Merinos old Bird Market

The Merinos Bird Market used to be the main auction place where birds, especially the sentient Perrots and Condors were exchanged in the city of Merinos. Although the exchange and ownership of Perrots is now prohibited in Merinos and is regarded in the same way as human slavery, the Market structure is still standing. It is used as a central administration by the Perrot regulating office, and the auction room has been changed in a series of open offices where employers can obtain Coupons for their birds.

Architecture

Unlike other buildings in the Perrot district, the auction center has been designed primarily for humans. As such, it is much lower than all the thin, towering households that surround it. The building consists in a large, partly covered, market place. During slavery times, several stands werere lined up in the sides and bottom of the place, each moving from auction to auction and selling birds. Nowadays, two additionnal floors have been built out of wood to use up the space more effectively. Each floor, full of offices, is used by the Perrot regulating Office as a mean to organize and supervise the employment of birds, the production of Feather Coins.
The place is surrounded by a thin building made of wood and clay, where the birds used to be made up for the auctions. Their possible scars or injury marks were hidden, their feathers were combed, and their face was covered with the current popular make-up trend among bird slavers. Although some of these beehive-shaped rooms were destroyed in the protests that lead to the abolition of ownership, most of them were rebuilt afterwards. The building is now partly used as a series of protected chests by the Perrot regulating office, as well as a prison for criminal birds that are under the jurisdiction of the Office.

RUINED STRUCTURE
5404 A.R

Type

Market square

Parent Location

Merinos (City)

Owning Organization

Merinos Perrot regulating office

by Pouaseuille

Slavery times

Most of them were in good shape really : If it weren't from the muffler on their beaks and their desperate little eyes, you would have thought that the birds were there to get a manicure of some sort. Of course, there was your occasional whip mark on the head or the back, carefully hidden by make-up artists. Some animals just have to try to resist at all times, now don't they ?

— Unknown industrial, visiting the market ca. 5380 AR.

As one can guess fairly easily, the Bird Market used to deal with the trading of birds. Although Perrots are the major feathery slaves all around the Cylinder, due to them being particularly intelligent, social and numerous, other species such as Condors were auctionned as well.
The price range of one Perrot tends to vary a lot based on its age, physical aspect, level of education, and the current demand. Usually, a healthy Perrot in its prime can be expected to be sold for 50 to 200 Merinos blocks. Being rarer, and physically stronger, Condors can be sold for up to 300 blocks.