Okay, that's some title. And it turns out the situation is even more complicated. First, I'm looking at my multiplayer party, with this character up: Melslem Level 5 Human Warrior Warrior's Axe Hefty Chopper Burnished Blade Jerkin Of Thorns Steel-rimmed Buckler Trainee's Cap Ballet Shoes Novice Mobility Chopping Burnished Blade takes two clear beads, but for my character I'm out of clear beads and so a bronze one is used instead. Steel-rimmed Buckler and Ballet Shoes take one clear, but likewise have a bronze. If I pick up one of these, of course, the bronze talent in question goes back to the stockpile. Now: a) If I pick up the Buckler and put it down, the talent bead in the stockpile flies to the BLADE, and the one from the Blade flies to the Buckler. b) If I pick up the Shoes and put them down, the beads fly from my stockpile to the Blade to the Buckler to the Shoes. Then, looking at this character: Kelmelm Level 5 Dwarf Wizard Stinging Staff Vladimir's Battlestaff Carnelian Wand Orzo's Excellent Wand Akon's Amulet Glowing Jewel Robe Of Cinders Boots Of The Cheetah Advanced Aggression Burning Spark Novice I have three bronze talents hanging around already. Boots of the Cheetah need only a clear talent, but are taking a bronze instead. If I pick up ANYTHING other than the Boots and put them down, the Boots and the stockpile trade a talent. Really. Talents fly in both directions simultaneously.
As a minor addition to this (although it's mostly covered above), this can also prevent you from selecting items requiring bronze/square talents until you click on the items and the game shuffles them around. Just throwing together a quick example: The three items in #1 were put on my warrior last, so they grabbed the remaining clear talent beads, which is fine until I remove a sword and try to equip a sword which requires two bronze talent beads (#2). I can't equip the new sword until I click on one of the items with the bronze beads and the clear beads get reassigned to the relevant items #3.
