Trading and trading companies

Trading in Faerun is the same as it is everywhere: buy low sell high, supply and demand, specialty product bought in point A, sold in point B, etc.

From the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting:

“Great merchant companies dominate the trade of the Heartlands and the Inner Sea. A merchant company buys raw materials or manufactured goods at their point of origin, transports them to the markets and sells them through company-owned emporiums or through local merchants. Typically, a merchant company’s greatest asset lies in the trade routes and markets it controls. A powerful company won’t hesitate to use ruthless tactics or outright violence to prevent a rival from attempting to supply a prized market with a competing product.

Whenever possible, merchant companies exert their muscle to force the lowest possible prices on their suppliers and monopolize the particular goods in their chosen markets in order to command the best price possible. Laws and regulations that might control such practices are virtually unheard of in Faerun.”

Since you all own the warehouse in Westgate, and probably will be building one in Dawngleam, those two ports should be your main stops. What you all should do is hire people to manage your warehouses and allow them to rent out space to people and to buy and sell stuff for Captain Janacek to move. For example a shipment of rugs turn up in Westgate from Calimshan. Your warehouse manager there gets several of them for a good price. When Janacek gets to town he loads them up and sells them in port Y. Another example is Janacek drops off Turmish glassware in the warehouse in Westgate. The manager there stores them until he finds a buyer willing to pay X for them.

Trade routes can be from point A to point B, but the more ports on a route, the more successful (and profitable) they can be. Not to mention the more towns you visit, the less likely it is for you to loose money on a voyage because of a surplus in the market. Since you all will be a small one ship venture, Captain Janacek doesn’t think you all will have any problems with the larger trading companies, so long as you don’t step on any toes (he know what to do to avoid this). He suggest for now two routes which should, barring storms and other natural (and un-natural) disasters, put him in Dawngleam every 2 weeks.

Route 1: Dawngleam – Urmlaspyr – Saerloon – Starmantle – Westgate

Route 2: Dawngleam – Westgate – Pros – Ilipur – Suzail – Marsember

He can’t estimate profits/risks yet because his previous trading ventures took him farther out in the Inner Sea. If at some time in the future you wish to expand the range allowed, he still has contacts in several other cities that lie outside the2 week range.

Below is a list of towns around the Inner Sea and a brief description of them. This list was compiled with you all looking at a map of the Inner Sea and Captain Janacek giving brief descriptions of them.

The Vast

Imports: Glass, Luxury goods, salt

Exports: copper, grain, iron, livestock, nickel, parchment, silver, textiles

Calaunt: (metropolis, 38,706) Ruled by a band of evil adventures. Not on Captain Janacek’s list of places to trade.

Procampur: (large city, 24,631) An old, wealthy, independent trading post at the eastern mouth of the Dragon Reaches. Known for it’s goldsmiths, gemcutters, gem trade, and strict government.

Ravens Bluff: (metropolis, 28,150) Second only to Calaunt in wealth, power and importance. Port of departure for over a third of the Vast’s agricultural exports.

Tantras: (large city, 21,816) Famous for being the residence of the diety Torm during the Times of Trouble.

Tsurlagol: (large city, 17,594) Known as the Gateway to the Unapproachable East, this busy port is the southernmost city of the Vast. It serves as a crossroads for traders from the Vast, Impiltur, the Old Empires, and the Vilhorn Reach. Has the distinction for having been sacked and burned more times than any other city in the region.

Turmish

Imports: Luxury goods, metals

Exports: Glass, grain, lumber, mercenaries, salt

Alaghon: (metropolis, 88,704) Capital of the Republic of Turmish.

The Vilhorn Reach

Imports: Metal

Exports: fish, horses, slaves, stone, wine

The Dragon Coast

Imports: Food, Precious metals, slaves, trade goods for export

Exports: ships, trade goods from other nations

Westgate (Metropolis 29,184): Westgate is the major trading city of the southern coast. It wields enough economic clout to make it the third major trading power in the Inner Sea after Sembia and Cormyr. The “anything goes and everything has a price” reputation of the Dragon Coast is directly attributable to Westgate, whose citizens are not ashamed of it’s reputation. They pride themselves that Westgate is an open city – open to all races, all faiths, and all coins. Wesgate’s noble rulers believe that personal ethics may be fine for private life, but have no place in business.

Ilipur (large town, 2,432 and Pros (small town, 1,824): These small ports serve as the loading and unloading points for Eversult.

Starmantle: (small city, 6,080) Westgates primary competition on the Dragon Coast. Starmantel is somewhat less corrupt than Westgate, but it is deeply aligned with the pirates of the Isles.

Sembia

Imports: Anything it can trade to someone else

Exports: Anything it acquires from others, books, food, livestock, pottery, silk, weapons, wine, etc.

Nolin: A Large town situated on the Neck between the Lake of Dragons and the Sea of Fallen Stars. Nolin was founded around a Sembian navy base and grew as the base grew. Currently the harbor commonly holds ships from all major navies of the Sea of Fallen Stars that patrol the area for pirates. There are a few fisheries, a cattle farm, and some grain farms in the area.

Selgauntl (metropolis, 56,514) The richest and haughtiest of the Sembian cities.

Yhaunn: (large city, 20,184) Yhaunn handles a great deal of the traffic between the Dalelands and the Sea of Fallen Stars. The city grew up on the site of an ancient quarry.

Saerloon: (metropolis, 54,496) Founded by Chondathan colonist, the city maintains the fever pitch of mercantile activity, seasoned by thievery and intrigue. There is a Red Wizard enclave located near the docks.

Urmlaspyr: (metropolis, 26,239) Daerlun’s link to the sea, this town maintains a steady buzz of merchant shipping. It’s citizens are nearly as industrious as the people of Saerloon, without the steady diet of murderous intrigue, and nearly as friendly as the people of Daerlun.

Cormyr

Imports: Glass, ivory, spices

Exports: Armor, Carved ivory, cloth, coal, food, weapons, timber

Suzail (Metropolis, 45,009): The royal capital and richest city in Cormyr. The city maintains a large barracks for the Purple Dragons, plus stockyards, shipyards, and dozens of inns, taverns, and festhalls. Lord of the city is Sthavar, who commands the Purple Dragons. The Royal Palace and the Royal University is located here as well.

Marsember: (metropolis, 36,007) The second largest city in Cormyr, Marsember is a seaport constructedon a series of islands. Also known as the City of Spices for the local trading companies that procure those goods from far nations, for the city that relies on trade.

Harrowdale

Imports: Glassware, lace, ore, paper, silk, spices, tools, weapons

Exports: ale, beef, cheese, fruit, furs, lumber, mutton, wool

Harrowdale Town: (large town, 4,206) Very prosperous town gateway to the inner dales.

Scardale

Imports: Illicit substances, Manufactured goods, oil

Exports: Ale, grain, vegetables

Scardale town: (large town, 4,440): town of anarchy, no central rule. Major powers garrisons: Sembian, Thayan, Zentarium, Harrowdale.