"That can't be their usual means of transit, there are tracks, they walk..." The party should stay together, at least loosely, he hurries up a bit.

"I am nevertheless very curious whether this method of transportation is repeatable!"

She reaches out to touch the statue. The moment her fingers make contact with it, she freezes perfectly still.

"Nenio?! - report!"

He starts casting a Detect Magic.

Yep. Are the mystery people reacting at all?

They are not.

"-ow!" Deep breath. "—That's the strongest aura I've ever seen. I... think it's illusion... but I'm not sure, I'm weak on illusions."

"I don't see anything I would not expect from Nenio having chosen to walk up to a pillar and touch it. Mr. Jefto, are you weak on illusions or can you hazard a guess -"

"I'm, what do you call it, well-rounded. Detect Magic."

He sucks in a breath and concentrates for a few moments. "Illusion looks right to me. That's a really strong one."

"Perhaps it's targeting only her and that's what has her distracted?"

"Maybe, yeah. I want to know what that spell is. ...Not enough to test it myself."

"I hope she's alright..."

A kitsune, standing in the exact location Nenio was just standing and wearing Nenio's clothing, collapses to the ground.

"—That doesn't look like part of the illusion."

"Does it look like a transmutation?"

"Mmmmaybe? —no, that's just the headband. I don't see anything still on her except the Mage Armor that was already there, do you—"

Headshake. "Just the lingering aura, but it's not active any longer."

"I am Nenio!" shouts the kitsune. (She's not looking at the party.) "Ne-ni-o! Do you hear me, voice from nowhere? Are you even recording the results of your experiment, or simply engaging in very pointless conversation?"

"Can surfacers do that? Just... turn into foxes?"

"We cannot! Nenio, can you hear me?"

Blink blink. "Indeed I can, select boy. Would you be interested in participating in an experiment about the unusual magical effect that appears to be associated with this statue?"

"Does this involve touching the statue? It does not look obviously wise to do that."

"It would, yes. My observations thus far suggest that it is not dangerous, merely frustrating."

"Frustrating in ways beyond your species transmutation?"