Michael back with a new Earthdawn blog. I wanted to spend this week talking about the next major product I am working on: The Grand Bazaar. I’ve been working closely with one of our fantastic freelance writers on the project for some time, so this is not the first time I’ve written about it in this format. We’ve been making steady progress on the book and I figured a brief check in on the project would be of interest. This being a work in progress, please note that everything outlined below is subject to change through the course of our normal development cycle.
The book will provide a brief history of the Bazaar starting with excavation of the chamber it occupies and follows the evolution of it becoming Throal’s economic focal point. A majority of the content, however, deals with the modern-day marketplace, which introduces the area’s new Chancellor and his charge to overhaul the outdated facilities in his care. The need for fresh capital and skilled labor to carry out this renovation brings an influx of new Namegivers from across Barsaive to a post-war Throal. From there, the population becomes an even more diverse melting pot than it already was. Not simply just of different merchants, but one of different cultures and sovereignties.
The renovated Bazaar will consist of six commercial districts, two housing areas, and a central administration section. Each of these districts was, for the most part, built from the ground up to fit the exact need of the segment it is intended to serve. Many of these areas push the bounds of established Throalic traditions and have their own unique qualities that make them distinct when compared to each other. The result is meant to be a diverse marketplace where players can find something interesting down one street and completely different down the next.
One of the main goals for the book was to flesh out the Grand Bazaar enough for players to have plenty of people and places to interact with. Each district will be packed with business owners and administrators that can be used as potential plot threads, information holders, or even direct employers of an adventuring group. These characters will also have a framework backstory in place that can be expanded upon or modified to fit whatever need someone exploring the Bazaar may have. Along with a stable of NPCs to meet, the new Bazaar host several locations players can explore to their heart’s content.
The project still has a ways to go before being completed, so unfortunately I have no big reveal to stick at the end of this post regarding release date. All I can say is that the team is moving projects forward as quickly as we can and my hope is that this one will be worth the wait for those looking forward to it. The content for this project has come a long way during its development thus far and I can’t wait to start sharing it with the community. In the meantime, we appreciate all the support we get from you guys. Until next time, thanks for reading!