At Alysin's Auction House in Rephidim, various knick-knacks are on sale from Lord Titus haut Mikide's collection. Among them is a "Rickerwill" which Chiaroscuro evidences interest in, and gets into a bidding war with a coyote. The coyote wins the bid, and then stays to bid on some cheetahs being sold off including Ibis (Kaela's father), and Haji (a talented "gardener"). Fenter spots the Technopriest, Verdigris Nuttenboltschen, and works his way over to him … causing the older raccoon all sorts of frustration. Ibis is sold to the feline warrioress known as the Champion of Roses, but when the bidding gets to the selling of Haji, Fenter's antics distract both Verdigris and the Knight Templar, and Haji gets sold to the same coyote who bought the "Rickerwill". Chiaroscuro pursues the coyote into the claim room, and invents some hogwash about being a member of "Scholaria" to try to get access to the little amulet, but to no avail, so has to settle for shadowing the coyote to see where he goes.
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