Merchandnis

"There are many markets in Arcania, every City, town and village seems to have one, but Merchandnis stands above all others. Located in the Underdark, it is one of the few places where hereditary enemies will come together for the one thing that stands above all ideologies - trade and the pursuit of wealth."

Amarin of Malfador

Merchandnis is a vast market located in the Byd Dwyfn, approximately 25 miles from the Drow city of Gwe Dywll.

The Great Market
Merchandnis is almost unique in Arcania. The vast market, located many miles below the surface, is one of the great trade centres of Arcania. Merchants from all over, and under, Arcania made the, often, hazardous journey. For many, the risk is worth it as the mercantile opportunities are great. A human merchant with a shipment of items commonplace on the surface (candles, paper, wood, herbs, etc.) will be able to sell them for many times their value due to their scarcity in the subterranean realms.

Administration
The market is jointly administered, under the terms of an uneasy truce, by the Drow, the Duergar, and the Svirfneblin. While each race, and the surface dwellers permitted there, are responsible for the day to day running of their own quarter, overall security falls under the watchful eye of the drow. While the laws can vary from quarter to quarter, there are three major rules, known as the Covenants, which are applied to the market as a whole. Any found to be in contavention of these covenants is dealt with harshly.

The Covenants
There are three main Covenants of Merchandnis.


 * The Rule of Theft
 * The Rule of Deception
 * The Rule of Magic

The Rule of Theft
Overt theft is taken very seriously by the guards. While security within each quarteris the responsibility of the race concerned, there is also a highly visible contingent of drow guards patrolling the neutral sections of the market who will treat any thieves caught very harshly.

The Rule of Deception
While there is a degree of caveat emptor between traders and buyers, outright deception is forbidden under the second covenant. The includes the use of illusions to disguise the true nature of the goods for sale and the passing of false coinage as payment

The Rule of Magic
Traders and Customers are forbidden to make use of charms and psionic abilities to influence the outcome of any bartering taking place within the confines of the market.

Punishment
There is only one punishment for anyone breaking the convenants - execution. Those found guilty are beheaded and suspended from one of the stalactites which descend from the ceiling. A faerie fire spell is cast upon the stalactites, renewed regularly by a team of mages, which will provide a constant reminder for those who might think of breaking the rules.

In addition, all companions of the convicted party are also considered to be guilty of the crime and could suffer the same punishment unless they are able to prove their innocence in the matter before the Council of Trade who oversee the market.

Layout
The market is divided into four quarters - the Drow Quarter, the Duergar Quarter, the Svifneblin Quarter and the surface dwellers quarter. Down the centre of the market runs a deep channel which is the only access to the market. Once access is gained, there are bridges which allow customers to pass between the two halves of the market without difficulty. In addition, there are two large areas set aside for the pack animals used to transport goods to and from the market.

There are two main sources of fresh water in Merchandnis. On the western side of the trench runs the Dyr Tywyll, a narrow stream of cold, clear water which runs north to south along that side of the main cavern. As of yet, the source of the stream has not been ascertained but Svirfneblin explorers have discovered that it flows into Mor Du, the underground sea that lies to the south of Merchandnis. About halfway down the cavern, part of the stream has been diverted, by dwarf slaves obtained from from Gwe Dywll, to form a small pool which is the main source of water on that side of the cavern. The second source of water, located on the eastern side of the cavern, is a large pool. As there is no visible source for this pool, the assumption is that it is magically generated in some way.