Calypso’s Curiosities

Bargaining

Elpha never had her mother’s aptitude for bartering, so she depends on Calypso’s guidance when determining prices. Often, Elpha will name a price below the market value, before a disapproving meow prompts her to recant: “200 dollars is fine – eh, far too low, maybe 400 dollars, no, 500 dollars!” Seeing as Calypso is the true mastermind of the business, how customers treat her as a cat greatly influences prices. Give her a treat? Now you are her best friend – at least until her next nap. Try to kick her or scare her away from something, and prices will skyrocket – or you may even end up cursed! Flattery aimed at Elpha won’t affect prices, while earnest interest and compliments directed at Calypso go far. 

Biases

Calypso – whose opinion weighs most heavily when it comes to bargaining – has a strong preference for wizards. Characters who are nice to animals – such as druids or rangers – are also favored. Conversely, characters who own dogs – “those wretched beasts!” – will find no good bargain in the shop, if they are allowed entry at all.

Valuables

	Item Name	Type	Rarity	Value
1	Potion of Climbing	potion	common	$25
2	Potion of Diminution	potion	rare	$50
3	Spell Scroll (1st Level): Frost Fingers	scroll	common	$50
4	Spell Scroll (2nd Level): Moonbeam	scroll	uncommon	$100
5	Potion of Clairvoyance	potion	rare	$100
6	Potion of Invisibility	potion	very rare	$200
7	Spell Scroll (3rd Level): Tidal Wave	scroll	uncommon	$300
8	Ring of Jumping	ring	uncommon	$300
9	Potion of Fire Giant Strength	potion	rare	$400
10	Ring of Feather Falling	ring	rare	$400
11	Spell Scroll (4th Level): Staggering Smite	scroll	rare	$500
12	Ring of Mind Shielding	ring	uncommon	$500
13	Potion of Supreme Healing	potion	very rare	$600
14	Ring of Cold Resistance	ring	rare	$1,000
15	Spell Scroll (5th Level): Passwall	scroll	rare	$1,000
16	Potion of Storm Giant Strength	potion	legendary	$1,000
17	Ring of Evasion	ring	rare	$2,500
18	Staff of Healing	staff	rare	$5,000
19	Wand of Paralysis	wand	rare	$8,000
20	Tome of Understanding	wonderous item	very rare	$30,000

Defenses

No Meek Magicians 

Elpha is a competent wizard who, despite her friendly demeanor, is perfectly capable of defending herself against aggressive customers. Armed with powerful magical defenses and spells of evocation, Elpha dishes out destruction with surprising relish when necessary. Though her predicament prevents her from casting spells, Calypso is no harmless kitty. A magical necklace – crafted by Elpha with Calypso’s guidance – allows her to transform into a fearsome spellmane lion (see Calypso’s stat block) 

Arcane Wards

The entirety of Calypso’s Curiosities and Magical Emporium is protected by a permanent private sanctum spell that blocks divination and teleportation spells. The windows and doors in the shop are also imbued with alarm spells that send mental alarms to Elpha if intruders try to enter when she’s out.  The shop’s most valuable items are kept in the back, protected by a glyph of warding on the door that casts a DC 16 mass suggestion (“Run away as fast as you can!”) on any who enter without Elpha or Calypso. Another glyph of warding holding an irresistible dance spell targets any who pick up the items without permission (the glyphs are removed when an item is sold).

Calling for Backup

Elpha also carries a ring of alarm, which triggers if she's reduced to 0 hit points, becomes unwillingly incapacitated (such as when stunned by a spell), or if she simply says the name “Bandakus.” When triggered, guard captain Bandakus (veteran) receives a magical message (as with the spell sending). Reacting promptly, the captain and 8 veterans from a nearby garrison show up at the shop only a few rounds later.

History

Before she managed to turn herself into a cat, Calypso was a well-respected wizard and enchanter. She had spent years studying at the Academy Arcana before becoming a professor there herself. After giving birth to her daughter, Elpha, she retired from her position at the academy and opened up Calypso’s Curiosities and Magical Emporium. Elpha’s father is no longer in the picture (“Leave it to that fool conjurer to pop out to the Feywild for a bag of pixie dust and never return!” as Calypso would often remark to Elpha – before she became a cat, that is).
As the daughter of two competent wizards, Elpha was trained in the arcane arts from an early age. She has become a skilled evoker, although seemingly never good enough to meet her mother’s high standards. Elpha’s life hasn’t become easier since Calypso’s transformation, as her mother is never too far away to comment (“meow–meeeeow–meeeeeooow!”). Despite constant castings of prestidigitation, Elpha always has a little cat fur on her somewhere.

• Elpha
• Calypso
• Area 3 on the Market Map

Parent Location

Shadow Kind Magical Market