Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Summer Soiree: Mid SummerWizardry Convention

He listened with interest to her own explanations for her wares and the scars, he’d never heard of such a practice. “It really is fascinating.” He agreed with her, so many different ways to the same outcome of spell.
As she leans in to whisper he reciprocates and also leans forward, listening intently and nodding at her words “Alright-“ he smiles “I guess we’ll be seeing each other later then.” He wasn’t sure what she had in mind but was curious to find out.

As he stepped forward towards the tailors stall he looked around at all the various bolts of cloth. Some in colors he’d never even seen before outside of royal garments. “Fashion?” raising a suspicious eyebrow and shaking his head, though he did like that color. Function was more up his street but the sight of the white and gold silk had him baulk slightly. “Miss, I am a surgeon, white and gold are hardly functional for working with bodies…” He looked around once more. “Are these enchanted? can any of them self mend?” that would be worth every penny he had. Maybe it was worth treating himself to a new waistcoat, not that he needed more he practically hoarded them.

Dr. Borol:

"Right this w-- no, sorry this way," Borol says, realizing he hadn't been about to go in the correct direction initially. He walks briskly toward the one permanent building on the shelf, the tram station. While he's nervous in conversation, navigating a crowd is an entirely different matter, and his impressive frame gets a bit of a wide berth by most people, regardless of if they realize they're getting out of his way or not. The transformed fey should have no trouble following him.

Laralute:
The pixie, now in the form of an elf giggles in response, but doesn't say anything. She just turns on her feet and follows as they switch directions. Laralute's eyes got big as they approached the station. She'd not seen anything like it before. Such things did not exist in her world and she paused a moment to take it in. Not wanting to look foolish, she studied the station for a moment to fully grasp its purpose.

Dr. Borol:

On the way, he replies to her musings of a plan for the event, stating, "That seems worthwhile. There are a lot of thoughts and ideas here, so it would be good to listen around as well. I'm admittedly mostly going to listen to the speeches, I think. They have some very interesting things on the schedule, namely the ones where I don't know what they really mean!"

Laralute:

"Sounds really wizardry," Laralute remarked. "I had a friend, well not sure I'd call her a friend, more of a companion... she was real grumpy all the time and got annoyed when I buzzed around her. She referred to me as a fly which was kinda insulting and all, but anyway, she usta be a wizard... a necromancer in fact, 'n dealt with dead stuff! Gross and yuck! Anywho, she changed her ways and became a cleric... she didn't get much nicer but dressed a lot less scary. She's really the only human spellcaster I got to know n' all. My friends Foo and Fooo, they're twin sisters and rangers. They were much nicer folk but didn't use magic."

Doctor:

As they get to the stairs leading to the tram station, a white-furred fox-like creature with an abundance of tails and a young-looking man in a somewhat over-the-top outfit seem to have just arrived and are having a conversation. The professor gestures toward the building and says, "When I asked, they said they would have some people waiting in there in case anybody needed to leave early, so I'm sure they would be able to help if you ask. The person who brought me seemed very professional and polite, so most of the rest probably are, too. They said to knock. I'll, erm... I'll stay here until this is figured out, I suppose."

Laralute:
"Got it," Laralute replied. "Just come here to this... tram station as you called it and find one of these folks and ask'em for a lift back to my world. Uh, will they know where to go?"

Cornelius shakes his head and clucks his tongue, feigning disappointment. “On the contrary, I'd be more surprised if you were meant to be here."

Although Cornelius has never planeshifted before, his experience with other similarly powerful spells helps him brace himself for the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it change in location. He looks up at the crystal and smiles, appreciating that it has been named quite literally.

Distracted by the marvelous formation and the din of nearby social activity, the likes of which he hasn’t experienced for years, he almost misses Victi’s comments.

The Librarian snaps back to attention when she reminds him of her promise to share theory notes. “Ah, yes. That sounds lovely! I’d be honored to attend your presentations. Hm, in the meantime, I suppose I’ll simply explore. I imagine there’s much to see, and many arcane projects on which I may use this time to focus…”

He trails off and looks up at the crystal again. “Young lady, do you know if this crystal is a natural formation?” While waiting for an answer, he begins to ascend the steps, nodding politely at a couple of passersby. His gaze lingers briefly on a dark, furry individual with a distinct underjaw and a humanoid creature- well, probably mostly human, he notes, except for the slightly pointed ears.

He catches a snippet of their conversation as they go by. The furry creature, another academic sort, seems to be helping someone concerned with getting home. He makes a mental note to speak with the professor should they cross paths again and they seem less...occupied. He’ll do the same for the small, human-like woman, too, if she seems open to conversation.

He leaves them alone for now, though, content to be drawn toward the activity on the surface of the crystal.

Kiran:

"Surgeon..." the mysterious tailor muses, "I could embroider a great many enchantments of use to such a person. I could make white the colour you most desire, able to be easily cleansed of those most readily visible stains in either water or fire.... The fabric is merely the canvas upon which I perform my artistry. What they can do is up to what you can ask and afford. I did not study as long as I have to merely sell clothing one must settle for or choose from, I create exactly what is desired. Custom. Bespoke. Made to exact specifications. You needn't ask what they are or can do, simply tell me what it is you desire and it shall be done, within reason. I also do bandages."

Their gloved hands move as they talk, long, slow, sweeping gestures that shape flowing curves in the air, mirrors of the embroidery on their own robe. Something about the movements and shapes gives a sense of mathematical precision along with artistry. Once their explanation is done, their hands steeple together at rest, awaiting Kiran's request.

Laralute:

The station seems to be the terminus of a series of widely-spaced levitating rings which form a long path to the spire-city below. A two-car levitating train sits in the tube on the far side of the station. Through the glass doors signs of controlled access are visible, as well as, currently, a couple dozen spellcasters of varying descriptions supplied with water, snacks, and similar supplies one would expect to be provided for hard-working staff members casting large numbers of spells all evening.

Borol looks inquisitively at the fey's description of her previous acquaintances. To him necromancy was an odd case, one that his people never really decided on the acceptability of, and he certainly understood the unpleasantness it carried. Nervous and awkward as he was, he really didn't like the idea of running across a roaming corpse, even just doing errands or such. He wasn't really sure what to say, replying with a tentative, "I... see. You've, erm, had quite a history I take it."

When she asks for confirmation on what to do, the professor nods and adds on, "It may be worth giving a knock and asking about planning that out in advance, just to make sure it all works out. I think they'll need to ask you to visualize a location or some such calibration method to discern exactly where to take you, but, as said, it would be best to ask. This kind of.... teleportation is not really an area I have much knowledge in."

Victi definitely appreciated Cornelius's comment. He really did understand her, after all. He handled the translocation well, too. She'd never actually found out if he could teleport or cast gateways or anything of that sort, in retrospect, so maybe he was just used to abrupt changes of position.

"Good to hear you'll be coming by later," she replies with a smile, "I won't be covering the really exotic stuff at all, mostly since I don't have enough academic knowledge of it, but still, Nine Paths and then the good stuff in the speech. And yeah, there's a lot going on here to check out." She pushes off against the ground as a spellform coats the soles of her feet to let her skate just off the surface to idly keep pace with Cornelius's long strides. When asked about the formation of the shelf, she answers, "Define 'natural.' It's the result of some strange local magical geology, apparently, but it was here long before the city. If it was induced or artificial it was either a very long time ago or extremely well covered up."

Seeing that Cornelius was well and thoroughly distracted at this point, Victi figures she can trust his word enough to expect him once she's set up shop at a table. For now, she too would take a look around the event in her own way. She skates off into the crowds to look and listen for something interesting.... and get food. There was always time for food.

((Victi will just kinda be around for now. If anyone has a particular urge to interact with her, feel free, and I might have her say hi somewhere at some point, but being a GM-run character means she isn't going to have her own whole adventure written here.))

Dr. Boral:

The station seems to be the terminus of a series of widely-spaced levitating rings which form a long path to the spire-city below. A two-car levitating train sits in the tube on the far side of the station. Through the glass doors signs of controlled access are visible, as well as, currently, a couple dozen spellcasters of varying descriptions supplied with water, snacks, and similar supplies one would expect to be provided for hard-working staff members casting large numbers of spells all evening.

Laralute:

Laralute stood there in elven form in awe taking it all in. Such vehicles did not exist where she came from, especially floating ones. Her people only used mounts that were fairy-sized. Elves, dwarves, humans, and other larger races used carts, wagons, and carriages, but nothing like this. She'd seen a lot of strange things in her travels, but this spectacle was entirely new. Even if she didn't ever pursue the convention itself, seeing the wonderous site of the tram, the station, and the structures themselves made this whole accidental misadventure worth while.

Dr. Borol:

Borol looks inquisitively at the fey's description of her previous acquaintances. To him necromancy was an odd case, one that his people never really decided on the acceptability of, and he certainly understood the unpleasantness it carried. Nervous and awkward as he was, he really didn't like the idea of running across a roaming corpse, even just doing errands or such. He wasn't really sure what to say, replying with a tentative, "I... see. You've, erm, had quite a history I take it."

Laralute:
"Oh yeah," Laralute said with a nod. "I've never quite seen anything like this but I've had plenty of adventures. My friends 'n I, the Foos- those are the ranger twins I spoke of earlier, and Dru, the necromancer turned priestess, we had a series of adventures traveling around to strange places by this strange mist. Foo 'n Fooo called it the 'misadventuring fog'. It had a strange habit of taking us from one place 't another and we'd solve people's problems so to speak. About that time' it'd transport us another place, so I guess the strange rock or piece o' the machine or whatever it is isn't that strange to me after all."

Dr. Boral:
When she asks for confirmation on what to do, the professor nods and adds on, "It may be worth giving a knock and asking about planning that out in advance, just to make sure it all works out. I think they'll need to ask you to visualize a location or some such calibration method to discern exactly where to take you, but, as said, it would be best to ask. This kind of.... teleportation is not really an area I have much knowledge in."

Laralute:
"I can do that! At least I can get home when I want to 'n this place is beautiful and strange," Laralute said. "Even if I don't learn anything at your wizard thing, just seeing this place for a little while and all of this strange stuff is worthwhile. Uh, thanks for your help. I don't wanna keep ya if you have somewhere you need to be or some wizardry talky thing you want to listen to."

Listened curiously, not really one for theatrics but he’d humour the tailor. The idea of easy cleaning sounded like a good idea but not something he’d throw all his money at. After they stopped talking he thought for a moment.
“Alright, I need something that can fix itself once cut, my clothes tend to take a lot of damage and having them self mend would be highly valuable to me. Two trousers: one black, one brown, two shirts: one black, one white. One black long neck blouse, use my measurements it’s fine." Thinking of getting something for his sister, she often stole his clothes. “Two waistcoats: same as the one I am wearing now-“ he turned his back to the tailor to show off the cord detailing off the shoulders and down the back. “One in black and gold and another in that nice blue color, you choose the cord color for that one.”

Shuffling around in his pocket he looked to the tailor “how much for all that?"

Laralute:

"Ah, I... hmmm," The professor stammers, "That almost sounds like what happens in the Angels' Peaks in my homeland. People go up into the mountains, through the clouds, and come back telling of strange journeys and adventures, and sometimes even come back with relics from other places. It's very strange, and if this happens in other places, like in your home.... I'm not really sure what that implies, but..."

He pulls out a small notebook and a fountain pen and quickly jots down some notes. Once finished, he casts a simple spell to dry the ink before tucking the notebook away.

"I don't have any particular plans just yet, I wasn't here for too too long before you arrived," he admits once Laralute lets him know he's free to head off if he would like, "And most of that time was speaking with the artificer from before. I... I think I'd like to go and ask some other people if they've heard of strange mists, fogs, clouds, or other things that have whisked people away, but I can also stay while you ask about things if you'd prefer.... I think this should all go smoothly for you, but I don't know how you feel about it."

Kiran:

The tailor nods at the listed requests, and touches a small box stuck to part of the counter. With a flick of gloved fingers, a glowing, floating list of prices in a vast array of currencies pops into the air. Looking around, each stall is equipped with a similar device, likely provided by the event's hosts. It's no small cost, but also more affordable than would be expected for the quality of product on offer. A fair deal, but still what it's worth.

"You only wish for the self-reparation? No other protections for the garments or your person, minor glamours, or utilities?" Emi asks. There's no judgement or disappointment, only a genuine businesslike question, making sure nothing was forgotten. They begin their work even as they wait for an answer, cutting fabric with immaculate precision in preparation for making the requested garments.

“No, that’ll be all thank you” He give the price list a quick glance but had already made his mind up to pay for the lot. Self repairing clothes would be absolutely vital not to mention his sister would appreciate one as well though she’d most likely steal his regardless.
“I work easier unarmored, be that magical or otherwise.” he casually threw that comment in.

Setting the required coin on the table “Am I able to come back later and pick it all up?” keen to move onto the next stall or see what is happening in general. Still curious about what the first vendor had in mind.

Dr. Boral:

"Ah, I... hmmm," The professor stammers, "That almost sounds like what happens in the Angels' Peaks in my homeland. People go up into the mountains, through the clouds, and come back telling of strange journeys and adventures, and sometimes even come back with relics from other places. It's very strange, and if this happens in other places, like in your home.... I'm not really sure what that implies, but..."

He pulls out a small notebook and a fountain pen and quickly jots down some notes. Once finished, he casts a simple spell to dry the ink before tucking the notebook away.

"It happened in all sorts of places," Laralute explained. "Like we'd be in the streets of a city and it would just roll out of nowhere 'n we'd end up someplace else, often really different like a desert or maybe an arctic wasteland kinda place. I'd never seen lands like that before the mists. Eventually, we did some stuff and I ended up back home. Not sure what happened to the Foos or Dru."

"I don't have any particular plans just yet, I wasn't here for too too long before you arrived," he admits once Laralute lets him know he's free to head off if he would like, "And most of that time was speaking with the artificer from before. I... I think I'd like to go and ask some other people if they've heard of strange mists, fogs, clouds, or other things that have whisked people away, but I can also stay while you ask about things if you'd prefer.... I think this should all go smoothly for you, but I don't know how you feel about it."

"I think I'll be fine. I don't wanna keep ya doc," Laralute replied. "I can sort of walk around and explore and take in the sites. Seeing these trams as you call'em is amazing! I know who to talk to 'n what to do when I'm ready to leave. I know you got wizard-type folk ya'd like to talk to 'n all. I'll show myself around and maybe I'll meet some other folk to talk to. I don't know what I've got to really say about my magic, but like I said, I can cast a few spells 'n such. Anyway, thanks for all yer help if I don't talk to ya again."

Unless the doctor had anything to add, Laralute began strolling around the grounds taking in the sites. She had no particular thing she wanted to see or look at. Instead, she realized it was an opportunity to look at exotic things she might not ever see again. After watching the tram station for a bit and the wizards ready to shuttle people to and from their destinations, the pixie in elf form set off in a random direction keeping an eye open for anything of interest.

Cornelius thanks Victi for her answer before they split up. When he reaches the surface of the crystal, the ancient mage freezes, struck by the sheer volume of sights, scents, and sounds. Oh, the sounds...it’s almost overwhelming. It feels like ages since he’s seen so much activity in one place.

He explores more or less aimlessly for a short time, allowing himself to be swept up in the flow of the crowd to experience whatever social opportunities the convention may have to offer. Cornelius finds himself amongst the vendors’ stalls, where he is drawn toward a tailor selling the most elegant of enchanted fabrics and speaking with a young man bearing slick red-auburn hair and tattoos...or...scars? The mage’s eyes narrow- no, they’re tattoos, furious red tattoos resembling bones and the tooth marks running the length of the man’s arms. Curious.

The marvelous shimmering fabrics on display would have been enough to draw him in, given his rather…distinctive taste in fashion, but the tattooed convention goer and his marks make for an undeniable two-birds-one-stone discovery. His meandering shifts to a purposeful stroll toward the tailor’s stall. The tall, broad shouldered Librarian pauses a respectful metre or so away from Kiran and greets both him and the vendor with a polite nod.

“May I ask what sort of wares are being sold here?” He had been trying to maintain a relatively stoic expression, but he couldn't help but crack a pearly white smile as he examines the goods on display. There’s some rather sophisticated enchantment at work here, or at least the potential for it. It reminds Cornelius of some of his projects at home.

Kiran and Cornelius:
"Very well," the tailor acknowledges with a nod, "Then the price is as listed. You may, indeed, return to retrieve your purchase whenever you would like. I never forget a face."

The approach of another customer draws Emi's attention, but they don't seem to need to look at what they're doing to work perfectly. "Custom-tailored and enchantment-embroidered garments, for either fashion or function," they state in that same enigmatic tone, "If you are interested, I will need a minute to take your measurements and hear what it is you desire. I will need my hands free to do so, unfortunately. I am only so skilled." They continue their work, but are shifting to place the pieces of magnificent fabric to one side in the process as they anticipate starting another order.

Laralute:

With an interesting class of magical phenomena to contemplate and discuss with people, Doctor Borol gives the fey a deep bow before heading off into the general event grounds, planning to find a good spot to sit, think, and possibly meet other interested academics.

The most curious thing about the conference is that everyone in attendance seems just as impressed and surprised by it as Laralute is. Even many of the vendors still look they're getting used to the mysterious currency-conversion and sale-tracking devices they've been issued, and a fair number of people are just staring in awe at the strange spire-filled city glistening in the distance, off below the crystal shelf.

In terms of more conventional points of interest, much of it amounts to people discussing magic, people selling objects of almost any type a magic user could need, food, a partial library which has been brought in, and the stage. At the moment, a couple people are up on the stage, fussing with some things around the podium and some crystals floating near the corners of the stage. It's likely presentations will start fairly soon. Enough people are just browsing that the disguised fey could definitely get away with doing the same if she were just curious.

Emi the tailor and Cornelius:

“Wonderful thank you.” smiling as he was quite pleased with the anticipation of his new clothing and wanting to try it on and field test it. “I’ll be back when it’s ready” He still had to go around and look at other stalls then come back for the first one.

He glances behind himself to see a man standing behind him, he side steps to make space and include them in the conversation. He gives Cornelius a respectful head bow “Enjoying the event so far? I think I may be broke after this” he laughed “But then off-world items are too valuable not to pass up.” He was sure he could get enchanted clothing at home but not in these colors and certainly not for this price.

Normally by now he’d get awkward and put his hands behind his back, but with this place seeming so accommodating he continued to stand in a relaxed pose.

Dr. Borol:

With an interesting class of magical phenomena to contemplate and discuss with people, Doctor Borol gives the fey a deep bow before heading off into the general event grounds, planning to find a good spot to sit, think, and possibly meet other interested academics.

She gives him a polite wave in turn and looks around the area. There were all sorts of different folks wandering around. Some were clearly wizards with the traditional floppy hats and robes with staves. Others were less obvious. All kinds of different walks of life seemed to be strolling about and almost every race imaginable seemed to be in attendance. So far, Laralute didn't see any fey, though. She felt like she blended in a bit better having polymorphed herself into an elf.

The most curious thing about the conference is that everyone in attendance seems just as impressed and surprised by it as Laralute is. Even many of the vendors still look like they're getting used to the mysterious currency-conversion and sale-tracking devices they've been issued, and a fair number of people are just staring in awe at the strange spire-filled city glistening in the distance, off below the crystal shelf.

After gazing at the tram for a few more minutes. Laralute admired the view of the distant city. Such places were always fascinating to Laralute and that one looked particularly spectacular. However, she didn't want to leave the immediate area for fear that she'd get lost and not find her way back and be stranded in this strange place indefinitely. As long as she didn't wander far from this area, she'd have a way home. Laralute had had quite enough of misadventuring through the fog with the Foos and Dru.

In terms of more conventional points of interest, much of it amounts to people discussing magic, people selling objects of almost any type a magic user could need, food, a partial library which has been brought in, and the stage. At the moment, a couple people are up on the stage, fussing with some things around the podium and some crystals floating near the corners of the stage. It's likely presentations will start fairly soon. Enough people are just browsing that the disguised fey could definitely get away with doing the same if she were just curious.

The discussions were likely to not interest Laralute. She knew little of magical theory and since she didn't know how to cast or learn spells from books or scrolls, she didn't think she'd probably be able follow the discussion. Instead, she decided to stroll around the area and look at different booths. Laralute loved shiny and beautiful things and there were likely to be pretty crystals and other shiny items to admire until it was time to leave. She set off randomly, keeping her eye out for anything of interest.

OOC: If I get a specific idea, I'll let you know. I'm not sure what my work week looks like. I'm in a bit of a transition point in my life right now.

Cornelius rests his hand on his chin, stroking his goatee as he examines the tailor at work very closely. His eyes make another pass at the displayed fabrics. They’re all quite exotic, and the vendor is clearly a specialist. Cornelius is a competent enchanter in his own right, but he still considers himself more of a jack of all trades when it comes to wizardry. Anything he could do in terms of tailor-made magical clothing, Emi should be able to do better.

“Could you craft a coat that involves fur or another insulating material? Perhaps with protective enchantments, self-reparation, and, erm...temperature regulation?”

He reaches into a pocket and retrieves a coin purse. From it, he starts gathering payment. Gold coins, rough-edged and approximately an inch in diameter, detailed with imagery of towering spires and a stylistic impression of dragons’ wings sprawled across the sky, shine in the palm of his hand.

Seeming to suddenly remember the other convention goer, he turns his vibrant green gaze on Kiran. “Ah, I am indeed! And I agree- hopefully, this marketplace accepts...erm...ancient Draconic currency. I would very much like to purchase a gift for my assistant.”

“Speaking of,” he briefly turns his attention back toward Emi. “While I’m afraid she is not with me, I may be able to provide approximate measurements from memory.”

Laralute:

There is more than enough here to keep her attention, what with eight vendors in close proximity carrying crystalline items of differing varieties. Powder and granules to be used as reagents in certain spells; small pillars, clusters, and stones for a number of purposes; wands, orbs, and jewelry of precious and semiprecious stones to use as foci; large crystals built into strange devices with exorbitant price tags; gems cut specifically for insetting into standardized sockets; and one place that seems to only have thin sheets of impressively boring crystal in uniform shapes, labeled as enchanting latices. A tall, white-furred fox-woman with an excessive number of smokey-grey-tipped tails is at that last one, examining one of the latices with some tool. The other stalls have small groups of people milling around them, some shopping, some just browsing, and some doing the same thing as Laralute herself, just taking in the shimmery sights. Nearby, next to one of the two stalls with the wands, orbs, jewelry and such is a place with wooden wand with crystals fitted into them, either in the grip, studding the length, or in the tip, all in line with both the natural shape of the crystal and the growth of the wood. It looks like this lane of stalls roughly proceeds from crystals to magical implements to artisanal crafts such as hand worked metal products and custom-tailored magical garments.

Kiran and Cornelius:

Emi nods at Kiran's intent to return, then takes a moment to input Cornelius's request into the payment-management device, and the projection returns. There is, in fact, a figure for the currency the shapeshifted dragon has on hand. It apparently falls under 'barter of valuable antique commodities' rather than the coins' face value, though. "As you desire," they state, "Do you have any specific forms of protection you will need? Anti-impact, protection from fire or electricity, warding against possession, or nearly anything else can be arranged."

Learning that Cornelius may have relevant measurements leads the tailor to shift back to their previous arrangement of materials, no longer needing to distract themselves to examine the new client. They begin to sew Kiran's requests as they say, "In that case, please relay the measurements as you can, by whichever means you find most convenient. Numerical values, sketches, and illusions are all common."

Laralute realizes she has no money to make any purchases but instead admires the crystals from a distance. She admires the intricate work on the orbs and wands without touching them. It is unlikely that she'd know what to do with any of the stuff if she could buy it anyway, not to mention it would be way too big for her in her natural form. After spending a few minutes admiring the items in the immediate booths near the tram station, Laralute feels comfortable in moving a bit further away, checking to see what else there is to look at in the bizarre. Laralute wonders if there are any magic demonstrations, perhaps wizards demonstrating wands or creating illusions for show. She has no real interest in hearing the spellcasters talk shop, but perhaps there might be something entertaining to watch. With that in mind she keeps an eye out for anything that might catch her eye.

Cornelius:

“I imagine they take all sorts of currency considering everyone comes from all different realms.” His own coin was not as fancy, dirty and faded with a crest stamped into them. However there were clear definitions between gold, silver and platinum.

He gave the newcomer some space to speak with the tailor. Looking around the area for any other interesting stalls he could visit. After shopping food was definitely on the cards for the doctor.

When he could get a word in without interrupting he leaned slightly to Cornelius “Have you had a look around yet? I’ve just got here myself and am yet to explore the whole market.” Tiptoeing around the subject of actually asking if they wanted company or not.

“If you could manage anti-impact and resistance to tearing and piercing, that would be sufficient,” he says to the tailor. “Now, on to measurements.”

Having received the invitation to use illusions, Cornelius smiles. He takes a step back and lifts his hand. Making a gentle gesture with his pointer finger raised, he casts a simple illusion of a figure approximating the size and shape of the person he has in mind: a woman, barely reaching his shoulder height, with short bobbed hair and long, tufted ears. While many of her details are indistinct, the shape of her figure is a 1:1 replica to the best of the mage’s memory. He traces a circle in the air and sends the illusion into a very slow 360-degree rotation, meanwhile turning his attention back to Kiran.

“Why, yes, and I’m glad for as much. And on that note, I have done some wandering, but this is the first stall I’ve stopped to examine. I don’t suppose you’ve done much exploring yourself. Hm?” He punctuates his question with an inquisitive, slightly owlish tilt of his head.

Cornelius, in his social obliviousness, misses the implied invitation, but he seems coincidentally interested in inviting Kiran to accompany him himself, engaging in the same sort of tiptoeing as the doctor.

Kiran and Cornelius:

Emi takes a moment to set their work aside as the illusion makes its way into being, and picks up their lens, beginning their process of gathering measurements. "The requested enchantments are easy enough to apply," they confirm, taking a moment to adjust the total of the sale while peering through the eyepiece.

This lane of vendors seems to mostly be handcrafted, artisanal goods, eventually working its way down to an array of crystal vendors of different kinds. Behind the stall they're at now is a wall of scroll racks belonging to a vendor in the next lane.

Laralute:

Certain speells are cast as people discuss topics, demonstrating a concept being described or presenting descriptive representations of creatures, objects, and processes. Unfortunately, however, the general consensus seems to be that the event is more of an open-attendance, light-spirited industry conference or convention than a festival. That said, plenty of people seem interested in answering questions and using various tools to make their explanations, so it's possible that talking to people could be a very good source of entertainment with the help of a few questions and a bit of boldness.