collectors
Art by leahcl.
A tall, gaunt man in a tattered suit the color of dirty bone stands before you. They call him Monsieur Sharp. His hands and fingers are in almost constant motion, wringing, tapping the counter, animated by an endless internal well of nervous energy. His green eyes have not left you. It feels as though he is constantly assessing and reassessing you, and not with any warmth or good intention. The collector bows slightly, his face contorting into a ghoulish smile. "I, ah, welcome you, to my, ah, humble establishment. I have of many objects of, ah, interest here. What can I help you to acquire?"
MONSIEUR SHARP
Location: The sprawling, crime-ridden slums of the nearest large city.
Areas of Interest: Unique and storied weapons, particularly swords and other bladed instruments.
Keys: Gain favor with the Dime Cats, Monsieur Sharp's gang, and/or be known for possessing a magical or otherwise significant sword.
All collectors have a location, a “domain” where they ply their trade, curate their collection, and sell their wares. A potential customer must be in that location to even attempt to contact that collector and access their collection. Additionally, almost all collectors are highly selective in who they allow to access their collection, so a potential customer must also have at least one avenue of access to meet their desired collector. For lack of a better term, I have called these paths keys. Keys should be quest rewards and not easy to gain for characters.
After gaining a key, the potential customer is able to contact the collector somehow and gain access to the collection. Most collectors have several layers of security surrounding both themselves and their collection, so threatening or trying to kill them is not advised. They would not have achieved their status without a degree of personal power and influence.
After a suitable amount of negotiation, bartering, begging, and persuasion, the collector can give the character something in their collection. In the example above, M. Sharp’s Areas of Interest are swords and weapons. If something the customer wants falls into one of those categories, Sharp can be assumed to have it in relatively ample supply. In D&Dist terms, Sharp might have access to uncommon and rare magic swords and rare or otherwise nonexistent weapons. If a unique or somehow legendary item is desired, the collector might take a season or two to acquire it for the character, drawing on their connections with other collectors scattered across the land. They do not like doing this, and will almost always require more than one key to do this.
TL;DR: Collectors are weirdo-merchants-as-treasure. Make a collector or I will collect YOU.