Waterdeep

An aging but striking human woman with a wild mane of thick black hair streaked with steel-gray. She dresses flamboyantly in leathers, silks, and monster-skin accents, often adorned with high collars or jewelry that conceal a deep scar running from her jaw to collarbone. Her voice is a lush, musical purr, captivating those around her.

Maerthra is warm, eloquent, and unnervingly enthusiastic when discussing dissected monsters. She loves a good negotiation, a better story, and a third glass of wine. Her charm conceals sharp instincts and a ruthless business sense. She has no qualms about skirting Waterdeep’s more obscure trade laws when the price is right. Despite her chaotic leanings, she shows affection for her 'pets' and those who treat creatures with reverence—or power.

Originally hailing from Chessenta, Maerthra claims a past life of adventuring in the wilder realms of the south and east. By 1479 DR, she had resettled in Waterdeep and opened a most unusual business—an exotic monster emporium. Located on Tower March in the North Ward, her estate houses countless trophies, relics, and living curiosities. Her trade includes rare monster parts, alchemical reagents, magical organs, pelts, poisons, fangs, scales, and sometimes live creatures. While the business operates under strict 'noble house indulgence,' Maerthra’s clientele often includes questionable figures—nobles, masked lords, drow emissaries, mind flayer couriers, and Zhentarim fixers. Rumors persist of a tamed grell guarding her private quarters and a vault room lined with magically preserved monsters she once defeated.