Line #153 Main/IntrepidMerchant


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4	->''"Sweet to ride forth at evening from the wells\
5	When shadows pass gigantic on the sand,\
6	And softly through the silence beat the bells\
7	Along the Golden Road to Samarkand.''
8
9	->''We travel not for trafficking alone:\
10	By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned:\
11	For lust of knowing what should not be known\
12	We make the Golden Journey to Samarkand."''
13	-->-- '''James Elroy Flecker''', "The Golden Road to Samarkand"
14
15	An Intrepid Merchant is a merchant that goes to the far corners of his world, bravely seeking profit. He is a treasure-hunter but the treasure is not hidden, it is in the bazaar waiting for him [[BoldExplorer after he has crossed the deserts, mountains, seas]], or [[RecycledINSPACE trackless gulfs of space]]. The chief characteristic of an Intrepid Merchant is that he is both a merchant and an adventurer. He buys and sells like any other trader. The difference is that he goes to far distant markets to find what he is looking for. (May be fond of being InHarmsWay -- after all, the more dangerous it is to get at something, the rarer and, therefore, more valuable it's likely to be.)
16
17	On the less salubrious side of things, this character type can overlap with being a {{Privateer}} or {{Pirate}} (where the risk is the original owner fighting back), a VenturousSmuggler (where the risk is that you're trading illegally), or even a slave trader.
18
19	If he ever "retires" (or at least settles in one place), he's likely to become a MerchantPrince on the basis of his earnings.
20
21	This trope is OlderThanFeudalism, dating back in poetry, folklore, and history to at least Literature/SinbadTheSailor, continuing as a staple of adventure fiction until the present day, and finding its way into science-fiction almost as soon as the genre came into existence. It migrated to role-playing games, especially ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'', in which it is one of the main player character types. Inevitably the Intrepid Trader [[AnEntrepreneurIsYou found new territory to explore in computer games]], appearing in ''VideoGame/{{Elite}}'' and its successors. A common space subtrope of this would be the SpaceTrucker.
22
23	Intrepid Merchants were arguably the foundation of the world's economy before easy transportation and communication made his kind irrelevant. They still exist in places like Central Asia in which transportation and communication are not easy.
24
25	When a whole culture has this as its [[PlanetOfHats Hat]], it is a ProudMerchantRace. Intrepid Merchants are commonly found in a MerchantCity.
26
27	See also DungeonShop, where merchants somehow establish themselves inside video game dungeons. You can also commonly expect to see Intrepid Merchants acting as examples of WeSellEverything, due to their travels supplying them with a staggering variety of different wares.
28	----
29	!!Examples:
30
31	[[foldercontrol]]
32
33	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
34	* In ''Anime/DigimonGhostGame'', Kiyoshiro's partner Jellymon has a hobby of selling goods and services to other Digimon [[TrappedInAnotherWorld stuck in the real world]], with her harebrained schemes [[NiceJobBreakingItHero occasionally endangering the group]].
35	* The Gu Binnen Trade Federation in ''{{Manga/Drifters}}''.
36	* ''Literature/RebuildWorld'': Katsuragi is one as an ArmsDealer living out of a BigBadassRig. He's willing to take great risks as part of his ambitions to be at the head of a MegaCorp, making dangerous runs to the front lines of a war zone, and he's MinoredInAsskicking. Katsuragi's risk-taking also extends to trading in illegal {{Antimatter}} rounds. He also trades in LostTechnology relics.
37	* Dryden Fassa in ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'' heads a large merchant convoy of [[CoolAirship airships]] owned by his father, a rich and powerful MerchantPrince. He becomes quite the player in the cast, thanks to becoming TheTeamBenefactor and quite the GuileHero.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Comic Books]]
41	* ''ComicBook/DarthVader'': The client from ''The Ninth Assassin'' is a trillionare mining magnate who prefers to conduct important deals face to face and is calm and perceptive for most of a dangerous trek through a jungle to find someone he wants to deal with (although in that case, it is an assassin to kill Vader rather than someone he wants to make money for him).
42	* Franchise/{{Tintin}} first met the Portuguese merchant Oliveira de Figueira on a dhow bound for the Middle East, where he sells modern items to the locals.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
46	* In one ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' arc, Opus is lost in the desert dying of thirst; he finally finds salvation from a 7-Eleven that someone thought to set up there. (The clerk doesn't speak English, unfortunately, but Opus seems to make due as he's able to return home in the next strip.)
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Fairy Tales]]
50	* In the ''Literature/ArabianNights'': Sinbad the sailor.
51	** Who was actually based on a real person -- a ''Chinese'' sailor, and Muslim, who traveled as far as ''Venice'' to bring back goods to China -- only to have his deeds dashed from all records of Chinese history.
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Fan Works]]
55	* The opening of ''Fanfic/AThingOfVikings'' begins with the crew of the Merchant Sailor Johann discussing the trading opportunities of the hazard port of Berk, which they've just sighted as they sail through dragon-infested waters. The local Vikings fight with the local dragons, and Johann comes to buy the dragon parts for sale in more civilized regions, naming places across Europe as possible points of sale for dragon hide, bones, meat and organs. Things then abruptly change when they discover that the status quo has met a [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon slight... Hiccup]].
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
59	* In ''Franchise/StarWars'', Han Solo is one (there's often a lot of overlap with smuggling).
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Gamebooks]]
63	* ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' has plenty of these. Imagine exploring a monster-infested dungeon or a castle full of deadly orcs, and suddenly coming across a random shop filled with equipment and goods.
64	** It goes all the way back to the first installment of the series, ''Literature/TheWarlockOfFiretopMountain''. After exploring corridors infested with orcs and goblins, you warily open a door... to see an old man who wants to sell you a Blue Candle.
65	** ''Literature/LegendOfZagor'' has the Three-Eyes Haag, who owns a provision shop inside the dungeon whose items for sale includes even weapons. [[ShopliftAndDie Rob him at your own risk]]. In the same book there's Elranel the Elf, who walks around the area carrying a bag of weapons, although his presence is justified due to being a thief hoping to sell looted goods from within the castle.
66	** ''Literature/EyeOfTheDragon'' has a merchant whose shop is at the entrance of the monster-infested dungeon, and a witch who sells potions in the dungeon.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Literature]]
70	* In one of Creator/PoulAnderson's ''Literature/PolesotechnicLeague'' stories, David Falkayn quotes a poem (attributed to "Sanders," one of Anderson's pen names) which describes this sort of character:
71	-->''Their topmasts gilt by sunset, though their sails be whipped to rags\
72	Who raced the wind around the world go reeling home again\
73	With ivory, apes, and peacocks loaded, memories and brags\
74	To sell for this high profit: knowing fully they are Men!''
75	* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/TheMerchantPrinces": Initially, merchants were expected to help spread the ScamReligion the titular society used to control its neighbors. Back in "Literature/TheTraders", Trader Ponyets has a single-man ship, compared to Master Trader, who has an entire crew at his Beck and call. Despite that, he has a single-man shuttle that he uses to verify how close Foundation's territory is to the collapsing Empire. Mallow's riches from trading give him the [[RedBaron title]] "first of the {{Merchant Prince}}s", and the Foundation's [[PlanetOfHats Hat]] changes to ProudMerchantRace.
76	%%* Niccolo, the eponymous hero of one of DorothyDunnett's series of novels.
77	%%* Phlebas the Phoenician from the ''Literature/TheWasteLand'' by Creator/TSEliot.
78	* Leland Gaunt is an evil version in ''Literature/NeedfulThings''. He shows up in town, sets up shop, and sells "gray objects" that change shape according to the buyer's desires for a pittance and a favor which [[BatmanGambit always sets two unrelated people against each other]]. In the end, he always winds up selling only one thing: weapons.
79	* One of Kipling's most beautiful passages is the beginning of "Ballad of The King's Jest". It describes the arrival of Caravans(or "Kafilas") in "The Market Square of Peshawar Town" and goes on from there to show two {{Intrepid Merchant}}s telling traveller's tales to one another.
80	** Mahbub Ali, an Afghan horse-trader in ''Literature/{{Kim}}''. Well, if his caravan is ambushed and shot at ''twice'' in one season, it's unusual, but not quite shocking.
81	* In Creator/ChinaMieville's ''Literature/TheScar'', [[TheChessmaster Silas Fennec]] fits the bill and in fact uses his status to conduct freelance espionage for New Crobuzon, in addition to legitimate trading. The ability to travel nearly anywhere combined with a natural talent for making people like him, as well as a nearly-photographic memory and supreme observational skills, mean the two professions tie in nicely. At least until [[FateWorseThanDeath he bites off more than he can chew]] by stealing information from the [[UnscaledMerfolk Grindylow]].
82	%%* The Free Traders of Creator/AndreNorton's ScienceFiction:
83	%%** The crew in the ''Moon Singer'' books.
84	%%** The crew of the ''Solar Queen'' books.
85	%%** This is what the titular organization pretends to be when on research expeditions in ''Literature/TheTimeTraders'' series.
86	%%** Also, Vondar of ''Literature/TheZeroStone'', who is a wandering jewel merchant.
87	%%* Menedemos and Sostratos in Creator/HarryTurtledove's ''Literature/OvertheWineDarkSea''.
88	* Creator/CJCherryh's Literature/AllianceUnion 'verse:
89	** The Merchanter's Alliance is made up of families of interstellar merchants that [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin formed an alliance]] and became both a major power and the sole means of commerce for the other two powers.
90	** In the ''[[Literature/ChanurNovels Chanur]]'' sub-series, Pyanfar Chanur is the captain of an interstellar merchant vessel.
91	%%* Kylara Vatta of Literature/VattasWar
92	* In ''Tales of the Alhambra'' Washington Irving describes Spanish muleteers as this and tells how they risked hardship and banditry, as well as how they sang songs about ''contrabandistas''(smugglers)
93	* In the Creator/HRiderHaggard stories, [[GreatWhiteHunter Alan Quartermain]] did this as one of his occupations in his backstory, as well as prospecting and ivory hunting.
94	* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has an Intrepid Banker called Tycho Nestoris. When the crumbling central government of Westeros rather bluntly refuses to pay the massive debts it owes the Iron Bank of Braavos (a MerchantCity that is something of a FantasyCounterpartCulture to [[ProudMerchantRace Renaissance Venice]]), Nestoris willingly goes into several warzones to negotiate with other claimants to the throne, offering to fund their campaigns in exchange for their promises to honor their debts and the debts of the rulers they hope to replace and also doing business with anyone else who wishes to make use of his services. When one of the many {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s that inhabit Westeros ask him about what a banker is doing in such dangerous situations, he proudly claims this trope as his explanation.
95	* In ''Literature/{{Komarr}}'', the noble families of Komarr are described as very successful Intrepid Merchants.
96	* In ''Literature/AHarvestOfWar'', Ayan and the Makimba clan are merchants from the far south.
97	* In Creator/HalClement's ''Literature/MissionOfGravity'', Barlennan and the crew of the ''Bree'' have traveled to their world's equator in search of trading opportunities. They are willing to go all the way to their world's north pole, hoping to make a profit, eventually, from the HigherTechSpecies (humans).
98	* ''Literature/SpiceAndWolf'': Although the story begins when Holo the wolf spirit hitches a ride in the protagonist's cart, the series [[MagicalRealism primarily follows a fairly ordinary medieval merchant]], whose experiences manage to be interesting without seeming unrealistic, traveling company aside.
99	* In ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', Vstim is a renowned merchant who travels all over the world to civilizations many overlook to buy goods unavailable elsewhere. His great success stems from his beliefs that HonestyIsTheBestPolicy and that traders have an ethical responsibility to benefit their customers as well as themselves, earning him many trusted friends among distant peoples.
100	* In ''Literature/{{Hellspark}}'', the Hellsparks are an entire culture of intergalactic intrepid merchants.
101	* Creator/HarryTurtledove's book BetweenTheRivers has a plot where the central driving conflict is that the main characters want to trade with the warlords of a far-off land called Alashkurru; and the gods wish to forbid this.
102	[[/folder]]
103
104	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
105	* Jang Bogo of the Korean TV epic ''Emperor of the Sea'' might do. Of course he is a member of a whole ''tribe'' of Intrepid Merchants. Which brings up a point that this can be a narrative theme as well as a character.
106	* Mal and his crew from ''Series/{{Firefly}}'', though due to the [[UsedFuture harsh nature of the show]], they [[PerpetualPoverty struggle just to make enough money to get by]]. "Intrepid" doesn't guarantee "successful".
107	* ''Franchise/StarTrek'' gives us a few examples.
108	** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' had Cyrano Jones and Harry Mudd, frequently found at the frontier with new and exotic goods for sale from worlds the rest of the Federation had never heard of. This almost always went badly for all involved thanks to them not looking into their goods too much before trying to sell them.
109	** The whole Ferengi race holds this as a [[ProudMerchantRace cultural ideal]], with several episodes from ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' revolving around Ferengi characters questing to open new markets in the Gamma Quadrant, Mirror Universe, and in one case with the local sort-of-gods.
110	--> '''Nog''': You see, there are millions upon millions of worlds in the universe, each one filled with too much of one thing and not enough of another. And the Great Continuum flows through them all, like a mighty river, from 'have' to 'want' and back again. And if we navigate the Continuum with skill and grace, our ship will be filled with everything our hearts desire.
111	* Series/MarcoPolo: Marco, his father Nicolo and most of the men of Venice.
112	[[/folder]]
113
114	[[folder:Podcasts]]
115	* In the {{Horror}} podcast ''Podcast/AliceIsntDead'', the series' CharacterNarrator {{Exploit\|edTrope}}s the mobility her long-haul trucking job offers in her search for her missing wife Alice, while the narrative itself thoroughly {{Deconstruct\|ed}}s the concept, swinging from the unglamorous, blue-collar banality of her actual job to the horror of her paranormal encounters. Given the contrast, she tends to take a wry tone when she repeats her employer's pithy slogans.
116	-->'''Narrator:''' [I'm] a loyal employee of Bay & Creek Shipping, moving what is in one place to another, every mile a few cents.
117	[[/folder]]
118
119	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
120	* In ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'' the players are often Free Traders, buying goods (sometimes the illegal kind) on one planet and selling them on another in an attempt to make their ship's mortgage payments.
121	* Rogue Traders in the ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' universe are part merchants, part {{privateer}}s, and sometimes, part conquistador.
122	** They also have [[TabletopGame/RogueTrader a dedicated RPG tabletop game]].
123	** The first edition of Warhammer 40,000 (back in its origins as TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} InSpace) was subtitled "Rogue Trader". The assumption being that human armies would be transported on the ships of Rogue Traders, either as their private army or having commandeered it for the Imperium.
124	* Most settings of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' aren't nice safe places, be it ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'' or ''TabletopGame/DarkSun'' -- thus there are merchants hauling cargo through anything, and sometimes a {{sourcebook}} about them.
125	** In ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' you don't know whether the next caravan will be raided by a dragon, Zhents, or mere goblins. But a special mention must be given to "enterprising entrepreneur, Aurora the Eclectic", ex-adventurer and founder of all-goods retail chain with its ''[[FictionalDocument Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue]]''.
126	** Welcome to [[MemeticMutation Crazy Hassan's Used Camels]]!
127	* ''TabletopGame/TheDelversGuideToBeastWorld'': Delvers often travel in caravans rolling from one dungeon lead to another, and merchants are vital parts of those caravans, keeping the delvers supplied for their ventures into the dungeon. The chapter on Littfeld, the largest caravan and practically a MobileCity, includes descriptions of over a dozen notable merchants ranging from simple grocers to alchemists.
128	* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': {{Intrepid Merchant}}s are among the most likely to go far in The Guild. Among the most notable achievements are how they reacted to the observations of [[TheFairFolk the raksha]] by making overtures intended to teach them the very concept of commerce, just so that they could have an inroad to trade for their magical items.
129	* The trope is mentioned briefly in the background material for ''TabletopGame/StarRealms''. Thanks to such brave and enterprising traders, the typically hostile Blobs are willing to trade with and provide ships for humans.
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:Theater]]
133	* The merchants in James Elroy Flecker's play: ''"Hassan: The Story of Hassan of Baghdad and How he Came to Make the Golden Journey to Samarkand"'', quoted at the top of this page.
134	[[/folder]]
135
136	[[folder:Video Games]]
137	* ''VideoGame/AnnieLastHope'': Frank, an ArmsDealer who had a habit of appearing two steps in front of you, may it be in an abandoned school, the middle of the Arctic, a derelict shopping mall, the middle of the cultists' hideout... you even lampshade it during one cutscene by asking how did Frank keeps appearing from out of nowhere, though you're interrupted by zombies before getting an answer.
138	* The Adventurer of ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'' (whose wares improve as you play the rebuilding minigame) also saves your game. He lampshades the SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity, outright saying "It only gets worse from here" when he's stationed in front of a boss fight. Near the end of the sequel, it is revealed that [[spoiler: the Adventurer is actually [[SamusIsAGirl a time-traveling woman]] with a keen interest on the party's success]].
139	* ''VideoGame/BulletGirlsPhantasia'' has Merrina Iris, a cat girl who serves as the shopkeeper, and has no problems venturing out to kill hordes of Devyants and looting their bodies afterward (with a partner, at least). The characters oftentimes wonder why she spends so much of her massive horde of gold buying your duplicates, especially since most of the sellable items are women's underwear.
140	* ''VideoGame/{{Caravaneer}}'': The player in both games has to traverse a harsh desert filled with bandits to make a fortune through trading goods from one town to another.
141	* ''VideoGame/Castlevania64'' you meet a demon salesman called Renon early on in the Villa, who offers to sell you potions and other items. His stock is not very impressive compared to most merchants, but unlike most, his shop can be accessed from anywhere, using magical scrolls, making him somewhat of an asset. However [[spoiler: there is a catch. He neglects to mention that spending more than 30,000 gold in his shop equals to selling your soul to the devil (that clause is technically written into the contract but in a [[LoopholeAbuse demonic language that humans can't read]]), in which case Renon will be more than eager to claim his fee when the time comes. (If this happens, you have to fight him as a OptionalBoss, right before you face [[FinalBoss Dracula]] and the contract is rendered void if you defeat him.)]]
142	* Whenever you open trade with far cities in any game of the ''VideoGame/CityBuildingSeries'', merchants will travel from all over the world to trade with you, no matter how far you are. If you're about to be invaded, they will even inform you about soldiers on the road or political unrest (depending on the game).
143	* ''VideoGame/CrossedSwords'' have a gypsy woman in the second game who, as soon as you complete a stage, teleports in front of you to sell you health, power-ups, and weapons, regardless where you are in the game.
144	* ''VideoGame/CryptOfTheNecrodancer'' has Freddy Merchantry the merchant, an obese opera singer, opening shop in every level of the crypt, even though there are dancing monsters everywhere, and an undead king underneath to boot... [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Rob]] him at your own risk...
145	* Warriv from ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' is a merchant who ''badly'' needs to go to Lut Gholeim but the path is blocked by monsters, so he hangs around the Rogues' camp while hoping the PlayerCharacter can undo the mess. Once he/she does, he takes him/her with him on his trip.
146	* In ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'', the local merchant Johnny and his Pyro Jack co-worker consider their profession SeriousBusiness, to the point that, [[spoiler: following the entire party's death and ascension to the Sun in a quest to placate God]], the former appears in the closest thing said universe has to ''the Afterlife'', still quite intent on fulfilling his role.
147	* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', the player's party runs into Sandal [[spoiler: near the top of Fort Drakon during the final battle for Denerim.]] Lampshaded somewhat by the player character's expression of extreme surprise at his presence (and at [[spoiler: the dozens of dead darkspawn scattered around the room]]). Despite Bohdan playing the usual part of the merchant for the party while Sandal acts as an enchanter, Sandal acts as both a merchant and enchanter in this situation.
148	** Same in the sequel, ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', when there is a huge battle in the Gallows, mages against Templars, and with demons and abominations summoned to aid. And deep in the building, Sandal is there with his father's wares, and Hawke's storage chest, and he is surrounded by dead mages, templars, and demons (including a pride demon).
149	* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':
150	** In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'', the Merchant recruited by the Hero joins a quest to save the world from a demon king, an adventure which will take them around the world and even below it. In the process, they'll found a new city (and will be kicked out of it when the settlers grow sick of their dictatorial management).
151	** This is the basis of Taloon's whole chapter in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV''. He starts out employed as a humble merchant in someone else's shop earning a commission, but he dreams of making his own successful business. Of all the Chosen, he's the one who most easily finds bonus items after monster battles, and his main quest involves him finding a priceless statuette so he can fund the construction of a tunnel to new lands where he can find more antiquities to sell. His ultimate weapon (for the chapter at least) is even a magical abacus that hits for holy damage.
152	* ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'', as you may have already guessed, has merchants willing to walk into anything this side of lava to do their business. Just read the BadassBoast of a [[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=43602.msg823058#msg823058 human merchant prince]]. And here we thought [[LegendaryCarp fish]] in DF were [[ImprobablePowerDiscrepancy "too hardcore"]].
153	* The [[CatFolk Khajiit]] [[IntrepidMerchant caravans]] of ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' travel to cities all across the province to sell their wares. Since they are not trusted within the cities themselves, they live in temporary camps on the outskirts, where they set up shop for a while before hitting the road again. The player can find these caravans either just outside any major cities of Skyrim or traversing the wilderness on the way to another one.
154	* The ''VideoGame/{{Elite}}'' franchise (whose first incarnation took a great many cues from the aforementioned ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'') makes every player character one of these to some extent: Even if you choose to specialise as a BountyHunter, mercenary or space pirate you'll find yourself doing a bit of freelance trading or [[SpaceTrucker delivery runs]] on the side to make a bit of BoringButPractical cash, which may turn out to be the opposite of boring if the gig leads you into some of the less civilised star systems.
155	%%** The same for the {{spiritual successor}}s -- ''VideoGame/WingCommander: Privateer'', ''VideoGame/EveOnline'', ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'', ''InfinityTheQuestForEarth'', ''Jumpgate'', ''VideoGame/VegaStrike'', the ''EscapeVelocity'' series and the ''VideoGame/{{X}} series''
156	* Jessica from the third ''VideoGame/EndlessNightmare'' game is a spy who secretly helps your character, Carlos, and have a habit of randomly appearing in front of Carlos to offer him weapons and equipment in exchange for his gold and jewels. She can even bypass areas infested with mummies and Anubian monsters, and if Carlos attacks her Jessica simply leaves via GrapplingHookPistol before returning later on.
157	* ''VideoGame/ExtrapowerGiantFist'' has two, Johnny and Eighty, either one of whom appears in every stage, serving as the game's DungeonShop.
158	* ''VideoGame/FableI'': Traders can be found traversing both the [[TheLostWoods Darkwood and Witchwood]] with their wares -- and, more often than not, getting attacked by bandits and monsters, since they lack NPCRandomEncounterImmunity. {{Lampshade\|Hanging}}d when one trader on an EscortMission asks his friend why they don't just set up shop in town instead.
159	* ''VideoGame/Fallout3'': There are several -- each one is a trader with a pack Brahmin and a bodyguard to take care of ShopliftAndDie duties, and they are the only people aside from [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Raiders]], mercenary headhunters and the odd hunter who regularly leave population centres to cross the Wasteland.
160	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
161	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': "Welcome to O'aka's!" O'aka XXIII (the 23rd) generally appears almost everywhere on the continent before the player's party gets there, though at the beginning of the game he's traveling alongside them. If you give him a loan at the start of the game, he sells discounted items in all future appearances. He sells items to Yuna and her guardians so much that it actually gets him arrested by the CorruptChurch once they become [[HeroWithBadPublicity Heroes with Bad Publicity]]. His brother Wantz then takes over for him at that point, and the first time you can actually buy from ''him'', he's halfway up an mountain that lies before TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, still in his beach clothes. If you talk to them enough, you find out the reason they've been watching over Yuna is because they had a sister who was a Summoner, who looked a lot like Yuna. This would also explain how they knew the route Yuna's party would take to get through the game.
162	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'' has Chocolina, who follows Serah and Noel across ''different timelines''.
163	* The Annas from ''Franchise/FireEmblem'', who basically appear in every game not only as the SeriesMascot but as the ones handling all the {{Secret Shop}}s. Three of them can be recruited as playable characters in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'', ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' [[spoiler: and the former two can even become {{Love Interest}}s if either marries the games' male Avatars]]; others are seen handling the gates to the Outrealms as well as several other spots in them.
164	* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'' has Brok and Sindri, two dwarven blacksmiths who serve as the game's shopkeepers and are always showing up ahead of Kratos and Atreus wherever they go. According to Sindri, dwarves are capable of traveling between realms nigh-instantaneously to avoid being seen by others.
165	* In ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'', there are Knickknack Shacks everywhere, all managed by a single shopkeeper, Sierokarte. At first, the main crew gets confused after finding an ad for her services deep in the wild forests of Lumacie, then as the game goes on it becomes clear that Siero is less a normal shopkeeper and more the head of an ever-sprawling business empire and one of the more influential people in the skies. She even leads the reinforcements during the final battle with the Erste army along with Tzaka and Monika, despite being a "mere" merchant compared to their high ranks.
166	* Charon fills this role in ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}''. He shows up repeatedly during a single run, including a guaranteed appearance in front of every boss room. Being able to always show up and set up his wares ahead of you is justified by being TheFerryman of the River Styx which runs through the Underworld, and can move freely on it.
167	* ''VideoGame/JetForceGemini'': Diamond Geezer, a friendly airborne drone, serves as the game's resident shopkeeper. He can be found in several worlds in the game, including hostile ones like Ichor and Eschebone.
168	* In ''VideoGame/LaMulana'', you'll find a shop in the middle of long-abandoned ruins where the shopkeeper tells you he hasn't had a customer in 500 years. It doesn't get much more intrepid than that...
169	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'':
170	** The Peddler Brothers (Primero, Segundo, Tercero, and Quatro) pair up and spend their time buying and selling goods on a glacier and in the middle of some ancient ruins. Both are extremely far out of the way (the ruins in particular only have one path to or from them) and one of the brothers at each location questions the logic of trying to make a living so far off the beaten path.
171	** Dabas is a merchant who visited the dangerous Volcano Villude to find rare goods and offers the only opportunity to restock on healing items between Bale and Lohan, almost certainly a necessity given the ''five'' boss fights between those two locations.
172	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
173	** Beedle in various games sometimes takes this role, particularly in his first appearance in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'', where his shop ship will be found floating around not just populated areas, but random rocks in the middle of nowhere.
174	** Most (actual) travelers in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' roam the unsafe roads of post-Calamity Hyrule to trade goods in faraway settlements.
175	* ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic'' had a few. One example was in ''6'', where the best inn in the game, where you could buy 40 units of supplies, was south of a town where you initially had to fly over a few mountains to reach. Not coincidentally, this was located at the fork of two roads, one of which led to Dragonsands (one of the most dangerous parts of the game, with had no inn at all) and the other to Paradise Valley (which did have a town and an inn, but required getting past hordes of dragons and titans to get to.).
176	* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'': Wandering Traders can be encountered in every biome of the Overworld, traveling through the monster-infested wilderness in pursuit of trade and costumers despite being entirely unarmed -- during the night, they rely on potions of invisibility to avoid being attacked by monsters.
177	* You'll run into good and evil versions of these as random encounters in the old Master System game ''VideoGame/MiracleWarriors.'' Depending on where on the KarmaMeter you fall, one will attack you, while the other sell you items.
178	* ''VideoGame/{{Moonlighter}}'' is Intrepid Merchant: The Game. You play as Will, proprietor of the eponymous general store, who like many visitors to the formerly bustling town of Rynoka, journeys into the nearby Labyrinths to collect materials and artifacts to sell to interested townsfolk and travelers. You can use your profits to invest not only in improving your shop but the town as well, bringing back hope and prosperity.
179	* Roguelikes ''VideoGame/NetHack'' and Dungeon Crawl have shops ''inside the dungeon''; ''VideoGame/{{Angband}}'' merchants play it a little safer, hanging out only in the town atop the dungeon.
180	* In ''Videogame/NierAutomata'', Emil can be found driving around the world in his tuk-tuk blaring his song. If you manage to get his attention by shooting him down, he'll sell you various materials and upgrades.
181	* ''VideoGame/NinjaShadowOfDarkness'': At the end of most levels you will come across a provision shop, whose owner will sell you items like smoke bombs, power ups, food (to restore health), extra lives and even weapons. Never mind why would anyone set up shop outside a haunted ghost city, a cavern filled with giant spiders, in the middle of a snowy monster-infested wasteland, or the entrance to Hell.
182	* Players in ''VideoGame/NoMansSky'' can become these by selling resources they've mined at local trading posts or {{Space Station}}s, and can game the local economy by gathering lots of resources like Plutonium in a system where it's common and selling it in a system where it's considered rare. A good way to earn some quick Units, and played quite literally since most of the planets in the game are unexplored.
183	* ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'': Merchant is a character class in this game. Bifelgan is one of the twelve gods who rule the world and is the gods of merchants. Tressa, one of the player characters, has it as a primary class, while any other playable character can pick it up as a subclass. With this class, the characters can "collect" money from villains, typically two to four times the money one gains from winning the fight, use money to hire mercenaries to attack, has access to wind magic[[note]]This is likely a pun on the concept of trade winds for merchants[[/note]], and the class' ultimate attack [[spoiler:''Bifelgan's Bounty'' does harsh damage to the enemy and for each HP of damage inflicted (to the limit of the enemy's current HP) gets one leaf, the currency of the game, for the player]]. Tressa can also buy items from [=NPCs=] and will sometimes spot money others have left on the ground in rooms she enters into, adding it to the party's purse. Tressa's story is centered around her traveling the world and discovering treasures.
184	** In [[VideoGame/OctopathTravelerII the sequel]], the Merchant job returns along with the other seven basic jobs, and the merchant traveler this time is Partitio, who goes on a journey to fight against poverty in the world after witnessing his hometown's rise and fall. The Merchant job in this game retains most skills from the previous game, but there are also new skills, like Arrow of Fortune which deals damage as well as generating additional JP, and Tradewinds is replaced by Ember. Also, Partitio can use a new Path Action called "Hire" at night, which has him pay an NPC some leaves to join him to be summoned in battles.
185	* [[MeaningfulName Charlieton]] in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' is a sleazy merchant who was also a clear case of AdamSmithHatesYourGuts. He usually hangs out in Rogueport, where the stuff he sells is usually worthless junk. (Every so often he's got something exclusive or at a good price, though, so he's worth checking out from time to time.) However, in the Pit of 100 Trials, he shows up from time to time in certain rooms to sell you various items that may be useful at inflated prices. The lower you go, the more dangerous it gets, and the more likely it is you'll be running out of healing items. ''He knows this.'' By the time you get near the bottom, he'll be selling items for twenty times what they'd be worth in a normal shop. Since you're likely to be maxed out in coins yet an inch near death at this point, ''these items might actually be worthwhile.''
186	** On a different note, there's Ms. Mowz, a ClassyCatBurglar who travels the world looking for rare badges to sell at her shop.
187	%%* ''VideoGame/{{Patrician}}''
188	* The ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games always have a [=PokéMart=] that sells some of the best items right before Victory Road, and another one right before the spot where you start your [[BossBonanza battle with the Elite Four]]. (And you should really spend as much as you can at the first stop because you'll likely make a fortune battling the trainers on Victory Road.)
189	** Nurse Joy is an Intrepid ''Charity Worker'', believe it or not. The Pokémon Centers heal your Pokémon for free, but they're located almost everywhere, even places like the foot of Mt. Silver (located in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Gold]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Silver]]'', and [[VideoGame/PokemonHeartGoldAndSoulSilver the remakes of those games]].)
190	** Another example is the souvenir store at the top of Mt. Moon, also found, in ''Gold'', ''Silver'', and the remakes of those games. Lemonade is probably the most economical healing item in the game (heals 80 HP and costs 350 [=PokéDollars=]) but you usually have to get if from vending machines one can at a time, so stocking up takes a while. The shop at the top of Mt. Moon is a place you can buy it in bulk. (But you can't use Fly to get to it, and it's closed at night.)
191	* ''VideoGame/RagnarokOnline'': This is a playable class. They (mostly) deal with the economy and are able to generate cash at an increased rate with their Overcharge and Discount skills; they can also employ Pushcarts [[BagOfHolding as a kind of second inventory]], and if they have this they can do Vending to sell valuable items to other players. In battle they use axes, and additionally [[MoneySink can throw money at the enemy]] (Mammonite skill). Later on, Merchants can progress into the Blacksmith and Alchemist lines.
192	* ''VideoGame/{{Rebuild}}'' has Gustav the Trader. He comes around every week to sell items for food, buy items for food, or propose the services of his BandOfBrothels, seemingly unaffected by the high numbers of zombies. Aside from Gustav, food caravans can pass by and agree to trade with you as a random event.
193	* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'':
194	** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' features The Merchant. He may be infected by [[TheVirus Plagas]], given his GlowingEyesOfDoom, but he seems like a pretty cool guy regardless. Rather than bludgeon Leon's brains out he'd rather earn some cash selling weapons and upgrades to the agent. He always manages to somehow be one step ahead of Leon to set up shop in unusual locations that the player had to fight to the death in order to reach.
195	---> '''WEEEELCOME! GOT A SELECTION OF GOOD THINGS ON SALE, STRANGER!'''
196	** There's also his buddy, the Duke, from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'', who manages to set up shop in or nearby each of the village lords' strongholds before Ethan gets there, despite his massive girth.
197	* In ''VideoGame/RootsOfPacha'', Zeda, Zelk, and Brub and are three traveling merchants who occasionally visit the village to trade with you.
198	* ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'' has Neko, a cat person with a pack full of goodies that he will sell for a hefty markup. He tends to show up in the wilderness or in the middle of dungeons, where there's less competition to force his prices down. The well-prepared adventurer seldom has need of his services, but his presence can save your ass if you forgot to stock up before setting out. The game also features an Intrepid Blacksmith in Watts, who is conveniently the only person who can upgrade the Mana weapons.
199	** ''VideoGame/TrialsOfMana'' has Josephine and Chikeeta, a pair of cat merchants, similar to Neko, who pop up around the entrance to each Benevedon's hideout to sell you high-end weapons (Chikeeta) and armor (Josephine).
200	* The Magimel Brothers from ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsCovenant''. Their profile explicitly stated that they "go anywhere, no matter how dangerous" to offer their service to whoever might need them. [[OnlySaneMan Yuri]] is continuously baffled at them appearing in the most unlikely of places, including an otherworldly fortress raised by UsefulNotes/RasputinTheMadMonk, an actual powerful warlock on this continuity, to the ruins of a burned down monastery deep within the Earth and a facsimile of Japanese Hell created by a Taoist adept. Only Gerard returned in From the New World and along with his boyfriend Bughend, play the same role.
201	* One of the Hero Sims in ''VideoGame/TheSimsMedieval'' is a Merchant, who often has to travel to foreign kingdoms to trade. Since they're Hero Sims, they also have a wide range of quests to embark on.
202	* In ''VideoGame/SignsOfTheSojourner'', you join a caravan that constantly travels between cities in order to exchange goods with other people and keep the FamilyBusiness running.
203	* The ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'' games has Moneybags, a bear that shows up and functions as a CashGate, forcing you to pay him in order to progress with the game.
204	* Melnorme in ''VideoGame/StarControl''. Very useful especially when they come to save your butt if you get stranded in Hyperspace. However, if you do not have credits be prepared for an (un)fair exchange. [[spoiler:Even the Melnorme have limits to their intrepidness. They bug out of the galaxy once the Death March begins.]]
205	* In ''VideoGame/StarTradersFrontiers'', you can play one, if you choose to have your sources of cargo be from Salvaging and Exploring. Of course, for some of those items (namely [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum Xeno Artifacts]]), you'll need to visit a [[VenturousSmuggler Black]] [[BlackMarket Market]], or find an Indie Tradeway.
206	* ''VideoGame/SuikodenTierkreis'' has a whole race of them in the Wanderers. They even travel to different worlds in search of profit. Some of the series allows the player to get into it as well, buying commodities in one region and traveling to the other side of the world to sell it for profit.
207	%%* ''{{Taipan}}''
208	* ''VideoGame/TreasureHunterG'' turns the player's party onto this, since you don't earn money from random encounters. The only way to make money is to acquire goods from dungeons to sell, or buy items where they are cheap and take them to where they'll sell for a higher price.
209	* ''VideoGame/TunnelsOfDoom,'' a [[DungeonCrawling dungeon crawl]] game for the venerable [[Platform/TI99 TI99]] home computer, featured item shops in the 4th and 8th levels of the eponymous tunnels. There was no explanation for why there were merchants deep within a cavern full of hostile creatures, but you typically needed the new items so badly you didn't question it.
210	%%* ''VideoGame/UnchartedWatersNewHorizons'': Ali.
211	* ''VideoGame/VegaStrike'' aside of {{privateer}}s choosing this line of work has Merchant faction ("Interstellar Shipping and Mercantile Guild"); LoadingScreen with their advertisement says they even run through blockades.
212	* ''VideoGame/AVeryLongRopeToTheTopOfTheSky'': This happens a couple of times, with the one at the bottom of a buried tower in the nowhere of a desert [[LampshadeHanging lampshading the trope]].
213	--> How did I end up here? Who cares? Let's just call it "merchant's intuition".
214	* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
215	** Many dungeons and raids have repair vendors, which allow players to repair their armor and weapons.
216	** Karazhan has two such merchants.
217	*** One is a spectral merchant right after the first (major) boss. After players defeat Attumen the Huntsman, they gain access to a merchant shortly after. This merchant is a notable subversion of the trope because he exists more for selling vendor trash than to buy items. Karazhan has a tremendous amount of useless loot that can be sold to vendors, so players would quickly fill their bags and have to leave the raid to empty them again.
218	*** The other is an ethereal that appears near the middle of the raid. He mostly serves the same purpose as the spectral merchant at the beginning of the raid.
219	** Firelands also has such merchants, but their merchants double as unique zone drop traders. They will buy the large amount of vendor trash that Firelands mobs drop, but they also are the place where the Firelands-only currency can be traded for items.
220	*** Dragon Soul as well. Trading in items such as "Blood of Corrupted Deathwing" is their purpose, though they also will buy your vendor trash so you can empty your bags.
221	** These types of merchants that exist solely to empty one's bags have mostly been phased out in raids and dungeons that have outdoor areas such as Hellfire Citadel. This is because the item Reins of the Traveler's Tundra Mammoth and Grand Expedition Yak exist. These items carry their own Intrepid Merchants, which allow players to sell their vendor trash and repair their gear anywhere they can use a mount.
222	%%** This is the [[PlanetofHats hat]] of the Teladi in the ''VideoGame/{{X}} series''.
223	[[/folder]]
224
225	[[folder:Web Comics]]
226	* Curasias from ''[[http://www.shapequest Shape Quest]]'' fits this trope perfectly, especially with his [[http://www.shapequest.net/?id=84 introductory comments.]]
227	* Voltar from ''Webcomic/CrimsonFlag'' tries to sell the heroes stuff, [[http://crimsonflagcomic.com/comic.php?comicID=69 while they're chasing the bad guy,]] using his airship.
228	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': The video game version is parodied when, right before TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX a merchant]] appears out of thin air to give the heroes one last chance to make purchases.
229	-->'''O'aka XXIII:''' Would anyone like to buy a basic potion?
230	[[/folder]]
231
232	[[folder:Web Videos]]
233	* ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'':
234	** Ardacos, who's YouAllLookFamiliar handwaved as NewJobAsThePlotDemands, is sometimes seen as traveling merchant in hostile areas.
235	** According to ''Film/NoobLeConseilDesTroisFactions'', a PlayerCharacter can become one themselves if they wish. However, all the perk really does is make commerce easier, so how intrepid they really are is up to them. The mechanic also exists because the NonPlayerCharacter cast includes a congregation of intrepid merchants.
236	[[/folder]]
237
238	[[folder:Western Animation]]
239	* ''WesternAnimation/DragonsRidersOfBerk'' and ''Dragons: Race to the Edge'' feature Trader Johann, who pops up from time to time to spin tales of how he got all of the goods that he sells to the citizens of Berk, despite seeming to be a foppish coward. [[spoiler:[[EvilAllAlong He's far more than he appears, though...]]]]
240	[[/folder]]
241
242	[[folder:Real Life]]
243	* Creator/MarcoPolo, which got him from Europe to East Asia.
244	* UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus started out this way but didn't find any markets, instead he ended connecting the Old and the New world.
245	* The caravan merchants of the Silk Road in Central Asia were a pretty brave bunch, given that killer sandstorms, greedy local nobles, and bandits were considered normal events along the trail. And that was a ''good'' year when the [[TheHorde local nomads]] weren't on a spree.
246	* The Phoenicians were also infamous merchant adventurers, and not averse to a spot of banditry and/or slavery when they thought they could get away with it. In the course of their travels, they popularized the world's first alphabet.
247	* Vikings could switch from being {{Pirates}} to Intrepid Merchants to being [[ProudWarriorRace warriors]] without missing a beat. They could even do that on the same voyage.
248	* The whole [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire British Empire]] was founded and built on this trope. It became TheEmpire only later -- to protect the commerce.
249	* Before embarking on his religious career, UsefulNotes/TheProphetMuhammad was one of these. The Quraish tribe that ruled Mecca and of which he was a member organized annual trade caravans to Syria and Yemen -- Mecca being roughly halfway between the two -- and he participated in these grueling treks across the unforgiving Arabian Desert from a relatively young age. He distinguished himself in the service of his wealthy uncle Abu Talib, and made a reputation as a smart but completely honest businessman; this landed him a job with a wealthy widow named Khadijah, whom he later married. It was not until he was 40, when (according to Islam) he received his mission from God, that he would quit the trading life.
250	[[/folder]]

Context Main / IntrepidMerchant