Markets and Services

Sadim’ma ahlas! Ah, no other city and nation has such fine markets! The Guild and Dragon-Blooded thrive upon what trade they complete here, for they must always come to us.

Markets

Tamas River Markets

The single great river that flows down from the hills to the sea, the Tamas River is named for Tamas Khan, who is said to have fought the god of this river, and when he won, he chose as his victory prize the right to have the river bear his name, rather than the god’s.

A channel of the river cuts through part of the city, lined in stone and spirits to keep is clean and bright, providing a keep method of crops to travel into the city for sale. A bustling market sprang into life along the river banks, with food sellers floating down the water, and vendors in stalls on the stonework.

Grand Bazaar

As part of the Old City, a grand market opens to the finer luxuries. The bazaar rounds with numerous buildings connected throughout the centuries, ranging from three to six floors tall. Wide swaths of silks and cotton cover the central open air areas to protect against heat. Palm trees and small gardens bring greenery and respite to the throngs of merchants and visitors.

These markets specialize in luxury items, rare imports, spices, silks, fine sculpture and art, and much more. A bulk of the sold items come from artisans in the city, with storefronts for imports of caravans and ships. The buildings with multiple floors tend to have apartments for rent with lavish gardens for those staying in the city or needing a private location for sales.

The bazaar stretches quite a length of blocks with expanding storefronts connected along the streets. A smattering of restaurants, taverns, and chocha houses offer respite during business or to secure deals. A private brothel space gives finer lovers in the trade a place to meet the affluent.

The original offices for the Guild are also housed in this district, with residences for their assemblies and guests. They have expanded to a new larger keep in the River Market. The Dragon-Blooded also have a temple and house for their affairs, guarded and held by House Peleps.

• Tanza - Hookah, chocha, fine company and finer treats for those with the jade to spend. Business is not allowed in the evening, a golden rule all adhere to. The evenings also bring fine entertainment of song, players, and dancers.
• White Blossom - Florist with spiced edible flowers and petals, expensive desserts and candies, beautiful displays
• Valis Bhor - Refined pottery, porcelain, and sculpture in fine materials including jade, stone, sands, and clay
• Gilded Swan - Fashion designers, wedding dress crafters, robes and caftans, turbans and hand-painted scarves by keen artists

River Market

A newer market in the city, this market trails for miles along a man-made set of canals off of the Tamas River. House boats provide moving homes to enjoy a simpler, nomadic lifestyle on the waters. Cooks float in specialized boats to cook and deliver soups and quick meals from woks. Produce and meats are delivered by greengrocers to street vendors and smaller eateries. A few shamans provide spiritual guidance, sometimes offering herbal remedies and medical care.

Strips of small shops ahve grown in some areas to multiple floors with workers typically living above their businesses.

Undermarket

It is most often called the Under Market, and it has been in continuous operation for more than 4,000 years. During the Contagion, the Undermarket sold stolen (or fake) medicines; in the Fair Folk invasion, a few audacious merchants sold hiding places in nearby tunnels. After the old city’s cataclysmic end, the Undermarket was soon back in business selling food and dwindling supplies of First Age goods to the survivors.

Access to this is available through a sewer grate near the Hall of Resonance (temple of elements).

The Paper Wright - run by Marcus, a tavern converted into a bookstore kept with mathematical logic and care to track and store ancient to new writings:

• Books and parchments, notary services, forgeries, etc. this is just the usual stuff
• If asking for the Architect/high enough Larceny + Perception - the very front has a somewhat hidden space to go down some stairs
• Downstairs leads to an underground floor of tables, drinks, and people discussing information. Scholars sell their knowledge and wares here for everything from star charts, the latest news from other cities, meetings of families, guild business, etc.
• In the very back is a wall of a glass - a wall made of old glasses, bottles, etc. In there are bookcases, and only one woman working. Beyond her is the true architect.
• ARCHITECT: A hidden back room with a mark holds the Architect. This room when accessed has a gentleman that makes it his life to study and know everything about the city, buildings, new and old construction. A meticulous collection of blueprints are stored in scrollcases, books, and boxes for buildings in Chiaroscuro and a few from other cities in the South. All of them marked and bound to a signet ring. Only the architect can open and read them.

The Juicer - run by Marge (human) and Drexxie (nickname for a wyld tainted human), a rather sad lean-to building smelling of green, vild things, sweetness, and death. An old side with odd fungi growing on it marks the destination. There are a couple windows hard to see through the grime. A back door provides access to a back room and counter. The main chamber has two walkways with heavilt cluttered shelves on both sides leading to a back counter.

• Apothecary with a serious insane bent!
• Shimmer - blank potion that can take a spell or spell-like affect, holds it, and uses it. (Like charms) - Resources 3+ required
• Poisoner glassware - mixers, stir sticks, ladles, silverware, etc all capable of carrying 1 charge of poison.
• Remedies for various illnesses, poisons, etc
• Food checker, rents services for poison checking
• Sells stolen and “old” potions and things
• Deals in harvested items from spirits (highly illegal)

Mustang Sallies - run by Sally a centaur, a stable in the depths with all manner of odd mounts and gear:

• Exotic goods for mounts - land and water
• Adventuring gear, a lot of it stolen and repaired
• Rare and strange creatures for mounts

Crooked Limbs - Jhim, small shop with various tiny rooms to store goods until ready for smuggling:

• Smuggling services by ship and caravan
• They can get stuff smuggled for you with varying rates and fees, no questions asked
• Add smuggling compartments to just about anything

Findler's Finds - Findler a down and out accountant runs this shop. It's more of a shack with various odds and ends shoved inside on make-shift shelves:

• Odd repurposed creations from broken and refitted pieces
• Various items broken and in-repair

Taverns include:

• Undertaker’s - specializing in brews to kill ya or make you feel like you died the next morning - normal joint with a wide variety of liquors, they will mix just about anything. They also have mixes with ash and bits of the dead. Cups, silverware made of bone, bone décor everywhere
• Violent Femme - Brothel catering to those enjoying darker tastes in fun, leather, lace, a mix of people and breeds. Bar inside, rooms and people to rent. Pretty much ho hum except for one lady, a rare beauty in dark lace, eyes like the pale sky, long deep blue hair curled and adorned, an accent from the west, deep voice. She knows quite a smattering of languages. Lady Marguirite (spy for the Salmalin - Gem Assassin guild)
• Tri-Khan’s Back Porch - a complete tongue and cheek play on the tri-khan, with all sorts of artworks and whatnots, comedy nights, skits, great meals!
• Grumpy Frumpkin - water elemental run bar - far more than just booze, tons of fruity drinks, teas, chocha, and more. Bathhouse, hot tubs, it’s pretty awesome. Was named after a cat that got caught in water.

Mothers - run by Mother (a different woman, based on a brooch they wear) runs this outfit in the market:

• Kitchen and orphanage, taking care of those that hand no one to help them
• Home to the Mother’s Hand
• Thieves and info broker’s, serious business happening here
• Members of all help staff come through here
• Cheap doctors

Midnight Parade

Heavily funded by criminal groups and a host of ghosts, a thriving black market lies within a shadowland. Ghosts here are a mix of dead within the last few centuries and much older. Recent centuries, most ghosts are bound in their tombs or aided beyond through a mix of preparation rituals, dusts, and the aid of Grandmother Bright and the Sijan Brotherhood.

This market trades in all manner of fetishes, items from ruins, particular assassinations, and knowledge. Scholarship of Chiaroscuro, the ruins, and all manner of spirit and dead are a particular commodity in the parade.

More information coming soon...

Kas Na Shii

A deep path leading from the docks through a series of natural and man-made tunnels leads to a central meeting place for pirates, scum, and villany. Signs point the way for visitors to a small market, taverns and fight clubs, various services, and a dark lost avenue of broken homes call Kas Na Shii. For couragous souls, seeking the dark path leads to a broken manse ruled and run by demons, fiends, dark souls, and a odd creatures. They care only for drink, good games, and a protected place for dark deals. They have little ambition for ruling the world, just enjoying a drink and a fresh kill.

Manxi the bartender (and demon) enjoys making deals, trading gifts of boozed and rare blood for information, and planning entertainment for his fine guests.

Goods

Firewands

Firewands are one-shot flame-throwers powered by firedust, a substance that can be found only deep in the Southern deserts. Made from finely turned brass with wooden or metal stocks, these weapons are the prized possessions of any soldiers lucky enough to own one. All firewands are breechloaders. The firedust must be loaded down the front of the barrel, and the weapon can hold only a single shot. Characters must use a miscellaneous action to reload the weapon after every shot. Also while readily available in the South, firedust can be expensive and difficult to find elsewhere. Firedust requires Resources 1 in the south. Many soldiers fit bayonets on the ends of their firewands and use them as crude spears once the weapon has been fired. 10 yards is the maxmim range of the flame jet, unless used with Charms.

Artifact firewands are a fine, rare item, also only found in the South.

• Firewand Rifle: Speed 5, Accuracy +1, Damage 12L, Rate 1, Range 10
• Flame Piece Pistol: Speed 5, Accuracy +1, Damage 12L, Rate 1/hand, Range 8
• Additional models and types available

Chiaroscuro Glass Blades

The ruins of Chiaroscuro constitute an enormous supply of hard yet resilient glass…only only a small fraction of the glass comes in shares large enough to grind into swords. Glass holds a sharper edge than steel, worth every bit of jade or blood spent on these exceedingly rare weapons. Glass weapons have the same stats with a tag of Piercing and lower requirements for using, lighter than steel or bronze.

Luxuries of the Markets

• Spices of rare and exotic tastes. Many of these are common place in the South, known for fiery oils, blazing chilis, and a myriad of cooking spices that create a thousand and one flavors. Every tavern has a special blend they are known for.
• Bright pigments for paint, enamels, and cloth dying. As wild as spices, the colors of the South vary in tones and hues to capture every shade dreamed by man. A few truly gifted sand artists create unreal artistic pieces by mixing the small grains in specific orders.
• Scales for armors and weapons. From the deep desert, hunters find terrifying elemental touched beasts with hides and scales as tough as jade. Deep in the oceans, other created are hunted with scales, fins, and teeth of likewise durability and danger.
• Private Shipwrights. After the Guild and Blessed Isle, Chiaroscuro hails one of the largest navies. Though in the past few centuries, the navy has accepted the word of the Guild over the Tri-Khan.

Gems

The city of Gem in the far south holds control over precious gemstones, carved from rock, siftware from sands, forced together through ancient forges and kilns, and many other pieces harvested from the reaches of the land of Fire. A secret unto themselves, the city brings forth shards and spires of raw gem and fantastic cuts entirely from their region. Few know the secrets of their craft, typically those that leave are found dead if at all.

In the nearby coasts, quarries, and canyons to Chiaroscuro, the semi-precious stone trade has a small following. Despite the stones being far inferior to Gem, many traders and craftsman fear collecting due to the obsessive nature of Gem families and merchants. Their reach is long and strong.