Possibly the most famous, chaotic and eclectic market in all Teraf, and certainly one of the largest. The Gunti Market lies at the very heart of East Zabrial and is believed to be as old as the city. It is also held as a neat symbol of the city, being awesomely powerful and entirely out of control. It is held on an amorphous area called Gunti Square, which once lay on the north of a natural island in the river Danliss but has gradually swollen to swallow the whole island and some of the neighbouring banks. Theoretically trading hours are between sunrise and sunset four days a week. In practice it lasts pretty much every hour of every day and it would be a very unwise Council which tried enforcing the edict. (Not least because without the revenues from Gunti, the council would go bankrupt a lot more often). Two main trade streams meet at Gunti. On the one hand there are the ships which run up and down Teraf's eastern coast and across the ocean to Ellniss. On the other are the inland caravans travelling the Malbotti Way through southern Erenland and Christoté and heading directly to Gunti via Nokastu Road. In addition are the merchants travelling down the South Passage Road from the Cities, Notruf, Gesund, Elsey, the rest of the Zabric peninsular and so on. The upshot is that sooner or later pretty much anything ever grown, reared, caught, forged, stitched, brewed, cooked, painted or written by humanity on two continents can be bought at the Gunti Market; and quite a few Dwarf and Elf products too. Zabrial Council has issued a long list of goods which may actually be sold and this is no more heeded than the opening hours.
The Island, as it is often just called, is a fantastic jumble. To the north is a string of large docks, for boats from the trading ships sometimes sail directly up the Danliss rather than disembarking at the actual docks. Smaller facilities for boats and barges sailing further up the Danliss lie on the south-east of the island. Towering warehouses are dotted here and there for storing the larger cargoes. Often they are bought, sold or simply exchanged en masse by merchants heading two different directions; to some extent East Zabrial simply functions as a trading post and all it sees from the transactions are the tolls. But many goods filter out for general purchase. Two great covered markets, The Tamasq and Cleanwater Hall, stand in the east and north respectively of the island, each split into winding passageways holding tables where costermongers sell produce. The meandering alleys of the island are lined with shops, some permanent and others temporary clearing houses. In the heart of The Island stands Gunti Square itself, a market in the classical sense; a great open plaza packed with countless stalls protected by awnings from the fierce sun overhead and filled with hundreds of shoppers. In the centre of the square stands an allegorical sculpture of Tars Tukas, Kaet Tukas and Ronan Pynak (the legendary founder of East Zabrial) linking hands. The vast structure is surrounded by smaller statues from Narlat mythology. The square also plays host to numerous speeches from demagogues, together with occasional demonstrations and uprisings – the bloodiest part of the 1332 riots took place here.
It is said that all East Zabrial's leading families first grew rich by personally selling their goods in the Gunti Market. That would be in the era when merchants also travelled on their caravans or ships personally and it is long past. The city's patrician families certainly keep a presence on The Island, with most owning shops there and often being involved in the larger transactions, but everything is done through their agents. The less wealthy merchants do brave it, however, and it is not uncommon to meet Nisslans or Erish who have just travelled thousands of miles to sell their wares personally. A distinct third category is the professional traders who work, and often live, exclusively on The Island, profiting from their knowledge of its nefarious ways and tax laws. Nicknamed Bullseyes after the distinctive copper buttons most wear, they have developed a distinctive and tightly woven culture, with their own customs and meetings. They are said to never cheat one another, only outsiders. Though a few have built up fortunes as great as any in East Zabrial, they are denigrated by the elite and indeed by the city as a whole. Bullseye has become a term for a swindler.
As well as the aforementioned political disturbances, Gunti Market is only matched by the docks for levels of murders, fights and general rowdiness, and exceeds it in robberies. The covered markets are notorious for pickpockets and muggers, and the taverns in the north of The Island have to be seen to be believed. The Guards presence is woefully inadequate, and any campaigns only ever revolve around gathering unpaid taxes or investigating whether the Bullseyes are operating as a trade guild. It is said that the Guards nowadays are solely interested in separatists, although they have always stood off The Island. Despite – or sometimes because of – all that, Gunti Square remains immensely popular with ordinary people. Poor families visit it around the festivals to buy gifts; the middle classes are regular callers, hoping to find rare curios with which to impress their friends. Certain areas, notably, The Tamasq, also concentrate on selling commonplace produce at cheap prices and function as ordinary markets for neighbouring districts. At the other extreme, Gunti Market can also function as a spectacle rather than a commercial centre, and many visit it simply to browse and gape. As well as the orators, sights in the central square can include fire-eaters, jugglers, wizards, acrobats, buskers and swordsmen fighting demonstration dues. One very popular feature is the once-a-month 'Dragon Day,' when livestock dealers display cages of animals. These range from horses and sheep to captured wyverns, xonthus, bears, giant snakes and manticores (although very rarely dragons). Some are for sale, with unusual pets and guard 'dogs' being popular amongst rich families, but many are simply in travelling zoos. Various young men always around the entrances to Gunti Square offering their services as guides to rich sightseers. A few are just hoping to lure them into quiet alleys and mug them; but most are genuine and useful for exploring its contrary ways.