Though self-sustainment is counted among the greatest of Azerian Virtues, most hardscrabble townships lack something essential. Whether it is some small luxury or a desperate, hollowing necessity, few settlements endure without some measure of trade. What cannot be grown, hunted, or salvaged must be brought in from elsewhere, no matter the cost.

To meet this need, the Empire will often sponsor some mercantile company, offering lucrative contracts, much of which is spent upon maintaining their own protection. These caravans travel under the guard of career mercenaries, and in some cases forces that resemble standing armies more than escorts. Their wagons are well-armed, well-provisioned, and brutally expensive to challenge.

Herzherad’s Mandated Cooperative stands among the most powerful of these varifold concerns. Indeed, the company outright owns several townships across the Empire, populating them with indentured workers whose lives are bound by debt. Lodging, food, tools, and protection are all charged against an ever-growing balance, ensuring a steady flow of labour and profit.