Merchant Miles

Every morning brings brand new opportunities. Check the latest prices, read the news, and review available contracts, laws, and decrees before deciding what goods to buy.

But remember, a clever merchant knows there’s more to a good deal than meets the eye. Apples might sell for pennies in one village and fetch a fortune in a far medieval settlement. It’s your job to follow the rumours and weigh your options before your strategy becomes useless.

Study the market, plan your next move, and decide where your goods will take you.

You only have so many coins to spend and so much room in your cart, so you can’t take everything with you.

You can either play it safe with reliable goods or spend more on something that might fetch a higher price. Just keep an eye on freshness, because the longer your goods sit around, the harder it might be to sell them. No one really wants spoiled apples… unless they are up to something.

Open your stall, lay out your wares, and begin bargaining.

Name your price and hear what your customers have to offer. Settle for a “fair” profit or haggle your way for a few extra coins. Learn when to make the right call because greed isn’t a good title to hang above your head.

A day’s trading is done, but your journey is far from over. Check your sales report, see how you did, then use that information to decide where to go. Will you follow a reliable route, pursue a lucrative rumour, or take a chance on an unexplored market?

How you build your reputation, how you understand situations and opportunities, how you make your fortune is up to you.

It’s just you and the open road.

At the end of each market day, you’ll get a report showing what you sold and how you did. You can use that information, along with everything you’ve learned about the market, to decide where to travel next.

Maybe there’s a shortage worth chasing, a contract you want to finish, or a rumour that sounds promising. You can return to a route that has worked well before, or simply take a chance on somewhere new.

As your reputation grows, more opportunities become available. There isn’t one route you’re expected to follow or one strategy that always works. You can build your business through smaller, reliable trades or take bigger risks when you think you’ve spotted something the rest of the market hasn’t.

• Reading newspapers for the latest market news and trading opportunities.

• Navigating laws and decrees that influence the economy.

• Balancing your spending against limited cart space.

• Managing the freshness of goods throughout your travels.

• Reviewing daily sales reports to sharpen your trading strategy.

• Building your reputation to unlock new trading opportunities.