Opening post by Ser Emmon Bracken · #1
I've found that supplying stores to the realm without exchanging value is a matter of acquiring a sufficient quantity of merchant goods, establishing trade routes with neutral cities, and securing a sufficient amount of coin through taxation or other means, which is to say that if you want to keep your stores full without losing power or troops I recommend focusing on building a healthy trade balance and diversifying your income streams - and you should take into account the value of the goods you're trading, as well as the cost of maintaining any necessary escort units to protect your trade caravans, I have learned this the hard way after a run-in with the bandits that plague the North road, for instance, I was expecting to lose only a fraction of my trade goods but ended up losing the entire caravan, and the cost to me was not just the loss of those goods but also the loss of access to the neutral city of Ashwood for a period of six months, which was a significant blow to my economy.