Greetings, Merchant of Calradia! (A Simple Guide to Profit)

In the war-torn lands of Calradia, a strong army can conquer a castle, but a full purse can conquer a kingdom. Trading is the lifeblood of your empire, turning humble beginnings into a fortune large enough to fund the mightiest armies. But as any seasoned caravan master knows, the world of commerce has its own set of rules. The most important of these is the **Trade Penalty**. Think of it as a "market saturation" fee. The more different *types* of goods you carry in your personal inventory, the more the guild masters whisper that you're trying to flood their markets. In response, they offer you worse prices for everything. You'll find yourself paying more for the goods you need and getting paid less for the goods you sell. It’s a subtle but powerful mechanic that can eat away at your profits without you even noticing.

This calculator is your personal ledger keeper, designed to pull back the curtain on this hidden mechanic. It removes all the guesswork and instantly shows you your current penalty based on your skills and inventory. By understanding exactly how the penalty works, you can transform yourself from a simple wanderer into a master merchant, optimizing every trade run to ensure that you are always buying low, selling high, and laughing all the way to the bank. It's the ultimate tool for anyone who believes that the pen (and the coin purse) is mightier than the sword.

How to Use This Merchant's Tool

Calculating your market advantage couldn't be easier:

1. Set Your Trade Skill: Drag the first slider to match your character's current level in the "Trade" skill. The calculator will remember this for your next visit!
2. Count Your Goods: Drag the second slider to match the number of *different types* of trade goods in your inventory. Remember, 20 bags of Salt is just 1 stack, and 1 block of Iron is also 1 stack. What matters is the variety of goods, not the total quantity.
3. See the Result: The panel on the right will instantly update to show your current trade penalty, with a color-coded rating and a practical example of how it affects the prices you see in town.
4. Plan and Share: Once you have a scenario set up, use the "Copy Share Link" button to save it or share it with your friends to get their advice on a trade route!

Top Tips from the Caravan Master

• Knowledge is Profit:** Your Trade skill is your single most important asset as a merchant. Every point you invest in it directly cancels out one stack of goods before the penalty is even calculated. A trader with a skill of 5 can carry 5 different types of goods with zero penalty! Investing in this skill is non-negotiable for a profitable career.
• Specialize, Don't Generalize:** The golden rule of Calradian trade is to focus your efforts. It's far more profitable to carry a massive amount of just two or three types of goods than a small amount of everything. For example, a legendary trade run is buying cheap Raw Silk in Rivacheg and Salt from Wercheg, hauling it all the way to the Sarranid Sultanate, and selling it for a massive profit. Ignore the cheap grain and focus on the high-margin items.
• Your Companions are Your Warehouse:** This is the ultimate trick that separates the amateurs from the tycoons. The trade penalty only applies to the goods in **your personal inventory**. Your companions are not subject to this rule! You can load up Jeremus, Borcha, and all your other companions with as many different goods as they can carry, and it will never affect your prices. Use them as walking warehouses to transport a huge variety of goods across the map, penalty-free.
• The Luxury Tax:** Remember, the penalty is a percentage. A 20% penalty on a 50-denar bag of Grain is a small loss of 10 denars. But a 20% penalty on a 600-denar bolt of Velvet is a staggering 120-denar loss! The more expensive the goods you're trading, the more critical it is to keep your personal inventory lean and your trade penalty at zero.