30 NPCs – The Displaced Shoppe

The Displaced Shoppe

XIV

The greeting is warm and inviting, a surprising welcome here in the middle of the crypt. The party had been trudging through worn ancient floors of mud, limestone slabs, and false camena stone. Here, they stood on polished wood slates, arranged in long mosaic hexes. The adornments had been tattered old banners, rusted busts, and the occasional guck covered jewel. Here, vellum printed adverts marked prices, a silken sash was woven between sections of polished display cases, and a platinum chandelier illuminated the room. The wolvenisa standing behind the counter was groomed and powdered from the base of their fur to the tips of their popped collar. The only thing about this sudden shop that seemed as grimy as the crypt around it was that merchant smile on the shoppe keeper’s muzzle.

The Displaced Shoppe is a place and an npc. Located in the middle of a dungeon, a crypt, under the sewers of an ancient city, or any other strange out of the way locale, the shoppe is a travelling space that seeks out wealthy individuals in far reaching cubbies. Since most spaces are rarely visited, it senses the arrival of adventurers in these dangerous spots, and manifests shortly after a conflict or stressful situation of some type, hoping to prey on their need for healing, relaxation, and a hearty meal.

The shoppe specializes in the limited usage market. Potions, scrolls, one time use gadgets, hot and filling meals, drinks, and occasionally even accommodations. The keeper is friendly and warm, so long as it thinks a profit can be had. And profit is the goal. All of the prices are far above reasonable asking value. The store relies on the desperate and needy, and the keeper will ham it up. If the keeper makes a successful sale at all, they will be back at some point in the future of the party’s adventures; again appearing at a time of desperation.

Manipulation of the keeper lies in the art of negotiation. Threats of are of little use, as the keeper has a failsafe. If they take any damage, their entire shoppe will teleport home, as will the keeper and all the goods not purchased. Attempting to halt the departure of the shop will find that most of the things on display are not actually here but are only teleported here after purchase. It’s not impossible to stop the keeper, but it should be hard, and it shouldn’t be rewarding. Even their remains will dissipate away.

In fantasy they arrive by magic. Illusions and teleportation are their means of access, and they will avoid things that might hinder their exodus.

In sci-fi they arrive with faster than light travel typically beyond what the players or their enemies may have access to. A drifter on the far planes of space looking to make credits.

In ages of discovery, their little dinghy seems to show up just off the beach at the right time. No one else seems to notice it, and it moves faster than it should as it departs.

A diversion, a piece of comfort, a smell of fine spices and surprising warmth, the Displaced Shoppe is a wonder to behold amidst the darkness of this mine. How they arrive and how they depart remains a mystery, but the promise to be seen in the future is both comforting, and unnerving. Mostly for the coin purse.