[ The pit bubbles with a dimly unpleasant, organic smell. Like someone trying to boil a tree.

The mirror though ... a shape flickers in it. A shadow? A face, maybe. ]

Ah, alchemy. I've dabbled in that quite a bit. I did glyphs first, but alchemy came soon after.

[ He gestures at the everything. ]

This is something of an idealized workshop, but yes.