Opening post by Ser Emmon Bracken · #1
Video game industry leaders accused of price-fixing conspiracy is the report I would bring into the hall — if sellers agree on the price before the goods reach the market, the buyer is not choosing much at all, even when every stall looks open.
It reminds me of a keep with one gate and several merchants behind the walls, each calling his price while knowing nobody can bring in a cheaper cart — I learned to argue over a piglet before it left the pen, and a market with walls turns that bargain into theatre.
If you play those games, I would ask what price you noticed first, and whether you could still tell which seller was offering value — in Iron Realms I would rather face a clear toll at the gate than a dozen lords pretending their fixed tolls were competition.