Dark Cherry's Traveling Market

In the dangerous world of North America outside the The Coalition States, long distance trade must be conducted by caravan. One caravan in particular travels the routes from Tolkeen, through the Colorado Baronies south to the Rio Grande and across the Pecos Empire to the Kingdom of Worth. From there, it crosses between Lone Star and El Dorado, skirts south of 1st Apocalyptic Cavalry territory and returns to the Colorado Baronies, finally ending up back at Tolkeen. It makes this round trip twice a year. This caravan is known as the Dark Cherry Caravan, or Dark Cherry's Traveling Market, after the first merchant group to make the trip.
Now the caravan consists of anywhere from two dozen to over a hundred vehicles, depending on the leg. It provides the primary means of trade to many of the small communities along its route, many of whom take advantage of the extra security to travel with it for short trips (for a small fee). Its greatest value is in providing cotton and oil from Texas to the manufacturing centers in the north in return for manufactured goods.

Structure

The lead merchant is the caravan leader. He or she acts as a board executive and while not an elected position, it has all the authority of one. This person is called "Dark Cherry," no matter who holds the position. The only person who can overrule Dark Cherry on travel decisions is the head of security and guide, Bolter Slicer, a Wilderness Scout of great experience and even greater reputation.

Assets

Each merchant group who takes part in the caravan is responsible for their own security or payment in lieu of. There is a core security detail comprised of Bolter Slicer, four scouts, two NG robot vehicles, two armored personnel carriers, three full-conversion borgs, a Ley Line Walker and a Mind Melter. The security provided by or paid for by the mechants is usually comprised of more scouts, mercenaries, juicers and the odd Burster or Ley Line Walker.

History

Even though the Dark Cherry Traveling Market caters to a non-coalition clientele; it could not exist without the security provided by the The Coalition States. The first merchant group put together by Dark Cherry's family, friends and partners started in the year 87 P.A. and although the original Dark Cherry has retired, the caravan still carries his name.

Trade & Transport

As the caravan repeats its round trip twice a year, it reinforces its route and has managed to ensure a wide clear path exists between all of its regularly scheduled stops. Over the past several years, it has established depots where it has stored supplies and ammunition for itself as well as caches of emergency food and water.
The vehicles primarily consist of all-terrain vehicles, although some routes are cleared so well, with bridges and causeways, as to permit less capable vehicles passage with them.

Dark Cherry Jewels logo by Dark Cherry Jewels

Alternative Names

Dark Cherry Caravan

Major Exports

The primary exports from Tolkeen consist of fabricated goods, technowizard equipment and refined resources. The Colorado Baronies provide harvested grains and livestock products like meat and leather. One of the other key exports from the Colorado Baronies is silver, which is very valuable along the Rio Grande for fending off vampires. The Pecos Empire provides oil, although they do also provide a number of raw materials from captured and killed monsters. The Kingdom of Worth also produces oil, but it is their great quantities of cotton that are most valuable in both the Colorado baronies and Tolkeen who then manufacture it into fabrics for the rest of the stops in the route to consume.
Without Dark Cherry's, trade in the American West would nearly cease to exist.