Merchant's Meet
"Cities are built by kings and armies. Merchant’s Meet? Built by coin, luck, and the stubborn refusal to move elsewhere." -Veteran trader
Nestled between Bordersword and Stargaze, Merchant’s Meet is a city that was never meant to exist. What began as a loose collection of traveling merchants, alchemists, and prospectors peddling wares from temporary stalls has, over decades, solidified into a permanent and bustling trade hub. Unlike most cities in Everwealth, which are carefully planned and strategically founded, Merchant’s Meet was born out of sheer necessity. The constant flow of goods between Everwealth, Kibonoji, and the southern territories meant that caravans, traders, and adventurers needed a place to rest, restock, and do business without making the grueling journey all the way to Opulence. As more traders camped here, more followed. The demand for food, shelter, and specialized goods attracted farmers, alchemists, blacksmiths, and entertainers. What was once a temporary stop became a marketplace, then an encampment, and finally, an entire city. Unlike the rigid hierarchy of Opulence or the militarized order of Bordersword, Merchant’s Meet grew organically, its streets twisting around market squares, its businesses built from the ruins of old tents and caravans left behind.
In 249 CA, a series of earthquakes reshaped the region, creating a new river, Three Land's Run, which came to flow near Merchant’s Meet. This sudden geographical shift proved to be an unexpected boon, as the river provided much-needed fresh water, improved agriculture, and bolstered trade by allowing goods to travel faster along its course. The river also touched portions of the other two lands of The Three Lands, ensuring that Merchant’s Meet became even more integral to continental commerce. However, with prosperity came the dangers of unchecked growth, thieves, smugglers, and opportunists thrive here just as much as legitimate businesses. Merchant’s Meet remains a city run by trade rather than governance, where wealth buys influence, and fortunes are won or lost with the turning of a coin.
Demographics
The city’s population is as fluid as its economy, with merchants and travelers constantly coming and going. Humans and Dwarfish make up the majority, but the presence of traders from Kibonoji and the southern lands ensures a mix of Elfese, Gnomish, and the occasional Orcish tradesman or caravans of Goblins. Unlike more established cities, class divides here are dictated less by blood and title and more by wealth and connections. A skilled trader or alchemist may find themselves rubbing shoulders with noble merchants, while the poor scrape by in makeshift housing, hoping for their next lucky break.
Government
Merchant’s Meet lacks a traditional governing body. Instead, its affairs are loosely dictated by a council of guildmasters, wealthy traders, and influential alchemists who collectively decide on trade laws, taxation, and security. The city’s mayor is a position of influence rather than power, a merchant chosen more for their ability to mediate disputes than for their ability to govern. With no standing military presence, law enforcement is carried out by private security firms hired by the city's wealthiest, making justice a privilege for those who can afford it.
Defences
Unlike Bordersword, which bristles with military might, Merchant’s Meet relies on wealth and diplomacy for protection. The city is surrounded by a haphazard mix of wooden palisades, stone barricades, and merchant-funded watchtowers, each erected by different guilds and factions with varying degrees of commitment. Mercenaries and hired guards patrol the major trade routes leading into the city, but their loyalties are often tied to the coin, leaving the poorer districts vulnerable to crime and banditry. The presence of Three Land’s Run has also led to the rise of river-based smugglers and small-time pirate groups, adding another layer of complexity to the city’s security concerns.
Industry & Trade
Trade is the lifeblood of Merchant’s Meet, and nearly every industry within its walls is tied to the movement of goods. The city specializes in fresh produce, exotic herbs, and rare alchemical ingredients brought from Kibonoji and the southern reaches before they spoil or lose potency. The formation of Three Land’s Run has further boosted these industries, allowing faster river transport of perishable goods and creating a new sector of fisheries along its banks. Skilled craftsmen, blacksmiths, and jewelers operate thriving businesses, ensuring that weapons, armor, and luxury goods are available for the right price. However, not all trade is legal, contraband, stolen artifacts, and illicit magickal substances move through hidden backchannels, making the city a haven for smugglers and black-market dealers.
Infrastructure
Built out of necessity rather than design, the city’s infrastructure is a patchwork of cobbled streets, wooden bridges, and sprawling markets that seem to expand overnight. The addition of Three Land’s Run has led to the construction of docks, small harbors, and ferry systems, allowing traders to move their goods by water rather than relying solely on caravans. However, the city still lacks the grand aqueducts or sewer systems of Opulence, relying instead on a network of wells, rain collectors, and drainage ditches hastily expanded to accommodate its growing population. Many buildings still bear the marks of their humble origins, stone storefronts with wooden roofs built atop old wagons, homes repurposed from large trading carts left behind by merchants who settled permanently.
Districts
The Grand Market is the heart of Merchant’s Meet, a massive, ever-changing marketplace where traders from across Everwealth gather to buy, sell, and barter. The Golden Row houses the city’s wealthiest merchants, featuring opulent mansions and exclusive auction houses. The Low Aisles are a maze of cramped streets where smaller, struggling vendors set up shop, often bordering on slums. The Alchemist’s Quarter is a dense collection of laboratories and potion shops, where scholars and rogue mages test experimental brews with little oversight.
Assets
Merchant’s Meet’s greatest asset is its strategic position and access to Three Land’s Run. As the only major trade hub between Bordersword and Stargaze, the city serves as a vital artery of commerce. Its vast storage warehouses hold rare alchemical ingredients, precious metals, and fresh produce from all corners of the region. The river has further strengthened the economy by allowing faster and cheaper transport of bulk goods, making Merchant’s Meet even more essential to trade across The Three Lands.
Guilds and Factions
The Merchant’s Assembly is the closest thing the city has to a governing body, composed of the wealthiest traders and business owners. The Alchemist’s Consortium controls much of the city’s potion trade, ensuring that only licensed dealers can operate legally. The Iron Veil, a private mercenary guild, serves as the de facto police force for those who can afford protection. The Silken Hand, a smuggling ring, thrives in the city’s back alleys, ensuring that anything banned elsewhere can still be bought in Merchant’s Meet.
History
Unlike Everwealth’s great cities, Merchant’s Meet was not planned, it simply happened. Founded in 166 C.A., it began as an impromptu marketplace for passing traders, slowly evolving into a permanent settlement. The earthquakes of 249 C.A. reshaped the land, giving birth to Three Land’s Run, which further secured the city’s future by providing a steady water supply, improved agriculture, and a new avenue for trade. What should have been another failed roadside settlement instead became one of the most important economic centers in Everwealth.
Points of interest
The Grand Market is the largest open-air trading hub in Everwealth outside of the capital, featuring everything from fresh produce to exotic magicks. The Alchemist’s Vault is a restricted facility where the most volatile potions and reagents are stored under constant guard. The Auction Hall of Everwealth is where rare goods, magical artifacts, and even entire businesses are bought and sold to the highest bidder.
Tourism
Few visit Merchant’s Meet purely for leisure, but travelers seeking fine goods, exotic imports, and hard-to-find alchemical ingredients flock here. The city’s gambling halls and underground fighting pits offer entertainment to those with coin to spare, while the Golden Row caters to high-end clientele with luxurious inns and private auctions.
Architecture
Merchant’s Meet is a city built upon itself, old caravans turned into homes, ancient market stalls incorporated into permanent buildings. Its structures are an eclectic blend of wood, stone, and cloth, with many homes doubling as storefronts.
Geography
Positioned at the crossroads between Bordersword and Stargaze, Merchant’s Meet is built on relatively flat terrain, its outskirts blending into farmlands and small woodland patches.
Climate
The city experiences mild seasons, with warm summers and cool, rainy winters. The frequent trade activity means that dust and the scent of foreign spices are a near-constant presence in the air.
Natural Resources
Merchant’s Meet itself has few natural resources, relying entirely on trade. However, its proximity to Bordersword grants it access to military-grade steel, while Stargaze provides fresh produce and exotic goods from Kibonoji.
Founding Date
166 CA
Alternative Name(s)
'The Market'.
Population
20,000.
Inhabitant Demonym
Merchant's, Meeters.
Owning Organization
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