Chapter 2: Ghelve's Locks
"Certainly. Ghelve's Locks is located on Lava Avenue, I believe. It should be easy enough to find, especially with locals in your group. Do come back and visit; I'll always have warm tea and cookies for you. Thank you again." She prattles on like this as she ushers you out the door, her head lolling to one side, a friendly canine smile on her face.
The streets are muddy and the city smells wet. An almost palpable dampness hovers in the air as you make your way to Ghelve's store. All in all, Cauldron seems fairly active, a marked contrast to its state last night.
Eventually, you reach your destination. A small turret dominates the façade of this two-story black stone building. Iron bars are embedded in the thick window frames. Inside the turret's ground-floor windows, you can see a lovely display of locks, from large to small, simple to complex. To the left of the turret, above a heavy oak door, swings a simple sign: GHELVE'S LOCKS.
Entering the store, you can smell wood and pipe smoke. Padded chairs flank a hearth containing a small yet lively fire. The fireplace's carved mantle bears a tinderbox, a small vase of dried pipeweed, and a collection of finely made pipes (you notice that the pipes are of varying sizes, some large enough for a hobgoblin and others appropriate to halflings or canis).
A burgundy strip of carpet leads from the entrance to the wall across from it, where you can see dozens, maybe hundreds, of keys hanging from tiny hooks. Like the pipes, the keys range in size from miniscule to quite large.
A handsomely engraved mahogany counter stretches along one wall. Beyond it, a red curtain neatly hides the rest of the store. A man, nearly six feet tall, stands behind the counter. He has salt and pepper hair, a neatly trimmed goatee, bushy eyebrows, and a face creased with age. Despite a slight frown, he greets you warmly, "Welcome to Ghelve's Locks. We keep things safe. How may I help you?"
OOC: See the OOC thread for a new map of Cauldron. I assumed that you all were intending to go in, given your desire to speak to Ghelve, so I pushed things along. The current time is around midday or so. It is your second day in Cauldron.
