Etoilean Inventor's Fair

The crowds were packed in this year's Inventor's Fair. Toreo normally stood a head higher than most average folk in the Capital City, but his height was of no help here, as the sea of people threatened to sweep him off his feet. It was all he could do to grab onto a pole and hold steady until the crowd thinned a bit. All he had wanted to do was see the latest model of Power-Wagon, which would have been at the pavilion at the center of the Fair, but this was a bit much. Maybe he could just wait until nightfall.
He heard muffled yelling; someone in the crowd had a hand raised up, waving in slight panic, but it seemed like all the people in the crowd were paying it no heed. Where were the guards? He thought about it a bit, then shook his head and stepped forcefully through the masses, forcing people to the side. With a grunt, he grabbed the hand and yanked it up and over the crush, and, without looking, shouldered his way back out of the crowd, whoever he grabbed draped across his back as he escaped the throngs.
He got back to his pole and turned around. In front of him was a red-faced teenaged girl, breathing heavily from the crowd crush, dressed in what had once been fine silks, but were now soiled and torn. She pointed an accusatory finger.
"Where were you educated, to treat people like sacks of feed?" She coughed, clearing her voice. "I grant that it was necessary at the start, but you could have set me down like a civilized Etoilean instead of dragging me out here."
"You're welcome." Toreo frowned. "What's a girl like you doing at the Fair, alone? Shouldn't you be with your parents?"
Her eyes narrowed. "I am a Magistrate trainee, here to witness the fruit of Etoilean Progress at this Fair and know for myself the values I will uphold. I require no chaperone to further my training in this regard."
"Very good, but even a friend would have told you not to get swept away in the crowds." Toreo nodded his head towards the crowd crush, which was now being broken up by guardsmen; a couple of people had already fainted away and were being passed overhead. "What booth were you going to?"
The girl paused for a moment. "...the Powered stuffed rabbits that can walk. I've heard the Schweil Consortium is buying out that inventor for production, and I wanted to see one for myself." She glanced at her feet, as though embarrassed to mention a toy.
Toreo laughed. "Don't worry, I won't tell your parents. Here, let's go. Can't have a little miss like you get crushed in the crowd again today."
"While I may be 'little', my name is Caranda Valier, and I will soon be a Magistrate. 'Miss' will not be the appropriate title for someone sworn to the service." Her tone was back to severe and clipped as she followed Toreo down the Fair way.
"Toreo. Just Toreo. No special titles or any of that for me, I'm just here to see the wagons, I'm a go-fast kind of guy." Toreo didn't give the booths they were passing a second glance; most of it seemed to be manufactory line improvements. Their destination was in the commercial production section of the Fair and would have been packed in again, but guards were now making sure that the crowds didn't get to a dangerous density.
They arrived at a booth with a large sign, painted with the logo of Schweil, but the booth was empty except for a haggard looking woman wearing a machinist's frock. "Sorry, we're done for the day. Every single rabbit sold and we can't make any more in time for the rest of the fair."
Caranda's face fell. "Not even one? I simply wanted to see how they walked."
Toreo put a hand on her shoulder, a gesture meant to be reassuring. "If they're this popular, you'll see them on the shelves of toy stores soon enough." 
The girl shook her head. "I will be a Magistrate before that happens, and such fripperies would be beneath me by then. This is unfortunate, but we all have to make sacrifices in the name of Progress."
Toreo blinked at that. Was this girl serious? "I don't think it's against any laws for a Magistrate to have a stuffed animal, Caranda."

History

Progress is the fundamental idea behind the Principality of Etoile, as the new Power technology was what allowed the King of Nasse to unite the continent and name himself the First Princeps. The fact that Power was first developed in Nasse is not a coincidence; Nasse had been for many years a leader in rationalist thought and philosophy, and attracted thinkers from across the petty kingdoms, offering stipends and grants for any who wished to pursue interesting ideas. After The War of Unification, several institutions and structures were built in order to forward Progress as a principle of the nation, such as The Academy of Etoile, the Office of Progress as headed by the Arbiter of Progress, and even the construction of Patino, the Machine City as a new type of city, founded on Power technology. 
It was never forgotten, however, that the basic building blocks of Power (as well as the vast majority of innovations of the Chemisters, the Constructors, and so forth) were built by the breakthroughs of individuals and small teams building off of each other's works, not by a massive state-sponsored project full of slow-moving masses. The Inventor's Fair is the recognizance of this historical fact; a celebration of the potential of the geniuses of Etoile. The first Fair was held in the still-under-construction Etoile Capital City at the start of second season 632, with the dust of the just-finished central plaza still in the air as inventors demonstrated their works to an audience of mostly Principality officials and construction workers.
The Fair has been held every two years since then, without exception or pause; even disasters such as the Grand Canal Floodgate Crisis of 688 were deemed no obstacle to the hosting of the Fair, with booths replaced by tied down barges and Fair attendees navigating the plaza on temporary wooden scaffolding. The Fair is protected by statute and the personal authority of the Princeps, and has seen no significant change in format or eligibility - any inventor bringing something interesting may apply for a presentation booth, and the more esoteric the work, the more likely it is that person will be allowed to display their craft.
The discovery of Magic in 715 raised a philosophical question - is Magic an invention, are magic spells innovation, and should magic-aided constructions be put on display at the Fair? These questions were answered with a tentative yes, but the Wizard's Association of Etoile's partnership with the Power Engineer's Consortium ended in a disaster casualty event at the Fair of 718. Magical implements and innovations are not permitted at the Fair until further notice, though this is under constant review and is the subject of heated debates regarding the place of Magic in Etoilean Progress.

Execution

The Etoilean Inventor's Fair is held in the third week of second season, every two years, as a way to 'open' the summer that year. The largest of the plazas in the Central district of the Capital City is reserved for the fair, with hundreds of booths stood up each year. Each and every booth is run by a specific inventor, displaying some novel invention either in the prototype and demonstration phase, or in the sales and marketing phase, and is targeted towards the average Etoilean consumer. 
Four weeks prior to the opening of the Fair, inventors across Etoile are invited to apply for booths. Booths are open only to individual inventors showcasing something they either made themselves or principally contributed to; consortium groups such as the Unified Trade Consortium cannot have a booth in their own names, but individual employee inventors on their payroll can apply for personal booths. Civil servants at the Office of Progress, under direction of the Arbiter of Progress, approve roughly eight hundred applications for presentation, split roughly equally between bleeding edge demonstrators and theoretical presentations, and practical consumer or consortium-level Power applications. The booths are stood up a week before the Fair, with hawkers, food vendors, and other non-presentor services also brought in at this time.
The Princeps traditionally throws open the gates to the Fair in a lavish opening ceremony, inviting the public to peruse the newest inventions of the Principality over the next eight days. During this time, inventors demonstrate their skills and attempt to close sponsorship and sales deals, while members of the public explore the newest inventions, scientific breakthroughs, and eat and drink their fill - the Fair in the evening resembles nothing so much as a massive public party, though Capital guards are careful to keep the revelry from damaging any booths or displays. Occasionally, booths will be vacated mid-Fair (for example, if an inventor closes a deal and gets their product sponsored for manufactory production), and other inventors can fill the open space; no two days at the Fair are ever alike.
The last day of the Fair ends with a closing ceremony. The best invention of the Fair is announced by popular vote, and the succession ceremony for Arbiter of Progress is held, if their term is up this year. Upon the conclusion of a Fair, one can expect a number of new goods put into manufactory production, new lines of scientific inquiry and exploration (and the resulting exploration contracts for Cartographers and Mercenaries), and thorough discussion and review of the latest and greatest in the journals and salons of the Capital City.

Components and tools

Other than the inventors and their inventions, a common saying is that the Fair runs on fry oil and alcohol. The food and drink vendors are absolutely critical to keeping the Fair well trafficked each day. For many street food vendors, the Fair is the most profitable time of the year, and vendors are encouraged to stockpile ingredients well in advance.

Participants

The individual inventor is at the core of the Fair. Inventors that have been approved for Fair presentation are the pride of the Principality, and their inventions are the core of Progress, whether they're wild and fantastical creations never to see the light of day again, consumer luxury toys that the Foremost houses will race to get their hands on, or incremental industrial improvements that gather interest only from manufactory directors. 
Other than the inventors, infrastructure staff, and other vendors, the most important participant in the fair is the public. Progress-minded citizens of the Principality are expected to embrace the novel and the interesting; public interest in the Fair is a proxy for the public's belief in Progress, and therefore a proxy for public approval of the Principality of Etoile itself. The Fair is an inherently optimistic event, and when public sentiment is positive, the Fair plaza is packed to the brim. Low turnout at any given Fair is cause for political concern, whether it's due to an economic downturn, negativity towards the state, or anti-Progress sentiment.

Primary Related Location

Etoile Capital City

Related Organizations

• Principality of Etoile