Mystic Market

The Mystic Market is accessible only by magic.

It is a form of floating market, the type which exists only when the traders have a flying carpet to sell their wares from. This being a magical market, anything and everything is available. 

The Mystic market has a long carpet stretching from one end to the other. Nobody has ever actually walked from one end to the other, simply because after a while it loops back around on itself. Some people claim that the feeling you already walked past a particular store at least once already is not a literal thing but only a sign that the market is playing its tricks on you. The Long Rug as it is known is constructed of threads which seem always to be moving, weaving itself continuously into new shapes. Obviously every pattern imaginable can be seen while gazing into its fabric. 

Below the mystic market is cloud. Above the mystic market is night. Of course, it is always night here. Patches as they are called, the many different peddler’s weaves sidled up to the Long Rug, or simple Stores: must provide their own light. There are plenty of candle and lantern sellers to go around.

The Long Rug has its own seasons. Sometimes it glows in gold on black. Sometimes,Purple swirls . Sometimes, sand colored geometric patterns.

Features of the Mystic Market 

Floating Lamps. These are ornate bronze artifacts which hold glowing yellow orbs. They float along above the Long Rug, often following customers around during their visit. The floating lamps apparently have a mind of their own. 

Guardian Rugs. Every so often and always within shouting distance is a Guard Rug. Guard Rugs are where Guards can teleport around to other Guard Rugs. They are a deterrent more than anything, with the ability to simply make the woven ground beneath the feet of any troublemaker open up, so the person or people fall. It is a long way down. The Guards describe ‘down there’ and “the endless desert.” They might be right. 

 

Coin Trader Stalls. Due to the denizens of the Mystic Market originating form all over the place, a need exists for a standardized trading coin. The Mystic Market has a system so simple everyone can remember it:

“Three of Those is worth one of Them. 
Three of Them is worth one of These.”

It is called the ‘Those, Them and These’ monetary system. The coins themselves are not actually coins but glass beads of yellow, black and red glass. They are worn on cords, usually as jewellery. Beads are issued by Coin Traders who will value your form of currency and give you a fair exchange rate. Their stalls contain scales and chests of pouches of different types of coins, from all over the Many Worlds and Multi Dimensions. 

Robbing coin traders is not a good idea as they are protected by the Guards. 

Short Cuts. There are side-roads stemming off from the Long Rug and between the Patches. These lead to other patches. They are usually narrower than the main path. These are called Short-Cuts. Their far end links elsewhere to the main Long Rug. Often they do not have Guardian Rugs and are districts under the control of gang lords who have somehow managed to hack into the magic of the Long Rug. I visualize this as they are tapping and re-routing certain of its threads in the same way a lamp-post can be tapped into to provide free electricity for a house by placing a cable to it.

Ricksha. A Ricksha is a mini hammock chair, a stretch of normal cloth held in place by two sticks which are attached at one end where there is a harness to strap it to a belt worn by a man who is good at running. This taxi service is also called Runners. They typically charge 1 Yellow bead per Turn and can guarantee to arrive you at your destination Patch wherever it is on the Market within 1D6+1 turns.

Market Manager. The Market Manager, like Floating Lamps, is a techno-magickal device which floats around to wherever it is needed. If you want to pitch a patch on the Floating market this is whom you need to go through. The Manager is a bead-operated slot machine which allots you with a Tag: a small scroll onto which is written in finest calligraphic ink a nine digit number representing a location somewhere in the market. The Tag is also the barcode of any item you sell, a form of receipt and it is also an address card for your Patch. Not all of the ‘numbers’ on it are actual numbers, they are more like symbols of some strange exotic language which none of the denizens can apparently read nor speak. For simplicity we describe it as numbers. The rate for hiring a Patch is one yellow bead per ‘day’ although time does not exactly work like normal here in the Mystic Market and you might find that although your hours are apparently linear from the perspective of your Patch, people will report to you that they are splattered all over the calendar according to everyone from outside. Thus leading to deeper mysteries... 

Market Guide. The Mystic market is impossible to map because it changes continuously. Instead, the Guide exists. The Guide is a pack of fortune cards. These cards contain the same symbols as the Manager Tags. Market Guides are available from Souvenirs. 

Souvenirs. These Patches are dotted all over the Market. They specifically sell Key Stitches, Floating Lamps, Guides, and a range of other tools and memorabilia.

Q: Is the Mystic Market: Fantasy, Steampunk, Hogwarts, Other?

A: Yes, all of that, plus some other stuff you haven’t yet encountered.

Q: How do I get there?

A: Those familiar with the Mystic market will know all that is required is a handkerchief sized piece of the Long Rug fabric. These are called Key Stitch. You simply step on it. When you step off it, you will be at the Market (and your handkerchief will be wherever you left it, ready for you to return to when you step onto specific patterns in the Long Rug). 

The Challenge 

This is where we need YOU. 

Your task is to create as many different Patches (describing the wares and the peddler) as possible for the Mystic Market. The more Patches the better, even if they are similar to other peoples ideas. The more ideas and specific locations which can be created by the role-playing community for the Mystical Market, the better and more enjoyable a place it will be to visit.

Please post your ideas onto the thread below.