A Mage is not a Mark

Rose stood in Mystra, city of light, city of magic, and she was not impressed. She had seen cities before, kingdoms, castles, towers, and travelers, and she had gotten used to it.

That didn't mean Rose wasn't happy to be there. Mystra lived up to its name, and boasted more mages and sorcerers than most kingdoms, and while enchanted items might be as common as a blacksmith's hammer in Mystra, merchants would pay silver and gold for what Rose could pick out of the average mage's pockets.

After only an hour in Mystra, Rose had found her first mark. A woman in her mid twenties, only a few years older than Rose, was window shopping on the street, peering at extravagant silk gowns through the glass. Her long black hair hung in elaborate braids, her skin was ivory white, and while her ears were not pointed, her features were angular enough to suggest that she boasted partially elven ancestry.

Rose idly stalled towards her, careful not to be noticed eyeing the mage or her seven-foot-tall barrel chested bodyguard shadowing her. Rose had every right to walk down the street, and of course she had no ill intentions towards anyone. If she bumped into a wealthy mage on her way to the nearest tavern, well, the street was crowded.

She didn't know what she'd find in the mage's pocket, but the surprise was half the fun. Gold coins were always welcome, and she could spend them right away. Jewelry would need to be pawned off, but pound for pound was worth more. Magic, though, was where it was at. Rose was no expert in magic, but she was willing to experiment if it meant adding a few zeros to the price of a ring or amulet, unless it was cursed. Cursed items were more common than Rose would have expected, but Mystra admitted to more than a few Rings of Fumbling, which would make its wearer too clumsy to button a shirt, Rings of Folly, which could make the wearer too foolish to even remember to wear clothes, and even one Ring of Power, which would turn the wearer invisible and see a giant flaming eye.

But Rose wouldn't get caught. She was a master thief, and she never got caught. Right?