Merchant Tent
Summary
The Merchant Tent is a large tent structure located in the marketplace of New Smoke, serving as the base of operations for the Pine Cone Man. The tent functions as both a merchant stall and a strategic position within the settlement, containing a hidden connection to the Underground Canal System below. In Session 7 of the campaign, the tent becomes a critical convergence point where Safia (transformed into a pigeon) and the rest of the party (navigating the canals below) attempt to reunite, ultimately leading to the capture of both Safia and Sucks Benedict by the Pine Cone Man.
Description
The tent contains a variety of salvaged goods displayed throughout its interior. According to the description from Session 7, "His stall contains various salvaged goods including fabrics, weapons, scented oils, building materials, and technological items on display, with presumably better items kept hidden." The tent is large enough to accommodate multiple people and serves as a space where the Pine Cone Man holds court and conducts business with customers and other parties.
The tent's layout includes a back area where a manhole cover is set into the ground, providing access to the canal system beneath New Smoke. This manhole is positioned approximately five feet above where Sucks Benedict and Vasso are located in the tunnels during Session 7, making it a critical architectural feature for the session's events.
History
Session 7
In Session 7, the Merchant Tent serves as the focal point for a tense sequence of events. While Sucks Benedict and Vasso navigate the Underground Canal System beneath New Smoke, Safia—transformed into a pigeon—flies above ground and discovers the tent among the marketplace stalls.
"While exploring the large tent filled with salvaged goods, fabrics, weapons, scented oils, building materials, and technological items, Safia discovers a manhole cover set into the ground." This discovery reveals the proximity between the party members, as the manhole is only about five feet from where Sucks and Vasso are positioned in the tunnels below.
The tent becomes the site where both Safia and Sucks are captured by the Pine Cone Man, marking a significant turning point in the session's events. The tent's dual-level access—both from the marketplace above and the canal system below—proves central to how these events unfold.
Notable Features
- Salvaged Goods Display: Fabrics, weapons, scented oils, building materials, and technological items arranged for sale
- Hidden Inventory: Better or more valuable items kept concealed from general view
- Manhole Cover: A ground-level access point to the Underground Canal System, located in the tent's back area
- Strategic Position: Positioned in the New Smoke marketplace with access to both above-ground and underground networks
- Business Space: Functions as the Pine Cone Man's base of operations for conducting merchant transactions and holding court