The Floating Market

“Commerce Without Borders”

“The Market never stays, but it always returns. Like hope, or hunger, or destiny.”
—Factor Wanderer’s Creed

Quick Reference

The Floating Market - Commerce Without Borders

Overview

The Floating Market isn’t a place—it’s a phenomenon. A fleet of 50-80 airships lashed together in a complex web of cables, bridges, and platforms, drifting along established trade routes and arriving at major settlements on a predictable (if flexible) schedule. When the Market arrives, it transforms into a temporary city in the sky: merchants unfurl their stalls, entertainers perform, information brokers whisper secrets, and fortunes change hands.

The Market specializes in what stationary settlements cannot provide: rare goods from distant islands, exotic wares from dangerous regions, information from everywhere, and opportunities that exist only in motion. Here you can buy star-dust from the Periphery, corrupted artifacts from the Murk, pre-Shattering relics from hidden ruins, or simply the latest gossip from Ironhold.

The fleet operates under its own rules, governed by the Factor Council—a rotating group of senior merchants who maintain order, resolve disputes, and keep the Market profitable. They’re affiliated with the Sky-Guild but fiercely independent, paying tribute but accepting no interference.

Life aboard the Market is transient, exciting, and dangerous. Merchants compete ruthlessly, deals are made and broken, and the fleet’s route takes them through both prosperous and perilous regions. But for those who thrive on movement, risk, and the pulse of commerce, there’s no better home.

Structure and Organization

The Fleet Configuration

Core Ships (20 permanent vessels): - Large cargo haulers serving as anchors - Lashed together in hexagonal formation - Central platform (meeting space, primary market) - House permanent residents, storage, essential services

Merchant Ships (30-50 rotating vessels): - Individual traders join fleet temporarily - Stay for circuit (2-4 weeks) then depart - Rent mooring space from Factor Council - Bring specialized goods

Escort Ships (5-10 hired protection): - Mercenary vessels - Guard perimeter - Intercept threats - Paid by collective security fund

Visitor Ships (varies, 0-20): - Customers from nearby settlements - Temporarily dock for shopping - Pay docking fee - Stay hours to days

Total Size: 50-80 ships in loose formation, 200-300 meters across

Physical Layout

The Central Platform: - Wooden deck spanning central ships - 60m diameter - Public market square - Factor Council meeting space - Performance area

The Web: - Rope bridges connecting all ships - Walkways, cargo lines, passenger cables - Complex 3D maze (easy to get lost) - Constantly shifting as ships adjust position

Ship Tiers: 1. Upper Deck (wealthy merchants): Best positions, most traffic 2. Mid Deck (standard merchants): Majority of shops 3. Lower Holds (storage, housing): Less accessible, cheaper rent 4. Edge Vessels (newest arrivals): Peripheral position

The Route

The Market Circuit (28-day loop): 1. Skyport Eos (4 days) 2. Ironhold (5 days) 3. Thornvale Farms (2 days) 4. The Crossroads (2 days) 5. Minor settlements (10 days total) 6. Return to Eos

Flexibility: - Route adjusts for events (festivals, emergencies) - Avoids Rot-cloud drifts - Follows Aether-current efficiency - Sometimes detours to rumored discoveries

Navigation: - Elected Fleet-Master charts course - Council approves major changes - Scouts sent ahead (verify safety, assess markets)

Key Features

The Grand Bazaar

Description: Central platform market, permanent daily operation

Stalls (40+): - Exotic foods (from across Aetherium) - Textiles and clothing - Tools and equipment - Books and maps - Curios and art - Information services

Atmosphere: - Loud, colorful, chaotic - Haggling constant (prices negotiable) - Multiple languages - Street performers - Pickpockets (watch belongings)

Famous Vendors: - Madame Iris: Fortune teller (surprisingly accurate) - Captain Redwind: Sells maps (some accurate, some legendary) - The Twins: Identical siblings selling identical goods (but different prices—comparison shop)

The Auction House

Location: Largest core ship’s cargo hold

Function: - Daily auctions (afternoon) - Rare items, bulk goods, unusual wares - Professional auctioneer (Master Havel) - Bidding fierce

Notable Sales: - Pre-Shattering artifacts - Large cargo lots - Entire airships (occasional) - Slaves (rare, controversial, technically illegal)

Rules: - Registration required (1 coin fee) - Payment immediate (no credit) - All sales final - Disputes arbitrated by Factor Council

The Information Exchange

Description: Network of information brokers, spy central

Location: Scattered throughout fleet (intentionally decentralized)

Services: - News from settlements - Trade route conditions - Political intelligence - Personal information (blackmail material) - Rumor verification

Brokers: - ~20 professionals - Compete and cooperate - Some specialize (military intelligence, romantic scandals, economic data) - Reliability varies (buyer beware)

Prices: - Simple news: 1-5 coins - Verified intelligence: 10-50 coins - Deep secrets: 100+ coins or favors

Ethics: None (information is product)

The Hospitality District

Location: Mid-tier ships, residential section

Services: - Taverns (3 major, several small) - Restaurants (diverse cuisine) - Lodging (hammocks to private cabins) - Bathhouses (luxury) - Entertainment (musicians, dancers, storytellers)

The Drifter’s Rest (main tavern): - Owner: Captain Mara Swiftwind - Atmosphere: Welcoming, raucous, informative - Special: Drink made from fermented Aether-fruit (potent) - Hub: Merchants gather here evenings

Lodging Costs: - Hammock (common hold): 1 coin/night - Shared cabin: 3 coins/night - Private cabin: 10 coins/night - Luxury suite: 50+ coins/night

The Forbidden Hold

Description: Black market section (not officially acknowledged)

Location: Lower holds, specific ship (changes periodically)

Access: - Invitation or password required - Guards screen visitors - Factor Council officially “unaware”

Goods (all illegal in major settlements): - Rot-Shards - Forbidden texts - Stolen artifacts - Untaxed weapons - Forged documents - Drugs

Operators: - Connected to Black Sky Cartel - Pay premium to Factor Council (for blind eye) - Professional, discrete

Risk: - Guild inspections rare but devastating - Undercover agents possible - Sellers usually reliable (reputation matters)

The Temple Ship

Description: Converted merchant vessel serving as mobile chapel

Dedication: All constellations (ecumenical)

Leadership: Priestess Kella (young, idealistic)

Services: - Daily prayers (dawn and dusk) - Healing (donation-based) - Weddings (popular—married aboard Market is good luck) - Counseling - Blessings for journeys

Congregation: - Fluid (merchants come and go) - ~100 regular attendees - Diverse (all settlements represented)

Significance: - Neutral spiritual ground - Proof of faith’s portability - Reminder that not everything is for sale

Society and Culture

The Merchant’s Life

Daily Routine: - Wake at dawn (set up stall) - Trade until dusk - Evening: Socializing, deals, entertainment - Night: Sleep (or secret negotiations)

Constant Motion: - Never stay long anywhere - Always seeking next opportunity - Relationships temporary (or long-distance) - Home is the fleet

Competition: - Fierce but regulated - Undercutting tolerated (barely) - Sabotage punished (expelled) - Reputation is everything

Community: - Tight-knit despite competition - Shared danger bonds merchants - Festivals, celebrations common - Found family

Social Hierarchy

Factor Council (top): - 7 elected senior merchants - Serve 1-year terms - Make fleet-wide decisions - Resolve disputes

Senior Merchants: - Established businesses - Permanent berths - Wealth and reputation - Political influence

Junior Merchants: - New or temporary - Rental berths - Building reputation - Learning trade

Service Workers: - Crew airships - Maintain fleet - Provide services - Often saving to become merchants

Visitors: Customers (welcome but temporary)

The Code

Unwritten Rules (strictly enforced):

1. Fair Dealing: Don’t lie about goods (exaggeration okay)
2. Honor Debts: Pay what you owe
3. No Violence: Disputes go to Council
4. Support Fleet: Pay fees, contribute to defense
5. Respect Movement: Don’t slow the fleet
6. Screen Rot: No corruption aboard (zero tolerance)

Enforcement: - Council arbitration - Fines for violations - Expulsion for serious offenses - Rare: Execution (murder, Rot-smuggling)

Culture

Nomadic Philosophy: - “Home is where your ship is moored” - Value mobility over stability - Embrace change - Trust in movement

Commercial Pride: - Trading is honorable profession - Wealth is success measure - Shrewd deals celebrated - Cleverness > luck

Cosmopolitan: - Accept all cultures - Judge by merit, not origin - Multilingual (necessary) - Open-minded (mostly)

Superstitions: - Never sail against the Flow (bad luck) - Whistle while mooring (good fortune) - First customer determines day (generous transaction = good day) - Breaking cable = omen (read by priest)

Economy

Market Specialties

Rare Goods: - Items from distant settlements (Periphery artifacts, Veiled Heights crystals) - Seasonal products (timing is profit) - Bulk quantities (wholesale)

Information: - News, intelligence, gossip - More profitable than physical goods (sometimes) - Updated constantly

Services: - Transportation (passenger service) - Shipping (cargo delivery) - Brokerage (finding buyers/sellers) - Marriage, healing, entertainment

Arbitrage: - Buy low (one settlement), sell high (next) - Requires market knowledge - High risk, high reward

Revenue Model

For Merchants: - Sales profits - Minus: Mooring fees (10% of earnings to Council) - Minus: Supplies, repairs - Profit margin: 20-40% typical

For Factor Council: - Mooring fees from merchants - Docking fees from visitors - Security fund contributions - Auction house percentage - Total: Funds fleet maintenance, defense, reserves

Competition

With Stationary Markets: - Advantage: Mobility (bring goods to customers) - Advantage: Variety (aggregate from many sources) - Disadvantage: Higher prices (travel overhead) - Disadvantage: Temporary (limited shopping time)

Internal Competition: - Multiple merchants selling similar goods - Price wars common - Innovation rewarded - Specialization encouraged

Notable Residents

Fleet-Master Torven Cloudstrider

Role: Elected navigator, route planner

Age: 55
Background: Lifetime Market merchant, expert pilot
Personality: Calm, decisive, respected

Responsibilities: - Chart fleet course - Respond to emergencies - Coordinate ship movements - Liaison with settlements

Reputation: Fair leader, skilled navigator

Factor Council Members

Senior Factor Elissa Brightcoin (Council head): - Wealthy, influential, sharp - Advocates aggressive expansion - Connected to Guild-Master Elara Song

Factor Borin Ironhand (security): - Former mercenary - Manages escort contracts - Gruff but effective

Factor Lyssa Silk (cultural): - Runs entertainment district - Organizes festivals - Charming, manipulative

Madame Iris

Role: Fortune teller, information broker

Age: Unknown (old)
Appearance: Exotic, veiled, mysterious
Ability: Genuine precognition (or incredible deduction)

Services: - Fortune telling (5 coins) - Specific predictions (20+ coins) - Information (everything has price)

Accuracy: ~70% (verifiable)

Secret: Actually former Archivist, uses knowledge + intuition

Captain Redwind

Role: Map seller, explorer

Age: 40s
Appearance: Weathered, one hand (lost in accident)
Personality: Boisterous storyteller

Products: - Accurate maps (expensive) - Legendary maps (treasure islands, lost locations) - Stories (free with purchase)

Reputation: - Maps mostly reliable - Stories definitely exaggerated - But: Has found real discoveries (credibility)

Current Situation (287 S.)

Challenges

Route Danger Increasing: - Rot-clouds more frequent - Piracy rising - Some settlements hostile

Internal Tensions: - Debate: Expand route (more profit, more risk) - Factor Council split - Merchants anxious

Guild Pressure: - Sky-Guild wants more control - Market values independence - Negotiations ongoing

Rot Paranoia: - Screening increasingly strict - False positives creating problems - Some merchants denied boarding unfairly

Opportunities

New Routes: - Periphery exploration (dangerous, lucrative) - Minor settlements (underserved markets) - Event-based travel (festivals, emergencies)

Expansion: - More ships joining - Population growing - Influence increasing

Information Hub: - Everyone’s news passes through - Strategic intelligence value - Multiple factions interested

Secrets and Mysteries

The Ghost Ship

Secret: One ship in fleet never moors, never trades, just follows

Description: - Always at fleet periphery - No identifying marks - Crew never disembark - Purpose unknown

Theories: - Guild spy ship - Ironhold surveillance - Black Sky Cartel operation - Haunted (superstitious belief)

Truth: [Open for DM development]

The Council Vault

Secret: Factor Council maintains hidden wealth reserve

Location: Concealed hold in central ship
Contents: Gold, artifacts, emergency supplies
Amount: Enough to rebuild entire fleet

Purpose: - Catastrophe insurance - Political leverage - Council’s personal security

Access: Only current Council members know location

Madame Iris’s Network

Secret: Iris runs intelligence network spanning Aetherium

Agents: - Merchants (witting and unwitting) - Information brokers (coordinated) - Contacts in every major settlement

Purpose: - Profit (information sales) - Also: Genuine attempt to preserve knowledge - Connection to Archivists (former membership)

Significance: She knows more than anyone realizes

Quest Hooks

1. The Route Proposal: Council hiring scouts for dangerous new route exploration
2. The Theft: Valuable item stolen, find thief before fleet leaves port
3. The Sabotage: Someone damaging ships—accident or attack?
4. The Smuggling Run: Transport contraband through Guild checkpoint
5. The Ghost Ship: Investigate mysterious vessel following fleet
6. The Marriage: Protect high-profile wedding from threats
7. The Information Buy: Acquire specific intelligence from brokers
8. The Rot Scare: Potential infection aboard, find source before quarantine
9. The Council Election: Political maneuvering, support candidate
10. The Treasure Map: Captain Redwind selling map to legendary location—real or scam?

Related Topics

• The Bright Reaches - Primary operating region
• Sky-Guild - Affiliated faction
• Skyport Eos - Major stop on route
• Ironhold - Major stop on route
• The Crossroads - Stop on route

“The Market is proof that civilization survives not through walls or weapons, but through connection. We trade, therefore we are.”
—Factor Council motto