"The Spice Merchant" is a source article for Columbia Games Harn role-playing setting. It was written by Kerry Mould, author of a number of HarnWorld articles including, "Lady of Paladins", "Cyre Manor" and "Charmic Manor"
For those not familiar with the setting, Harn is a Madagascar sized island, loosely based on 11th/12th century Britain. It is a place of mystery and strange happenings, on the island are nine states, seven human (Chybisa, Kaldor, Kanday, Melderyn, Orbaal, Rethem & Tharda) and two non-human (Azadmere & Evael). To the east lies Ivinia, homeland of the rulers of Orbaal, and the great continent of Lythia.
The article which is available for download from the Lythia.Com downloads page, is set in the western Harnic state of Tharda and deals with an Ivinian (Norse) spice merchant. A man who has been very successful in his chosen trade although not without acquiring some enemies along the way.
The short, four page article provides the GM with the following information, a background history to the merchant and his business, a description and map of his shop (which is also his home), NPC information on the merchant and his bodyguard, a price list for the merchants wares and, finally three adventure hooks.
HARNWORLD: THE SPICE MERCHANT, COMMENTS.
The overall presentation is excellent, the text is clean, well sized and free of spelling mistakes. There are three maps, the first is a map scanned from the Columbia Games publication 'Cities of Harn' and shows the location of the merchants shop/home within the Thardic town of Kuseme. The other two maps, prepared by Harn mapmaker Patrick Nilsson, are scale interior maps of the merchants residence. All of these maps are clear and well suited for printing. Finally, artist Richard Luschek has supplied two high quality portraits of the merchant and his bodyguard to accompany their descriptions.
But it is not merely the high standard of presentation that causes me to recommend this item, a lot of information about the merchant, his household and his business, has been packed into the article, for example, as part of an Ivinian trading enterprise that spans the known world, he has sent his eldest sons to Ivinia to learn the family trade and had accepted three Ivinian apprentices in return.
Aside from HarnMaster stats for the two principle NPCs, there is no other rules specific information contained within the article making it adaptable to just about any setting or role playing system.
The only problem I have with this article is more a matter of preference than an actual flaw, I would have preferred more information on the trading network, the shop forms a part of, both upon the island of Harn and in the wider Lythian setting.
HARNWORLD: THE SPICE MERCHANT, VERDICT.
In conclusion, I can state that I fully recommend the downloading of this article. It is not only well written, excellently presented and very informative despite its small size, but it is theoretically adaptable to just about any purpose.
