Category Locales

Citadel Island, nearly a mile in length, splits the River Erynnor into two deep and rocky gorges of rushing rapids. Two sets of bridges cross the river via the island: Stonebridge and Woodbridge -- the only place the Erynnor may be bridged for commercial traffic for over 100 miles in either direction. Citadel Island has served as a neutral meeting place for merchants and traders for countless centuries, (long before the citadel -- or the city -- existed). Those who buy and sell on Citadel Island are considered the least of the merchants and traders of Petrana; they are the Free Merchants, Gypsies, and transient craftsmen.

The greater part of the island is an open-air bazaar, a sprawling tapestry of color and sound, where traders and craftsmen display their wares from wagons, tents, pavilions, hastily constructed booths, or from scattered camps. All manner of trinkets may be found. The voices of traders fill the air, calling attention to wares "like no other", and prices "the lowest in Petrana!" The sounds of haggling over such precious goods as spices from Seki and knickknacks from the remnants of the Old Kingdom resound amidst the stirring crowd. The atmosphere is electric; a bustling panorama of noise and riotous color exists, unmatched anywhere in Petrana.

The booths of the major traders and craftsmen line the length of the Loop, a wide, well-trodden dirt road that circles the island and surround Petrana's main cemetery, which dominates to hills at the center of the Island. Lesser traders form along Caravan Street as it runs from one side of the Loop to the other, but rarely set up near the forbidding ruins of the Old Citadel (which is fearfully haunted, as any native will tell you). The gypsies have traditionally encamped along the South Loop, near the ruins. As end of the North Loop, the ground rises to climb a low hill and forms a ramp leading to the gates of the New Citadel, the imposing stone edifice that has guarded the island and its vital bridges for over 500 years.

The Free Merchants

The population of Citadel Island is transient; except for the Citadel guards and a small number of semi-permanent residents, people are always on the move. Of all the Island's populace, the Free Merchants are the most numerous. They are the independent, travelling businessmen who provide a good portion of all inter-city trade. Their wares are sold mainly to in-town merchants, but they also retail small quantities of easily transported goods at the island's bazaar. Some traders specialize in a particular line of products such as spices, potions, or medicines. Many others tend to carry whatever is profitable at the time.

There is stiff competition for the choice spots to set up stalls: there is a loose hierarchy, measured by the size of one's business and its apparent wealth, as well as by reputation of trading acumen. Well-established traders of higher prestige usually get the best spots in the bazaar, while the younger traders and smaller operations take what is left; the poorest end up on the far end of the Loop, near the gypsies. Disputes over precedence or other matters are usually settled peacefully by arbitration by another trader who is known for his fairness; violence is considered to be very bad for business.

Not all on Citadel Island are Free Merchants. Many craftsmen and artisans bring their wares to the Island from workshops in Petrana and nearby villages to better catch the eye the purses of customers. Food and drink vendors operate out of pushcarts and simple stalls, and the ever-present beggars and thieves roam the bazaar in search of marks. There are even those who have made Citadel island their home, living in simple homes or tents and rarely crossing either Bridge.

The most visually impressive residents of the island have the least to do with it; the brightly garbed, well-armored members of the Citadel Guard, traditional guardians of the sanctity of Citadel Island, who ride primarily on their reputation and their ancient heritage.

The Gypsies

Below the southern bend of the Loop is the traditional camping spot of the Wandering Folk, the gypsies. The clan that presently occupies this spot are primarily horse dealers and trainers, dark of skin and hair, and wear brightly colored, embroidered garb.

Old Citadel

Beyond the gypsies' camp lies the ruins of an ancient stone fortress, long abandoned, known as the Old Citadel. Most Islanders will not venture beyond the remaining shards of the Keep's walls, and no one camps within 300 feet of the walls at night. All Petranaers and Islanders are certain it is haunted; the restless, vengeful spirits of the long-dead guardians of the Island still keep vigil among the fallen towers and grass-grown barrows, but the spirits are apparently quiet unless disturbed. At times, one can hear the tramping of feet, the clinking of ghostly arms and armor, or glimpse shadowy forms moving in the twilight or early dawn near the Keep. On stormy nights, there are often pale, luminous figures flitting about the stones, and unearthly moans fill the air.

The Islanders

The Bridges close at midnight, leaving all those still on the Island to stay there until dawn when they reopen. At night, the Island becomes a community of friends, although many have just met and may never meet again. Campfires glow cheerfully in front of the wagons and pavilions or behind booths, and the heady aromas of roasting meat and trader's stew (made of whatever has been donated) draw the Islanders together in congenial circles. It is said the Islanders celebrate Festival every night, and there are those who seem the worse for it the next morning.

When morning comes, the wagons of those who are moving on rumble over the Bridges down the Long Road, and those who remain or who have come in to set up the evening before make ready for another day.

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