Help populating a Feywild market

[Yakmala]

So, the group I'm DM'ing, which is currently exploring the High Forest, is about to accidentally wander into the Feywild and encounter an open air market where all manner of Feywild creatures are selling things.

Nothing is for sale for gold, but the merchants might be persuaded by other valuables, favors, promises, performances or whatever.

I've started populating the market, but could use some help with additional ideas for merchants.

So... Think of a merchant in the Feywild.

1: Who/what are they?
2: What are they selling?
3: What do they want in exchange?
4: What's the catch?

[sithlordnergal]

So, the group I'm DM'ing, which is currently exploring the High Forest, is about to accidentally wander into the Feywild and encounter an open air market where all manner of Feywild creatures are selling things.

Nothing is for sale for gold, but the merchants might be persuaded by other valuables, favors, promises, performances or whatever.

I've started populating the market, but could use some help with additional ideas for merchants.

So... Think of a merchant in the Feywild.

1: Who/what are they?
2: What are they selling?
3: What do they want in exchange?
4: What's the catch?

1) I'd make them Elves, Eladrin, Hags, Dryads, really any kind of Fey with an Intelligence that isn't Chaotic Evil outside of Hags.

2) Have them sell things based off of their racial qualities. An Elf might be selling normal gear, a Dryad could be selling weapons and armor made out of wood and bark that work just as well as normal armor, Hags would sell potions and poisons, Darklings could sell magical items that work in darkness, Satyrs could sell musical instruments, ect.

3) This again depends on the Fey. Elves could accept gold for their mundane gear, Dryads might prefer plant materials or things that make them more beautiful, Hags trade in information and potentially a bit of the PC's hair, Satyrs food and song, again it highly depends on the person doing the selling. I could see Dryads selling things for favors as well

4) No catch for some of the creatures, a major catch for others. For example, a Satyr might trade some musical instruments for good food and either a good song or a good story. No catch there, they just don't sell a ton of things. Hags on the other hand want information, and if there's something really good that the party wants, they want a lock of the PC's hair. This could bite the PC's later because now the Hags can mess with the PC's or spy on them. A Dryad might send the party on a small side quest involving loggers that are cutting down too many trees.

[iTreeby]

Have some of the merchants running conditional auctions. IE I will give this alchemy jug to the first person that can bring me a displacer beast pelt.

Have a merchant shout "500 silver to whoever kills that thief!"

I more powerful fey could sell a minor boon for something abstract, asking a character to trade "all of the heat they will feel" for some mechanical benefit, the character never feels warm again (still takes fire damage as usual, still affected by heat, doesn't sweat) in exchange they get a neat ability like ice knife twice a day or something.

[DrKerosene]

I’d find it funny if the cost of something was having to break a bull, or horse, by not getting tossed off while riding it. Or catching a greased-up pig (possibly dressed as a dragon).

I’d consider using barter, so spell components like squid tentacle might be considered valuable enough to be worth trade, or other goods like Saffron or 3-dozen chickens, or a live goldfish. Maybe “costless” Goodberries from a PC if you’re nice, or made-up things like Sinner Bark, Truth Rye, and Waterwheat. Maybe some green milk and green eggs are “necessary items” required as part of the payment for a special cake named “Eat Me”.

I expect some Hags could sell fortunes, both real and fake. I’d definitely have one Hag with a Sprite and Nothic as partners. The price may just be staring deeply into the Nothic’s eye for a hot minute.

I would expect either Hags or smaller fey like sprites, pixies, boggles, etc, to have booth where you can buy crystals, herbs & spices, and “lucky” trinkets. Someone could sell, or want, a unicorn horn. Maybe they just want a flower crown as payment.

Perhaps there can be a contraption that dispenses random (cursed?) loot when punched (has an Imp inside instead of machinery).

I would include carnival games, like ring toss, darts, bowling, lassoing, and eating/drinking contests. Maybe have a running contest/three legged race, or tug of war occur immediately after the eating contests.

Perhaps someone is looking for replacement partners to enter a cooking contest (the rest of their team has mysteriously failed to show up).

Otherwise, I’d include things from this list: http://dndspeak.com/2018/07/100-items-in-a-hags-lair/