The people (mostly locals, so mostly men) in this tavern are newly-wealthy and magically powerful and selected at least a little bit for recklessness, so many of them are showing off. There are priceless artifacts on tables, being exclaimed over; there's four people crowded around a crystal ball in the corner; there's an illusionist illustrating a story that his friend is telling; there's a bard playing a harp and a toad working diligently to spell something out on a board with letters on it. There's an arm-wrestling match both participants in which are drunk.
In a different corner four men are sitting and talking quietly and testing out a pair of goggles of Darkvision.