Caravans

Caravans are the means by which are transported long-distance from town to town. They are usually owned by merchants, and attacking them can get the player into trouble with a kingdom.Caravans typically hire enough guards to fend off a single bandit party, but may be overwhelmed by multiple gangs or by an enemy lord's war party.Players can run their own caravans by speaking to in towns. They are relatively expensive to establish, since the initial investment must cover the cost of pack animals, gear, drivers, guards, as well as purchases of goods and operating expenses for the first few months. Player caravans also require a companion to be assigned as leader.Once established, caravans will set out by themselves, buying and selling goods depending on whether they think they can turn a profit. Caravans will keep a reserve for their expenses and will not send any money to their owner until their funds reach a certain threshold. Any monies over this threshold will be considered profit and sent to the owner. On the other hand, if the reserves fall under a certain value for any reason, the owner will have to send extra funds to make up for the shortfall and the caravan’s contribution to the owner’s budget will be shown as a net expense in this case.