File: jayose/Jayose Library: Trade Between Cities.txt

By Datal Allavium



Trade between the cities of Yliakum has always been problematic. Not only are the distances great and the roads often difficult, but there are also bandits and creatures on the roads that prey on unwary travelers. While problematic, there are still a number of ways to get goods from town to town.

There are a few merchants who operate their own caravans. However, these merchant-owned caravans are few and far between due largely to the expense of maintaining them. The Mikana Trading company is known to operate a regular caravan between Hydlaa and Ojaveda, as well as many other cities and villages.

For those merchants who do not own their own caravans, solutions do exist. Some enterprising people have started small businesses of running caravans between towns. They not only have their own goujahs, but they also hire sell-swords to protect them. These caravans can be quite expensive to use, as the owners expect to be handsomely rewarded for their services. While not having to maintain your own caravan is a definite advantage to this arrangement, goods can sometimes be delayed for days if not weeks while waiting for a caravan to be filled.

If you have goods of an urgent nature that cannot wait for a caravan, you may be able to find a messenger that will be willing to take your goods. This typically is the most expensive method, by amount, to get goods between towns. Depending on where the goods must travel, the price for such a service can vary wildly. In some dangerous areas of Yliakum, you may have to hire a sell-sword or adventurer to carry your goods.

While they may be a formidable force within the town walls, the guards aren’t able to keep all the roads secure, so you will often find bandits and rogues along the paths. Other threats to shipments include ulbernauts, tefusangs, trepors and other various creatures. As I mentioned above, these threats can cause shipments to vary wildly in cost, or sometimes go missing completely.

When you try to analyse each of these shipping methods for cost, you must also examine other factors. These factors include the amount that must be transported, the frequency with which goods are to be transported, the various locations to which they must be transported, and the speed with which goods must be transported.

Trade between levels is safer, but slightly more complex. The most common method of transport between levels are the Winches. These mechanical and magical marvels are found on each level, connecting the vast distance between them. The Winch complexes are designed specifically for moving goods from level to level, and are very well defended. The value of the goods that pass through each Winch on a daily basis is enough to tempt even the most foolish of thieves. Many merchants are willing to pay handsomely to have their goods transported through the security of the winch.

If a faster method of transport is needed for smaller amounts of goods, the flying megaras are often called on. Some of the merchant guilds keep a megaras to transport goods from level to level. Very few megaras exist throughout Yliakum, so access and ownership of them is limited. Most are owned by merchant guilds that use them to carry goods from level to level. In some rare cases, shipments can also be carried from city to city by megaras, though this use of a megaras is very rare, as there are more efficient means of transporting goods across the wide open spaces on each level.

Lastly, there are paths cut into the sides of the walls of the stalactite. Though dangerous at times due to steep grades, random gusts of wind, and minimal guard rails, these paths are generally free of the more dangerous creatures. Limited volumes of goods can be carried from level to level by foot or rugged pack beast. The stairways are narrow and long, and there are rumors of some people taking the paths and never returning. Most merchants will go to great lengths to avoid using the inter-level paths.

Now that you know your options, you just have to consider how much your goods are worth, and how fast you would like them to arrive in their destination. Good shipping.