Trader Novice Guide (book) - Revision history

CARAAMON at 00:53, 20 May 2013

2013-05-20T00:53:22Z

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	not advised. Leather armor is generally adequate for traders and		not advised. Leather armor is generally adequate for traders and
	medium weight weapons serve quite nicely.		medium weight weapons serve quite nicely.
	~~[[Category:~~Book]][[page type is::book\| ]][[guild association is::trader\| ]]		{{Cat\|New Player Help‎,Book}}[[page type is::book\| ]][[guild association is::trader\| ]]

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	'''Trader Novice Guide Book'''<br />
	Compiled and recorded by Therae, [[Trader]]		Compiled and recorded by Therae, [[Trader]]
	<br />		<br />

Maintenance script at 15:24, 6 April 2009

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← Older revision		Revision as of 10:24, 6 April 2009
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		⚫	'''Trader Novice Guide Book'''<br />
	{{WikifyBook}}

⚫	'''Trader Novice Guide Book'''
	Compiled and recorded by Therae, [[Trader]]		Compiled and recorded by Therae, [[Trader]]
	<br~~/><br~~/>		<br />
			<br />
	__TOC__		__TOC__
	==Chapter 1 -- About the Trader's Guild==		==Chapter 1 -- About the Trader's Guild==

Maintenance script: /* Trader Novice Guide Book */ -- Wikified

2009-04-06T15:23:27Z

Trader Novice Guide Book: -- Wikified

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	{{WikifyBook}}		{{WikifyBook}}

	==Trader Novice Guide Book==		'''Trader Novice Guide Book'''
		⚫	Compiled and recorded by Therae, [[Trader]]
	<br/>
⚫	Chapter 1 -- About the Trader's Guild~~<br/>~~
	Chapter 2 -- Getting Started<br/>
	Chapter 3 -- The Ledger<br/>
	Chapter 4 -- Contracts<br/>
	Chapter 5 -- Routes<br/>
	Chapter 6 -- The Paper Shuffle<br/>
	Chapter 7 -- Making Money<br/>
	Chapter 8 -- Animals and Caravans<br/>
	Chapter 9 -- Combat<br/>
	<br/>
⚫	Compiled and recorded by Therae, Trader
	<br/><br/>		<br/><br/>
			__TOC__
⚫	Imaar tells you, "The life of a Trader is spent keeping abreast
		⚫	==Chapter 1 -- About the Trader's Guild==
		⚫	[[Imaar]] tells you, "The life of a Trader is spent keeping abreast
	of the ever-changing world in which we live. Our function is		of the ever-changing world in which we live. Our function is
	vital - for without traders, much of the economy as we know it		vital - for without traders, much of the economy as we know it
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	Trader is another Trader."		Trader is another Trader."

	~~'''~~Chapter 2 - Getting Started~~'''~~		==Chapter 2 -- Getting Started==

	When you join the guild, Imaar will tell you to get a ledger and		When you join the guild, Imaar will tell you to get a ledger and
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	outposts before you get that first contract. Trading can be		outposts before you get that first contract. Trading can be
	pretty confusing for the first few contracts. Best to get some of		pretty confusing for the first few contracts. Best to get some of
	the other confusion of Elanthia out of the way first.		the other confusion of [[Elanthia]] out of the way first.

	~~'''~~Chapter 3 - The Ledger~~'''~~		==Chapter 3 -- The Ledger==

	Your ledger is very important to you. Carry it when you trade.		Your ledger is very important to you. Carry it when you trade.
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	your best advantage.		your best advantage.

	~~'''~~Chapter 4 - Contracts~~'''~~		==Chapter 4 - Contracts==

	When you start out as a trader, you'll deliver contracts. The		When you start out as a trader, you'll deliver contracts. The
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	for the goods and unload the crate from your caravan.		for the goods and unload the crate from your caravan.

	~~'''~~Chapter 5 - Routes~~'''~~		==Chapter 5 - Routes==

	At very low levels, all your contracts will allow plenty of time		At very low levels, all your contracts will allow plenty of time
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	because of the greater distances.		because of the greater distances.

	~~'''~~Chapter 6 - The Paper Shuffle~~'''~~		==Chapter 6 - The Paper Shuffle==

	Every novice trader will at some point be frustrated trying to		Every novice trader will at some point be frustrated trying to
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	(first, second, third, fourth, fifth, etc.) from your container.		(first, second, third, fourth, fifth, etc.) from your container.

	~~'''~~Chapter 7 - Making Money~~'''~~		==Chapter 7 - Making Money==

	As a novice trader, your contracts will be very small and the		As a novice trader, your contracts will be very small and the
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	lot of work to become a wealthy trader.		lot of work to become a wealthy trader.

	Commodity trading pits can be found in the Crossing, Arthe Dale,		[[Commodity Trading\|Commodity trading]] pits can be found in the [[Crossing]], [[Arthe Dale]],
	and Leth Deriel trade guilds. Trading commodities entails greater		and [[Leth Deriel]] trade guilds. Trading commodities entails greater
	risk than trading contracts, and offers opportunities for greater		risk than trading contracts, and offers opportunities for greater
	reward.		reward.
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	commodities.		commodities.

	~~'''~~Chapter 8 - Animals and Caravans~~'''~~		==Chapter 8 - Animals and Caravans==

	Animals and caravans carry goods for traders. They get hungry and		Animals and caravans carry goods for traders. They get hungry and
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	to do something else.		to do something else.

	~~'''~~Chapter 9 - Combat~~'''~~		==Chapter 9 - Combat==

	The Trader's Guild is not a combat guild. You may choose to hunt		The Trader's Guild is not a combat guild. You may choose to hunt

CARAAMON at 20:20, 11 October 2008

2008-10-11T20:20:41Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:20, 11 October 2008
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	not advised. Leather armor is generally adequate for traders and		not advised. Leather armor is generally adequate for traders and
	medium weight weapons serve quite nicely.		medium weight weapons serve quite nicely.
	[[Category:Book]][[page type is::book\| ]]		[[Category:Book]][[page type is::book\| ]][[guild association is::trader\| ]]

CARAAMON at 04:43, 19 September 2008

2008-09-19T04:43:20Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:43, 18 September 2008
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	not advised. Leather armor is generally adequate for traders and		not advised. Leather armor is generally adequate for traders and
	medium weight weapons serve quite nicely.		medium weight weapons serve quite nicely.
	[[Category:Book]]		[[Category:Book]][[page type is::book\| ]]

YAMCER at 05:45, 3 May 2008

2008-05-03T05:45:21Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:45, 3 May 2008
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			{{WikifyBook}}

	==Trader Novice Guide Book==		==Trader Novice Guide Book==
	<br/>		<br/>

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2007-11-09T14:20:11Z

Book:ItvTNG moved to Trader Novice Guide (book)

← Older revision	Revision as of 09:20, 9 November 2007
(No difference)

Maintenance script: New page: ==Trader Novice Guide Book==
Chapter 1 -- About the Trader's Guild
Chapter 2 -- Getting Started
Chapter 3 -- The Ledger
Chapter 4 -- Contracts
Chapter 5 -- Routes...

2007-05-05T23:20:21Z

New page: ==Trader Novice Guide Book== Chapter 1 -- About the Trader's Guild Chapter 2 -- Getting Started Chapter 3 -- The Ledger Chapter 4 -- Contracts Chapter 5 -- Routes...

New page

==Trader Novice Guide Book==
 
Chapter 1 -- About the Trader's Guild 
Chapter 2 -- Getting Started 
Chapter 3 -- The Ledger 
Chapter 4 -- Contracts 
Chapter 5 -- Routes 
Chapter 6 -- The Paper Shuffle 
Chapter 7 -- Making Money 
Chapter 8 -- Animals and Caravans 
Chapter 9 -- Combat 
 
Compiled and recorded by Therae, Trader
 
Imaar tells you, "The life of a Trader is spent keeping abreast
of the ever-changing world in which we live. Our function is
vital - for without traders, much of the economy as we know it
would cease to function properly. And as we all know, this world
is constantly on the move. We must engage ourselves in updating
our contacts, seeking out new trends and gathering information,
for if we don't continue to learn, we will cease to be useful in
our purpose.

"The Trader does not have the luxury of putting down roots, but
then, very rarely do you find a Trader who can sit still for any
length of time. The need to travel, to explore new possibilities,
is in their blood."

The guild leader Imaar takes a moment to brush invisible dirt off
of his tunic and then says, "This does not mean we cannot marry
or raise a brood. Many Traders run family businesses, operating
their caravans with their children and spouse as an able
substitute for hired hands, and many of their children grow up to
be traders as well."

"The family," he adds in a soft undertone, "often extends to more
than those of the blood relation. No matter how fierce we may
have to barter with another Trader, we always remember that
personal life is separate from the life of the trade, and we
never let business interfere with our sense of family within the
guild. To compete in commerce does not preclude friendship at a
personal level. Always remember," he adds, "that the only other
person in this world who understands what motivates and excites a
Trader is another Trader."

'''Chapter 2 - Getting Started'''

When you join the guild, Imaar will tell you to get a ledger and
talk to the minister. The minister will give you a contract and
send you to the clerk. The clerk will fill your order and you'll
walk out of the guild with a contract in hand and a crate on an
animal. It can all be a bit much. Slow down. Take Imaar's advice
and get the ledger. Read it carefully. Remember about the
minister, but don't rush to get that first contract.

Start by taking some time to do some exploring. Get some maps.
Outfit yourself with some armor and a weapon. Make sure the armor
covers the chest, abdomen, back, head, and hands. Get something
cheap because you'll need money for trading and you'll soon be
able to afford better. Get a backpack. Get a weapon. Don't worry
much what it is. Find your way to the shipyard and learn to fight
rats enough to retreat. Do some scouting - locate a couple of the
outposts before you get that first contract. Trading can be
pretty confusing for the first few contracts. Best to get some of
the other confusion of Elanthia out of the way first.

'''Chapter 3 - The Ledger'''

Your ledger is very important to you. Carry it when you trade.
When you start out, read your ledger every time you do something.
Get a contract. Read your ledger. Give the contract to the clerk.
Read your ledger. Deliver your contract. Read your ledger. You'll
learn very quickly what the ledger tells you and how to use it to
your best advantage.

'''Chapter 4 - Contracts'''

When you start out as a trader, you'll deliver contracts. The
operation is really pretty simple.

Ask the Minister for a contract. The minister will hand you a
contract. You may have one contract per guild or outpost at a
time. The minister will not give you a contract if you have
outstanding debt to that guild or an undelivered contract from
that guild. If you have lost a crate for the guild or outpost in
question, you'll simply need to wait for that contract to expire
to get another one.

Give the contract to the shipping clerk. The shipping clerk will
put the goods in a crate for you and put the crate on your animal
or caravan. If you have rented a caravan, the goods will be put
on your caravan. If you have not rented a caravan, the clerk will
rent an animal for you and put your goods on it.

Pay the shipping clerk. Always pay the shipping clerk. Guild
fees. Shipping costs. Caravan rental. When in doubt, pay the
shipping clerk. Whenever possible, pay the clerk as soon as you
get your contract. You will have to owe a debt at times, but try
to keep the debt minimal and the time short. The clerks do talk
to each other and you don't want a reputation as a slow payer.

Take the goods to the destination guild or outpost. Hand the
contract to the shipping clerk. The shipping clerk will pay you
for the goods and unload the crate from your caravan.

'''Chapter 5 - Routes'''

At very low levels, all your contracts will allow plenty of time
for delivery. It is advisable, then, to trade a circuit. Stop at
a guild, get a contract. Go to the next guild in your circuit,
deliver any contracts to that guild, and get one for somewhere
else. If you plan well, you should be able to carry 2-4 crates at
all times. This efficiency in the number of crates carried will
make up, somewhat, for the small size and smaller profit margins
of the contracts. As your deadlines get shorter, you will learn
to watch your ledger and plan your routes better. You'll trade
fewer circuits and make more direct runs.

Local contracts are from one outpost or guild to another outpost
or guild within the same province. You get local contracts from
the minister and the minister only gives out local contracts. As
a novice, you may trade local contracts in any province, but you
may trade only local contracts.

Once you have attained fifth level, you may begin to trade
interprovincial contracts. Interprovincial contracts are
available from the broker (not the minister) in the guild in the
principle city of each of the provinces. Interprovincial
contracts are delivered to the guild in the principle city of a
different province. Interprovincial contracts generally pay
better than local contracts, but they take more time to deliver
because of the greater distances.

'''Chapter 6 - The Paper Shuffle'''

Every novice trader will at some point be frustrated trying to
figure out which contract goes to which clerk. There are two
general strategies for dealing with contract confusion.

One strategy is the many container strategy. Get one container
for every guild you are trading with. Put all contracts for that
guild in that container - you'll probably have to fold the
contracts to make them fit - contracts in the boot are for Wolf
Clan, socks are for Tiger, etc.

The second strategy relies on a bit more record keeping, but
requires fewer containers. When you put an item in a container,
it becomes the first item in the container and everything else
pushes up the stack. Assume you get a contract in Dirge, put it
in your backpack, get a contract from Stone Clan, put it in your
backpack, then get a contract from Arthe Dale and put it in your
backpack. The first contract in your backpack is the one from
Arthe Dale, the second contract is from Stone Clan and the third
contract is from Dirge. Now, track those contracts by destination.

Each time, you get a contract, write the destination at the
bottom of your list. When you deliver a contract, cross that
destination off the list. The contracts in your container should
be in the same order as the contracts on your list that you
haven't crossed off yet. When you arrive to make a delivery,
simply count from the bottom of your list and get that contract
(first, second, third, fourth, fifth, etc.) from your container.

'''Chapter 7 - Making Money'''

As a novice trader, your contracts will be very small and the
profit margins narrow. Animal or caravan rental may cost you more
than your profit in some cases. In fact, traders have been known
to forage branches and sell them for firewood just like poor
novices of every other guild. However, as a trader advances in
the guild, two things happen. First the size of the largest
contracts get gradually larger and the average size of the
contract also increases. Second, the profit margin on the
contract improves as well. A fifth level trader will make a few
more copper profit on a five silver contract than a first level
trader will. Don't expect to become wealthy overnight. It takes a
lot of work to become a wealthy trader.

Commodity trading pits can be found in the Crossing, Arthe Dale,
and Leth Deriel trade guilds. Trading commodities entails greater
risk than trading contracts, and offers opportunities for greater
reward.

To trade commodities, go into the trading pit and read the board.
Select the commodity you wish to purchase. Quantities are limited
by your standing in the guild, so choose wisely. Once you have
selected the commodity, you can buy it if the guild has
sufficient stock. You order from the commodity clerk and pay the
shipping clerk.

Once you have purchased a commodity, you need to sell it. There
are two options. You can either store the commodity a while and
sell it back to the guild you purchased it from, or you can sell
it to a different guild. Ulven's Warehouse in The Crossing will
store commodities for a fee. The other guilds won't purchase
commodities if they already have a surplus.

The wise trader will spend several weeks watching commodity
prices without actually making any purchases. In this time, the
trader will learn the high and low prices for a commodity, and
where to buy and sell for the best price. Only after watching the
system to learn it, should a trader begin to risk money on
commodities.

'''Chapter 8 - Animals and Caravans'''

Animals and caravans carry goods for traders. They get hungry and
even starve to death. They get lost. You really have to take care
of them.

Novice traders will start with mules, yaks, and donkeys. If you
tell them to follow, they'll follow you rather slowly. They need
to see you to follow you. Always make sure they arrive at your
present location before you move to the next location. If you get
too far ahead, they'll stop and wait for you.

If you lose your animal, backtrack on your path until you find
it. If you can't find it, go back to the last guild or outpost
you visited. Most animal loss happens within two or three steps
of a trade guild.

Caravans have slightly more capability than animals and they move
slightly faster. They come with drunkards ... er ... um ...
drivers who even follow simple instructions from time to time.
Caravans can lead you along parts of the Northern Trade Route.
Basic instructions are in your ledger. In general, caravans lead
from the guild to your destination, but they stop at the city
gate, not in front of your guild.

Animals and caravans must be fed. Generally, they eat grass.
Don't worry about that overpriced grain in the crossing guild. Go
forage for some grass. You'll start by foraging tufts of grass.
As your foraging skill improves, you'll find other kinds as well.
There is lots of grass out the west gate. The Road to Leth Deriel
is rich in Georin Grass. Fodder is pretty sparse between Stone
Clan and Riverhaven.

Once you forage for the grass, hold it in your right hand and
give it to the caravan. For some reason, they won't eat from your
left hand and they insist you give them the grass, not feed them.

Caravans and Animals starve to death if they're not fed. They're
living beasts and they need attention. Caravans and animals don't
leave Elanthia when you do. Be sure to return your animal or
caravan to the shipping clerk before you leave Elanthia or go off
to do something else.

'''Chapter 9 - Combat'''

The Trader's Guild is not a combat guild. You may choose to hunt
and some traders hunt quite successfully. Many traders choose to
hunt almost not at all and give up hunting completely when they
are no longer required to learn evasion.

There is no one best weapon or hunting style for traders.
However, traders need a lot of charisma and mental skills.
Development of physical attributes tends to suffer. Therefore,
weapons and armor that require extreme strength or agility are
not advised. Leather armor is generally adequate for traders and
medium weight weapons serve quite nicely.
[[Category:Book]]

Trader Novice Guide (book) - Revision history

CARAAMON at 00:53, 20 May 2013

Maintenance script at 15:24, 6 April 2009

Maintenance script at 15:24, 6 April 2009

Maintenance script: /* Trader Novice Guide Book */ -- Wikified

CARAAMON at 20:20, 11 October 2008

CARAAMON at 04:43, 19 September 2008

YAMCER at 05:45, 3 May 2008

Maintenance script: Book:ItvTNG moved to Trader Novice Guide (book)

Maintenance script: New page: ==Trader Novice Guide Book== Chapter 1 -- About the Trader's Guild Chapter 2 -- Getting Started Chapter 3 -- The Ledger Chapter 4 -- Contracts Chapter 5 -- Routes...

Maintenance script: New page: ==Trader Novice Guide Book==
Chapter 1 -- About the Trader's Guild
Chapter 2 -- Getting Started
Chapter 3 -- The Ledger
Chapter 4 -- Contracts
Chapter 5 -- Routes...