Cirast Overhill's Abode
"Ah, now that's something you don't see everyday, at least not on the surface." The curator takes the bottle from Shandara with an anticipatory grin, uncorks it and fills two small glasses. He hands one of the glasses back to Shandara. "I've been told that, for cultural reasons, the first measure poured from a bottle like this should always shared with the one that offered it." He says with a smile and a wink, before immediately downing his glass.

He shudders with delight for a moment, then firmly plants his hands on the table to stabilize himself. "It leaves a faint tingling sensation in my mouth, as it should, and of course it has quite the kick." He nods, a dreamy smile crossing his face as his eyes move away from Shandara for a moment, tracking something only he can see. "The additional properties you mentioned are definitely noticeable, but not overdone. You didn't skimp on the ingredients either, and remembered to take care of your yeast with something nice too. However, a bit more care could have been take in your blend of ingredients. A little less King's Beard, a little more Bluecap. Also, might I suggest adding a couple of young Grencap mushrooms to the initial mix? They mask the taste of the Gutroot extract which, while a traditional component due to the way it helps counteract a variety of poisons, doesn't really improve the overall taste." He counts down the various points on his fingers as he lists them, then provides his verdict. "Overall it's a pretty decent creation, especially for a hobbyist."

His proclamation causes a couple of the other bystanders to snigger or shake their heads in a dismissive way. The curator responds to that immediately, however. "Before you think I'm damning this bottle with faint praise, you should know that it's probably among the 10 best bottles of this type you could get in the city, especially if we exclude the three I have in my private reserve. The empire doesn't trade with the Drow, and the bottles that do make its way to the surface tend to be of decidedly inferior quality. What she has created might not be on quite the same level as the bottles grace the tables of the Underdark's matriarchs, but it's still far ahead of the swill you can find around here." At that, he turns back to Shandara. "You should consider taking what you've created here to a bar called the 'Xlotl's Nest'. Its proprietor and clientele will appreciate what you've created here, and will pay you a more than fair price. Just tell them I approve of what you've created."

The Esterwald estate
"Time to put this to the test then." The baron gestures to two servants who carefully lift him up and then guide his legs into Bolten's contraption. though the pants the baron wears seem to have been designed to conceal the state of his legs, it's still clear they're far, far thinner than they should be. Once he's fully strapped in the servants carefully let go of him, standing ready to grab him if it looks like he'll fall. Supported by the clockwork legs, the Baron remains quite upright, however.

He first uses the manual controls to carefully walk back and forth a short distance. "It's decidedly odd to have these legs move for me, but it's not an unpleasant feeling. You designed these well, master Bolten. I was worried your apparatus would put too much strain on my legs, but it feels like your contraption takes nearly all of my weight on itself."

The old baron then places the circlet on his head. "Now, let's see..." The legs suddenly make a lurching step forward, and the Baron would probably have fallen if the servants at his side hadn't moved in to support him. The bron frowns, then waves his servants away again as he finds his balance. The next attempted step goes much like the first, however, as does the one after that, and the one after that.

Several times it looks like Eduard the younger is going to interfere, yet each time his father waves him back. After 10 minutes or so of lurching around the garden the Baron's balance does seem to have improved somewhat, but his movement is still far from natural. When he arrives to stand back in front of his son and Bolten, he's clearly winded. Yet a determined grin plays around his lips and, and a twinkle of mirth is visible in his eyes. "It seems that I have, in fact, forgotten how to walk." He states, matter-of-factly.

"I'm sure all that can be improved with another iteration on the design." Eduard the younger intercedes with an angry glance at Bolten.

The baron waves away his son's response though. "The fault does not lie with the creation, but with me. Mentally ontrolling this contraption isn't quite as intuitive as I'd hoped, but I'm starting to understand it now, and with more practice it'll work just fine. And oddly enough, using my mind to control these legs makes it feel a lot more like I am moving rather that that I'm being moved by the contraption. That's more than worth the effort required to learn how to use it properly." He then turns to Bolten. "It's a wonderful thing you've created here, master Cogturner. Please, name your price."