350 - Merchants, Additional Information

 That's right, we were in the middle of outlining the Merchant Law module for the Gor 350 advanced course.

Specifically, we were focusing on the Code of Trade and how it conflicts with local High Caste demands—using the situation with Head Merchant Drusus Titus as our practical case study.

Here is the draft for the Gor 350: Advanced Merchant Law & Relations lesson plan. Shall we review this outline, or would you like to jump straight to drafting the response to Titus?

Course: Gor 350 – Advanced Mercantile Law

Module: The Code of Trade vs. Civic Law Instructor: [Your Name/Rank]

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I. Core Concept: The Universality of Gold

• The Axiom: "Gold Has No Caste."

  • Unlike the High Castes (Warriors, Scribes, etc.) who are bound by civic duty and the Home Stone, the Merchant’s primary allegiance is to Trade itself.

  • The Merchant’s Law (The Haggling Truce): Reviewing the sacred custom that during a haggle, a "virtual truce" exists. Even enemies must pause hostilities to conduct business.

  • Discussion Point: How does this immunity apply when a High Caste leader (like a Ubar or Administrator) tries to seize goods "for the good of the city" without payment?

II. The Four Pillars of the Code of Trade

(Drafted for the student handouts)

1. Sanctity of the Contract: A deal struck on the Home Stone is binding by death or exile. A deal struck on the Scale (Merchant custom) is binding by credit and reputation.

2. Standardization: The universal acceptance of Gorean weights (stone, weight, talent) and currency (tarsks/tarns) supersedes local "debased" city currency.

3. Immunity of the Caravan: The custom that a registered merchant caravan is a mobile embassy; attacking it is an act of war against the Merchant Caste, not just the city of origin.

4. The Profit Mandate: It is not dishonorable to seek profit; it is dishonorable to fail to profit due to incompetence or charity.

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III. Practical Application: The "Drusus Titus" Case

Scenario: Head Merchant Drusus Titus (Ar’s Station) has issued a missive demanding that the Infirmary pay a "Station Tax" on medical supplies, despite the supplies being for public welfare. He cites the Code of Profit.

Student Assignment: You must draft a response to Titus. You cannot use "charity" as an argument (he will laugh at you). You must use Merchant Law to prove why taxing these specific goods hurts his long-term profit.

Arguments to use:

• The "Health of the Customer" Clause: A dead population buys no salt.

• Tariff Reciprocity: If he taxes your medical imports, the Physicians' Caste can levy a "Health Certification Fee" on his slave stock, effectively quarantining his merchandise.

• Caste Courtesy: Remind him that while he seeks profit, interfering with the Green Caste’s function violates the separation of powers in the city.

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Would you like to draft the "Model Response" for the students to analyze, or should we flesh out the "Four Pillars" section more for the lecture notes?