The riverside was a mess of docks and warehouses, teeming with people. Boats and barges came in and out, wagons were loaded and unloaded. Magic lamps were in heavy use to cut through the fog, even with hours of daylight left. Jason noticed magic being used in an oddly workman-like fashion, powering cranes or propelling watercraft. He saw rivermen and dockworkers drawing runes that glowed as they took effect. There were two bridges that arched away into the mist on thick columns, high enough that boats could sail comfortably underneath. The fog hid the far bank from sight.

A busy dockmaster promised them passage downriver in the morning on the condition that they showed up on time. The organised chaos of the docks waited for no one, even fancy adventurers. They found lodgings for the night, a hostel for teamsters with no more amenities than a barrel of water. A roomful of unhappy wagoners discovered that Gary was a snorer.

The next day they were on a barge heading down river. Jason was surprised to realise that most of the watercraft were built not from wood or metal, but green stone. Farrah explained that the local stone had a strong water affinity, making it easy to craft a magic-driven boat from.

Rufus did his best to stay out of the crew’s way, while Gary happily helped out. His overwhelming strength was a more than welcome addition. Farrah took the time to show Jason how the magic propulsion pushed the barge along. There was a dedicated member of the crew whose sole job was to manage the magic. He was happy to find someone taking an interest, letting Jason and Farrah see the various ways magic was used throughout the ship.

Jason was impressed with the nuance with which magic was integrated into the barge. It was obviously the result of lengthy design iteration. Like other examples of magic he had seen, from lighting to indoor plumbing, this raised his estimation of the world’s technology level. It seemed this world’s reliance on magic placed it on a completely different technological track to his own.

“Boating engineer is a profession that uses little bits from various kinds of magic,” Farrah explained. “They don’t really understand anything outside of their job. They’re professionals with skill, but a very narrow focus. As adventurers, we’re better off with more breadth than depth when it comes to magic. We never know what we’ll come across.”

As the barge sailed downriver it left Verdant Fields behind. The mist coming from the river was thicker or thinner in various places as they sailed through, the surrounding terrain reflecting its life-giving power. When it was thin, the desert came right up to the riverbanks. Where the fog was thick, the river bounded with life. It might be a patch of wet forest, or a long, gorgeous valley of lush green.