The First Market
The First Market is a dense sprawl of thin alleyways and wide-open plazas filled with items collected from all over the world. The space was once designed to be a fanciful region for only the most esteemed veterans to spend the rest of their days, but as the wars and battles dwindled, so too did veterans considered worthy of its apartments, and soon the city's own arrogance became its downfall, and the abandoned space was left free for new folk to occupy, haggling their goods and services in the hopes that they'll one day climb above the bottom rung and make something of themselves.
Most of the trade comes from sea-traders looking to make a cheap easy buck offloading all their goods before they sail on the morning; it's often dirt-cheap and no-questions-asked. Some few honest folk have hung around long enough and made a good reputation of themselves, and have bought out the buildings to turn into true storefronts, with finer goods for the average passer-by. The richest of all are those that don't actually sell anything at all; semi-official trade officers calling themselves 'the Fingermen', made up of four different lesser Merchant Families of various states of ill repute, who use their influence, their small armies of collectors, and no small amount of money to control what comes in and out of the First Market. They keep everything running smoothly and mostly-legal, and make a pretty penny out of a small commission charge they levy on anyone selling on their land in return for keeping the stalls safe, from both common thieves and more organised crime.
Be careful though; in the narrow streets clogged with goods and potential buyers, the city guards can offer little more than a cursory glance. Don't worry about being murdered, but keep your eye on your wallet and try not to get ripped off, if you can.
The First Market is not really a single market, but a collection of many separated out into three plazas and a number of odd spots and alleys.
The Plaza of Pleasure
Bolts of cloth of every texture and quality hang from some stalls; dyes collected in stoppered glass bottles sit in the next. Here one can hope to buy clothes of any shape, size and stitching at jaw-droppingly low prices, though most will find a good price for any purchase, including the tools to equip any budding seamstress.
The Berry Plaza
Filled to the brim with food, the Berry Plaza is by far the most busy of any of the major market venues at any one time, and boasts entrances wide enough to fit four fully-laden wagons abreast. More often filled with imports from the far reaches of Ne'haer and Desnind, with stalls populated by traveller's looking for a rare taste of home, the stalls actually dabbling in more home-grown produce most often come across as either horribly overpriced, or slightly stale.
The Sparkling Plaza
Sparkling Plaza doesn't actually sparkle... it sparks. If a weapon exists in Idalos, it can be found here, with a number of stalls offering exotic metals for smithing, fine grips and crossguards, even all the tools of a blacksmiths trade, for both a seasoned apprentice and a simple adventurer looking to keep his sword from dulling.
Memory Lane
An alley often found with antiques and oddities, most commonly washed up from around the world. Often sparsely populated, this is the first place those will go with something specific in mind that few other ordinary shops will cater to.
Snakestreet
A long, winding road that has earned its name through both its shape and its questionable wares, including items that may be magical, cursed, or otherwise beyond the mundane. If their purveyors can be trusted on their word.
Underbridge
An unfortunate breeding ground for fencers and vagabonds seeking to sell ill-gotten gains with no questions asked. Illegal weapons, dangerous poisons and other items can most commonly be found here, but Underbridge is not as secret as it might seem; anyone seen visiting will almost certainly find a shadow or two following them as they leave again, if the merchant themselves isn't an Inquirium officer in disguise.
Most of the trade comes from sea-traders looking to make a cheap easy buck offloading all their goods before they sail on the morning; it's often dirt-cheap and no-questions-asked. Some few honest folk have hung around long enough and made a good reputation of themselves, and have bought out the buildings to turn into true storefronts, with finer goods for the average passer-by. The richest of all are those that don't actually sell anything at all; semi-official trade officers calling themselves 'the Fingermen', made up of four different lesser Merchant Families of various states of ill repute, who use their influence, their small armies of collectors, and no small amount of money to control what comes in and out of the First Market. They keep everything running smoothly and mostly-legal, and make a pretty penny out of a small commission charge they levy on anyone selling on their land in return for keeping the stalls safe, from both common thieves and more organised crime.
Be careful though; in the narrow streets clogged with goods and potential buyers, the city guards can offer little more than a cursory glance. Don't worry about being murdered, but keep your eye on your wallet and try not to get ripped off, if you can.
The First Market is not really a single market, but a collection of many separated out into three plazas and a number of odd spots and alleys.
The Plaza of Pleasure
Bolts of cloth of every texture and quality hang from some stalls; dyes collected in stoppered glass bottles sit in the next. Here one can hope to buy clothes of any shape, size and stitching at jaw-droppingly low prices, though most will find a good price for any purchase, including the tools to equip any budding seamstress.
The Berry Plaza
Filled to the brim with food, the Berry Plaza is by far the most busy of any of the major market venues at any one time, and boasts entrances wide enough to fit four fully-laden wagons abreast. More often filled with imports from the far reaches of Ne'haer and Desnind, with stalls populated by traveller's looking for a rare taste of home, the stalls actually dabbling in more home-grown produce most often come across as either horribly overpriced, or slightly stale.
The Sparkling Plaza
Sparkling Plaza doesn't actually sparkle... it sparks. If a weapon exists in Idalos, it can be found here, with a number of stalls offering exotic metals for smithing, fine grips and crossguards, even all the tools of a blacksmiths trade, for both a seasoned apprentice and a simple adventurer looking to keep his sword from dulling.
Memory Lane
An alley often found with antiques and oddities, most commonly washed up from around the world. Often sparsely populated, this is the first place those will go with something specific in mind that few other ordinary shops will cater to.
Snakestreet
A long, winding road that has earned its name through both its shape and its questionable wares, including items that may be magical, cursed, or otherwise beyond the mundane. If their purveyors can be trusted on their word.
Underbridge
An unfortunate breeding ground for fencers and vagabonds seeking to sell ill-gotten gains with no questions asked. Illegal weapons, dangerous poisons and other items can most commonly be found here, but Underbridge is not as secret as it might seem; anyone seen visiting will almost certainly find a shadow or two following them as they leave again, if the merchant themselves isn't an Inquirium officer in disguise.