At this point, the remaining scrapes should heal overnight. No need to wait for another channel.

She has quite a bit more money than she's used to having, and she might need to do some exploration on her own this time around. Maybe not, but it would probably be good to prepare for it. Captain Paras had a wand of Infernal Healing, and it definitely showed its value. It would be even more useful if she was delving multiple days deep into the sewers. She might want to plan for that.

She will spend the rest of the day trying to find who to commission such a wand from, or if there happens to be anyone selling them. It might take longer than a day if she wants a reasonable price, and she won't make any progress tomorrow. That's fine. An hour spent now is one not spent later, when she might need to be fast.

KORVOSAN CARRIER
SUNDAY, DESNUS 31st, 4708

SHINGLES GANG BRAWL TURNS BLOODY, NINE DEAD

A perfect circle is carved into the sky, two miles wide. The storm seems to bend around it. It's a bright, sunny day. The Acadamae opens its doors to outsiders for the festival. The guard struggles to handle a crowd. A small ship wrecks against the Varisian coastline, far in the distance. A devil has breakfast with his great grandson.

She slept well, and Lhín is ready for the day. To the Breaching Festival!

What does the Hall of Lies have inside? They have very impressive images outside, but what are they showing off past the demonstration that the Professor is very good?

The interior of the Hall of lies is full of dazzling illusions. Each room is like another world or distant plane. There's not much in terms of active spellcasting beyond those maintaining the moving illusions. The still objects and environments are either long-lasting or permanent.

She's seen some of the illusions before. They're mostly consistent year to year, though there are always impressive new features. (The Maelstrom rooms always get a complete rework, of course.) However, she's never been able to view things under her own Detect Magic before. Illusions are impressive, of course, but they're much more impressive now that she's seen how Silent Image handles herself. High circle spells are absurd.

She drifts for a while, making sure to regularly be visible from the entrance but otherwise wandering. Seeing the magic makes some of these somewhat less impressive, but others much more so. Someone put a lot of effort into getting the invisible currents of the spells aligned elegantly on the longer-lasting displays.

She spots Yanor as she walks down a hallway. He's in one of the wilderness rooms.

If he's a divine caster, he's most likely perceptive, so he should spot her soon enough. Does she want him to apparently see her first? ...no, that's the wrong dynamic to start this on. She makes her way over in that direction.

He notices her before she reaches him and waves. "Hello! How are you doing today?"

Oh wow he's loud. (Is that human-loud or just loud for people with functional ears? She isn't sure, not in this room full of sound-distorting illusions. Either way.) Alright. She walks a little closer before replying.

"Well enough. It is much more comfortable to have all my spells back, even knowing two or three second circle castings should in almost all situations be sufficient if any number would be."

"Having a full set of spells is always nice. This festival has been very impressive so far." He gestures around at the illusory environment. "I see more clearly what I'm missing out on. These illusions are very well done."

"They are! Do you have Detect Magic today?" Surely he at least could, everyone gets it. (She thinks? Probably? The marines don't get cantrips, maybe they don't get it, but surely he does if he's third circle?) "Some of the longer-lasting designs are at their best when you can see the underlying spell auras, it must have taken a great deal of work to design them like that."

"I do have detect magic today. I haven't looked in detail at the spells yet." Yanor turns away and starts casting detect magic.

"They certainly have an impressive number of circles. I think you miss the most on the images in this area without it—" She guides him over to a few of the ones which were particularly impressive.

He follows her and concentrates on the spell. He drops the spell after around a minute of peering at the magic. "Well... it's all illusion. I already inferred that. I'm not sure what specific spells they're using."

"It definitely is, and it lasts for a while. Some of the parts of this don't change from year to year. They're almost surely the same spell. I believe there's a permanent form of Major Image which is more general than the wall-only version? That would be my guess. I know not what circle it would stabilize at for wizards, but if it's below fifth there would be casters besides the Professor, and I expect we would see more changes each year. Of course, that's only a guess."

She continues to draw him into magic theory conversations for a while. Spellcasting theory is something any competent caster is likely to have focused on, and it's a subject she's good at, so she can be impressive.

Yanor is happy to converse about magic.

Time passes. There are many things to see at the festival. Soon enough, it's time for the Breaching.

She notices, even if he doesn't. "We should get moving if we want to see the Breaching. I have heard one of the Professors will be competing today! That if nothing else should be impressive." She starts walking in the right direction.

He walks with her. "I've never seen it before. Perhaps that Professor will show off some interesting magic."

"I expect he shall! Do you know the underlying structure of the Breaching, or do you come entirely unprepared?"

"I believe it is a contest to break into the Hall of Wards?"

"It is, and the defenses are mainly standardized. Most attempts go through the doors, but sometimes one aims instead to shatter the walls, the defenses are very different. As of last time I saw them, the gates were like this..."

She can describe the defenses of the Hall she had observed, and her guesses at what each thing was on a magical level, as they walk over. She carefully avoids mentioning anything she hadn't seen before this year, but there are still quite enough things to occupy the length of their walk, and at least much of the time up to the start of the Breaching.

The crowd surrounding the Hall of Wards is quite substantial. The raised platform is almost completely full. The King and his family are visible from their private box. It's maybe five minutes until the Breaching starts.

The Hall of Wards is a plain, rectangular wooden building with minimal decoration. Large windows face the crowd, and through them one can see a large empty room with a glittering wood floor. There is one set of double doors at the front. Nothing on the building looks like an illusion, although of course this is a lie.

"It doesn't look very secure. The illusion is well done."

"I do not know how it would stand up to a closer examination, but nor would I choose to approach for such an examination. Perhaps that would be harmless but relying on it seems foolish. Be assured, beneath the surface it is quite impressive."