You're not from here, no, but there's no telling how long you'll be here. At least one of the Rifters has been here... it's got to be nearly three years now. It's fair to give you the option to join in if you'd like, I feel.

And as long as you're not discounting what many mages have been through, I don't see how that would be an issue.

[Maybe his view of it is a little simple here, but when he's seeking community among a majority of the mages, it has to be a little simplistic.]