A day in the life of a merchant

Iaran! Iaran! Iaran!

''-Finally, Kadan Harin is here! And you know what that means, right? Lots of trade!''

Have you ever wondered how is the daily life of a trader from this world like? Well, you can be one and embody them during the most important day of the year, Kadan Harin.

The day ahead

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''I don't care if it's still nighttime! We couldn't travel yesterday so now we're going to be late if we don't start moving now''.

It is very early in the camp where you and your band are, in fact the Sun still hasn't risen, but everyone wakes up and starts packing up everything. It is in moments like these where you feel envy for the settled peoples and their permanent dwellings... There is not much room for thought, however, as the destination is still several kilometers away and you must get there as fast as humanly possible to get the best spot to set up shop, lest you want to be ignored.
After hours of walking through the wilderness with rather bulky packages, you finally spot Sunkar's towers, which shine under the dawn Sun. Luckily, you arrived early enough to get a good place, and thus start preparing wares and tents.
Thanks to months of very skillful bartering, training, and occasional assault, your company has a lot of luxury goods and services to offer:

• Bear furs from Sunharin
• Cloth from Suwan
• Cooked food
• Fine pottery
• Ivory figurines
• Olive oil
• Redwood masks
• Several chests full of amulets
• Soaps from Irhoibi
• Spices from Ioltaharin
• Talrei mushrooms
• Theater performances
• Wine

This is ideal, you think, smiling to yourself, as markets have been full of people on Kadan Harin ever since you have memory and many commoners spend the day there as well, eager to be entertained, which means business will boom and your share will be large.

A busy day

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''-Iaran! Iaran! Iaran! The best products are here! What we don't have is not worth having at all! Amulets for every occasion with me! Iaran! Iaran! Iaran!''

You have been put in charge of selling the talismans, so once the store has been set up and the finest charms displayed you ring the bells and yell those words you have repeated a thousand times already, all part of the plan.

''-Wealth! Luck! Love! Pregnancy! Protection! Even funerals! Mine will grant you that and much more! Why would I lie to you, fine fellows? Why would I, a devout merchant, attempt to trick anyone, in Kadan Harin, no less!
-Oh, please! You're a known scammer... Good people of Sunkar, don't trust the deceit and abandon that store, for those amulets are worthless. But don't fear, for mine aren't! Do you doubt? Well, just ask that man over there!''

Of course it wouldn't be a proper day at the market if you didn't roast other people who sold the same as you, both to attract more money attention to you and to make the long hours more bearable. Luckily, you won all the 'matches', even getting tips from people who found your speeches particularly enjoyable.
And then, after many hours of bartering, the Sun sets and you see how a large crowd leaves through the narrow city gates. Besides the usual commoners who just go to the tents to have fun for the night, you also notice a surprising amount of what you call 'day-merchants', the traders who did their job inside the city and always leave at dusk (as they are not allowed indoors past that moment).
Fools, you whisper to yourself, thinking that they are missing on huge opportunities by choosing to work only in the daytime, while smiling as warmly as you can to the incoming buyers. Eventually, you decide no one else is going to buy any charms and thus start closing shop, eager to enjoy the pleasures of the night.

''Wait! Wait! Please wait! I screwed up and need to protect from a curse!''

However, just as you were about to put the last talisman on the chest, you see an aristocrat dressed in full ceremonial attire run towards your place. Smelling his desperation (and valuables) you decide to welcome him and solve his needs, not before explaining that the amulet you're giving him is very special and all those things you say about literally everything you own, managing to get his cloak in exchange.

A lovely night

---

''Peasants, merchants and runaway servants! Gather 'round to see the tragedies of man unfold! Though may the pale-faced leave, for this is no mere tale what you are about to hear, oh no, it was all lived!''

Food and spectacle, there is nothing that screams 'night at the market' more than that combination. No longer having any matters to tend to, you start walking through the labyrinthian streets of that tent city, looking for some entertainment (as well as dinner, you haven't eaten properly since dawn).
You may excel at selling stuff and roasting people, but your decision-making skills are atrocious, so instead you do as often and decide to team up with a friend and let them decide the night's plans. Thus you end up at one of the many makeshift stages, buy some dalic and sit on your blankets, waiting for the performance to begin.
After the play was over, you and your friend did other such activities, time flying so fast you didn't realize the night was over until all bands started packing their tents and wares and leaving. Seeing the fun was over, both of you go back with your group.

''Suck it!''

Once there, the share distribution is done. You may only have had 3, and you may have had to endure the bragging of that guy who had 10, but everything was worth it at the end, as you got very lucky and your bundles had the best goods, unlike that person's, who essentially got a lifelong supply of worthless trash.

With that all done, you all start wandering again, as is the merchant's way.