The Market Ward is the commercial heart of Port Nyanzaru where most of the city’s regular shops, merchants, tradesfolk, and middle-class residents live and work. Despite its name, it houses more actual merchants and traders than the Merchants’ Ward, which is primarily the upper-class district containing the Grand Souk and merchant princes’ villas.
Role in the City
The Market Ward sits within Port Nyanzaru’s main walls, providing relative safety compared to the three outer slum districts (the Old City, Malar’s Throat, and Tiryki Anchorage). When warning horns sound to alert residents of approaching carnivores or undead, approximately half the city’s population—those living in the exposed outer wards—scramble for safety in the Market Ward and Merchants’ Ward until the all clear sounds.
Geography
The Market Ward is part of the walled inner city, positioned among Port Nyanzaru’s four steep hills. The city’s layout features massive fitted stone walls decorated with colorful geometric designs, animals, and mythic figures. The ward serves as a refuge zone during emergencies, with a volunteer citizens’ brigade maintaining watch for dangers approaching from the jungle.