Baldur's Gate/The Wide

The Wide was a district in the Upper City of Baldur's Gate that served as a vast open-air marketplace and plaza. It was a place where Baldurians and outsiders alike could gather together to gossip, trade, debate politics and discuss issues of the day, or otherwise conduct their business within the city. Its reputation as a market and public forum was well-known across Faerûn, as far away as the nation of Thay.

Management of the Wide was left to its Bailiff, a thankless job that was bestowed upon any individual capable enough and willing to coordinate the needs of the marketplace. They had establish which market stalls could be placed in which location, consider how competing patriar families interacted with one another, settle disputes and keep record of each and every partition of sanctioned market space within the Wide.

Description
The main attraction of the Wide were the vast number of temporary stalls and booths that were operated by merchants, artists, artisans, fortune-tellers, hedge wizards, sages—or whomever had a service or good to sell within Baldur's Gate. A great variety of commodities were offered within, from textiles and spices from the Shining South to locally-made tools or silk from foreign lands. These stalls often featured brightly-hued awnings that caught the eye, and their purveyors offered prices that were lower than anywhere else it the city.

Tables were set up between the stalls, upon which folks could sit and take a brief reprieve from the bustle of the crowds.

The typically musky smell that permeated the Gate was masked by the scent of spices, tobacco and roasted meats that were prepared nearby.

Activities
Before dawn, the Bailiff and their assistants met at the Beloved Ranger to discuss which vendors were allowed what space in the Wide and set about marking their respective "real estate" with chalk outlines. Stalls had to be requested the previous day, and reservations were confirmed by night-time doorstop delivery. The entire decision-making process for which vendor received which place in the Wide was a complex algorithm dependent on their history in the city, what goods and services they sold compared to their neighbors, their draw with the crowds and whether or not they had commit any previous infractions. While bribes of gold typically had to be turned down, donating extra goods for "routine inspection" often lent someone to receive preferential placement in the Wide.

At first light, many servants and liveries lined up outside the Wide to await arrival of the merchants. Just after the stalls were set up, the finest and freshest goods were purchased for wealthy enough to afford such diligent help. During the day, the market was absolutely packed, with shoppers and visitors standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Most business was conducted during the mid-day hours.

To manage deliveries through the crowds, the young and strong couriers wore tall poles strapped to their torsos, at the top of which was attached the load they were tasked with delivery. These "pole-carters" were offered significant protection from thieves while in the market and carried their goods in a traditional fashion when they entered into the narrow streets of the surrounding city. Bulk goods that could not be transported in this manner were often sold on supposition and delivered later on by other means.

Just before desk, as the last of the merchants' goods were transported to their destinations, the Watch began to clear the wide of bystanders. As the entire Upper City had a strictly-enforced curfew, the Wide was generally devoid of activity during the night-time hours.

Notable Locations

 * Businesses:
 * Harbreeze bakery
 * Haspur the seer: The Baldurian diviner operated a small fortune-telling tent during the 14 century DR.


 * Landmarks:
 * The Beloved Ranger: The only permanent structure within the marketplace proper was a statue of the heroic Rashemi adventurer Minsc. The statue was "destroyed" by a surge of wild magic in the early 1480's.


 * Temples:
 * Rose Portal: This rose-colored stone archway served as a shrine to Lathander.
 * Unrolling Scroll: The major shrine of Oghma featured a podium from which Baldurians could disseminate knowledge and wisdom to their fellow citizens.

Appearances

 * Video Games:
 * Baldur's Gate