Shadowdark House

Shadowdark House was a magic shop in Daerlun, Sembia, circa the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR. Its proprietress, Lady Thelbaerone Shadowdark, was often consulted on magical matters.

Location
This establishment was located on the north side of Saurovin Street, three doors down from the Westmarket.

Structure
Shadowdark House was a "tallhouse" of three narrow stories that touched its neighbors on either side. The first floor was built of fitted stones and the upper floors were a lattice of wooden beams with the gaps between them paneled over and plastered with white stucco. The arched door was heavy wood with metal fixtures. Unlike most businesses, here was no sign out front or awning over the first-floor front window.

Interior
Every floor of this house was given over to holding miscellaneous pieces of magical merchandise, most of which were unique, odd, or both. The ground floor contained, among other things, a table with no legs that floated at hip height; a wicker basket that contained a darkmantle for sale; and a flagstone with a claw imprint set into the floor&mdash;shapeshifters that trod on the stone were forced into their natural form for about a half-minute.

On the second floor were various chests, weapons, pieces of furniture, and potion bottles. Here also was a standing mirror that was a portal to a small number of other locations. Unfortunately, the destination changed at random times. Thelbaerone did not know all the possible destinations.

The third floor was not off-limits to customers and contained many items, but it was also where Lady Shadowdark cooked, slept (in a chair), and scryed in her crystal ball.

The cellar had a low ceiling and was lined with stone. She kept barrels, boxes, and sheaves of alchemical components here, as well as some food provisions. Usually concealed by a large barrel was a loose flagstone that covered a dirt tunnel to a second cellar where she kept items that might have raised questions from the local authorities. Things like body parts and magical creature corpses were stored here and magically preserved against decay. There was also a set of chains to hold a prisoner, if necessary.

Atmosphere
Shadowdark House had the feel of a curio shop with a dash of danger. It was dimly lit by her floating candelabra (an animated object that appeared to be constructed from a scaly claw) and many clouds of twinkling stars (a variation of continual flame that she called everstars).