A captivating first impression

"Watch your step. I might have huge reserves of mana, but I want to conserve what I can so that means I'm keeping things simple. The platforms I make will be sturdy, but I'll be keeping them small and they'll be wet."

The others nodded, not wanting to push the issue. About half an hour had passed since they arrived at the basin's edge and most of the time since had consisted of a fair deal of arguing. The staunch difference between the mana-rich zone and the surrounding forest had put everyone on edge and made it clear that, no matter what they had come to accept in theory, seeing the thing in reality made everything feel far more concrete.