As if I did not already have my hands full with this project, I am adding all the market stalls. According to the relevant documentation the City of Waterdeep had a very efficient method of taxation on the market stalls. Vendors would set up their wares and the city watch would pass by and charge each a daily fee for the use of the market stall. Once it was paid a receipt would be issued to the vendor to show any further city watch patrols. The market stalls are first come first serve and any disputes usually end up with eviction of both vendors from the market for the day. This has miraculously reduced the number of issues to a rare occurrence. Merchants can attempt to set up in the same spot on a daily basis but there are no guarantees. To help shoppers in this chaotic situation are several systems. For the poorer folk there will be children guides at the entrances to the market. For a copper piece these guides will lead buyers to their requested vendors. The children have a fantastic system where each one is responsible for learning a small section of the market and then working as a network to quickly determine the location of each vendor. For the more wealthy there are designated agents that will go and retrieve any goods desired and deliver them either to the household or to a rich citizen waiting on one of the many elevated decks where vendors provide food and beverages on demand.
Over time to prevent theft and other criminal action the buildings have been connected together to provide limited access and exit from the central market. At each of these locations are city guards and also members of the mage guild who will highlight any fleeing suspects with fairy fire and other tracking magic for the watch to follow up on. This has resulted in a very safe shopping experience inside the market for the citizens of waterdeep.
In addition to the market stalls are a handful of fountains inside the market. These fountains are 2 stories tall and can be seen from anywhere in the market making them good meeting places. One of the fountains is of a young lady spilling water from a keg she is holding. This unique fountain has been in the market for centuries and nobody knows the history it goes back so far. Still to this day she pours crystal clear water that is always cool and fresh. The pieces are ridiculously tiny and are printed in 2 sections which are glued together. Once that feat is accomplished they are painted and right now just loosely set in place. When I get the whole market setup finished I will start affixing the stalls permanently. Dont want to change my mind mid stream so this seems like the best way to go.
Dont mind the toes :P
