1 member
Traveling Merchants Guild / TMERCHANTG
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Transport -
Trading
Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary journey across the cosmos, navigating trade routes between distant worlds and forging interstellar partnerships? Join our esteemed guild of merchants, where the stars are your marketplace and the universe your playing field.
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History
Established in 2451.
Through the years it started with one small starter ship.
“From dust roads to star lanes, we carry the trade of civilizations.”
The Traveling Merchants Guild was born out of necessity during the Twilight Collapse—a time when fractured empires and isolated planets struggled to maintain commerce in the wake of interstellar war. With centralized governments faltering and communication lines severed, it was the traveling merchants—brave, cunning, and self-reliant—who stepped in to reconnect the stars.
Founded over 400 cycles ago, the Guild began as a loose collective of free-traders, caravan masters, and spaceship captains. They met in secret, often under flickering starlight or deep within asteroid markets, to share routes, warn of dangers, and uphold the sacred code of fair trade.
As peace returned and interplanetary travel normalized, the Guild formalized its structure. Charter stations were established on major trade hubs, and the Merchant Codex was written—a living document that governs ethics, trade law, and dispute resolution among guild members.
Over the centuries, the Guild has grown into a powerful, independent organization spanning seven sectors and countless worlds. It remains neutral in political conflicts, loyal only to the bond of honest commerce and mutual respect. Where others see borders, we see opportunity. Where others fear the unknown, we see untapped markets.
Today, the Traveling Merchants Guild stands as a symbol of unity, freedom, and entrepreneurial spirit in a galaxy that constantly shifts. We carry the weight of history in our ledgers and the promise of the future in our cargo holds.
Manifesto
✦ Manifesto of the Traveling Merchants Guild ✦
“We move through starlight with purpose. We do not kneel. We do not vanish. We trade.”
We Are the Thread Between Worlds
Where empires rise and fall, we endure.
Where borders are drawn, we cross them.
Where silence reigns, we speak in trade.
We are the lifeblood of civilization—threading distant systems with the pulse of commerce and the bond of understanding.
We Are Merchants, Not Subjects
We answer to no throne, no flag, no ideology.
Our allegiance is to the open route, the neutral port, and the sacred balance of fair exchange.
We do not bring war. We do not bring conquest.
We bring supply to the outpost, relief to the weary, choice to the forgotten, and opportunity to the bold.
We Trade With Honor
Our word is currency. Our signature is oath.
A deal struck beneath binary stars is as binding as one made in a guildhall.
We reject coercion, deceit, and tyranny in trade.
We carry only what we are willing to defend.
And when we draw lines, they are drawn in starlight.
We Remember What Others Forget
We carry old maps, forbidden lore, lost languages, and dying foods.
In our holds are seeds of rebirth and echoes of extinction.
The Guild is not just a market—it is a memory, a moving archive of all that flows between the stars.
We are the preservation of culture, in crates and code and conversation.
We Stand Together
From asteroid miners to planetary brokers, from backwater traders to deep-haul caravans—we are one Guild.
When one merchant calls for aid, others answer.
When one route falls silent, others reopen it.
We move not as fleets of conquest, but as caravans of kinship.
We Are Not Afraid of the Dark
Beyond the edge of known space, where charts end and comms fail, we go.
We are the first ships to land after war, the last to leave when hope fades.
Not for glory. Not for conquest.
But because someone, somewhere, will need what we carry.
This Is Our Creed
We are the Traveling Merchants Guild.
We are not bound by gravity, nor empire, nor fear.
We are bound only by the road between stars—and our promise to walk it with integrity.
As long as there are routes to map and people to serve, we will endure.
Because where there is trade, there is life.
Charter
✧ The Guild Charter ✧
of the Traveling Merchants Guild
Ratified in Cycle 01294.9 | Station: Orelis Prime | Vault: Echo-Redline
Preamble
We, the Free Merchants of the Void, in pursuit of peaceful commerce, mutual aid, and the unbroken sharing of knowledge and goods across the stars, do hereby unite under this Charter to form the Traveling Merchants Guild.
In a galaxy divided by borders, time, and war, we pledge ourselves to the preservation of trade as a force of balance, prosperity, and unity among all spacefaring peoples.
Article I: Name and Purpose
Section 1 — Name
This organization shall be known as the Traveling Merchants Guild, hereafter referred to as “the Guild.”
Section 2 — Purpose
The Guild exists to:
Facilitate and protect interstellar commerce.
Represent the collective interests of independent traders.
Establish and uphold the ethical standards of trade.
Provide sanctuary, support, and shared resources to all members.
Preserve the autonomy of merchants against undue political interference.
Article II: Membership
Section 1 — Eligibility
Any individual, crew, or vessel engaged in honest trade between star systems may petition for membership, provided they:
Accept and swear to uphold the Merchant Codex.
Do not stand under current Guild sanction or banishment.
Section 2 — Rights of Members
All full members are entitled to:
Safe harbor within Guild-controlled or allied trade stations.
Access to verified Guild trade routes, contracts, and alerts.
Arbitration and dispute resolution via the Ledger Tribunal.
Vote or representation during Guild conclaves (dependent on standing).
Section 3 — Obligations of Members
Members must:
Conduct trade in accordance with the Codex.
Offer aid to fellow members in distress when safe to do so.
Pay dues as levied by their sector’s representative council.
Article III: Structure and Governance
Section 1 — The High Council of Trade Winds
The Guild is overseen by the High Council of Trade Winds, composed of:
The oldest active captains (by cycle) from five core sectors.
Three rotating representatives of recognized Merchant Houses.
One non-voting AI Auditor from the Guild Archives.
Section 2 — Constellation Conclave
A galaxy-wide assembly of Guild members, convened once every standard decade or in times of crisis. Amendments to the Codex or Charter require a 3/5 sector majority at a Conclave.
Section 3 — Sector Councils
Each sector may form its own council to handle local governance, provided all decisions align with the Codex and Charter.
Article IV: Trade and Neutrality
Section 1 — Neutral Trade Zones
Designated Neutral Trade Zones under Guild protection are declared sacrosanct. Violation of their neutrality is grounds for Guild-wide sanction, economic embargo, and alliance enforcement.
Section 2 — Non-Aligned Status
The Guild shall not align itself with any empire, planetary state, or religious body. Its neutrality must be upheld to ensure universal access and trust.
Section 3 — Sanction Authority
The Guild reserves the right to:
Sanction individuals, factions, or systems that disrupt trade.
Blacklist vessels and revoke Safe Passage Credentials.
Deploy defense caravans to protect critical routes and members under attack.
Article V: Legacy and Expansion
Section 1 — Archive Mandate
All Guild activity, discoveries, and major trade events are to be recorded in the Holo-Archive of the Merchant Record. This knowledge is shared across time to honor those who came before.
Section 2 — Guildspawn Initiatives
The Guild may establish Outpost Charters to nurture new trade zones, assist recovering civilizations, and introduce fair commerce to post-conflict regions.
Final Affirmation
Let this Charter be our compass in the void.
Let our unity guide us across the dark between stars.
Let no empire sway us, no silence divide us.
We are the carriers of light, the keepers of trade, and the first to arrive when the stars awaken.
— Signed by the Founders beneath the Twin Moons of Orelis Prime
