The Merchant League

The Merchant League is a conglomerate organization of many merchant companies, craft guilds, transportation companies and financial institutions. Almost any person or organization that involves itself in commerce has Merchant League connections and affiliations. Ultimately the Merchants League makes it's money through transport of goods, getting where they need to be. The countless bureaucrats and speculators who work for the Merchant League seem to have purchase, sale and delivery of goods all around the kingdom down to a science.

The Merchant Leagues largest single customer/partner is of course the kingdom itself. The Merchant's league is said to be completely infiltrated with royal reporters and watchdogs of all sorts. The Merchant's League is a very powerful organization and the kingdom keeps a very close eye on her activities.

Ultimately it has been arranged by the Merchant League that each player's main settlement will be visited by a Merchant League vessel once per month. Purchase orders for goods desired will be needed a month before those goods can be delivered. Prices are based on the prices at the time of the order, not the time of delivery. The Merchant League will purchase any reasonable goods you have for sale. The Bid Price represents the price a buyer must pay the Merchant League for any particular good. The Ask Price represents the amount the Merchant League is willing to pay for a particular good. There is always a difference between these two prices which is called The Spread. This is the profit margin the league makes for being the middle man and transporter for transactions. Higher spreads can also represent discrepancies in supply and demand. When there is simply too much supply, the league will offer far less money as their Ask price for goods they buy to discourage even more of that product entering an already saturated marketplace. When demand is too high, the league will jack up the Bid Price to take increased profits, and artificially stifle demand. Players should not plan on buying many goods that are in great demand and little supply, they won't be there and in time of war because the military has preference. For the most past however, the production and consumption of goods by player cities will not too much, nor too often effect the kingdom's supply and demand totals. The kingdom in general is quite vast and effecting such a large system with small towns is unlikely.

Note that there are some materials the Merchant League will not normally deal in. These are generally anything that is too heavy or difficult to move for it's worth. This generally includes flagstone, gravel, timber, iron ore, clay and limestone. If you really need these delivered for some reason, accommodations can be reached, but will have included fees to make it worth the League's time. Ultimately the Merchant's League much prefers to deal in finished goods than materials. This is reflected by their list of goods and prices.