Assassins' Fair

The Assassins' Fair is one of the rich traditions and customs of the Assassins' Guild of Ankh-Morpork. It is held monthly on the night of the full moon, and is an opportunity for graduate and student Assassins to trade in new and unavoidably second-hand items of stylish clothing, well-crafted working tools and weapons, maps, information, and other peripheral items pertinent to the trade of Assassin. As described in The Celebrated Discworld Almanak, it is held in the upper floors and the top of the old bell tower at Five Ways, and entry is selective. The casual visitor is discouraged by the fact the ground floor doors are firmly barred and any visitor must gain admittance by edificeering up the side of what is acknowledged to be a moderately difficult climb. This weeds out casual visitors and most non-Assassins. (Thieves' Guild members, who share many common skills and use an overlapping range of equipment, may be welcome so long as their intention is to buy and not steal). This parallels Roundworld practice among military and paramilitary elites, where the equipment and possessions of deceased members tend to be informally auctioned off among their peers, as both a fitting send-off and to ensure those trade tools are not defiled by falling into the hands of those outside the family.