Canonfire! - Postfest V, Part II: The Beaste Faire of Greyhawk

Come one! Come all! To the most spectacular, the most unusual, the most phantasmagorical faire of them all - the Beaste Faire of Greyhawk. See the fell dragon! See beautiful pegasi! See the amazing blink dog! Plus many, many more. And all are for sale! Just the thing for the wizard who has everything.

The Beaste Faire of Greyhawk
By: Glenn Vincent Dammerung, aka GVDammerung
Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.

Date: 18th Reaping
Location: City of Greyhawk
Type: Market

The Beaste Faire of Greyhawk is like no other mercantile fair in the Flanaess. Like other animal fairs, it puts various beasts on display, which are all for sale. The difference here is that all of the monsters and magical beasts displayed are not simple domesticated animals, livestock or even wild animals. Dragons may be offered for sale. As well as griffons, blink dogs, displacer beasts, pegasi, umber hulks, owlbears, giant snakes or lizards. In addition, all variety of parts, organs and entrails of every sort of beast are also offered for purchase. Most purchasers are wizards, looking for one spell ingredient or another. They come from across the Flanaess. Other purchasers include the idle or unbalanced wealthy who may wish to start or add to a menagerie.

For the local population, the Beaste Faire of Greyhawk is a gigantic zoo. Gawkers abound. Little children run everywhere. It is a circus like environment. In fact, there are usually several circuses or traveling carnivals that set up shop in close proximity to the grounds of the Beaste Faire. The colorful Rhennee round out the mix, preying on the purses of the unwary, competing with the Thieves Guild of Greyhawk. While actual danger posed by escapes have proven minimal, parents must watch their children and everyone must watch their valuables.

The Beaste Faire of Greyhawk is held just to the east of the City proper. Commonly called the Faire Grounds for obvious reasons, a temporary tent city begins to build for a week prior to the actual time of the Faire. Monsters are trundled in from everywhere. The City Fathers require every merchant at the Faire to pay a hefty site fee. These monies are then used to provide both physical and magical protection for the Faire Grounds.

Within the City of Greyhawk, the time of the Beaste Faire is a time of booming business for taverns and inns. The city watch is augmented with wizards from the local guild, who accompany every patrol. For hire groups that include a wizard are also readily employed to further supplement the cities own constabulary. The city is, at this time, overrun with wizards from across the Flanaess, many of whom may be rivals or who may simply not get along. There is a very real need for patrols to ensure the peace and to prevent the outbreak of magical hostilities. Despite the necessity of these precautions, however, no thought has ever been given to forbidding the Beaste Faire. It simply brings in too much money and business.