The Eclipse Market

Crossroads of Mysteries

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"In the shadow of the moon, where the laws of the kingdoms hold no sway, everything can be bought... if you know what to offer in exchange."

— Saying of the Eclipse merchants

The Eclipse Market is a vast underground black market, a place both fascinating and fearsome, where mystery and danger reign. This complex network, connected by ancient magical portals, allows smugglers, spies, and assassins to enter undetected. Hidden from the eyes of authorities and the general public, this place has become a central hub for clandestine activities in Andoris.

Origins and Organization

Once known as the Black Crown, the market took on its current name with the rise of the two dominant guilds: Winter Moon and Summer Sun. These guilds share control of the market, ruling under the oversight of the Eclipse Alliance, a small council that governs their interactions. The Alliance also ensures a relative peace between these two factions through the Eclipse Blood Pact, which forbids any internal violence within the market's borders.

Governance

The Eclipse Market is run by a secret oligarchy represented by the two dominant guilds: Winter Moon and Summer Sun. These rival but interdependent guilds share control over the market’s operations and sectors. Their cooperation is ensured by the Eclipse Alliance, a council made up of the leaders of both factions who meet to decide common rules and strategies.

Winter Moon

Representing patience and cold strategy, this guild controls espionage operations, rare artifact transactions, and intelligence networks.

Summer Sun

Symbolizing cunning and swift action, it excels in the trafficking of exotic spices, poisons, and targeted assassination operations.

The Eclipse Alliance

The Alliance maintains a strict balance through ruthless rules: theft, betrayal, or insubordination toward the guilds are punishable by death or enslavement. The Shadow Serenites, oath-bound judge-mages, ensure the enforcement of these laws and the security of transactions.

Culture and Ideology

The culture of the Eclipse Market is shaped by a unique ideology focused on opportunism, discretion, and survival. Inspired by the eclipse phenomenon, where shadow and light meet, this philosophy reflects the delicate balance between the values of Winter Moon (strategic coldness and patience) and those of Summer Sun (cunning and speed). Visitors and residents adhere to the Eclipse Silence Code, an unspoken law forbidding the disclosure of the market’s internal activities and location.
The population, made up of fugitives, smugglers, assassins, and occult scholars, often worship the forces of shadow or light in a respectful syncretism. Discretion is a cardinal virtue, and the market functions as a sanctuary for those seeking rare items, secret services, or confidential information.

Infrastructure and Environment

The Eclipse Market is located in a vast underground cavern network lit by magical crystals mimicking the light of a perpetual eclipse. This interplay of shadows and light creates a mystical and threatening atmosphere.
Magical portals, scattered across Andoris and controlled by powerful artifacts, provide discreet access to the market. These portals are jealously guarded and open only to individuals authorized by the Alliance.

Main Sectors

The Shadowed Halls

The market’s nerve center, where bustling stalls offer strange and forbidden goods, ranging from cursed artifacts to confidential information.

The Eclipse Sanctuaries

Private, secure chambers reinforced by anti-spying enchantments, reserved for sensitive transactions and secret meetings.

Military Forces and Security

To maintain security, the Eclipse Market relies on a secret army of agents, the Eclipse Veils, trained in stealth and magic. These forces are divided into two main orders:

• The Silent Moon Order (affiliated with Winter Moon): Masters of stealth and infiltration.
• The Solar Blades (affiliated with Summer Sun): Agile fighters specializing in swift strikes.

These agents, though trained by the guilds, report directly to the Eclipse Alliance, ensuring a balance of power.

Importance in Andoris

Despite its illegal status, the Eclipse Market plays a crucial role in Andoris' economy and politics. It supplies rare resources and artifacts that often influence the course of events worldwide. Kingdoms and factions, though hostile to its existence, depend on it for secret exchanges and strategic transactions.

Type

Trade post

Location under

Andoris