The marketplace on Kardo Street in Gors Velen is the prime trade district of the city, noisier and certainly much larger than the bustling fish market, it contains food and wares of all sorts from all over the known world, and exotic animals such as camels.[1]
Musicians are known to play their fiddles and pipes to the whole market, and the stall owners are diverse, being human merchants, dwarven blacksmiths, and even half-elf, gnomish and halfling craftsman. Against the city walls lie tents considered to sell the "less savoury" items.[1]
History[]
Falka's Rebellion[]
In 1154, the sorceress Rayli unleashed a fire elemental in the marketplace, killing several people. The monsters rampage was ended by Erland of Larvik and his friends, Nylah and Vaz. While the latter two took care of Rayli, the witcher killed the elemental.[2]
Interwar Period[]
Sometime between 1263 and 1266, Yennefer of Vengerberg was at the market, where she saw Yarpen Zigrin, and lost her temper due to their history. He fled from the city, with Yennefer shouted curses at him.[3]
Ciri's Visit[]
In late June 1267, while sight-seeing throughout the city, Ciri and Fabio Sachs visited the market and bought themselves doughnuts from a stall. They then saw a barker advertising a "real Zerrikanian basilisk" on display. Unable to resist, they payed their fare and entered to see the show. It didn't take long for Ciri to realize is was no basilisk, but a small and rather dirty wyvern trapped in a cage rather too small to hold it.
Unable to contain herself, Ciri starts making rather snide comments for all to hear and is soon the center of attention, something Yennefer had specifically asked her to beware not to do. One thing leads to another and the young witcher goes up on the stage to prove that the animal in the cage is no basilisk by standing close enough for it to "breathe its deadly venomous breath" on her. Since there seems to be no way to dissuade her, Fabio accompanies her onto the stage, as does a young squire, much to the dismay of the young woman he is escorting.
While the three are on stage, the cage suddenly gives way and the wyvern is freed. Ciri quickly puts her training into action, takes the sword off the young (and still stunned) squire and makes quick work of the beast, slicing off both its head and its tail before returning the sword. The panicked crowd, believing that the squire had dealt with the wyvern gather round to congratulate the young man.
Realizing that she has likely gone too far and made herself the center of attention, Ciri decides to make herself scarce. She orders Fabio to get out of the tent and meet her on the other side of the marketplace. Meanwhile, she activates the magic stone Yennefer had given her in case of emergency and makes her way out of the tent invisibly. It is the activation of the stone that catches the attention of Tissaia and Margarita.
The two sorceresses happen to be in town trying to track down a group of students who recently escaped Aretuza. They mistakenly assume that since she used magic, Ciri must be one of the escapees. Only a trip back to the bank and the word of Yennefer convinces them otherwise.