Preparations for a trip across continents would require quite a bit of effort.

It was quite the undertaking, although their group had been given quite a few resources to aid them in that endeavor. They had returned to their inn and found a bag full of silver, gold, and platinum.

Ulgrin felt a bit uneasy at the prospect of this much money. The urge to spend it on riches beyond their means was always at the back of his mind, but he resisted such things. Better to save it for when the party really needed it. For now, he portioned a good bit away and threw the bag at Alyss, who promptly cackled and ran for the markets.

The others got a more reasonable share, and they went about their business. Ulgrin spent his time studying, navigating his way to the Adamant Library, one of the largest on this side of the globe. It required a basic fee to enter, but he gladly paid it and threw himself into the stacks.

Pulling a book from the shelf, one ‘Triumvirate Monarchy of the Andiran Nation: A Guide.’ Written by a gnomish scholar named Hollin Ghild. Ulgrin recognized the name for being one of the premier scholars on geography and history.

Clearing his throat, he skipped the forward and started reading, “While this nation is one of the 'smaller' isles, it still holds great power. Hundreds of years ago, a trio of houses fought in a war against one another for power. One amongst their descendants grew tired of the constant bloodshed and decided to unite the houses. Guided by a fey spirit of the Fallen Forest, Junilara Rosengild the Third managed to succeed.

Now, the three houses each choose a successor who is chosen by an ancient and intelligent magical item, the Mantle of Andire, who judges them for their capabilities and merit. Only the chosen one may ascend the throne.

This nation is mainly agrarian, with a mixture of humans and elves amongst their lands. They do hold several prominent mines, allowing them to bolster their coin purses. Andire hosts a powerful navy and takes advantage of their prominent waterways.”

Raelza looked up from her own book, titled ‘Sheathed Swords, Strange Bedfellows’, and grunted. “They sure do know how to make a heroic tale boring.”

Ulgrin raised an eyebrow. “That’s not boring. This book is practically exciting compared to the drier tomes I’ve read. Hollin doesn’t skimp out on his prose.” He paused, peering at her book and examining the drawing of a topless man holding a blade. “Wait, you’re really going to complain when you’re reading that?!”

The drow gave a smug look. “This is fine literature, excuse you. It’s an auto-biography too, so it’s learned.”

“I don’t want to ask how you even found that in this section.” He sighed. “Librarians must be lazy lately.”

Ignoring her smutty literature, he began reading the book more thoroughly. It went on to detail a more in depth exploration of the nation’s history. Their close ties to the fey were constant.

He’d read much about the fey before. Before the Shattering many realms existed alongside the material one. Most notable were the elemental, but also the Fae-realm. A plane of existence not too dissimilar to theirs, it housed a host of interesting creatures both big and small. They were known for being playful tricksters, but also wicked murderers. It was a mix, he supposed. Depended on the various Courts, of which there were four. Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

When the Shattering hit the world like a storm, it affected even the planes. They were scattered, thrown about, and made distant like a boat being swept away in a typhoon. Save for the Fae-realm. It had been… mixed with theirs. There was probably a cooking analogy about it, but he couldn’t find one.

The result was that there were places, the Andiran nation especially, where they could easily enter the material and live. Ulgrin was no stranger to seeing fey merchants pine their mysterious and arcane wares. The Shattering was also why travel to the other planes was so difficult now, requiring highly powerful magics to forge a path. Summoning creatures for a short time was easier, at least.

Unfortunately he couldn’t find whether or not ‘Fae’ or ‘Fey’ was the correct term. Even looking through multiple tomes lead him nowhere.

He wondered if that was intentional on the fey’s part. Probably, given their capricious nature.

Otherwise he found it to be a fairly normal nation. Their peasants farmed, mined, fished, and traded. Each of Lake Andire’s rivers branched out and to the sea, making barge-travel the premier method of transportation long distance. Examining several shipping maps, he found a decent chart of passage.

Their group would find the easiest travel via the Channel of the Sky and docking at Eastpassage. From there, they could easily move upriver to the capital city which sat on a side-lake. Decades of terraforming long ago had connected the two, allowing the capital city of Andire a powerful control over its economic trade.

He would arrange a missive with their contact later, and the details would be settled shortly.

Returning to the inn, he and Raelza retired for the night. Peeking in on Alyss, they found the alchemist madly cackling as she brewed potions of high rarity, no doubt enjoying the coinage he’d given her. Good. They’d need the supplies for their journey ahead.

The next day found him at a high-end shop. One selling magical tools and equipment.

Looking at the sign, he found ‘Redeye’s Magical Emporium’ to be a somewhat quirky establishment. Unlike all of the other stone buildings on this row, it was made entirely out of wood. Wood floors, wood walls, wood doors. Not normal wood, either. Rare varieties had been chosen.

Redwood seemed to make up the majority, the vibrant colored wood a favorite he presumed. Other types like jungle woods were used to spruce up the place.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Casting an eye with his arcane senses, he found the reason. All of the woods chosen were great methods of storing magical energies. A network of runes had been built along the building’s skeleton, powerful and warded. Each plank had been treated with an alchemical stain to even further reinforce the area. Any wayward thief would struggle to try and get into this place.

No doubt a wise precaution for a shop selling magical items.

The interior was likewise fancy, with displays and racks holding objects that made him feel almost blinded by the variety. Taking a double glance, he saw what he had assumed to be a set of magical armor to in fact be a golem of some kind.

“Welcome, welcome,” a clerk said, seated at a desk across from the door. “Here to make an order, or just browsing?”

“Browsing for now.” He replied, somewhat flabbergasted by the choices to make. Casting his gaze around, he tried to narrow his scope. Useful items first. Nothing flashy. Oh, a few minutes of browsing couldn’t hurt. Right?

There were gizmos, gadgets, thingamajigs, wazoos, and shiny bits on display. Ulgrin found himself browsing a shelf containing magical puzzle boxes. Upon asking the clerk, he was allowed to try them. Intelligence might have been this strong suit, but he could only manage to solve a couple of them before a headache started.

Shaking off the mental stimulus, he turned to a section of shelves titled ‘Adventuring Equipment’.

A magical compass that always points towards the nearest source of freshwater. A shovel that allows you to dig with great speed. Two rings, which upon reading the provided piece of parchment, seemed to create an inch-wide portal through which you could transport liquids rather easily.

“What about this?” He asked, eyes glancing at a ‘Limitless (Mostly) Loop of Rope.’

“Ah, that one.” The Half-foot woman hopped down from her seat and wandered over. She pressed a sigil-stone to the case and retrieved it. “It produces around five hundred feet of rope per day. The conjured rope is not real, and you’d best not try and sell it. That’d get you in a lot of trouble. The ectoplasmic structure will degrade over the course of a few hours, so keep that in mind.”

She pulled at the end and he watched as it extended further. Grabbing a nearby pair of scissors, she cut the length off and held it out to him.

Now that could be useful. They always needed rope. Having a good daily supply meant they could shift their loads around and carry other stuff. Fifty feet of rope was heavy.

Ulgrin looked at the signed price and felt his knees go weak. He set the strange rope down.

Well, it wasn’t his money to spend. Still, spending this much on just rope was absurd. “Please ready this object for purchase, but I’m still browsing.”

“Of course. Take your time, sir.” The peppy woman gave a nod and returned to her seat.

Next he found a circular slab of stone, roughly half a hand-span in diameter. Embedded in its surface was a ruby, and runes had been inscribed on its surface. ‘Calbert’s Quick Campfire’, the title read. Upon activation, it would produce a flame the size of a normal campfire and continue to burn for up to eight hours. Handy, as they didn’t always have time to make one. It required recharging, but could refuel itself from the ambient mana.

He added it to the list.

Seeing as they were likely to be going underwater, he picked up two lanterns. They would create an illusory light, and would not go out in liquid. Considering two of their party members lacked the capability to create magical lights, it would be rather useful where they were going.

Lastly, and most expensive amongst the bunch, was a small bell. It easily fit in the palm of his hand, but shone brightly to his senses. Tiny, barely perceptible etchings had been made into the gold metal. A silver filigree surrounded it.

This had taken weeks, if not months to carve by hand. And it showed.

According to the description, this ‘Diving Bell’ would create a roughly ten-foot wide sphere of breathable air around the wielder. While it could be moved, the downside was that the innate storage only had enough to last it maybe ten minutes at most. That time could be lengthened by making the sphere smaller, and it could be fueled by one’s own stores, but it was an emergency tool first and foremost.

Adding that to the list wiped out a good deal of his coinage. Just thinking about the expense that had gone into such an item made him feel a bit sick. But it would be worth it. It’d save their life down there in the event that they ran out of potions.

“That’ll come out to one hundred platinum, two hundred gold, and fifteen silver.” The shop’s clerk happily said. “No bartering. All deals are final.”

Ulgrin rolled his eyes and began to sign the contract after reading through the details.

He was interrupted as a dwarven man entered from a side room. The bearded individual watched them for a moment, and he noticed something strange. A red gemstone was beset in the man’s right eye socket. So this was ‘Redeye’? Likely a magical replacement for sight, Ulgrin mused.

“A customer?” He asked in a deep voice, smiling lightly. “Thank you for coming to my establishment. You’ve made a wise decision.”

“Ah, you’re welcome.” Ulgrin replied, nodding. “My comrades and I are going somewhere on a journey, and, well, stuff like this will come in handy.”

“You’re going on a journey? Adventurers, then. Or mercenaries, but what is the difference, really? One slays monsters, and the other slays men, but the line is not always as thick as we would like.” He ran a hand through his beard. “I was like you, once, young and full of wanderlust.”

“You were?” Ulgrin asked. “I suppose you’ve seen a lot, then, and made plenty of coins along the way.” He surmised that the older Dunvi was perhaps fifty years older than him. Not quite a greybeard, but close.

“Hah! That I have, and that I still do.” He ran a hand along a shelf, staring at the objects. “Where might you be heading?”

“Andire.” He said in response, having no real reason to conceal their destination.

“Oh? Hmm.” He pondered this for a few moments, thinking. “You’re purchasing my Diving Bell. I created that myself, actually. Designed it, and first experimented with it in the Channel. I must say, the merfolk are lucky. They live such alien lives beneath the sea. If you’re headed to Andire, then you’re likely seeking to explore the depths around. If you’re looking for sunken ships, then do know that the monarchy does not like scavengers.”

Ulgrin shook his head. “No, we’re headed for the Lake. There are some objects of importance lost below there.”

“I see.” He smiled wider. “Perhaps we can make a deal, you and I. Magical reagents are expensive and difficult to acquire. Both of those go hand in hand, but one can often skip a step by hiring outside help. That lake in particular is the demesne of fey, and they grow their garden quite well. Hmm. Do you believe you could acquire me a few things?”

Ulgrin felt the gears in his head turning. “And in return for these rare reagents…?”

“I’ll give you a discount on your current purchase. Store credit, as well.” He turned to pick up a pair of rods, roughly six inches in length. “These are my ‘Pulling Wands’. Not of much use up here, but down there? You simply need to outstretch your arms, focus on the magic, and allow them to bring you through the water at significant speed. About as fast as a horse. They’ll last for an hour before needing recharging.”

Ulgrin could see that being very useful. They could all hold on to Saezz as he activated them, pulling them through the water. “A trade could be arranged. What exactly are you looking for?”

Redeye grinned, stepping over to the clerk’s desk and retrieving a sheaf of paper. A magical pen flashed, and he quickly wrote up a list. “These are the most common ingredients that I’d like you to find. But, most importantly, is the fruit of a Bloodroot. Not quite a root, not quite kelp, but a mix of the two.”

He drew a quick drawing of a curled gnarly looking plant that seemed like an upside-down tree had fornicated with a coastal reef. Bulbous fruits grew on its trunk. “When a Kelpie dies, and they have previously mated, they enter a sort of metamorphosis. Their body melts and melds with the bottom of whatever body of water they inhabit, and they grow into the next generation.” He grimaced. “This root is often made around the corpses of those they drag to the depths, feeding the plant. I would like one or two of these fruits.”

Ulgrin scanned the image, trying to recollect the knowledge he had. “And… there’s no doubt a hidden danger, isn’t there?”

“Smart.” Redeye said with a chuckle. “Smarter than most of your adventurous kind. Yes. As I said, the Fey courts tend their gardens well. It won’t be undefended. But I’m sure you and your crew could take down the opposition.”

Letting out a deep sigh, Uglrin gave a nod. “Alright. We’ll get your ingredients.” He paused. “And maybe a few extra for Alyss. No doubt this fruit has interesting alchemical properties.”

“Indeed it does.” He passed a sigil stone over the object and promptly handed it over. Ulgrin ran his eyes long the wands, fascinated. “Then I do believe this is yours. Good luck down there. Might I ask your name?”

“Ulgrin. Ulgrin Hoofhome,” he replied, nodding emphatically as he took them.

“Then you and I are going to have a long and lucrative relationship, Hoofhome. May your travels be safe.”

Shopping! Always fun. I love magical item shops, and feel they're severely under-utilized in most fiction. A person selling such things should always have character to them. You don't get normal merchants in these positions.