“Astraeum Curiosa sits on a crooked lane, its windows filled with chasing motes of light. Inside, shelves slope at odd angles and jars labeled in half a dozen scripts bubble or glow faintly. Elarin Voss greets customers perched on a tall stool behind a counter cluttered with open tomes, brass instruments and a sleepy owl that serves as a watchful companion. Elarin speaks in a soft, slightly sardonic voice, has a habit of balancing items on the tip of a long, ink-stained finger while haggling, and will often offer a 'secret discount' for interesting curios, information, or a trade in odd ingredients. The shop maintains a modest ledger of favored patrons and a small back alcove where rarer wares are demonstrated (for a fee or a favor). Elarin dislikes loud clerics, always forgets where the broom is kept, and insists tea is an indispensable reagent for discerning true magic.”