Chapter 1 – Chance encounters

Late winter still gripped Talagaad as Pushka Ironwright settled into life in the Flussdreck district, the city’s most run-down section where non-humans and refugees congregated. The cold was dry and sharp, and ash from a recent fire drifted through the streets, staining the snow gray. Pushka had established herself here after to escape the growing nationalist, violent xenophobia of Basecamp Gritlok and her fellow dwarves, a consequence of actions that had infuriated her younger sister Mora. While her older sister Hara had chosen to exile herself and live independently, Mora had aligned with bellicose, toxic dwarven groups and refused to speak to the family for years.

Pushka had purchased a building from Gottri Wyrmslayer, a dwarven innkeeper and brothel owner shunned by the Gritlok clan that ran the rowdy Mineshaft Manor. It was her old tavern and the structure featured eight rooms upstairs, storage space, and a secret basement room with hooks and a fireplace, and a full kitchen. Operating outside the Gritlok base camp meant Pushka faced heavy tariffs from human merchants, forcing her to run a pawn shop that specialized in refurbishing broken and discarded items. She established relationships with toshers, street urchins who scavenged sewers and streets for items she could repair and resell.

Six weeks after Mora unexpectedly moved in with Pushka following some mysterious rift with her nationalist friends, another visitor arrived. Eddie,whom Pushka had raised from infancy, knocked on her door unexpectedly in early spring, having been unemployed for six weeks after an incident at Alabaster’s shop. He claimed innocence in the explosion that destroyed his former workplace, though Pushka remained skeptical. Eddie offered to help fix things around the shop in exchange for shelter, and Pushka agreed on the condition that he obey her without question. She showed him to the secret basement room, instructing him to stay hidden and lay low to avoid trouble from those prejudiced against halflings.

Four months later, in early summer, an extraordinary procession arrived in the Flussdreck district. Baeliya Tomewarden, a high elf from the Tower, appeared with a cart full of ornate, gilded trunks, wearing expensive robes and impractical boots caked with mud. He had been tasked by his Loremaster, Emberfall, to acquire dangerous magical artifacts, but his two months in Talagaad had been frustrating. He was under orders to avoid the local high elf embassy at Haven’s Guard and he had been repeatedly robbed and turned away from lodgings. Baeliya offered Pushka a substantial amount of silver for a room, which Pushka readily accepted.

As Baeliya settled in, he was immediately overwhelmed by the chaotic disorganization of Pushka’s shop. His archival instincts took over, and he began cataloging and organizing the random assortment of items, much to Pushka’s amusement. When Baeliya explained he was searching for ancient wood elf artifacts, possibly arcane in nature, Pushka offered to help using his merchant contacts. Baeliya provided an extremely detailed, two-thousand-word document with citations describing what he sought, which Pushka distilled down to the essentials: old items of wood elf origin with magical properties.

Over the following weeks, Pushka used her charm and accounting skills to connect with merchants dealing in rare artifacts. She brought several items to Baeliya, but most proved to be mundane wood elf articles rather than the powerful magical artifacts Emberfall demanded. Pushka realized that truly magical items were likely only available through black market channels, as they commanded high prices from Imperial mages. She proposed a less conventional approach: recruiting a thief she knew through Gottri to break into wealthy merchants’ homes.

Pushka struck a deal with Mel, a skilled thief who agreed to acquire artifacts in exchange for payment and occasional lodging. Mel made it clear she preferred not to be tied down to any one place, sometimes staying at the shop and sometimes elsewhere. Over the next two months, Mel attempted to steal appropriate items by breaking into houses in the nicer parts of town. Despite her efforts, the items she brought back were closer to what Baeliya wanted but still not the truly powerful magical artifacts needed. The vague descriptions made it difficult for Mel to know exactly what to look for.

One autumn evening, after bringing back a piece of sacred tree bark that had lost its inherent magic due to improper handling, Mel took a frustrated walk to clear her head. She passed Dame Ysabeau’s manor, where the stern Bretonnian noblewoman was teaching letters to local urchins as she did most evenings. A sudden yelp from the garden startled crows and drew Mel’s attention. She observed a low, hunched figure moving through the hedges beneath the massive willow tree that dominated the garden.

Mel squeezed through the iron gates with some difficulty and moved stealthily toward the disturbance, dagger drawn. Meanwhile, Faye, a wood elf who had been living secretly in the willow tree for two months, had just awakened from another troubling dream. She was hungry and her clothes were ragged, having survived by stealing food from the surrounding area. Her preternatural senses detected a presence watching her, and she spotted a small figure outside the wrought iron gates.

As Mel approached the tree, Faye jumped down and landed behind her. Mel turned to see a desperate wood elf with unfocused eyes, wearing tattered native clothing. Both were armed and suspicious, but Mel hesitated upon recognizing Faye as a wood elf, feeling an unexpected sense of familiarity. Faye demanded to know what Mel wanted, speaking in broken common language. Mel explained she wanted to know why Faye was there and if she intended to hurt people.

Faye explained she was just trying to survive and found the tree quieter than the loud, confusing city. Mel, sensing Faye’s genuine desperation and recognizing her suffering, offered her some food and mentioned a place down the street where she could stay if she proved useful. They walked together to Pushka’s shop, with Mel explaining the wood elf artifacts she had been seeking. Mel entered through the back door and found Pushka in her study, introducing Faye as someone who seemed hungry and might be useful for finding wood elf artifacts.

Pushka offered Faye food and a room in exchange for work, instructing Eddie to keep an eye on her. As Pushka showed Faye around the shop, Baeliya heard movement outside her room and emerged to investigate. She was stunned to see a wood elf in native attire, immediately recognizing the significance. But Faye’s reaction was even more dramatic—she immediately recognized Baeliya as the high elf who had delivered a mysterious mirror to her home in Mossden.

Faye angrily confronted Baeliya, demanding to know what she was doing there and what the mirror was. Baeliya appeared genuinely confused, not recognizing Faye and denying any knowledge of a mirror. Mel and Eddie observed the intense emotional exchange, noting both Faye’s genuine fear and anger and Baeliya’s confusion. Pushka offered food and drink to de-escalate the situation, sending Eddie to retrieve pie. Mel, visibly affected by the encounter, made a quick exit with a haunted look on her face.

Later, Baeliya realized that a mirror would be highly unusual for a wood elf artifact, as wood elves did not typically use mirrors due to their culture and lack of vanity. The contradiction troubled him, but he could not reconcile Faye’s accusation with his own memories. Despite the tense encounter, Faye accepted the offer of food and shelter. Eddie brought pie, which Faye found to be one of the best things he had ever tasted. Pushka gave Faye some of Baeliya’s clothes to replace her tattered attire.

Over the first few nights, Faye slept with one eye open, still paranoid about being thrown out or attacked. Gradually, her anxiety began to ease as she settled into the shop’s routine. Faye began accompanying Mel on artifact hunting runs, proving surprisingly capable and knowledgeable about wood elf items. With Faye’s help, Mel successfully acquired genuine magical artifacts that satisfied Emberfall, Baeliya’s Loremaster. The partnership between Pushka, Mel, Faye, Eddie, and Baeliya established a working rhythm, with everyone contributing to the shop’s success in their own way.