Tradegate

Tradegate was a large gate-town leading to Bytopia from the Outlands.

"Sure, I'll give ya the time of day, berk, but it'll cost ya."

- Kor the Merchantile

Description
Tradegate was built in the shape of a star and was surrounded by a wall of grey stone. Within the gate-town, old buildings are frequently demolished and new structures built in their place. As a result, the appearance of Tradegate was constantly changing.

The center of Tradegate was home to a grand bazaar, a large five-sided plaza with gold and purple tiles laid out like a checkerboard. The bazaar was home to a multitude of booths and stalls and was one of the main trading hubs in the Outlands. Four sides of the plaza were flanked by four large buildings: the Parliament, Tradegate's mint, the armory and barracks and a library. The fifth side of the plaza opened up onto the hotel district, home to the gate-town's many inns.

Gates
Unique among the gate-towns, the gate found in Tradegate was actually a living creature, a bariaur who went by the name of Master Trader. He could be found wandering within the forests located near the gate-town. On occasion he ventured to Tir na Og. If one successfully completed the long, complicated trading process, Master Trader opened the gate to allow passage into Bytopia.

Government
Tradegate was ruled by a council of merchants called the Parliament. They met on a weekly basis and concerned themselves primarily with trading regulations. New members to the council were not elected, rather anyone who was not of an evil alignment, and also had 500,000 gp, were welcome to join the Parliament.

Trade
Tradegate was aptly named due to the fact it was a major center of commerce. The gate-town minted their own currency, a coin with a star on one side and an engraving of Ilmater on the other. According to the locals, the coin represented the dual nature of Bytopia. Goods were bought and sold via barter or purchase with hard currency, credit was rare and never given to on who was not from the gate-town.

Inhabitants
The inhabitants of Tradegate were primarily gnomes and humans, and were an industrious lot with a strong work ethic. Begging and vagrancy were forbidden and punishable by a sentence to a workhouse.

History
At some point, a group of adventurers from the Prime Material world of Toril came to the city of Sigil, having purchased a map from a sage in Shadowdale. When the group's fighter unfolded the map they began scanning it in search of the gate-town Glorium, only to quickly be corrected by his rogue ally that town headed to Gladsheim and they were looking for the gate-town to Bytopia. Watching the adventurers argue among themselves, a peddler emerged from the shadows with a variety of shaped mimirs floating about him. He offered a skull-shaped one to the group's fighter, who proceeded to ask it their query and was told what they sought was Tradegate. Impressed, the adventurers paid the peddler for the mimir and went off on their journey.

Rumors & Legends
It was rumored across the Outlands that one could purchase fiendish equipment and weapons salvaged from the various battlefields of the Blood Wars at certain stalls in the bazaar. Word was that anyone interested in such purchases had to wear boots with red stripes while within the bazaar. If seen, they were approached and a meeting was scheduled.