Most of the merchants work from their homes in the Merchant Quarter. They live north of the river, up the high banks. Most professional service providers, such as surveyors, surgeons, and architects, can be found in the library and the private houses.
While costs are almost always given in Crosspoint coinage, equivalents in barter will usually be accepted if the merchant is in need of the item or it can be easily stored and rebartered.
The Merchants of Biblyon: Astrologer
George Barr, the town astrologer, lives up the mountain a ways. He claims to be descended from the last survivor of the Astronomers (see The Lost Castle of the Astronomers); whether he is or is not is up to you, but he hasn’t got anything of use from his parents beyond a deep love for the stars. He can provide advice on past problems, present problems, and future plans. George will charge and provide according to his client’s means, but a reading will generally run from several pennies to several shillings. Of course, the more dangerous your possible future, the more important a deep reading becomes. (Whether astrology works is up to you. There’s no reason it shouldn’t, but it should be more vague than the equivalent magic spell.)
The Merchants of Biblyon: Baker
His house always smelling of fresh bread, Jam the Baker will take your dough and bake it, or sell you breads, cakes, rolls, flatbreads, whatever you want. Baking several loaves that you bring in will cost a penny. Having a loaf made for you will cost two pennies.
The Merchants of Biblyon: Baths
There are two places for baths in Biblyon if you don’t want to head upriver and don’t have a room. The Bathhouse on the south side of the river has hot and cold baths, and its steam rooms are often used as a meeting place for local politicians. The tubs next to the Fons Tabernus have cold baths only, but with the advantage of being next to the bar, allowing you to buy a mug of beer and get clean. Cold baths are a penny, hot baths are four pennies (and only available at the Bathhouse).
The Merchants of Biblyon: Blacksmith
Todd Isherwood is a big man, fitting the blacksmith stereotype well. He is the sole source for horseshoes and other heavy metalwork in the area. He tends to spend most of his time at the Fallen Leaf discussing poetry (of which he has a large body of work of his own) or at the Fons Tabernus carousing loudly with the other merchants, until he has built up a backlog of orders. Then, his forge runs day and deep into nights until he has completed his jobs and he returns to the Fallen Leaf. He also spends much time in the Library and in the library of the Learned Companions studying the poetry of the ancient world.
The Merchants of Biblyon: Bookbinder
The Tutors do their own bookbinding at the Library, but other scholars bring their books to Martin Consuin. Martin is a collector himself, and has many books in various states of repair. His home smells perpetually of glue and old paper. A binding job costs several shillings, depending on the size of the book and the age of the paper.
The Merchants of Biblyon: Bowyer
Ryan Bower and his sons Ryan and Manon are all skilled bow-makers. They can tailor their bows to the strength of the archer.
Ryan has a wife, June Bower, and a daughter, May Bower. Elder son Ryan is preparing for a trip to Black Stag, to possibly set himself up in business there depending on the competition.
The Merchants of Biblyon: Brewers
There are several brewers in town. The Costumers brew their own beer for the Rabbits Hole, and there are three brewers in the Merchants Quarter who vie for the custom of the various public houses, townsfolk, merchants, and visitors.
Cainer (Walking Sticks)
John Cainer is an inveterate wanderer. He knows his walking sticks, and can tailor them not only to the client but to the kinds of walking the client does. His carving work is exquisite, and carpenters are often after him to carve bedposts, table legs, and other similar works, but John prefers to make canes. A cane from John Cainer will run from 5 pennies to 5 shillings, or even more, depending on what you need.
Chandler (16)
Thomas Chandler comes from a long line of waxworkers and soapmakers. He will pass his knowledge on to his three sons, who are already apprenticed to him. His candles light the night for Biblyon’s scholars.
The Merchants of Biblyon: Clockmaker
Randall Tracher is one of the best clockmakers in the known world. He has apprentices here as well as in Crosspoint, and spends the winter months on the coast. He is obsessed with the mathematics of time and the minutiae of gears and clockwork.
Confectioner
John Ferrel studied sorcery for years before falling in love with the making of candies, frostings, and divinities.
He is a second level sorceror and knows enlarge, guardian, indestructible object, sunlight, and magic table. For special occasions, he’ll use enlarge, indestructible object, and sunlight to assist in making his creations.
The Merchants of Biblyon: Cutler
As with the papermakers, and everything else in town, there are factions involved with sword-making. Those who use one believe it the best, those who use the other believe it is better. Bladesmithing is a science in Biblyon.
Simon Dover makes blades of all kinds, including for cooking and butchering.
Glazier (Glassblower/cutter)
Aldon Grayson’s home is filled with the shimmer of glass and colored glass. Sparkling bulbs hang from his porch ceiling and reflect the sunlight at every opportunity.
Guard Companies
There are no guard companies based in Biblyon, but occasionally companies from Hightown, Crosspoint, or Black Stag accompany a merchant or scholar to this remote area. Such companies will usually look for someone to pay them on their return, and will often be available at bargain prices because any money is better than no money when they need to return anyway.
The Merchants of Biblyon: Midwife
Tess Perkins lives in the general quarter. She has two daughters and one son.
Sculptor and Tilemaker
Millicent Vaarlow works in wood and stone, creating statues, busts, and tiles to decorate the houses of Biblyon.
Silversmith
Brandy Forrester learned her trade from her deceased husband, Sam Forrester. She works in both silver and pewter, and makes frames, tableware, pins, hilts, and other finely worked silver or pewter pieces.
Tanner (19)
Robert Tanner’s home is beneath the wall, next to the river, and across the river from the butcher.
Other Merchants Available in Biblyon:
1. Brickmaker
2. Brightsmith (metalworker, 14)
3. Butcher (15)
4. Carpenters
5. Cartwright (carts and wagons)
6. Cheesemaker
7. Cobbler
8. Cooper
9. Dyer (26)
10. Embroiderer
11. Fletcher (arrows)
12. Hatter
13. Luthier (stringed instruments)
14. Miller (17)
15. Papermakers
16. Perfumemaker
17. Plasterer
18. Potter
19. Roper (ropes and nets)
20. Smelter (18)
21. Stoneworker (carving, engraving, and polishing)
22. Tailors
23. Undertaker
24. Vintner
