After a hard few days of adventuring and facing down the most hideous gnome Fip has ever seen, Fip decides it is time to let go of some of his old gear. Fip takes his old wand of lightning bolt and decides to put out the word that he is willing to sell it for a decent price. Truthfully, anyone that wants one would be willing to pay much more than he is asking for. Fip spends the first few days talking to local sellers and greasing a few palms to get the word out that he wants to see it. After four days of trying to find a lead, Fip hears of someone looking for a wand. They set up a plan to meet at a local open-air café in the Spring Court at noon. Fip prepares to do a little negotiation. First thing in the morning Fip uses his scroll of distort value on the wand of lightning bolt. They meet for lunch and exchange pleasantries. After a small meal they start discussing prices.   When Fip is not trying to find a buyer, he is spending his time with his parents and Temperance.   Fip had always enjoyed the thrill of a good trade. This time, however, he had a particular advantage in mind. After spending a week scouring the city of Frandlyn, using both charm and coin, he finally found a potential buyer for his rare wand of lightning bolt. He'd acquired the wand during a particularly dangerous dungeon run some time ago, and while it had served him well, it was time to part with it. In preparation, Fip cast Distort Value on the wand, a spell that cleverly altered its perceived worth. Instead of its true value of 4,000 gold coins, anyone inspecting the wand would see it as worth double—an impressive 8,000 gold.   When the day of the sale arrived, Fip made his way to the Peaceful Scroll, a shop known for its fine collection of magical trinkets and custom-made artifacts. The shop’s representative, a 27-year-old half-elf named Aegamrial Dirthurdrenn, awaited him in a back room. She was sharp-eyed but unsuspecting of any magical trickery. Dressed in modest robes, she exuded the calm professionalism of someone well-versed in magical transactions.   Fip, always one for theatrics, put on his most charming smile and presented the wand with a casual flair. Aegamrial carefully examined it, her eyes tracing the runes etched along its surface. She held it up, muttered a few words of arcane detection, and smiled, satisfied.   "The wand is remarkable," she said, her voice laced with admiration. "It's not every day you see one so well-preserved, with this much power still intact. I can see why you'd value it so highly."   Fip nodded, masking his delight that the Distort Value spell had worked flawlessly. Aegamrial did not suspect a thing. The deal was now on her terms.   "I believe I can offer a fair trade," Aegamrial continued, walking to a chest behind her desk. She began pulling out several items, each more valuable than the last. Fip's eyes gleamed as he noted each treasure being laid out before him.   The items she offered in exchange for the wand included:   A delicate statuette of a gold dragon, worth 500 gold coins. It was finely crafted, its scales gleaming as though they might come to life at any moment. Two forked metal rods, one attuned to the Abyss and the other to Gehenna, worth 1,000 and 500 gold coins, respectively. Fip recognized their worth immediately useful for planar travel. A pouch containing the powder of a black pearl, glittering darkly in the light, valued at 1,000 gold coins. He knew such powder could be used in powerful enchantments. A single platinum-plated dragon scale, shimmering with a reflective surface, worth 500 gold coins. Fip grinned, knowing this could be of use to the right artificer or mage. A small, finely crafted container of eye ointment, which she explained had 20 uses for the spell True Seeing, valued at 500 gold coins. A handy tool, especially for those wishing to pierce through illusions. Two radiant gemstones: an emerald worth 1,000 gold coins and a fire opal worth the same. They sparkled beautifully under the soft light of the room, treasures of the earth. Lastly, a pouch containing an additional 500 platinum pieces and 1,000 gold coins, neatly counted and weighed. Fip did his best to contain his excitement. The value of the trade items easily met his inflated asking price of 8,000 gold coins. As they shook hands, sealing the deal, Fip took one last glance at Aegamrial. She seemed content, unaware of the spell that had influenced the transaction. For her, the wand was a rare and powerful artifact worth every bit of the trade. For Fip, it was a deal well struck.   With a smirk and a slight bow, Fip left the Peaceful Scroll, his pockets and pouches filled with treasures, already planning how to use or sell them to his advantage. It was a good day to be Fip, and an even better day for a little magical trickery.