The Shroudfarers

Type: Professional
Dates Active: 84 - present
Membership: A few dozen
Locations: Anywhere

Description
The Shroudfarers are about as far from a formal organization as you can find. Though, any merchant who deals in trans-settlement commerce will claim themselves to be a Shroudfarer. I know of no official meetings held by this group, nor any group objectives (aside from the trade that they regularly partake in). They never travel together either, but all members seem to be aware of each other in one way or another and do not hesitate to share information or resources with one another. A rarity among peoples not united by their location. I first caught wind of this sect hardly a decade after the first formal settlements began to take root, as the practice of inter-settlement commerce quickly began to show niche appeal. The founder still remains a mystery to me.
I have made a few attempts to infiltrate the conversations of these folk by posing myself as one of theirs, but they somehow have caught on to my ruse each time, and now I believe I am blacklisted from informal interaction with them. Though, I learned a few things through my stalking. Firstly, the Shroudfarers have some established routes through certain regions between major settlements. I know not how these are remembered, but I surmise it is likely some sort of esoteric marking system. Additionally, they frequently share trade information with one another, such as the fancies and fads of lords and other wealthy figures in various regions. Information that could be seen as quite valuable is freely shared, but not made public. And they are willing to provide provisional assistance to those of their ilk in a similar manner to how peasant classes in most settlements operate.
Recruitment for this ‘organization’ is similarly informal. Induction seems to simply happen after someone new takes on the trade for any extended period of time. After which, previously established members will simply approach the new members and act as if they had always been associates. Though, how they were able to identify myself as an infiltrator is still a mystery.