Session 0/1 Post Credit Scene

*Castigere's Curiosities* was a chain, a series of stores located across Elluria. Many towns had a branch, and Oleira was no exception. This particular store sat on a picturesque avenue in the Marble district, lined with trees, with storefronts and estates along one side and one of Oleira's many canals along the other. The store front itself was small and unassuming for the neighborhood it sat in, with a facade barely wider than the front door and the simplest of signs. But it was more than enough for the kind of clientele the store attracted.

The interior was a stark contrast from the facade. The inside was large, almost impossibly so, unless the adjacent stores and residences were false facades, which they weren't. But somehow, a store several times the size of the footprint had been stuffed into the tiny space. While the building on the outside was three stories tall, the interior store shot up seven stories, It was square and hollow, with a massive skylight in the ceiling illuminating the interior space, and a staircase winding up the interior walls of mahogany wood and wrought iron railings.Some floors had wares easily identified, even from the ground level, as shelves of books or racks or armor could be seen. But other floors were dark and hidden. A sweet smell, like Nag Champa, wafted through the air and the soft sound of music, played by a lute, could be heard.

It was after midnight, and a stealthy form moved through the shadows. It was the night of new moon, and the figure had been waiting for this day, when the interior of the shop would be as dark as possible. It moved stealthily through the main lobby, then climbed the staircase, its objective already in mind.

The figure considered itself fortunate. The vast resources of a place like *Castigere's Curiosities* made it so much easier to find a specific object-- in this case, a small jeweled box, inlaid with gold and Garnet. It would be locked, and could only be opened under certain conditions-- conditions the figure had carefully researched. The store branch in Iddamakur had revealed that an object in the inventory here in Oleira had matched the description, and weeks had been spent making the journey here, casing the store, and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Deftly, a pair of hands picked the lock of an office door using a set of Thieve's tools, steeping nimbly into the room. the figure opened a cabinet which contained a small chest made of black Poisonwood. *Right where they said it would be.*

Savoring the moment, the figure took advantage of the darkness to remove the cloak from her head, revealing an elven face the color of black mahogany, framed by long, flowing silver hair. With a flourish, she tipped back the lid of the chest to reveal its contents.

The chest was empty.

For a moment, she stood, dumbfounded by disbelief. Then, with a snarl, she threw the chest across the room. With an intensity that was almost feral, she began ransacking the room, looking for any clues as to where the jeweled box was, or who might have taken it. After several minutes, she paused, exhausted, then noticed her nose was running and her eyes were red and watery. An allergic reaction.

She was allergic to cats.

Suddenly focused, she went back to the cabinet, checking every inch, every nook and cranny, until she found what she needed.

*Cats shed. even the ones that walk on two legs.*

In the back corner of the cabinet, she found what she was looking for: a single golden hair.

She smiled to herself. *Only a matter of time now.*