Long Ramp Market
The Long Ramp Market occupies several connected terraces on the lower face of the city. Its broad central ramp is wide enough for loaded carts and livestock to climb from the entry court to the auction ring. Pens, feed stores, weighing platforms, and stalls fit into the surrounding levels, while covered walks shelter merchants from rain and falling debris. It is one of the few places in the isolated city where travelers, local farmers, and established traders meet on equal terms.
Long Ramp Market
- Type
- Livestock and trading market
- Condition
- Well-Maintained
- Size
- Large
- Run by
- Garn
Overview
The Long Ramp Market occupies several connected terraces on the lower face of the city. Its broad central ramp is wide enough for loaded carts and livestock to climb from the entry court to the auction ring. Pens, feed stores, weighing platforms, and stalls fit into the surrounding levels, while covered walks shelter merchants from rain and falling debris. It is one of the few places in the isolated city where travelers, local farmers, and established traders meet on equal terms.
Atmosphere
Busy, loud, and pungent with hay, animal sweat, dung, and cooking smoke. Traders call prices across the tiers, bells clatter, and hooves ring on stone. The market feels orderly despite the crush, with porters and wardens constantly directing traffic.
Style
Practical stonework built to follow the city's steep tiers. Broad retaining walls support the upper yards, while ramps, steps, and covered galleries link the pens to the trading sheds. Timber roofs shade the auction ring and stalls without blocking the wind.
What stands out
History
The market began as a line of animal pens beside the city's main uphill track. As the city grew tier by tier, merchants added retaining walls and covered stalls until the track became a proper ramp and the market spread across the adjoining terraces. Its name comes from that long, unmistakable slope. Repairs are funded through stall rents and a levy on livestock sales.
- Livestock Sales
Livestock arrives through the lower gate and is sorted into stone pens by size and temperament. Buyers can inspect animals at the rail, commission a veterinary check, or bid in the covered ring at midday. The market keeps feed and water available, but sellers pay for every night an animal remains in a pen. Oxen, mules, goats, wool sheep, and hardy riding horses are common; exotic stock is scarce because the city is difficult to reach.
- Trade and Fees
The covered exchange handles grain, leather, tools, salt, cloth, and other goods brought up the Long Ramp. Traders record large deals with the market clerk, who keeps copies in a locked account room. Prices are usually fair but rise sharply when supplies are delayed. Barter is welcome, though the market accepts only sound coin and goods that can be inspected on site.
- Market Rules and Safety
The pens are divided by heavy gates, with separate lanes for animals, carts, and foot traffic. A bell signals a loose animal, a fire, or a dispute that needs the wardens. Staff carry poles, ropes, and nets rather than weapons while among the stock. A raised watchwalk overlooks the auction ring, and the market's stone drains carry waste down to a settling cistern below the lowest tier.
People
4 peopleMarket owner and chief auctioneerGarn Plain-spoken, fair-minded, and hard to impress. He prefers a clean ledger and a sound animal to a grand story, but will defend a small seller against a powerful buyer who tries to bully them.
Market owner and chief auctioneerGarn A steady, practical halfling who remembers the temperament and history of nearly every animal sold here. He dislikes haggling that wastes the sellers' time.
Accounts clerk and keeper of sale recordsMizuko A sharp-eyed human clerk with a habit of tapping her quill against her teeth while calculating. She is patient with honest confusion and merciless about false weights.
Livestock inspector and veterinarianBrask A broad-shouldered dwarf whose quiet manner settles nervous animals. He can spot sickness, poor shoeing, or a forged pedigree at a glance.
Rumours
Secret
Media
0 imagesNo images yet.
Turn Long Ramp Market into a sheet
A high-res, share-ready sheet you can post or print.