Shensari Damilek (LG female human aristocrat 1/expert 4; Appraise +8, Bluff +7, Sense Motive +9) oversees the Foundation’s Relics and Antiquities Auctions. In her late thirties, she dresses in black wool robes and wears thick spectacles. Never married, she is passionate about her work but beginning to suspect that life is more than account ledgers and inkpots. In fact, she secretly entertains the notion of accompanying the next Wayfinder Expedition. The Damilek family (one of the wealthiest in Sharn) is very protective of its bookish daughter, though. Her family’s opposition has helped to hold her back.
If a player character is not a Wayfinder but wishes to attend a Relics and Antiquities Auction, he must succeed on a Bluff check opposed by Shensari’s Sense Motive check. (No actual bluffing is involved; this check is a measure of the character’s persuasiveness rather than an attempt to mislead Shensari.) The DM should feel free to stock the auctions with a wide selection of occult oddities and wondrous items.
In addition to bidding at auction, PCs might wish to offer their own recovered treasures for sale. Shensari takes rare art pieces, archeological artifacts, and ancient texts recovered from the Blade Desert, the Demon Wastes, Q’barra, the Shadow Marches, or any continent other than Khorvaire on consignment. She pays full price, knowing that her skilled auctioneers will draw bids high enough for the Foundation to show a profit. This can provide an excellent means for adventurers to convert valuable objects into liquid cash. Steady suppliers can even win full Wayfinder membership.