“The shop smells faintly of ozone and lavender. Shelves of glass and driftwood spiral up from a central brass column; small motes of light float lazily between them. Merinthia, soft-spoken and impossibly patient, greets customers by remembering one small detail about them (often accurate). She prefers trades involving rare components or stories of unusual magic and will give a modest discount to customers who can demonstrate a spell (cantrip or 1st-level) in the shop. Her familiar, an opinionated mottled owl named Quill, perches on the register and occasionally bats at coins it dislikes. Merinthia strictly enforces the 'no unsupervised experiments' rule: customers may try an item in a small, padded demonstration alcove but must leave destructive tests for outside.”