“The Ember & Anvil sits on a side street that smells of coal and ozone. Rune-etched ironwork frames the doorway and a continuous strand of faint orange light pulses beneath the forge's lip. Shelves hold weapons and armor in tidy rows, but a curtain hides the backroom where Thalra keeps works-in-progress. The forge sings: small mechanical sprites of hot cinder and brass wander the shop and fetch tongs or polish a plate at Thalra's command. Thalra Emberhand, a level 8 Rock Gnome Artificer, is the proprietor; she is squat and freckled, with soot-scarred fingertips and a laugh like a struck bell. She favors bargaining in trades of rare components and offers attunement guidance for the magical items she sells. Thalra will take in trade-ins, repair items for a fraction of their worth, and will craft custom, modestly enchanted gear for adventurers of mid levels for an extra fee and the proper materials. Signs in the shop warn: 'Do not feed the cinders' and a small bell rings when guests are found to be wearing ill-tempered metal.”