Shopping Shenanigans

*Hired by*: Ophelia (magic item merchant)

*Mission Request*: Collect psionic crystals from lizards

*Rewards/Loot*: Will reward 10,000gp per 1kg of crystal

*Discovered Places*: The Lapis Ambry (magic shop)

*Caravan Allies*: Gromlo (antiquarian), Caliban (cook), "Bob" (alarm gnome)

*Monsters Encountered*: N/A

```
 Previous Episode                                           Next Episode

```

## Summary

During the week at Aesarel's Temple, Raxis befriended many of the slaves and learned they oldest one had been there for ~20 years. According to the air elementals, the fire elementals had controlled the area for 87 years. Aster spent her time befriending the griffons and even persuaded their caretaker to gift her an egg. The party invited the freed slaves to join them in warping to Uqhesh. Once in Uqhesh the gang searched for a magic shop to spend all their hard earned coin after the past few events with the air elementals. They found The Lapis Ambry magic shop in the Shade Market run by Ophelia Noor, a Vedalken woman. The group bought the three pairs of goggles of night in stock along with a couple other magic items. With her new mom-status, Aster commissioned the Ophelia to create a protective carrier for her egg for 300gp. Ophelia offered 20,000gp/kg (or store credit) if the party collected psionic crystals from crystal lizards that live in the Crystal Forest. In addition, she was willing to give them 10,000gp for each remnite node cluster found in the Manastorm Grounds (the group dubbed these "storm nuggets").

After their shopping excursion, Raxis wanted to check in with his criminal organization The Brotherhood of the Left Hand. Aster and Eira joined him at The Kalahari to meet his contact, a woman named Cintra. They were then directed to the butcher shop Benny's Meats to meet Clove, an albino crocodile missing his left hand. He was very charming for being so intimidating. Aster accepted his offer of a rare meat meal while Raxis talked to him about a potential contract.

The Golden Lotus Trials happen every 19 years in Celadon with the timing of the golden lotuses blooming. They are happening this year in roughly four weeks - they start July 21, 6812. The competition is comprised of three trials: Speed, Might, and Cultivation. Speed is almost always some kind of race. Might is strength. And cultivation involves planting a golden lotus; the details are less clear. The trials change every time but the reward remains the same: a vial of refined golden lotus extract. The elixir can heal almost all wounds and supposedly can grant a longer lasting life. Clove wants The Dziyiri Nakkar Consortium to sabotage specific people from winning the competition because he and some of his associates are better against them. There are two teams the party needs to prevent from winning. If they can uphold this contract, the party will be rewarded 50,000gp. Askia's Glory is lead by someone named Halcyon and the Solemn Crane Company is lead by General Tanner Yokai. Aster recognized the second team; the Solemn Crane Company is the mercenary group based in the Adamant Ocean and three of their members had been hired to help the Vudrian official retrieve Sambal the tiefling (*see Episode 11*).