Trade Pioneer

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A Trade Pioneer with a Mustori

Trade Pioneers are adventurers and explorers who leave behind the safety of cities to take on the myriad perils of the Mortal Realms to seek their fortune or bring hope to their people.[1a]

Overview

These intrepid souls are those brave enough to leave their cities to seek to earn their fortunes, establish new trade routes, scour for lost knowledge, re-establish links between the far-flung civilizations of the Realms, and seek out hidden or forgotten Realmgates. In their journeys, they often pit themselves against the agents of chaos that threaten the civilizations of Sigmar. They are known by dozens of titles including Lord Pilgrims, Far Travellers, and Gate Seekers, though most people in the Realms know them as Trade Pioneers.[1a]

Particularly adventurous and heroic Trade Pioneers seek to better the lives of their peoples, to this end they set out to explore storied locales of the Mortal Realms such as the Living City, Hanging Valleys of Anvrok, and the Hammerhand Coast. Such souls take it upon themselves to combat the nightmarish horrors of reality and unite disparate peoples, for this they are seen as heroes and symbols of Order. Others, of meaner disposition, seek to loot ancient centres of learning to earn a profit for themselves.[1a]

Life of a Trade Pioneer

The occupation of Trade Pioneer is not tied to any one race, nationality, or walk of life, as such a myriad of eclectic scholars, merchants, adventurers, and other intrepid travellers have born it throughout the Ages. Much of their life is spent travelling the Mortal Realms beyond the safety of their homelands delving into ruins, establishing trade routes, and conversing with the disparate peoples of the Realms. They are fully capable of defending themselves against the many dangers of the Realms, for few survive long beyond the safety of cities if they are not.[1a][1b]

As Soulbound

To join the ranks of the Soulbound Order is a dream come true for many a Trade Pioneer for such a lofty occupation encourages travelling far and wide, mapping the far-flung corners of the Realms, seeking out lost lore, and promoting the ideals of the Grand Alliance of Order through trade. With the power and allies they gained from becoming Soulbound they seek to free the places they have long dreamed of from the grip of Chaos and the hordes of the Undead.[1a]

As Authors

A number of 'Trade Pioneers have taken to sharing their knowledge in the form of books such as Cinders Woadwalker who penned In Search of the Lost, Sanasay Bayla author of On Realm's End, and Osirenn Dares who wrote Blood of the Realms: Memoirs of a Trade Pioneer.[1a][1c][3a]

Role in Sigmar's Civilizations

Through the efforts of Trade Pioneers, and other brave merchants, trade has begun to flourish throughout the Mortal Realms once again, linking the civilizations of Sigmar's Empire and other bastions of Order together. Through this exchange of goods and ideas, peaceful cultures can once more exist in the Realms.[1c] It is not unheard of for these intrepid souls to be involved in the expansion of Sigmar's domains.[7a]

Trade Pioneers will engage in or establish new business ventures wherever they go. Such as competing with local merchants in the Free Cities such as Brightspear, moving great quantities of meat on behalf of the hunter-tribes of the Great Coil, or selling Bastiladon-scale plate armour, though there are those who find it easier to sell convincing fakes instead.[1b][5a][6]

Groups of Trade Pioneers

There are groups of Trade Pioneers who are known to scour the Mortal Realms in search of artefacts in hopes of delivering them to someone worthy, or in other cases selling them off to whoever can afford them.[3b]

There exists a disparate community of competitive Trade Pioneers, Spell Hunters, and treasure seekers who seek out powerful artefacts that have been labelled as Arcane Relics of Historical Import by the Collegiate Arcane.[3c]

Caravans of Trade Pioneers

Caravans of Trade Pioneers travels between the Cities of Sigmar, relying on the speed of their exotic mounts and knowledge of the regions travel to pass through the dangers of the Mortal Realms safely. These caravans usually transport rare and precious goods. All of them are shrewd and prolific merchants well aware of the value of their skills and wares, and as such will charge as much as fifty percent more for their wares to any travelers, such as bands of Soulbound, they meet on the roads.[9]

Wargear

Life as a travelling adventurer is no simple feat in the Mortal Realms so a Trade Pioneer must carry an array of supplies with which to stay alive and defend themselves. They commonly carry easy-to-acquire ranged and melee weapons, a backpack with which to stow their gear, a tent, a blanket, traveller's gear, and an assortment of rarer equipment. Many Trade Pioneers take Mustori as travel companions.[1a]

Notable

Quotes by Trade Pioneers

If you’re going out there you’ll want a Duardin with some steel — a Fyreslayer with a big axe, or a Kharadron with a big gun. And you’ll want about two dozen of them.

- Cinders Woadwalker, Trade Pioneer of Bataar.[1b]

You call death the great unknown and think the mystery makes it frightening. But I have seen what happens to souls in Shyish, and I tell you now — knowing is infinitely worse.

- Soren Danst.[2a]

You want my advice friend? Crawl back to Sigmar’s Cities and don’t look back. You will find no trade in these lands. At least, none that good souls like us are willing to make.

- Alphonse Derrius of Lethis.[2b]

I wouldn’t keep us waiting much longer, if I were you. My Ogor companion here hasn’t eaten all day. You’d be shocked at what she’s willing to eat when she gets hungry…

- Talum Beck.[4a]

Oh, I've heard tales of them souls who've braved the burning of the Realm's Edge. Mad mages in nullstone contraptions, duardin wearing their own weight in aether-gadgets, gangs of Soulbound with the protection of the gods upon 'em. I tell you now, it's gonna take a miracle to keep you alive out there. Folk like you and I, we'd burn up like a tallow candle in a wildfire.

- Jessa Sorefoot of Outer Aqshy.[8a]

Sources