The Copper Phial

The Copper Phial stands on a busy corner of the Wizard’s Road, its three-storey tower of dark grey stone looming over nearby shops. The faint smell of herbs and alchemical smoke wafts from its open windows.

Founded 180 years ago by the eccentric dwarf alchemist Broska Copperhand, the tower was constructed to be both her home and her workshop. After Broska’s retirement, the property changed hands several times before its current owner, Gery Erdell, acquired it in a game of Three-Dragon Ante.

After the building was renovated with protective enchantments, it was renamed The Copper Phial in honour of its founder. Even under its new management, the Phial remains the most reliable potion shop in the city—a place where adventurers can buy miracles in a bottle, assuming they can afford it.

Gery Erdell

Shopkeeper Algeryk “Gery” Erdell is a half-elf who is typically wears a high-collared waistcoat, its pockets bulging with vials and assorted paraphernalia. His smile is disarming, even if its warmth never quite reaches his eyes.

Gery was once a member of the Sable Fingers, a now-defunct thieves’ guild which was absorbed by the Moonridge Syndicate a decade ago. Unwilling to deal with his new masters, Gery studied alchemy and “legitimate” business—though old habits die hard.

A hidden cache of treasure is supposedly hidden away somewhere in the Phial, though no evidence has been found to support this claim.

Exterior & Storefront

The Copper Phial’s storefront is as elegant as it is eccentric. Its double doors are reinforced with brass bands shaped like twisting serpents, their green glass eyes gleaming in the sunlight.

A wooden signboard, lacquered and polished to a deep brown, bears the engraved image of a stoppered phial filled with a shifting green liquid. At night, faint glimmers of phosphorescent moss light the sign’s carved symbols, warding the shop against theft and fire.

Ground Floor – The Retail Hall

The ground floor serves as both shop and showroom. Its mosaic of green and white tiles forms a vast alchemical circle, while walls of polished stone are etched with arcane formulae in silver ink. Rows of leaded-glass cabinets line the walls, filled with receptacles varying from squat flasks to slender vials.

A circular marble-topped counter occupies the center, frequently occupied by Gery beaming as patrons with an insincere grin. Requests for assistance with locating potions are politely dismissed, as all shelves are clearly labelled and, if it’s in stock, patrons won’t need help finding it.

A spiral staircase of wrought iron climbs along the wall to the upper floors.

Second Floor – The Workshop

This room hums with quiet activity. Tables overflow with bubbling retorts and brass alembics. The air is tinged with ozone and citrus, along with the faint aroma of drying herbs hanging from the ceiling.

On one wall is a chalkboard, dense with formulae and half-erased notes. The opposite wall holds a locked steel cabinet containing hazardous reagents—daemon ichor, feywild spores and pickled undead organs, to name but a few.

The floor is patterned with concentric etched circles, inlaid with silver wire for magical experiments. Gery’s assistant sprites, Pip and Pop, stir mixtures and fetch components for their master.

Third Floor – Gery’s Quarters

A four-poster bed covered in mismatched blankets takes up one corner of this cluttered apartment. Beside it is an antique writing desk, covered with journals and ledgers in both Common and Thieves’ Cant.