The Lazy Hunter
The Lazy Hunter is Aritan’s most infamous curiosity shop, crammed to the rafters with trinkets, oddities, and possibly magical (or entirely mundane) items. The shop has become a must-visit for travelers who wander into Aritan expecting some charm, mystery… and maybe just a little magic, despite the town’s famous anti-magic aura.
The shop is owned and operated by Serilye , a sharp-witted elf with thick reddish-brown hair, amber eyes, and pewter-rimmed glasses. She wears leather armor like it's a second skin and always seems to be spinning a copper ring around her finger as she sizes up her customers. Her shop is less a place of commerce and more a living game of chance. A brass sign above the door reads: “Everything is 5 gold. All sales are final.”
Purpose / Function
The Lazy Hunter exists almost purely to lure in tourists, wandering adventurers, and curious locals looking to tempt fate. Every item costs exactly 5 gold, regardless of its supposed value. Shiny spoon? Five gold. Slightly glowing orb that could hum ominously? Five gold. Broken comb wrapped in spiderwebs with a tag that says, “formerly belonged to a prince”? Still five gold.
Because of Aritan’s ambient anti-magic field, no one can identify, attune, or properly test any items while still within town borders. Customers must take their purchases elsewhere if they want to find out whether they bought a dormant magical artifact or an enchanted paperweight. Serilye claims this keeps things “authentic"...or not.
Architecture
The Lazy Hunter is built into the corner of two residential buildings, appearing from the outside like a crooked stack of firewood that somehow became a shop. Its front is cluttered with windchimes made of bent forks, rusted armor on mannequins, and wooden signs advertising “Genuine Magical Goods (Probably).” The shop’s windows are foggy and filled with dusty curios—half of which are upside down.
History
Serilye arrived in Aritan around thirty years ago. No one knows where she came from or how she makes any money—especially since she refuses to haggle and sells everything at a loss. What’s clear is that she’s made a name for herself through sheer confidence, showmanship, and stubborn charisma. The shop’s name supposedly comes from Serilye herself.
When asked why it’s called The Lazy Hunter, she once said: “Because I don’t go looking for magic anymore. I wait for magic to find me—and if it doesn’t, well, I sell it anyway.”
There are rumors she once was an adventurer, or perhaps even a smuggler of magical goods. Others whisper that she’s secretly researching the anti-magic field itself, using the shop as a cover. Serilye has never confirmed anything. She just shrugs and sells you a ladle that might once have belonged to a lich.
Tourism
The Lazy Hunter is a top destination for outsiders visiting Aritan. Even those who scoff at magic find themselves lured in, pocketing five gold in case something on the shelves calls to them. It’s become a rite of passage for travelers to Aritan: buy one item from The Lazy Hunter, then roll the dice—literally or figuratively.
Some tourists frame their “duds” like trophies. Others claim they discovered powerful magical effects weeks or months later. A few swear the items change over time… but who’s keeping track?
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