The Sapphire Bazaar

The Eyes Below:

A century past the caverns were known for their beautiful gemstones, but even more for their territorial and violent minotaurs. That was before the Queen came, however, and liberated the caves as well as those minotaurs wise enough to follow under her wings rather than lay broken in her wake. The same minotaurs now serve as the guards and enforcers of the Bazaar. The hulking towers of muscle can be found at every corner, every entry way, and every hall. Most carry a large ax or a club, but few have need of weapons, their sheer size and presence enough to deter most shenanigans.

There are rumors of other forces more sinister, that the Queen's Interrogator is, in fact, a Mindflayer, but rumors in the Bazaar are seldom confirmed or denied.

The Queen and her Herald

The Bazaar is ruled by Queen Xochilth , A dragon who's beauty is only outmatched by her greed. Learning from the repeated failures of those who came before her, she decided that the continual raiding and burning of villages was no way to gather a hoard. After all, the best way to keep one's ill-gotten-gains was to surround one's self with people who benefited from your own success. The Bazaar was forged from her conquering of the Hall of the Sapphire Eye, and with the aid of her newly subjugated allies, she created a haven that would not only increase her hoard, but give her access to the allies and tools that would ensure she could actually keep it. Initially considered a kind of hustle or dodge, she began to take her role as ruler of this grey and black market very seriously, spreading her wealth about and watching her investments grow.

One such investment was a gambler of uncommon charisma and breed, a creature called a Laphesian. Blessed by their patron Goddess of luck, he was surprised to find himself indebted to the Queen for a number of years, and not content to be one of her slaves, he worked to elevate himself to her right hand. Now a mediator of disputes and an overseer of sorts, Kasteo Lor was known among many to be the velvet glove that softened the Queen's claws, at least on occasion. Kasteo was smart enough to pick his battles, and to keep himself under her wing and out from under her heel.


What Lies Beneath

The Old Labyrinth, the unknown denizens of the further reaches of the mountains, not to mention those forces known to act on the river...no location was perfect. No solution was without it's aches and pains. Those who came to the Bazaar were promised a place safe from the myriad enforcers of the world's laws to peddle their wares and services, but could any such place ever be declared truly "safe"?

Welcome to the Sapphire Bazaar, traveler, everything is on offer. Even you.

A city beneath the eye of a Dragon Queen and the weight of a mountain.