Market Sprawl
The Market Sprawl stretches inward a little over a mile from the cities eastern edge and comprises a vast maze of open plazas and collapsed arcade roofs where merchant stalls once bustled with trade. Now the bazaars stand hollow and silent, their wooden canopies long since rotted or burned, leaving only stone pillars and the skeletal frames of guild halls. Scattered through the district, those who still live in the city dwell within old merchant houses, now fortified against the horrors of Archeth Valorn.
By day, the residents go about their business while novice treasure hunters sift through the rubble in search of overlooked coins and ancient goods. Once the sun goes down, however, the streets become empty as the Pressed emerge from the shadows to wander the empty market lanes they walked in life.
Resident Enclaves
Sites of Interest
- Coin Counter’s Guildhall: A three-story stone building on the districts west side. The guildhall remains largely intact, though the upper floors are accessible only by a partially collapsed staircase.
- Weighmaster’s Plaza: A broad, circular plaza where once good were weighed and inspected. Now, the massive bronze scales, each more than ten feet across, stand at the plaza’s center and serve as a stage for performers. The Brass Scale Collective have a fortified complex on the eastern edge of the plaza.
- Silk Merchant’s Row: Once a covered arcade where luxury good were sold, the roof has collapsed creating a tunnel-like passage. Faded painted signs still advertise “Thalassan Silks” and “Perfumes of Aethelier.”
- Auction Block: A raised stone platform here carved from a single block of white marble and covered in faded paint was once used to auction livestock. The surrounding streets are unusually empty and quiet.
- The Camp: A ramshackle collection of structures near the districts heart that has been taken over by vagabonds and scavengers.