[District] The Market District

The Monument of Manlius Mugen

Manlius Mugen was a man who lived in Remia at the birth of the Empire. A great warrior from the East, Manlius was nonetheless devoted to the Republic. Not only did he bring great victories to the Republic, but also possessed such a strong civic-mindedness that he originated many of the public utilities functions and administrative processes that have allowed the city to prosper as an Empire.

Upon his death, he left a sizable portion of his fortune to the Senate in order to beautify and engineer the more rundown areas of the city. Manlius spent his life aspiring to be surrounded by beauty and wanted to leave some beauty behind for his beloved city. So it was that the Emperor who commissioned an artist to sculpt a magnificent marble memorial to Manlius, with the intention of it becoming the centerpiece of a large fountain to be constructed in the Market.

The artist spent a great deal of time learning about Manlius and his life. In the end, he concluded that the only possible way to do justice to the man's lifetime of great works and personal aspiration was to sculpt an image of Manlius himself, naked and somewhat chubby from his years indulging in his love of food, engaged in sexual congress with an idealized representation Remians depicted as a beautiful young woman with exemplary physical attributes.

The Emperor was more than mildly disturbed - less by the subject matter, and much more by the uncannily accurate image of Manlius Mugen, right down to the hirsute back and wrinkled hindquarters. Nevertheless, the Emperor allowed the statue to be placed in the center of the fountain, where it has become a fixture of the Market much loved by its inhabitants. Placed at one of the entrances to the district, it is a popular spot for clandestine meetings between lovers, spies, and criminals, which has only added to its notoriety.

The Merchant's Market



One of the pitfalls of visiting a city like Remia is the confusion that can arise from the same name being applied to several different locations, especially when those locales are not all that close to one another. Locals, of course, implicitly the distinction between one place and another from the context of a conversation.

One of the worst examples of these naming practices is the Market. In Remia, when someone refers to "the Market," they could be referring to any one of a number of things, one of which is not itself a single thing but a collection of things. First of all, the Market refers to any of the trading areas in the City of Remia. Many of these minor markets are makeshift affairs and rarely last more than a few hours or a day at most. They are a peculiar combination of flea and farmer's markets, with a good dose of public auction thrown in as well. The practice of haggling is popular in Remia, and there is no better showcase for their abilities than in one of the many markets that pop up in the city.

The second type of Market is the city district of the same name. In many ways, the Market district is much like the minor markets of the city writ large. There are more permanent structures in this district, including homes and residences of Remian citizens, of course, in addition to its being much greater in size, but the same general principles apply to these two Markets.

The same cannot be said of what is properly called "The Market." While this conglomeration of tents and stalls is indeed an open-air marketplace, it is generally of interest only to other merchants. That is because this particular Market does not sell actual goods or services, but rather promises of them. The place is a kind of "stock exchange," where traders gather to make contracts, order products, and haggle over terms.

That is not to say that only merchants ever visit this Market, but very few ordinary Remians have much interest in the place, since they rarely need to order 200 barrels of Xalambe beer or 10,000 bolts of Eastern silk. For those who do need such bulk quantities, the Merchant's Market is the place to go. It is also where one may contract services of various sorts, such as hiring a mercenary company, or chartering a caravan to Sylvania.

Tax and Import Office

Perahaps the most dreaded branch of the government is the Tax and Import Office, placed in the Market district to keep it out of the wealthier and more influential residents (who end up paying the bulk of its levies).

The Tax and Import Office, as its name suggests, oversees the taxation of all goods and imports into the city. The head of the office, called the Quaestor, is very devoted to his duties. Under his guidance, the office oversees the collection process, hiring soldiers and local toughs to act as its enforcers. When an individual is overdue in paying his taxes, the office sends out collection "agents" to remind them of their obligations to Shelzar. These agents do not hesitate to use threats, intimidation, and even physical violence in dealing with delinquent taxpayers.

Needless to say, working for this office earns the approbation of the Senate, and the enmity of the basically everyone else. The Senate does not publicly endorse the offices methods, but neither have they condemned them. They cannot afford to alienate the merchants, so they keep their support for the office silent. Still, there is no denying that the office runs very efficiently and general revenues to the Imperial Coffers have increased noticeably as a result of the "reforms" to the collection system.

The Slave Market (aka the Medistadium)

The Slavers' Guild presence in Remia is here at the Medistadium, maintained within a large wooden ampitheater-style enclosure just to the side of the Market proper. Great wooden walls and a large gate separate the Market from the slavers' area, as a means to keep the slaves controlled in case any buck their collars (which is an extreme unlikelihood).

A large, raised platform is set in the middle of a number of bleachers so that slaves for sale can be displayed for all to see. Many slaves will be put on revolving stands, so buyers can see them completely. The slaves sold here are stripped naked and have placards hung from their necks describing their ethnic origin, health, character, intelligence, education, as well as any pertinent information (such as flaws or whether or not the slave's service was guaranteed). Slaves that are not guaranteed also wear a special cap at auction.

Slaves of great beauty and rarity were not exhibited to public gaze while the gates are open, but are instead shown to purchasers in private (arcana tabulata catastae), where the gates are shut to the open market and the platform lit so that buyers can focus upon such slaves.

Auctions for slaves are held every other day in times of peace. In times of war, captives of the legion are sold in Remia on a nearly daily basis. The slave trade becomes a brisk process as the Guild tries to turn slaves around for a tremendous profit.

The actual sale of slaves at market is pretty much the exact same way as other goods and wares. The sellers will emphasize the features and benefits and any other selling points, as well as remind buyers that their wares are guaranteed (unless denoted by the cap called a pillei).