The Unraveled Spool
A cramped curiosity shop in Spool End where forgotten things find new owners. The storefront is a converted weaver’s cottage, its windows displaying an ever-changing assortment of oddities. The sign—a spool with its thread escaping into the wind—creaks ominously in any breeze.
Location
Spool End, on the edge of the Open Market. The shop occupies the ground floor of a listing building that seems to lean away from the void-edge. Locals give directions as “past the drunk signpost, before the smell gets weird.” The door sticks, and the floor slopes noticeably toward the back.
Proprietor
- Vex — A tiefling of uncertain gender with filed horns and an unsettling smile. Claims to have “connections” but never specifies to what. Buys anything, sells everything, and remembers every transaction with perfect clarity. Former… something. The stories change. Never blinks during negotiations.
Atmosphere
The shop defies organization. Shelves buckle under accumulated trinkets, weapons lean in corners, and boxes of unsorted goods crowd every surface. A path through the clutter leads to a counter where Vex perches like a patient spider. The lighting is poor by design—better for both parties if some items aren’t examined too closely. Something always seems to be watching from the shadows. It’s probably just the mounted fish. Probably.
Inventory & Prices (gp)
Secondhand Gear
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Used weapon (any common) | 50% normal | Some wear, still functional |
| Used armor (any common) | 60% normal | May need minor repairs |
| Battered shield | 5 gp | Dented but solid |
| Traveler’s clothes (used) | 5 sp | Previous owner unknown |
| Assorted tools | 1-5 gp | Condition varies |
Curiosities & Oddities
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Strange coin collection | 3 gp | From distant lands or times |
| Preserved creature (jar) | 5-20 gp | Variety of specimens |
| Old maps | 2-15 gp | Accuracy not guaranteed |
| Foreign books | 5-30 gp | Languages vary |
| Antique jewelry | 10-50 gp | May or may not be cursed |
| Mysterious key | 2 gp | Unlocks something, somewhere |
| Taxidermied familiar | 15 gp | Decorative, definitely dead |
Recovered Goods
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ”Estate sale” items | Varies | Don’t ask about the estate |
| Salvage from expeditions | Varies | Condition as-is |
| Unclaimed cargo | Varies | Fell off a weave-wave ship |
| Adventurer’s effects | Varies | Previous owner “retired” |
The Back Shelf
Items Vex keeps behind the counter. Ask specifically.
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unidentified potion | 20-40 gp | Effects unknown until consumed |
| Possible magic item | 50+ gp | Vex makes no guarantees |
| Restricted goods | ??? | If you have to ask… |
| ”Acquired” documents | Varies | Discretion required |
Services
| Service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fence goods | 30% of value | No questions, no receipts |
| Information | Varies | Vex hears things |
| Appraisal | 2 gp | Honest assessment |
| Storage (no questions) | 5 gp/week | What storage? What goods? |
Custom Orders
Space for GM additions:
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Buying Policy
Vex buys almost anything:
- Common goods: 30-40% of market value
- Unusual items: Negotiable
- Magical items: Very interested
- Stolen goods: “Define ‘stolen’”
- Cursed items: “There’s always a buyer”
Staff
- Vex (Owner): Sees everything, forgets nothing, judges silently
- Nobody (Assistant): Vex insists they work alone. Customers sometimes disagree.
Quirks
- Prices are never marked; Vex sizes up customers before quoting
- A bell rings in the back when something “interesting” enters the shop—even if no one touched anything
- Vex never leaves the shop during daylight hours
- Regular customers get a “discount”—the nature of which changes each time
House Rules
- All sales final, no exceptions
- Vex reserves the right to refuse any transaction without explanation
- What happens in the shop stays in the shop
- The mounted fish is not for sale (this is non-negotiable)
Rumors
Things whispered about The Unraveled Spool:
- Vex once sold a map to a place that doesn’t exist—until the buyer went there
- The back room is larger than the building should allow
- Some items return to the shop after being sold, no matter how far they’re taken
- Vex has been running this shop since before Spool End existed