Garden of Chains

The Garden of Chains was a slave market in the city of Katapesh's Twilight Gate district, best known for its human and halfling slaves. Fat Aghurr was the kholo overseer of the market.

The status of the Garden of Chains since the abolition of slavery in Katapesh in 4722 AR is unknown.

History

The Garden of Chains is built upon the ruins of a water garden and entrance to the city's qanat. Once this civic project was abandoned and the entire district fell into disrepair, a group of humans and kholo constructed this slave auction market.

Appearance

The Garden of Chains is a pit excavated from the surrounding area. There are two levels—the floor, where the business is conducted, and the mezzanine, where the slaves were stored and viewed during auction. The west end of the mezzanine consisted of the slave pens; the east side was the auction block. The floor consisted of a pit, covered with damaged mosaic tiles, where the buyers bid. The wooden auctioneer's stand rose above this pit. Around the outside of this area were the market's business offices. A trough, left over from the Garden's days as a water garden, sloped to the west into the qanat.

Each of the seven pens held up to four slaves. At least six humans and kholo guarded the slaves at all times.

Buying process

Potential buyers could view the slave stores up close via a wide walkway next to the pens. Slaves in choke collars were moved to the auction block throughout the day. Buyers placed their bids with Saiyd, the auctioneer. When Saiyd accepted a bid, he always yelled "Closed!" and gave the buyer a stamped purchase slip. This purchase slip was then taken to the exchanger's office with gold in hand. The gold and slip were exchanged for ownership paperwork, and the buyer was escorted to the pens to receive the slaves.

Slaves who failed to sell stayed in the pens overnight. It was unclear what occurred, but by the next day these slaves would become more eager and actively trying to sell themselves. Those who still fail to sell eventually disappeared.

The market closed at sundown.

Rumors

Twilight Talon agent Whispershade believed there were more slaves here than there should be, and that slavers somehow avoided the city's tariffs on their trade.