Temple Square — Beacon
Enchanted Steps
Walk a Different Path
Read to Players
“Stepping into Enchanted Steps fills you with something between awe and unease — the good kind. The floor is wood, but snaking across it is a path of packed dirt, stamped tight and clearly real, that winds through the shop in a lazy S before looping back to itself at the far end. You walk the path the way the store intends to be walked, past round display tables covered in small glowing bottles and clusters of crystal, past mannequins in leather armor gripping staves, past hooks hung with coiled rope and racks of items you'd need a closer look to name.
On the left, near the front, is a large dark-wood counter. Atop it sits a lantern filled with live fireflies, their light pressing warm and unsteady through frosted glass panes. And beside the counter is a tree. A real tree, by every indication — bark, roots, and branches all accounted for. Its trunk disappears into the wall behind the counter as though it simply grew there first and the building was put up around it. The roots vanish into the floorboards as if the boards were soil. The branches extend into the ceiling and through the walls, green-leafed and lit here and there by wandering fireflies.
Forty feet back, a rope bridge spans the width of the rear wall as a display — thick braided cord, the kind built to hold weight over a real drop. Above it, painted on the wall in careful letters: Every step tells a story. Where will yours take you? On the right, an archway of twisted wood and climbing roses frames a window where daylight pours in, warm and vivid, as though it came from somewhere other than Temple Square.”
Gruk Snowshanks
Orc (Male)
Old. The kind of old that was once something else entirely — broad-shouldered and powerful, by the look of the frame still underneath. Age has bent him forward and drawn the color from his gray-green skin. His hair is white and tied back. An eye patch covers one eye. His bottom tusks push past his lips, the tip of the right one broken off at an angle. He wears a plain brown vest with nothing beneath it and leather breeches. He leans against the counter the way people lean when standing has become a negotiation with their body rather than a given.
Inventory
Most items are one of a kind. Gruk acquired them the way he acquired most things — by going where they were.
Thistleward Staff
One of a Kind1 in stock
450 gp
A traveling staff etched with thistle patterns along its length.
The bearer ignores the effects of difficult terrain while traveling.
“It only works on one person but it's an amazing tool for scouting ahead.” — Gruk
Travel-Light Staff
One of a Kind1 in stock
225 gp
Tapping the butt of this staff twice on the ground activates the head, which lights up with a bright steady glow.
Provides bright light in total darkness out to 50 feet. Lasts 1 hour per use. 3 uses per long rest.
Squeam-Light Lantern
One of a Kind1 in stock
700 gp
An unremarkable lantern when unlit. When lit at night, it casts a dim green glow and emits an effect that most creatures find deeply unpleasant to approach.
Any creature that starts its turn outside of 30 feet and attempts to enter that radius must pass a CON saving throw. On a failure, the creature gets sick to its stomach and must turn away. Lasts 8 hours. The lantern must remain still — if moved, the effect ends and it becomes an ordinary lantern. 1 use per long rest.
“There are a lot of places out there where the wildlife will kill you faster than bandits. This will help keep some of them at bay while you rest.” — Gruk
Illusion Stones
10 in stock
65 gp each
Plain-looking stones. The user holds one, thinks of an illusion — what it looks like, sounds like, how it moves — and then throws it within range. When it lands and settles, the illusion appears.
Creates a complete illusion with sound and movement at the landing point. Any close inspection reveals it as fake.
Whispering Spyglass
One of a Kind1 in stock
500 gp
A brass spyglass, longer than most, with faint script running along the barrel.
The user can read the lips of any humanoid visible through the glass. Understands all languages and translates directly in the user's mind. The speaker's lips must be visible. Range: 100 feet.
Deep Breath Necklace
One of a Kind1 in stock
400 gp
A simple cord necklace with a small blue-green pendant that looks like a droplet.
The wearer can breathe underwater for up to 2 hours per long rest.
Ring of Missile's Wrath
One of a Kind1 in stock
1,500 gp
A heavy iron ring with a small amber stone set into the band.
The wearer can cast magic missiles at second level. 3 uses per long rest. Uses one action.
Glove of the Invisible Hand
One of a Kind1 in stock
500 gp
A single glove, leather, with faint embroidery along the fingers. The left hand only.
The wearer can summon an invisible hand that reaches up to 60 feet and can lift objects up to 15 lbs. The hand remains present for 1 hour after casting. 3 uses per long rest.
The Spy Bolt
3 in stock
350 gp each
Sold in two pieces: a crossbow bolt and a smooth stone meant to sit in the ear. Once the bolt is stuck in a surface — by hand or by firing — the user wearing the ear stone can hear anything within 20 feet of the bolt for 10 minutes.
The bolt can be pressed into wood, dirt, or similar materials, or fired from a crossbow. Recharges during a long rest. The bolt must be retrieved after use to use again.
Whisper Oil
5 in stock
100 gp per vial
Applied to the bare soles of a creature's feet, this oil creates a noise-dampening field that radiates from the feet in a 2-inch radius for 10 minutes. One vial holds enough for four people.
While active, add +5 to all stealth checks made through movement, on top of any other bonuses from stats or abilities.