The Black Bazaar

With the discovery of the Arcane, through the deciphering works of the Ephaesian Adepts, a new source of wealth quickly became apparent to those among the underbelly of Halmorian society - Arcane knowledge. At first, and even to the end of Atalan, the Obsidian Academy and the House of Concordant Cycles maintained stewardship of the Obelisk, as well as all access to its teachings and its physical presence. Only those who would acknowledge the authority of the Ephaeasian Magnates within the Academy itself would be allowed, and even encouraged, to unravel the mysteries of the Arcane, as well as practice it openly. However it was not long, perhaps a scant few years, before agents of the Academy and Church began to uncover illegal stashes of Arcane literature and Arcane empowered devices among the citizenry of Atalan, an act that brought with it swift persecution from the Templars among the Concordant Cycles; their zealotry for stamping out such 'heresy' in their minds was often times criticized by the citizenship as reports of brutality and merciless actions reached the Council quickly.

However it seemed that as time went on more and more incidents involving illegal Arcane information and goods became commonplace, even with the Church's agents increasing their own counter actions at the same time. The market for such wares warranted the risk involved, at least for a certain sect of the population known to handle such shady dealings, due to the incredible profit to be made. Then suddenly eleven years before the fall of Atalan such reports dropped sharply as if the desire for power, of less ethical and morally upright men, had suddenly vanished. Had the population within the colony of Atalan suddenly experienced a change of heart? The answer would soon be realized a year later when an agent of the Auxili working undercover, in conjunction with the Academy, had publicly made known the existence of a cabal of Arcanists operating beneath the city of Atalan in what he described as 'The Black Bazaar'. He reported that the group was composed of those who had no desire to operate within the boundaries set up within the confines of the Academy, and consisted of an ever changing cast of profiteers. The Bazaar was an exchange where the key item to be traded was knowledge, knowledge and power.

One day later the Auxili agent's corpse was found separated and displayed in each of the four districts of Atalan, and the log of his report missing. One moment there was nothing there, and the next his severed torso, head, legs, and arms, each appeared atop a glowing pike in one of the four districts - a clear warning that those who sought to delve too deep into the depths of Atalan would find what they were looking for, and suffer the consequences of doing so.

Subsequently, rumors were soon in abundance as to the actual location of The Black Bazaar, but only those wealthy enough to be a customer, or those willing to risk the Concordant's wrath, could find their way to its hidden depths - and thus gain access to its cabal. The existence of The Black Bazaar became a political tool for maneuvering among the Church and the Legion, as the Legion decided to not pursue the matter any further, despite the Church's insistence that the Legion focus all of its Auxili agents on the Bazaar. The reasons for this were only hinted at amongst those in the know, though many said the Legion did so to spite the Church and weaken their standing within the political sphere of Atalan, thus bringing the Legion closer to becoming the dominate force within Atalan.

There has been little said about the Black Bazaar since the fall of Atalan, and none know if any of its members may have survived to escape the city.