From Changeling Venue

How do you know you are dealing with a fair merchant who won't cheat you or is selling you things to harm you? The Merchant Oath sets up a way for those who wheel and deal to join a class that is acknowledged by the freehold as reputable, and held accountable by their own true name.

Wording

"I swear on my True Name to offer my goods and services at a fair price without malicious intent to the members of the freehold and to not betray the freehold nor its caretakers while I am licensed to peddle my wares within its borders. May my trade prosper and the reach my business spread far wide, for this season so be it."

Mechanics

Note: This custom pledge is not yet approved for play. A database number will be posted when approved.

Type: True Name
Tasks: Endeavor (To offer goods and services at a fair price without malicious intent to members of the freehold) -2, Forbiddance (Against betraying the freehold or its caretakers.) -2
Boon: Greater Blessing (+3 Contacts) +3, Median Blessing (+2 Allies-Smugglers) +2, Lesser Favor (Given license as a reputable dealer by the Freehold and allowed to conduct business in the area controlled by the freehold) +1
Sanction: Poisoned Greater Blessing -3, Poisoned Lesser Favor -1
Duration: 1 Season +2

=

Total: +8 and - 8 nets 0

Signifigance

In the world of the fae it is difficult to know who is on the level and with that air of distrust commerce and the prosperity it brings to the Freehold is a hard thing to encourage. This pledge, which is administered by empowered members of the freehold, creates a caste which are honor and Pledge bound to not deal disreputably with Freehold members. To non-members they can deal as they like as long as they don't betray the freehold, so their is plenty of room to gouge profit, and the reputation for being a fair merchant of goods and or services, is only part of their reward. those that take the Oath find that the reach of their business expands, which of course profits the freehold as well as them.

The reason this Oath must be administered by an empowered official of the Freehold because only they can grant the favor, which either takes the form of proclamations and/or a literal license that the merchant can carry as proof. It should be noted that you need not be a member of the freehold to take this pledge, and indeed traveling merchants operating under a Welcome Guest pledge often take it.

The repercussions should a merchant violate this Oath are severe. In addition to either becoming horribly vulnerable to their fetch, or having other pledge they have made be broken they suffer a lack where they once had abundance, they find that no one seems to want to talk to them, and that the Wyrd holds them in debt to the person they swore this oath under.