Tashal Summer Fair

Traders from across Hârn converge on Tashal in the tendays before the official start of the fair on the first day of Larane.

The fair charter requires all selling to be done inside the walls; selling outside is punishable by heavy fines. Merchants are also required to use teamsters contracted by the Tashal Mangai to move goods into the city. Many traders send samples to be displayed within the walls and arrange for bulk items to be picked up at the camp or delivered to the purchaser.

The Mangai assign certain streets for the merchants of each caravan to display their goods and samples. Those of the Salt Route are traditionally given stalls on Kalabin Street and Medrik Way. These stalls are near the Halean temple, a place of comfort for many of the merchants. In addition to offering spiritual comfort, the temple assists merchants through moneylending and issuing promissory notes that can be cashed in upon their return to the Republic or other points west.

The month of Larane is a frenzy of commerce, as traders sell their wares and buy goods to take back home. Some items are purchased early in the fair in the hope that they are cheaper when plentiful, while others wait until closer to the end when merchants are looking to make a bargain and get rid of inventory. For details about the Summer Fair, see Tashal [J5].