'll probably need the help of a local."

You nod, and try asking if either of them heard of something called sprite magic by chance.

Sunshine Berry: "Uh, maybe? I'm not sure. From what I've heard, the Kirin have their own schools of magic, so it could be one of those. Didn't they use a different elemental model, too?"

Cloud Wayfind: "Don't ask me, I went to flight school."

Sunshine Berry: "Right. Well, if you're curious about Kirinese culture, you should probably try asking a kirin about it. ... Wow, talk about a bit for a thought, huh?"

You grin, and while on the subject of bits, you ask the pair if they know of a way to exchange your Equestrian bits for Kirinese zen.

Cloud Wayfind: "Sure. You've just got to find a travelling merchant who deals in both. Well, it's not always as easy as it sounds, but you are bound to find someone if you keep asking around."

Moonflower: "Ya think maybe we should bring gems instead o' bits?"

Cloud Wayfind: "Oh, I don't recommend it, friend. Most gemstones don't hold much value in the Empire, and depending on who you trade with, the exchange rates vary between bad and worse."

Moonflower: "Oooh, got'cha."