Partially Used: Smitty needs a makeover, methinks ...

Hey, y'all!

Instead of just one or two merchants like it is now, don't y'all think that the Vale could use a bazaar-type marketplace? I was just thinking that since the Vale is always a point of entry for adventurers, and adventurers always have extra gold to spend and needs to fulfill, an expanded mercantile selection would be awesome!

At the very least, I'd love to see the paper and ink merchant from Macedone set up a franchise in the Vale ... after all, the Battlefield Journal would be awesome to have from the get go, and it is rather affordable now to a fledgling explorer, but it's location makes it somewhat inaccessible, at least initially. And, as it is one of those things that more gives the PC a little flair, as opposed to an advantage in battle or elsewise, I wouldn't see any harm in making them available to starting PCs.

And, y'know what, while we're at it, wouldn't it be awesome if the town council in the Vale set up plans to make a merchant structure that could house various vendors ... they could put out a writ of request soliciting donations to the project in return for ... I dunno, getting the PCs name on a wall or a brick, or something along those lines. I'd love to get some of my PCs involved with the world in that manner, and it would allow some who have an excess of capital to spend it on something other than +11 swords of vermin slaying.

What say ye?

Interesting. The Vale can change over time, especially with input from the various heroes that visit often and contribute to the local coffers.

There's already been some local changes, with the Firehair clan of dwarves clearing a space just beyond the Temple of Life for houses closer to the Vale and the gnomes at the Northwest Crossroads having settled in and built a house for themselves.

I could see a more open market being built in Madara's abandoned retreat just to the south of the Vale. It's got a large, natural canopy that blocks out the sun for those that get hurt during the day, and it has lots of open space already.

There may be a bard in blue who would invest in some sort of bazaar opening up in the vale, even though he resides in Tradeholm

Another plus to the pc-donation route is that it could be a chance to use the not-often-used title feature, don't we think? Honorary Merchant Lord, Friend of the Vale Merchants, or something along those lines ...

Loanshark...

Tsk, tsk ... so negative!

Always look on the bright side of life!

But, hey, that's a cool idea, too! There could be a shady character hiding in the shadows of the bazaar - a moneylender ... wouldn't it be cool to owe a loanshark some money, and have random spawn attacks of kneecap breaking thugs?

Awesome idea, Manny!

Alastair will employ all the loansharks Business is business!