"Good Bartering!" - Trader greeting/farewell

Traders make their living traveling and trading, whether trinkets, produce, gems, weapons, or the rare magic item. Traders are different from Shopkeepers, Street Hawkers, and Stall Owners, who maintain fixed or area locations at the Bay Market or Farmers Market within the safety of the walls of Praxis City. Traders venture up and down Travelers Way, trading with the frog-like Ghrom, the different Native Human Tribes, the Centaur Territory, the Wild Elves of Shadwood, and occasionally the kobolds at Rook Outpost. They are often found with Caravans, but it is not unheard of for a Trader to travel on their own, despite the dangers of Ogrewood.

Traders are required by Great Draconic Decree to have a permit through a Noble House, which must be renewed each year for a fee of $400 gold pieces. Traders are also expected to pass on information to their Noble House, including how much they sold, made, and general trading conditions. To prevent a Noble House from procuring unfair rates or require traders to become spies, agitators, or act as an agent in ways dangerous to their general safety, Great Draconic Decree allowed Traders to form guilds, to ensure reasonable rates and trading standards are upheld.

In effect, the Trader's Guild takes its own fee for membership, and has its own political power on the Council. As a result, Noble Houses compete to issue the most trader permits, as a means to gain political clout on the Council.

Trader's Guilds quickly petitioned Councils to pass Decrees requiring Traders to be members of the Guild. In Praxis, a Trader that is not a member of a guild may have all their goods, equipment, and gold pieces confiscated If brought before the Council and found guilty, the Traders may be issued a Reprimand; over too many Reprimands resulting in Exile. The Guild further offers rewards for non-guild traders brought to stand trial in front of the Council. Rewards are based on the level of their trading; for example, capturing a non-sanctioned trader illegal peddling beads to the kobolds would result in 25 gold piece reward; stopping a trader breaking the weapons trade ban with the native human tribes is at least 500 gold pieces.

The Guildmaster of the Trader Guild is Trader Hogarth, famous for establishing trade with the formerly hostile native Cacican tribe for the House of Dor.

Most traders are Experts, and common skills include Appraise, Diplomacy, Profession (Trader), Knowledge (Geography), Gather Information, and often more than one crafts. A trader is often a jack of trades. It is not uncommon for a trader to have a few levels of rogue, and occasionally trading is compatible with the class of bard. It is more likely to find a trader with perform ability, who may be competition to bards, though. An occasional veteran warrior becomes a trader. Traders may be of any alignment, but are most often chaotic neutral, chaotic good, neutral good, neutral, or neutral evil. Human, Folke, and Gnomes are the most common traders, but a trader can be of any race. Half-orc traders are not currently allowed in the Trader's Guild, but can be found by the discerning half-orc in the Farmlands and the Orc Quarter, if you can identify them.

Traders often retire from the roads and open a shop, if they have successful careers.

Warning for Travelers: Greedy traders are often the source of conflict with Native Humans tribes!

Caravan Guild

The animal handlers, guides, porters, cooks, and warriors that make up a caravan really were not that interested in forming a guild. They know the risks of their job, and as long as there are sufficient warriors with them, they have little demands. The Trader Guild officially sponsored the Caravan Guild's formation so the caravan workers could benefit from fair wages from the Noble Houses, as well as the first ever compensation to the caravan workers families for "travelers lost." The effect of forming a Caravan Guild, however, built political clout for the Trader's Guild on the Town Council. The Caravaners depend on the Traders to make their living, so would naturally be sympathetic to its "big brother" guild.

Typically, a caravan will work exclusively for their Noble House sponsor, and travel a single route.