When it comes to A’kin the arcanaloth, most people in the Cage point to the name of his successful sundries shop to sum up his dual nature – The Friendly Fiend. A fine marketing ploy by pitchman Harys Hatchis, or the plain truth? One thing’s for sure: Akin’s got to be the best-natured yugoloth this side of… well, anyplace. ‘Course, plenty of folks find it hard to swallow. Even after years of presenting himself sincerely, A’kin still brings out more suspicion than a thief in church.

The only thing outwardly fiendish about A’kin is his appearance. Like most arcanaloths, he resembles a tall, broad-shouldered human with thick fur, clawed hands, and the head of a jackal. A wide, black stripe of fur encircles his golden eyes like a bandit’s mask above his white muzzle. He wears a robe speckled with teal, gold, and black; it neatly hides most of his clean, sandy brown fur. Though he greets customers with a grin, his prominent, sharp fangs have made many a visitor hesitate in the doorway of his Lower Ward shop. A’kin playfully admonishes the peery in his raspy voice: “Come in, come in! I won’t bite.”

Once in the tall, one-room shop, a berk’s as likely to be given something as to buy it. A customer who comments on some ornament dangling from A’kin’s wrists or multiply pierced ears just might find it pressed into their hand by the smiling yugoloth. “It’s yours, friend,” he says, “free of charge.” No shoppers refuse these gifts (most are afraid to).

Many feel such fear is misplaced, as A’kin seems as gracious and big-hearted as a deva. Even when it comes to the shop’s priciest items – enchanted items and the like, displayed behind glass in the center of the room – A’kin is a no-pressure salesman. Fact is, he often distracts customers over tea with his chatter about incoming shipments, a dabus construction project on the street outside, or current events that have caught his ear.