[centre][b]Tolnendra: Merchant House Captial [/b][/centre]

There a few things you can learn from studying account books. You can learn when a mercahnt has a new mistress. When some noble in some land is trying to bribe someone. And when somebody is preparing for war. You can see these things simply by noticing the patterns. An extra jewel here, a few coins there. 

Or in the case of war, its when abnormalities add up. Such as a nobpe purchasing more blades than normal. A town that normally only asks for ore asks for a few Mercenaries. Or an entire country asking for more metal ore than normal. Now, on their own these numbers mean little, could be the noble wants to impress some visitors with the size of his army. The town may be having trouble with some bandits. Or the country may have closed down one of their mines for not producing enough metal ore. But, when all put together, when every number is crunched, and when all these types of trades are made rather close together, then you know that something very large may be happening.

Now to most people this would mean nothing, even if they saw the numvers they may not care, afterall so long as the numbers made up and everything was paid for then as far as they were considered it made no difference.

But Luke Perchant was not most people. 
Where most saw nothing but coin, he saw opportunity to make even more coin. To win a war, a country needs many things. Troops, food wood and metals to make weapons and armour, building materials and information. Coin can buy you all that and more. And the one with more coin had the larger, better trained, better fed and better equiped army had the upper hand on the battlefield.

Of course all that would go to waste with the three S's. Shit weather. Shit strategies. Sit generals. Even one of those could shake the balance of a battlefield and leave the one with the most coin the one being bent over a barrel.

No matter what though, the Merchants will always prosper. They didn't care who won or lost. Who was right or who was wrong. All they cared about was that the coin poured into their coffers and that trade continued, even if that meant their former trading partner was replaced by another one.

Now that Luke smelt war brewing, he smelt the opportunity for more coin. He wrote down a quick letter the all Merchant Houses and the Council Representatives. Within the letter was a short proposal.

[i]To all Merchant Houses and Council Representatives. 

My dear friends,
I am sorry that I must bother you all, but I have noticed some abnormalities with the latest accounts. Now before you all get upset, I am not saying that someone has been skimming, or that items have been sold for the wrong price. In fact it is good abnormalities.

I have discovered that unusual amounts of materials and Mercenaries have been purchased from us lately. It is my belief that a war may be upon some distant land, and it is my belief that where there is war, there is profit.

Therefore, I propose that we form an assembly to meet and negotiate upon new prices for our wares. I suggest we increase the prices of our Mercenaries, our metals and our wepaons and armour, not so much to be outrageous and therefore not worth it, but just enough that we may get a few more extra coins from this far away war. 

The exact price upage shall be discussed when assembly is held. My thanks for your time.

Signed, 
Luke Perchant of Merchant House Perchant, Council Representative and Lord of Accounts.[/i]

He called in his assistants to take the letters and make copies for all Merchant Houses and Council Representatives to receive one, including a copy for his own use.

He knew every House would send someone to speak for them, and that the prices for merchandise would change. If there was one thing that every Merchant House could agree on, it was that coin ruled the world as well as them.

And everyone knows, a Merchant is drawn to profit like a pig is to shit.