Petit Bazaar

The area now known as the Low Market, Old Market, or Petit Bazaar has been a bustling center of activity since Greyhawk's earliest days, when it rested just outside the city's old walls on the road to Urnst. Marketplace activity spawned support structures such as warehouses and the shops of skilled craftsmen, which eventually formed the nucleus of what would become the Artisan's Quarter. The market remains as busy as ever in the present day, with strangers from dozens of nations selling wares alongside native Greyhawkers. Here a merchant prince from Ekbir sells finely woven garments to middle class women while young men from Slum Quarter orphanages trundle through crowds with handcarts displaying freshly cut sausages. Jugglers, musicians, and no few pickpockets work the crowds; occasionally tempers flare and minor fights break out. All around is the din of the bargain, outrageous claims in a half-dozen languages.
Every day, about an hour before dawn, merchants arrive at the market to open their tents, tables, or stalls. The poorest, or those aware that they might need to make a quick dash for safety should some deal turn sour, arrange their goods on rolled-out sections of cloth. These ephemeral merchants, along with the bulk of foreign artisans or offloading caravaneers, generally set up shop in the West Market, that section of the Petit Bazaar west of the Processional. East Market, which teems with sturdy wooden booths and stalls, is the domain of more reputable merchants.
The most prized spot in the market is found at the north end, under the boughs of the Hanging Tree, an ancient roanwood once used for dispatching criminals. Save for a few permanent stalls owned by powerful or extremely aged merchants, each 6-foot-by-6-foot section of the market is leased on a daily basis from the city administrators in the Grand Tent. On Starday. the number of merchants doubles, with the entire market taking on a more festive atmosphere.
Nearly any common good can be had in the Low Market, usually at standard or slightly inflated rates. Luxury or highly technical or magical items rarely can be found here, but are available in the High Market in abundance. Illegal materials are better found in the darkness of Old City or the alleys of the River Quarter, but first contact with those who deal in unsavory services and goods is often made here.

Type

Market square