Duke Varic drops all kinds of hints over dinner, trying to impress Scolo with the idea that being the official Ducal Wizard of Bagacum would be a very, very good thing.  He plies Scolo with his best food and wine.  Eligible aristocratic bachelors dance with Melissa.  Just in case, Varic remarks that the Centaurs are very welcome to a plot or two of land here.. what the heck, they showed up together, maybe they're allied.

But Scolo makes no commitments. He has had his fun here, and it involved experimentation with the weird properties of pseudo-matter, not the official duties that would come with employment by the Duke.

And he is ready to shuffle on.

Varic sighs- perhaps there will be another opportunity.

In the morning, the party continues eastwards, on a road that will take them to Bruxzella, and then, the other end of Belgica.

Oh yeah ... A wizard would be a great idea. You could build a tower with all these materials in fact, there is probably a great foundation with basements somewhere in the ruins just waiting for someone to make a tower. You know wizards can be great fun, a little scary sometimes. But more than a wizard you could use a population boom. Start growing somehow and use some of the land around for farms,'there are even plots between the old building right outside the inner wall. There's shade sun and even the crops can have protection.

Scolo enjoys chatting with the duke. He has been very nice. It would be even more fun to visit when the duke finds himself a wizard.

The morning finds Scolo making waffles. He shares with the friends

Over the course of a few days of travel, the group reaches Bruxzella.  They were here before, briefly, as Theoderic aimed his army to intercept the Huns at Namaco, the Elven land east of Bruxzella.   But then, they were just passing through, and quickly, and the town was strangely empty.

Now, Bruxzella is back on its feet, after a winter of recovery.  It's still partly empty.  It's one reason why the Centaurs were able score some real estate in the city:  there was plenty available.

The go in through the south gate, and get some directions to the Centaur property.

It is, conveniently, and old wainwright's shop- a factory where wagons were assembled.  It is a square of buildings surrounding a courtyard, with large “garage” entrances to the workshops.  Above the workshops are storage and some living quarters which at the moment are only accessible by stairs... but at least the Centaurs can make easy use of the ground floor.

(Back in Raviniacum, though, the younger Centaurs have figured out how to go up stairs.  And they revel in being able to do something the adults can't).

It hasn't been used in a while, and is dusty and dirty.

“Considering what we paid for it,” Mayez says.

“A lot?” Melissa asks.

“Nothing,” Mayez says.

Belatedly, Eadoin thanks Varic for his hospitality, as well as his offers of land and vacant business locations.  Much can be done with either.  He's not a wizard, himself, but he does have some small magics which he expects will grow with time.  Such as he's available to the Duke of Bagacum and the Duke's needs align with the needs of growing things, such flocks, gardens, fields, or even wild lands between settlements, Eadoin will provide what assistance he can.  High magics aren't really his strong suit, but he's a really quite a fine mundane healer.  Beyond him, there's little that's green and growing that Apple Blossom couldn't make take root and flourish.
"My family, sir, honors each of the gods according to his or her due," he offers to Duke Varic, "but Epona, Ceres, and Arduinna have deeply blessed us and have a place of favor at our hearth.  If it pleases you, where my go my folk, so will go our veneration of the goddesses...with it, I trust, their favor on all your things which grow."

Of pottery, such minor purchases are things he might afford, so he'll make a small, special purchase of something pretty but deeply practical, art and artifice blended together that Apple Blossom might find both useful and pleasing to her eye.

---

Stairs, the eternal question.  Truly, some consider up to be the difficult direction, when it's down that causes the most problem.  Going down puts one's center of mass too high and it's uncomfortable having one's haunches as high as one's head.  It's quite possible to traverse stairs, if rather terribly undignified.

On the other hand, narrow stairs or tight spirals are pretty much off limits.  Also, stairs built for human kind to go up and down likely aren't sufficiently constructed for the fully-grown Centaurs.  The gods created the two an order of magnitude apart in weight.  The short is that the upstairs should either be rented or rebuilt with a sturdy ramp and open rooms.

He mentions this to Mayez, briefly discussing the idea.  "We used them at our inn, in Lutetia Parisiorum.  They'll need to bear most of the weight on heavy vertical wooden posts, straight down, or in stone arches in the Roman style."

Eadoin's unsure how anything is going to be paid for when labor is at such a premium.  Perhaps barter, but others know those things better than he.  "If we want to use the upstairs, I'd suggest speaking with a carpenter or stone mason, Mayez."

The Centaurs figure that as long as the are passing through, they might as well ought to do what they can to clean and fix up their property in Bruxzella while they are here.

At the very least, the enclosed courtyard gives them a place to hide.  It is a novel and in some ways unsettling experience.  The Centaurs have had a limited view of property.  People own things, certainly, but places, to them, are associated with whole clans or tribes, and even then, more in a “who is using it/traditionally uses it” concept rather than ownership.  They might talk of the “Blue Reed Land” in the sense of the area where the Blue Reed Tribe camps, gathers, and hunts.

They’ve never been homeowners.  And here!  Bruxzella is a busy place.  Lots of people- maybe as many people as there are Centaurs in the entire northern forest!  Of course it’s still a lot less than Lutetia Parisiorum, but Eadoin is the only Centaur here who has experienced that.  Or anything like it.  Humans are everywhere, farming, building, trading, playing, complaining.

One thing of interest Eadoin notes is that Bruxzella, being close to the border of the Elven Ardennes, and close to the only area of the Elven Kingdom that is really open to trade with Humans, has, in its shops, some Elven goods for sale.  They don’t see any actual Elves, though.  Apparently, they come to trade, but not to stay.

Mayez considers this a model the Centaurs could use, maybe.

Melissa, recalling Varic’s words about other wizards, inquires here.  Perhaps Scolo is curious about fellow practicioners of the Arcane Arts?

She is quickly able to learn that the city’s most famous wizard, a nobleman named Dongested, was slain during the war.  It was a deep shock to the Duke, and to the people here, and he is accorded the honors of a great hero.  He was buried with public mourning and considerable pomp and circumstance.

There are two others she learns of:  Alexus is related to the Duke, and is an old retainer- the “court wizard”, from the sound of it, as well as tutor to the children of the Aristocracy.  Mimay is a woman with a small shop, rebuilding in the wake of the war. She managed to hide or evacuate her things, but still, “magic shop” draws looters like bees to daisies, and  her place was utterly trashed.  Several times.

Scolo does not recall either of them.  Not strange- the Academy teaches many wizards, but much as it would like to, not all of them.  Especially not back more than a decade or two ago.

Some info about Bruxzella:

http://europa512adgame.pbworks...e/62847832/Bruxzella

When they arrive in Bruxzella, the wizard Scolo is uncharacteristically quiet. He has had a few days of joy in his travel, time spent with the Duke and the artist in relative sanity or at worst jovial intoxication. The last stage of the road he merely sat on his mule and let the beast carry him along following the centaurs. He responds very little the first day not even eating his mind and soul feeling bleached as he is reminded and reviews some ancient failure some travesty that was likely his doing either active or through neglect. He hears Melissa talking and there are few things that would reach him at this time. He does not respond right away. But the next day, in the morning after consuming several jelly waffles and leaving the rest in a pile, Scolo perks up and rides his mule out in search Mimay and her shop.

The "Grand Place" is the heart of Bruxzella, the center of commercial and social life for the city.  It is surrounded by  the "better" businesses of the city, and some trade associations have put up buildings for their own members, which act as shops, schools, and social clubs all in one.  The Breadmaker's House is the largest of these; the lower floor is a large indoor bread "department store" where a number of bakers have small booths.

Latin speakers had dubbed it, the Forum Inferius, but to them, "Lower Market" was strictly a literal term- it was in the geographically lower area of the city.  It had nothing to do with secondary status.

Several side streets lead off from the square, and Scolo spies one leading through an arch, next to the Jewelers's Guild.  This is the one he'd been directed to.  Mimay's shop is actually in the same building as the Jeweler's Guild, around the corner, through the arch.

Mimay has a large shop- just as big and as elegant looking as the ones on the main square.  But there is no "wizards' guild", perhaps that is why she had to take a secondary location.  It shows the signs of recent repair- a new door, and fresh paint.

Entering, it seems, maybe, Mimay is a jeweler too?  There is a lot of cut crystal here, and some things made from gems and ornamental stones.  Little pendants, various household items. There's some empty shelf space- apparently, she lost some of her stock in the war.

Mimay herself is a plump woman, not necessarily of noble demeanor but at least "upper middle class".  She is cheerful and busily making the rounds of her shop, adjusting, moving, dusting.  She is somewhere in her mid thirties from the look of it.  She wears a simple dress, but with a number of overlapping necklaces of cut and polished stones.

The tall thin man enters the shop, ducking his head as he removes his cap. He looks around. There are few things that really give him joy. Magic is one, and natural beauty. The forrest the growth of crystals the movement of water things that capture the attention of the inattentive and the imagination of wonder.

He stares for a long time and says nothing.

If addressed he will stammer a bit, not really well.

Uhm .... Hello?

Edgar will come out and float - he has been held back far too much lately.

Good afternoon Madame. I am Edgar and this shy fellow is Scolo, recently of Mestanon. We would be glad to merely bask in your company, and let the beauty of your shop surround us ....

Looking around, Scolo can tell that Mimay’s shop is the type many “shop” wizards, have.  Making a living selling magic commercially, they maintain a large stock of cheap, simple magics easily bought by commoners in need.  Bruxzella has enough specialized trade exists, and enough wealth, to allow Mimay to keep things aimed at the “higher end” but many of her wares are designed to allow people of at least middle class to obtain some magic in their lives.

There are cut and polished stone candle holders, for example, that enhance the flames of candles placed on them>

Most mages develop an affinity towards certain things.  For Scolo, it was chaos.  For Mimay, apparently, minerals- in the form of gems, crystals, and polished ornamental stone.  All of her magic items incorporate these things.  As a result, they are esthetic as much as functional.  Maybe more.

Scolo, on the other hand, embodies an entirely different kind of esthetic.

She lets out an audible gasp when Edgar appears.

“What is that?” she asks.   Her voice has more suspicion than fear.  Wizards learn to deal with the unusual, and generally are harder to shock than most.  But still, Edgar makes her uneasy.

“It’s something unnatural, isn’t it?”

Erm ... Excuse m.. begins Edgar but he is cut off as the Wizard responds.

No no my dear, completely natural, he's a .... A .... A cat I think ... hmmmmm come to think of it ... He's not really cat-like ... 

I'm not a cat! Edgar interjects.

Ye-es, that's what you want me to think. Well cat or not he's natural, organic even and completely cage free, yes, shouldn't that be true for all of us?
Hmmm he's just from another realm is all, you know like Celestial ?

But this ones not really celestial, but it's not one of the bad ones either eh?

I apologize for any inconvenience Madame, I am Edgar
He does a little tumble that might be an Aeriel bow.

And this, my master - is Scolo,

You've already said that, haven't you?

Scolo looks back at Mimay ....
This is lovely, it really is ... I'm not particularly looking for knick knacks but if I had a home, I would definitely shop here.

Tell me please, dear - how is it to be settled, in such a lovely place? I've wondered about the life - we're always being trucked and pushed about from one nutcase battle to the next. Do you like it here? Is there any opportunity for study?

Scolo chats with the lady ... It's possible she will want to talk, perhaps she has few options for learning other than the wandering colleague.

It was an oddly direct and yet appropriate question.  Mimay knew at once, Scolo meant:  “Wizard to wizard… What’s it like?”

It wasn’t a question with a ready answer.  This one took work.

“Well that’s a busy kind of question, isn’t it?” she said.  “If you stay a bit, I’ll get some hot minted wine along, we can think about this one.”

Mimay has a most extraordinary pot.  It apparently did the work of brewing without needing any outside flame whatsoever.  Her beverage of choice was weak, hot spiced wine flavored with mint.  “The Elves are very good herb gatherers,” she says.  “They always have the best, and it’s handy being so near to them.”

She explains a little about Bruxzella, and starts with a comparison to the larger Belgican city, Anteverpia, on the coast.

“Anteverpia’s got more going on with trade, it’s a bigger city, but it can be messy and crowded sometimes smells bad in the summer.  The trade there is good for wizards, of course, things always coming in on the ships from all over.  Good Baltic amber.  There’s less of that here, but I go to Anterverpia now and then, and sometimes the traders come here.  We’re a little more remote, but not that far out of the way. “

And Bruxzella has a few things in its favor…

“Here, there are the Elves, practically a stone’s throw away, and they bring in interesting things from time to time.  They know me, of course, they make it their business to know wizards, and when Elves learn Earth magic it isn’t usually my kind, it’s more shaped by the living aspects of the element than the crystalline properties.  So they often bring me useful things, for trade, which they can’t really exploit themselves.”

She relates the recent history of the city, how it was evacuated during the war, and then retaken after the Hun army was defeated in the Elven lands.  Mimay took no part, apparently.  Certainly, the woman knows some spells that could come in handy in a fight.  Any wizard does.  But, Scolo knows that makes her no more of a “warrior” than the fact that like just about anyone, she could fire a crossbow.  Mimay doesn’t look like the sort who could keep up with an army on the move, or know what to do when it stops moving and starts fighting.  So she evacuated with the majority of the townsfolk.

Like any merchant, she has obligations to the Duke.  Most nobles have figured out that when you have wizards living in your domain, ask for their taxes “in kind”, of the goods they make, rather than in gold.  Ambric is a particularly clever Duke, and so Mimay lends her talents to making things for the Duke about a quarter of the time- her taxes.  She expects he’d ask at least as much as any wizard here.  But she’s not opposed to that.  It’s “civic duty”.  The price of having a society.

The wizard does indeed stay on a bit, he enjoys the wine for starters, though he spends more time smelling it than sipping it. Still, it remains warm and slowly disappears.

He admires her pot: My that's handy - I should show you my waffle iron sometime. It's not as elegant as this, but very effective. It has several properties I've forgotten. About I'm sure.

He listens with interest. He talks when appropriate about his experience.

Oh it was very special ... I had this tower, it was exceptional and unique I had refurbished it from the old wizard who left it. It had a vast library, the likes of which I could not replicate - I hadn't even been through all the knowledge contained there!

Scolo sparkles when talking about libraries and books.

Elves eh? That must be very nice. Have you been to see their libraries?

At some point he tells a little of his story.

Anyway I had to leave and join the King. The emperor was out to kill me, even my old school, the academy had sent assassins. The King has been many things but also very fair.  Of course the best part of working with the king is not the king at all but his lovely bride. Shes a sharp wizard herself. When they return it might be nice to have a little space to meet for some discussion - you would like it im sure queen or not she has a pleasant way with others.
The King has sent people good people with representatives from the academy to go and look for the people of Mestanon - that was my wish and our deal but I expected to return myself not send them - I don't trust them ... But ... perhaps I should be kinder. Perhaps they are allies, he certainly trusts them. But if they return what then? We need to find a home ... I need a life that will exist without war ...

The Duke? Is it that same fellow, Varic I met over in ... Oh ... That little town south of here ... It has a wall, some ruins and brilliant potter.

He seemed nice enough, but they all do, at first. Does he manage things well?

Mimay explains the politics of Bruxzella.

Varic is the Duke of Bagacum. Ambric is the Duke here.  Belgica has six Duchies, each with an appointed family to rule it- the leader being Duke or Duchess as the case may be.  The whole thing was set up by King Clovis's father, many years ago.  To keep it stable, he devised a law:  No one may inherit more than one Duchy.  The families can intermarry, but if an heir emerges to more than one Duchy, he must forswear one of them.

Ambric is the oldest of the Dukes, and many regard him as the "senior Duke" but this is solely out of respect for his experience.  He is considered a skilled politician and diplomat, and always manages to get the leading families here to do what he wants them to... generally out of subtle persuasion.

Ambric had a wizard on his "staff" recently, the skilled and heroic Count Dongestede.  But the count perished in the war.  Unlike Varic, however, Ambric has been making no move to hire a wizard.  He doesn't rush things.  He's a patient, shrewd Duke.

As for Elves and libraries-- no, she hasn't seen them.  The Elves are a cagey, cautious folk.  They are often afraid to share what they know.

Mimay doesn't blame them for it.  There are so few Elves in the world, a little paranoia on their part is understandable.

On the other hand, perhaps they don't have libraries at all.  She knows that the Elves don't have much "Human style" architecture.  Some, but not a lot.  Maybe it never occurred to them to build a place to put a lot of books.

Eadoin's seen towns and cities of all sizes, at least those to be found in Gaul.  Bruxzella isn't anything overly startling in its size.  He doesn't immediately follow after Scolo and Melissa, but agrees to meet with them later, perhaps for supper if they're agreeable.

He wants to visit the Grand Place and the Peddler's Market, to see what trades here that his folk might move from one place to another, nomadic as they are.  "Want to come along, Mayez?"

The Centaurs explore the Grand Place.  The plaza is dominated by the commercial buildings- most of these are operated by the semi-collective trade associations known as guilds.  Supposedly a social innovation of the Halflings, the guilds are stronger and more established in Belgica than they are in Gaul, and for many of them, their buildings on the Grand Place is their headquarters not only for Bruxzella but for all of Belgica.

These buildings are multi-functional, with the bottom floor generally occupied by shops of that trade, open to the public.  Hence, five jewelry shops (and around the corner, Mimay’s magic shop) occupy the ground floor of the Jewelers’ Guild Hall, and the main floor of the Breadmakers’ House is a big, open space with numerous small stalls.

Other major guild halls include the Brewer’s guild- this is readily identifiable by the columns crafted to appear as if  hops plants were climbing around them.  The first floor has a wholesale and carryout beer and ale market, and next door is their alehouse. The food is considered only average there, but no one goes just for the food.

The Cloth Market is not actually a guild hall, just a large public building in which cloth merchants rent space to display buy and sell cloth.  Belgica is a major producer of fine wool, and it is available here in every color and grade, along with oiled felts used to make water repellant hats, bags, and cloaks.

 There are the Butcher’s guild, which is actually a small but elegant looking building, next to the Confectioners’ Guild, which is a sort-of competitor to the Breadmakers, with overlapping jurisdictions in the desserts category.

The cheesemaker’s guild also has a fine, and quite aromatic ground floor shop..

The stone masons and artists do not have shops- their buildings serve as social centers only, although one can certainly go here to hire someone in those trades.

There is a building used as an “Officers’ Club” by Bruxzella’s professional military.  This isn’t an official armory or barracks, just a gathering place for the military elite here.

When the Centaurs pass, they spy the argument going on in front: a soldier is putting up a sign inviting “capable young men to inquire about serving Belgica”.  But this has drawn the ire of two women, who wonder why their gender is being excluded.  They loudly point out the fact that during the recent war, Bruxzella’s heroic last stand defense was led by the “Gray Legion”, aging veterans and other volunteers, hardly strapping young men in their physical prime.  And if they could be heroes…

The Centaurs become a focus for the street clowns, a wandering group with a few colorful puppets and odd costumes.  They seem to insist on sucking the Centaurs into their performance, having puppets ask them silly questions, and juggling over Mayez’s head.  It’s all in the name of attracting attention.

Scolo nods ... That bit about the Dukes is interesting.
You never really know with royals ...

When they've had some time at chatting Scolo asks.
Is there anything you would like to know? And he or Edgar will answer any curiosities she may have about the war or the wedding or whatnot.

He then draws a large volume with several sheets of paper and ink and says.

It might be fun to make you a gift .... I'm thinking you might enjoy an unseen servant if that isn't already among your spells. Would you like the scroll?

OOC:  Inspiration struck me.  At last, how to build the Perfect Magic System.

The DnD 3.0/3.5 system  is nice but has flaws, and one of them is the learning of spells.  Clerics get spells without any learning, so any campaign that makes acquiring new spells difficult gives an unbalancing advantage to clerics.

But any system that makes acquiring spells too easy risks takes away an important “reward” (scrolls and spell books lose value) and worse, tends to make wizards all alike- the spells are merely “Apps” that all run on the standard wizard platform.

So the DnD solution was to create a horde of variant wizards and prestige classes, to add some differences between wizards back into the system. And their specialist wizards are a nice effort but don’t really appeal to the classical image of a wizard, because they produce wizards who specialize in things like “transmutation” instead of “Ice”.  An Ice wizard is much more fun.

My idea:  Every spell caster, wizard, cleric, etc, would get a certain number of specialties.    The spell caster’s areas of study and interest and natural inclination.  Also, a few oppositions- areas of magic that are just difficult for that caster.  Each spell would have a few specialties associated with it.  The effort needed to learn a new spell would depend not only on “is that spell available?” but also on how the spell lined up the existing areas of the spell caster.  A spell could be weakly learned (able to cast, but at some higher cost/difficulty), learned, or mastered (casting is easier, or some extra range, bonus, etc included for free)  again, depending on how the spell lines up with the caster’s “areas”.

Thus, for example, a wizard like Scolo could easily master a new spell that summons some weird chaotic creature.  But if someone said “how would you like to learn Wall of Stone?”, that would take a lot more effort from him, and for a long time, his Walls would be weaker than those of an “average” wizard.

Anyway… for game sake, I am going to assume that something like this is the case:  wizards are simply better at spells matching their inclinations and areas of interest.


One thing wizards rarely gave away for free:  access to spells.  Part of the value of a spell was scarcity; the more you gave them out the less valuable they become.  Carefully guarding one’s magical knowledge was considered entirely normal and sane for any wizard.  Mimay’s natural immediate reaction was therefore suspicion, something along the lines of “what’s the catch?”

If Mimay was a few years younger, or somewhat slimmer, or had some different sense of style and fashion, or any combination of the above,  she would expect Scolo might be trying to impress her.. but men haven’t been taking that kind of interest in her lately.  Another reason for suspicion.

Then she warms to the unheard of idea of a free spell from a stranger.  And just in case Scolo is trying to impress her, she blushes slightly, and nervously fingers her polished stone  beadwork.

“The Unseen Servant?  It’s a Summoning, isn’t it?”

She looks at Edgar.  “Well of course, you must be a summoner.  I’ve done a little summoning, mostly Elementals of Earth and Mineral, I suppose it’s not too distant, is it?  Similar principles?   I would be happy to take a look at it.  I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t owe you something for it.  Do you know much Earth magic?”

OOC: DND does have school specialization as well as wizards that specialize in 1 element. However, I think the magic system itself needs to be revamped.

1->Use magic points (the x/spell per day is a poor way of handling limits)

2->If you learn a spell you should be able to cast it. Period. It's retarded to learn a spell and then have to memorize it. This is probably the single most annoying rule in the magic system to me.

3->Success is not automatic. Magic is wild and powerful. It is not certain. It should not be automatic. There should be a DC or % chance of success casting a spell. DC should be based on how powerful the spell is. Low level wizards should be able to attempt powerful spells. Of course their chance of success will be low. Failure can have a variety of results.

4->Players should be able to customize the visual effects of spells as they see fit. In fact, it should be encouraged and perhaps even rewarded.


EDIT->added word 'not'

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:10, Mon 26 Aug 2013.

Will post IC soon but not ready yet. Regarding spells I fully agree with Steve except - number 4 should be something special. I have 2 feats spent on my prestidigitation stuff - that or some other feat should be required for the amazing ability to really customize your magic. It allows you to make it difficult for wizards to guess what you are doing.

I've almost never used counter spells but it would be nice to have a reason to want to guess at what the opponent is doing and to spend actions thwarting them. Current rules make dealing damage the one right move almost every time so thinking and strategy are less valuable.

Unseen what what? Did I say? Oh my how embarrassing .. He says looking at his "Summon Invisible friend" page - yes summoning, but this one's not, not right it's a chaos version. So sorry. Scolo is getting flustered. The truth is, he had lost his unseen servant spell in one of his back up scrolls at his tower ... He's been thinking about how useful it was but doesn't have it with him.

Er .. Yes - here is a suitable gift - he opens the page to Fox's Cunning. - perfect for days when you want to make that special something, it really focuses the mind eh?

When she offers a reciprocal gift Scolo smiles
eh ... Well - I ah... Was meaning to be ah generous and make a friend. I may live in this land one day ... And my ah ... Well I sometimes do strange things ah, under the influence. If you know me and think well of me it would be good in those times - eh - but you know, I don't mean to make you indebted. Uhm ... Earth magick - you see I am best at things with life and mind and chaos, but I have talent in manipulating different states of iron ... if there is something that twists and turns the earth, making it grow, or transmute. Or changing form In one way or something I would use it in this blasted war to reduce casualties ... Hmmm earth .... Can you ... Can you - call upon the earth to recapture its metals. That would be really funny

"Hello .. I'm big bad soldier here to fight a war - oops, all my metal is getting trapped a d sucked back inside the world."

Mimay closes early that day, so she can have a long “wizard's chat” with Scolo.  She takes him to another street off the Grand Place, where several of Bruxzella's better taverns can be found.  At one, the Leaping Knight, the staff all seems to know her.

Wizards with shops are almost always at least “upper middle class”, being the rarest of artisans.  Mimay eats out, and eats well, frequently.  Cooking for herself would take too much time.

She talks about the Arcane properties of iron, something she knows quite well- or at least, claims to.   Iron, she says, is the least magical of all the elements.  It is so naturally opposed to magic that enchanting it is difficult- most enchanted iron objects are actually steel, with the “additives” taking the magic.  The non-magical nature of iron is what makes iron in its pure form painful to the Fey, and causes iron filings to be a component of certain rituals that block or dispel magic.

This makes her curious about Scolo's “manipulating different forms of iron.”  Iron is not well suited to such things.

She does not have the specific spell Scolo seems to be describing. She has a spell separates an earthen mixture into its constituent parts.  Perhaps it could be reversed, causing metals to bond with nearby base stone to reform ore.  (She cannot “summon forth” those parts from the Earth- no calling up the gold from the ground.  But given a chunk of ore with gold in it, she can divide it into gold and its other parts.)



Across the square, one of the Centaurs makes a delicate inquiry of Melissa.  The ex-Blackguard replies hastily:  “Oh, no, it's not like that at all!  Scolo... me... we're really not right for each other like that.  I.. I like to take care of him, though.  It's my responsibility.    If I contribute one real thing to this world, that would be it.”

“That would be a much more complicated responsibility if Scolo had another companion, wouldn't it?”  the Centaur asks.

Melissa considers carefully.  “It would.  That's true.  But... if they were both wizards... I might end up taking care of the both of them.”

Scolo continues their chat ... He nods in her discussion of iron.
Quite right, yes ... Hmmmm really?
In regard to her spell he chuckles,
Well, it was just an idea - would be fun though ...
Scolo would take any spell she offers, he really is trying to make friends - something like soften earth and stone would be fair or whatever. He'll give it a try.

When I say states of iron, I really mean planar states .... The iron itself is irrelevant, and the magic is not on the iron, it's more about effecting the planar envelope that permits material from another plane to retain some of its effects here.

He then gets conspiratorial...

Many dont like the multiplanar non-earth centered theories about the structure of the universe. But I've found it - and it is just the beginning.
He he ... It's not without consequences ...

At that Scolo stares at his lunch for a few moments, he seems as if he might suddenly start crying but something distracts him about his spoon .... Metal , bended metal. He purses his lips. And says -
Here - this is some Iron - ordinary in its own way ... But ... Well - perhaps you can find a use for it.

The Emperor has used it - and will again I fear. The more we know the better.

He hands her a small sample of quickiron.

Wizards are often perceived as “not quite right in the head”.  This may be misunderstanding, but then again, often this opinion is being held by other wizards.  So at first, Mimay dismisses Scolo’s quirks as par for the course.

Gradually, though, she begins to suspect that Scolo’s spellbook is a couple of pages short.

But the appearance of the bizarre Quickiron returns her focus.  For this, she can tolerate a few extra quirks.

Almost reflexively, Mimay puts on gloves.

”If it’s any relation to Quicksilver, Scolo, you should too.  It’s bad for the health, you know.  Do you have gloves?”

Then she studies it.  Not with a spell, but with experienced eyes.

”It’s got the color of iron, doesn’t it?  But formless, like Quicksilver.  What is it?”

Oh?
Says Scolo ... Seriously, hydrargyrum being unhealthy, who would believe that? It's used in all the alchemical anti-aging potions.
Scolo says nothing more, he hums tunelessly for a moment. He begins to distract himself ... Feeling perhaps the need to move on for now. He gives Mimay some bit of advise as she cautiously inspects the quickiron.

It doesn't do anything to your health ... Unless it hits you while traveling at speed.

Oooh, I see you got it to seem formless ... How did you do that?

Scolo chuckles providing just a little hint that the quickiron responds to the observer. Surely she will take time to figure it out for herself.

Expecting they will meet again sometime Scolo will move on at some point. He wanders in the afternoon paying particular attention to the clouds.

At this point, are there any objects to fast forwarding Eadoin and Scolo to have them catching up with the rest of the plot?