Longstaff Magic Shops

Longstaff Magic Shops have been around almost as long as the Longstaff Wizards themselves, who soon realized that they would need a substantial income in order to generate the astronomical funds required to carry out their research and cover their massive outgoings. These magic shops are now essential to the organization, acting as an outlet through which they sell their own magic creations, as well as being conduits through which rare magic is occasionally purchased from adventurers and other sources.

The shops are found in most towns and cities, as well as many villages, and are nearly always run by ex-apprentices with an aptitude for the arcane and who are capable of creating their own scrolls, potions and other items, with which they help to meet demand and keep the shelves stocked. While very capable, these individuals lacked the necessary skill or experience to become fully fledged Longstaff Wizards, but have nonetheless continued to serve willingly and are regarded as important to the well being and smooth running of the organization as a whole.

The shops also act as alchemist's shops, though the quality is somewhat dependant upon the skill of the shopkeeper, who will have to create the majority of the alchemical goods they sell themselves, or the output of their local Longstaff Tower. Nonetheless, the alchemy trade represents a large slice of their profits as the lower prices compared to magic items mean it is more affordable to the mass rank and file, who tend to buy concoctions ranging from medicinal through to those promising to bring luck, or love, or happiness.

Although the shopkeepers of Longstaff Magic Shops create many of the items that are sold in the shops, the majority simply cannot keep up with demand, especially on the more popular items such as potions. This is easily overcome as the shops are supplied from their local Longstaff Wizard's Tower, where the resources and labor required to create a constant supply of such items is available. This also serves the purposes of keeping things in-house, as well keeping costs to a minimum. Even those shops that are not located near a tower are kept well stocked from the nearest Longstaff Wizard tower.

The shops themselves are nearly always owned by the Longstaff Wizards, who take a significant percentage of the profits from every transaction. Since the shopkeeper has no rent or other bills to pay (these are paid by the Longstaff Wizards) and usually lives above the shop rent free, there is often very little financial pressure on the shopkeepers, leaving them free to focus on their work. They also have access to the resources of the towers and continue to enjoy many of the benefits of being affiliated with the organization.