This side story is best played when the adventures find themselves in a city. When the player’s head to the market place of supplies and to shop they come across a corner establishment on the edge of the market.
The merchant is quite pleasant and has a wide selection of wears mundane and magical in nature. All his items are priced at a 20% mark down and he can be negotiated to go as low as 25%. If questioned about his great deals he informs the party that he is in a bit of a price war with two other local establishments and a small loss on the front end of his goods is undesired but the Cheaper rates keeps the customers in the door and makes up for any losses with the volume of his sales.
As the players prepare to return to the road when they have finished their business in town they are confronted by either the local militia or another adventuring party. It seems that everything the players have purchased from the corner merchant was stolen from another adventuring group.
When the party returns to the scene of the crime the entire establishment is gone vacant. Striped down as if it had never been used.