Karolis - The Bazaar

South of the Old Fortress lies the Bazaar. The Bazaar is a mixture of permanent buildings forming a ring around an open-air market that brims with new life daily.   The permanent buildings on the Bazaar’s edge are home to Karolis’ oldest and most esteemed merchants. Some of these buildings have belonged to the same merchant families since Karolis’ founding in 535.
The pillars of the community are found here, and the staples of Karolis’ bustling markets include tobacco, grain, wine, oil, and cloth. The sellers in these buildings are trusted members of the merchant community and have accountability through the Merchant League.
The spaces between these buildings are occupied by itinerant merchants and newer up-and-coming merchants within the League. These merchants may only be staying for a few days or looking to put down roots in Karolis and become a permanent fixture there.
The open-air part of the Bazaar is home to riotously colored awnings, small stalls, mouth-watering scents, and merchants barking at passers-by, all vying for the attention of the sellers that grace the market.
The Bazaar is the beating heart of Karolis. There are, of course, many items that enter the gates of Karolis that are long spoken for and are only there to be taken delivery of. Many more goods, however, are brought to Karolis to be sold in the Bazaar. These sales may lead to long-term contracts and futures. Still, the initial sales occur in the Bazaar’s loud, bustling, sometimes overwhelming environs.
The Bazaar is very cosmopolitan. While the rest of the city is segmented according to kingdoms, the Bazaar is the exact opposite. Kandoran merchants wheel a cart of desert spices next to a yellow and purple awning under which Haradelan specialty tobacco is sold. A Koronnan merchant from Thormenal who sells jewelry and beautifully-hued crystals may ply their trade next to a Symker selling bolts of cloth from the weavers of Kra’xa Teex.
In the middle of the southern Bazaar stands the Merchant League offices. The Merchant League offices are part office and part market. Not only will the Merchant League Master work here and the merchants gather here for meetings, but every day an ever-changing showcase of Merchant League goods is laid out for visitors to the Bazaar. To have one’s products or work showcased at the Merchant League’s office is a badge of honor that every merchant in Karolis aspires to.

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District