These occult apothecaries are quite interesting to visit. Their oddly decorated shelves are often strewn with vials of strangely colored potions, queerly glowing staves and scepters, and a cornucopia of herbal and mineral reagents useful in the mage's work. Shoppes generally offer mostly locally available reagents, although some apothecaries have better facilities for importing than others. Climate and terrain have a lot to do with plant availability and the consequent variable prices.