Trade and Storekeeper Association

Brief History
The Trade and Storekeeper Association (TSA) was founded in the year 144 EA in the city of Porthia. At the time, it was a loose organizations of the merchants, either passing through or having a permanent shop within the city, to come together to make sure trade was far in the city, as it was the only appeal the city of Porthia had was their exotic trade.

Over the years it has become a very powerful organization. They are made up of 24 different merchants who are elected every six months by the merchants who do enough business within the city. They all vote on various rules and regulations for trading (in addition to the laws of the city) as well as setting the grade for all goods.

Grading System
The grade is a simple rating from A to Z, A being the highest. Certain goods, because of high demand or short supply (or because one of the 24 TSA members wants it so), are given a rating by the TSA. This allows one "unit" of that product to be given a certain value for barter (e.g. a bushel of apples, a pound of sugar, etc.). For every grade down the alphabet, you require another 1/3 of a unit to get only one unit of the grade above.

For example, if apples were grade A and sugar was grade B, you would need 1 1/3 pound of sugar for one bushel of apples. If apples were grade A, but sugar was grade D (three grades down), you would need 2 pounds of sugar for one bushel of apples.

Very few things are given the A rating, aside from rare metals (adamantium, mithril, etc.) and certain items needed for rare spells or magic items.

Known Members
Of the 24 members on the TSA, only eight of them are publicly known. If you run in the right circles, you might know about 15 identities. Only members of the TSA themselves know the identities of all 24, as some like to quietly manipulate things from the shadows.

Publicly known members include:
 * Orrusk Lammar - Orc merchant, trades in rare plants, vegetables, foods, and spices

Other members, not so publicly known:
 * Helmund - deals in building materials, went in to business with Sarin to buy half of Theodore Umberton's estate after he passed.
 * Sarin Rosenthorn - PC

Members still in the TSA, despite helping Tuvrial in his attempt to kill the remaining members:
 * Unnamed Elven Merchant - deals exclusively in Elven materials, clothes, armor, and other items
 * Unnamed Divine Merchant - deals exclusively in divine items, be them magical or just divine in nature
 * Unnamed Spice Merchant (Man) - deals in spices, intense rivalry with other spice merchant
 * Unnamed Spice Merchant (Woman) - deals in spices, intense rivalry with other spice merchant
 * Unnamed Armor Merchant - deals exclusively in armors, hides, and protective gear
 * Unnamed Vegetable Merchant - deals in mostly corn/maize, but some other vegetables
 * Unnamed Fruit Merchant - deals in various fruits
 * Unnamed Animal Merchant - deals mostly in mounts of various types

Former members include:
 * Thoedore Umberton - trades in fine clothing, especially from the Patriomian Continent (deceased)
 * Tuvrial Johim - trades in rare and magical items, organized plot to take over TSA, now on the run