Line #45 Main/RecurringTraveller


1	A character who keeps turning up in a video game.
2
3	In mild cases, this is just a travelling salesman or {{NPC}} who shows up with no logical regard to how they could be there. In dramatic cases, this is obviously an important character who [[ObfuscatingStupidity plays the idiot]] as a disguise, so you aren't suspicious of them following you.
4
5	This is different than the GoldfishPoopGang, since you generally don't fight them along the way. Also different is InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals, where it's not the same traveller but a set of distant relatives with an uncanny family resemblance. The RecurringExtra is a Recurring Traveller who doesn't do anything. They might also be a [[HonestJohnsDealership merchant constantly trying to extort money from you]], [[NoHeroDiscount even if the failure of your main character means the end of the world]].
6
7	Sometimes in an [[RolePlayingGame RPG]], The Recurring Traveller is a character who always happens to be staying in a bedroom of the same inn that your party is staying at. He may comment about being a tourist or sight-seer. He may give tips about the local environment, monsters, hazards and landmarks.
8
9	The Recurring Traveller is frequently used as a device to help the player when they're in a difficult area. If you run short of supplies after fighting your way through an especially dangerous area, the Recurring Traveller just happens to be someone who can either heal your party or let you replenish your inventory.
10
11	----
12	!!Examples:
13
14	[[foldercontrol]]
15
16	[[folder:Video Games]]
17	[[AC:ActionAdventure]]
18	* The merchant from ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' and his shop pops up nearly everywhere - on the desert, inside a prison, inside sultan's palace and even inside a ''genie's lamp''. However, considering that he's apparently a wizard, this might be somewhat justified.
19	** Considering that the original scrapped ending to the first movie was meant to reveal that the merchant WAS actually the Genie, his ability to appear anywhere Aladdin does makes perfect sense.
20	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''
21	** Ooccoo from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' is a slightly more disturbing example, as she is a being that has the bald head of a human, but the size and body of a chicken. She is a rather interesting variation, as she can be used ''as an item'' in the various dungeons. Specifically, she can teleport you to the dungeon entrance if you need to get something from a shop, etc. Her usefulness and the fact that she's a genuinely nice lady more than make up for her odd appearance. She also is a part of the main plot, as the reason she shows up in every dungeon is [[spoiler:that she's trying to find a way to her home, which happens to be the location of the final piece of the Mirror of Twilight. Did I mention that it also happens to be a city in the sky?]]
22	** There's a photographer in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening DX'' who shows up throughout the game. You can get your pictures taken.
23	** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', a map-maker named Tingle is hovering on his balloon in the air in every area in the overworld. If you pop it, he'll drop down and sell you a map of the area (cheaply) and one of another area (expensively.) Just how he's never seen to move but always manages to be where you show up is a mystery.
24	** Old Man [=HoHo=] and Beedle from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''
25	* There are several of these in ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}''. There's Waka, who follows you through the entire game [[spoiler: including your fight with the Big Bad]], and is the most reasonable, because he has magic powers. In the last chapter, you have Oki, who manages to follow you [[spoiler:through a magic gateway to 100 years into the past]]. And in the first chapter, you have Susano, the [[FakeUltimateHero inept, stupid, useless fool]] who, despite being completely incompetent, manages to get past the puzzles it takes you hours to solve in a few minutes. How the hell ''did'' he get into [[spoiler:the Moon Cave]], anyway?
26
27	[[AC:AdventureGame]]
28	* Murray the Talking Skull from ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' shows up in every chapter of the game save for the third and last chapters. One ''could'' theorize that he's simply following Guybrush around in hopes of getting his arm back, except he has no legs.
29	* The merchant from ''VideoGame/FragileDreamsFarewellRuinsOfTheMoon''. "We have a special bond, you and I!"
30	* Not one, but ''three'' characters in ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton''. We have Granny Riddle, who picks up lost puzzles for you, Pavel the guy who keeps getting lost, and Stachenscarfen. [[spoiler: Out of the three though, the first game revealed everyone as robots, and the second game revealed everyone as a ''hallucination'', so it's debatable about Granny Riddle and Stachenscarfen. Pavel has absolutely no excuse though.]]
31	** In the third game, [[spoiler: Pavel's appearance is even a mark of {{Foreshadowing}} that you're not actually in the future.]]
32	* Mask from ''VideoGame/{{Wandersong}}'' can be found in certain areas in every chapter. If you find them, they'll teach you a dance move.
33
34	[[AC:EasternRPG]]
35	* ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'' has a group of recurring tourists who pop up in various places throughout the game, starting with the ship in the prologue. Two of them are Shrimp and Cornelia, [[PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo player characters from the prequel]]. In the endgame, [[spoiler: the entire tour group gets turned into Overtaken zombies, forcing the heroes to fight and cure them. Afterwards, Shrimp and Cornelia decide to end their vacation and [[EleventhHourRanger rejoin the team]].]]
36	* Taken to extremes in ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireDragonQuarter''. As you unseal ancient portals, traverse dusty pathways, and uncover secrets burried for aeons in search of the legendary 'Surface World', the same set of young merchants have gotten there before you, ready to sell you the items you need. Particularly grinding towards the end, as you open a huge, ancient, rusty vault-door, which clearly hasn't moved for centuries, and still find them waiting on the other side...
37	* Merchant Hag Melentia from ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII''. She's first seen in the Forest of Giants and later settles down in hub town Majula, but the changes in her item selection through the game suggests she goes around a lot. She seems to be following the player, in fact.
38	* The infamous portrait photographer in ''Videogame/{{EarthBound\|1994}}'' literally falls out of the sky to snap a picture of your party. Say fuzzy pickles!
39	** ''VideoGame/Mother3'' has the Item Guy, who appears in locations that are so obviously inaccessible ([[spoiler: including the final area, which is thousands of feet underground with the only way to get to it being a one-way elevator controlled by the BigBad]]) it could practically be considered a LampshadeHanging in its own right, even though it's played more or less straight.
40	* This seems to happen a lot in ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games:
41	** Namingway from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV''.
42	** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', the primary minigame featured is a card game and there are high level opponents that you can duel against if you can find them and have invested enough time into the mini-game. One such person titled the "Queen of Cards" or somesuch thing like that can be found at the end of the game during Time Compression, where logically no one is supposed to be around aside from the FinalBoss of the game, and the Player's party (who are there to defeat said BigBad). Not only can you duel her at this late stage in the game, doing so is required if you wish to get some ultra rare items.
43	*** You encounter two Galbadian soldiers, [[ShoutOut Biggs]] and [[Franchise/StarWars Wedge]], [[RuleOfThree three times]] throughout the game.
44	** Stiltzkin the travelling Moogle in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX''. He even turns up in the alternate dimension Terra!
45	** You'll meet several of these in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', including the merchants O'aka and Rin, the ExpositionFairy Maechen, and other summoners who are engaged in their own pilgrimages, such as Isaaru and Dona.
46	** Every now and again, you can run into certain {{NPC}}s in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' more than once. The merchant Dyce, who the party first meets outside the Tomb of Raithwall, can later be found on the outskirts of the Port of Balfonheim, in both cases always ready to do business with any wandering adventurers he encounters. Another merchant named Gatsly initially hires Vaan to kill a monster that threatens a trading caravan carrying some important merchandise, and can later be found in the Muthru Bazaar selling his goods after the player destroys the monster.
47	*** Several of the Moogles - Montblanc's brothers and sister especially - also recur in various places across the game.
48	** Gilgamesh is believed to be the same guy each time in each of the games he appears, as opposed to being one of many characters that sports a recurring name (like Cid, Biggs, and Wedge). He even references the events in other games - mentioning [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV Bartz]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIVTheAfterYears'' and carrying various famous Final Fantasy (replica) swords in his ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' appearance.
49	*** The ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' games finally confirmed that Gilgamesh is, in fact, the same man in every game - ever since falling into the Void in ''FFV'', he's traveled from universe to universe, collecting (what he believes to be) rare and powerful swords, always hoping for another chance to battle Bartz.
50	** Chocolina in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2''. Which is especially odd, since the game has you hopping around time and space. Sazh's DLC episode confirms that Chocolina is [[spoiler: Dajh's chocobo chick, given a human form by Etro to help those in need, whatever era they may be in.]]
51	** In ''VideoGame/TheFinalFantasyLegend'', a dapper gentleman in a black suit and hat pops up throughout the game to give your party tidbits of advice as they climb the World Tower. [[spoiler:At the top of the tower he reveals himself as The Creator, who set up the entire plot as a game.]]
52	** The old man from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyMysticQuest'', but this justified as [[spoiler: he is a thing, the Light Crystal.]]
53	* Martel from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon''.
54	* In ''VideoGame/PaperMario'', a trio of castle maids can be found in a couple of locations during the adventure.
55	** Similarly, the Traveling Sisters 3 from ''Videogame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' can be found in many major locations. To a slightly greater extent, Dupree often pops up in one or two more of the major locations (although you have to go back toward the entrance to the Boggly Woods before the end of Chapter 2 to see him there).
56	* The weird stalker who appears at the front of every Gym in the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series to give you advice, later, Scott in Emerald as well.
57	** In the anime, a character known only as "Magikarp Salesman" who pops up every now and again.
58	** Subverted with Officer Jennies and Nurse Joys. With the same personality, looks, and accent (with some exceptions) on each runaround, we soon realize that they are all a '''family''' of women who look strikingly similar.
59	** Prof. Oak's aide, in the early games at least. They ''could'' all be different people who simply dress the same but, come on, how many aides does one guy need? And why station them all over the country like that?
60	** Cameron in ''Pokémon [=HeartGold=] and [=SoulSilver=]'' would pop up at nearly any location in Kanto and Johto (determined by the day of the week) so he can take a picture of you. He will freely invade private properties and hang out in hard-to-reach areas. He even introduces himself as appearing when one least expects him.
61	* Dr. Edward in ''VideoGame/PokemonRanger: Guardian Signs'' is encountered several times throughout the game as he makes his rounds. [[spoiler:[[ChekhovsGunman He's actually]] TheManBehindTheMan.]]
62	* Shannon from ''VideoGame/{{Quest 64}}''. [[spoiler: It's no coincidence - she's ''following'' you.]]
63	* ''VideoGame/RogueGalaxy'':
64	** The party often encounters a woman and her young daughter ([[spoiler:actually the wife and daughter of party member Simon]]) in such unlikely places as a sealed temple and a desert in the middle of a sandstorm. Neither of the two are armed or armored, and are usually encountered in a place crawling with enemies capable of easily killing your (heavily armed) party members.
65	** A diminutive archaeologist, Burton, shows up in all manner of bizarre places, and is a total non-combatant. This does come back to bite him in the ass: at one point, [[spoiler:his ''ghost'' shows up and informs the party that he got himself killed (and he's remarkably chipper about this, as it now means he can explore the galaxy without being constrained by mortal flesh)]]. Then, after [[spoiler:getting resurrected and going on his merry way again, another cutscene ends with the strong implication that he's crushed by a murderous robot]]. ([[spoiler:He [[DisneyDeath gets better]] that time, too.]])
66	* There's a traveler in ''VideoGame/SailorMoonAnotherStory'' that keeps turning up in random places--first outside of Usagi's house, then he somehow pops up in the place inside of the Silver Crystal, then he pops up in the Black Moon Kingdom's UFO, then he pops up again in Crystal Tokyo. He's apparently very very lost.
67	* The ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'' series has several. It's especially notable since you always travels across the continent on train, boat, or plane, but they still manage to keep up with the party.
68	** The original ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts1'' has Silent Peddler and Meiyuan. The former rewards you for wearing an otherwise-useless accessory, and occasionally serves as a merchant, while the latter allows you to customise the [[ActionCommands Judgement Ring]] and improve your weapons.
69	** ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsCovenant'' introduces two:
70	*** Magimel brothers are primary merchants in this game, and occasionally appearing as a DungeonShop. One of them sells items, while the other can make make new dresses for Gepetto's doll in exchange for "stud cards".
71	*** Ring Soul is a ball of light, who claims to be "administrator of all fate". He's hidden in most major locations, and gives the party Attack Boosts. Eventually Yuri befriends him, and he's revealed to be an overworked clerc in some sort of CelestialBureaucracy, who has a wife and a child. His daughter, Aya, appears in the sequel as "Ring Spirit", now working on the same job as her father.
72	** In ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsFromTheNewWorld'' one of Magimel brothers returns, now accompanied by [[CampGay his]] boyfriend Buigen. He still sells you items, while Buigen can reconfigure [[PowersAsPrograms Stellar Charts]].
73	* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' gives us Stephen, creator of the Demon Summoning Program in the first two games. While mainly existing to upgrade you in the first game, he takes on more and more plot-important roles starting in the second game, generally acting as the BigGood for the Neutral alignment. In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'', [[spoiler:he takes on his greatest role where he guides Nanashi to YHVH on the Peace and Anarchy routes, recognizing that Nanashi could kill YHVH. DLC lets you fight him, and it's also revealed that he's so powerful that every numbered protagonist needs to team up to fight him]].
74	* Neko the cat and Watts the blacksmith in ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana''.
75	* Raddle the Traveler and his sometime companion Rumina appear in the first three ''VideoGame/StarOcean'' games, always hopelessly lost, and in fact giving them correct directions will get you prizes of some sort.
76	* In ''Videogame/SuperMarioRPG'', you follow around a shmuck who's looking for the mythical Grate Guy Casino, while Toad follows ''you'' around.
77	* The Wonder Chef in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' disguised himself as a random object in every town (even though they were in two different worlds almost no one knows about or can travel to). He even had a dark counterpart.
78	* An unnamed Travelling Salesman always shows up at each new city you need to go to in ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile2Silmeria'', including destroyed castles only accessible through deadly caverns full of monsters... even going so far as to show up in Asgard ahead of you. Though, admittedly, this turns out to be the dead spirit of the merchant's ancestor, he still carries the exact same inventory as the living version.
79	* ''VideoGame/WildArms3'' has both a traveling Merchant and a young girl that is part of a lengthy sidequest.
80	* Big Joe is all over the place in ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}''.
81	* Anton and Ricky are a pair of tourists who turn up all over the place in the ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'', which so far has taken place in three separate countries. They sometimes are the source of sidequests.
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83	[[AC:FirstPersonShooter]]
84	* The G-man in ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' starts out this way, but eventually becomes part of the story.
85	* In ''VideoGame/NoOneLivesForever'', every bar the player character visits (and there's a bar in every mission setting that might plausibly have one, or not, as there's one at a [[spoiler: space station]]) has the same drunk tourist as a patron. [[spoiler: The twist is that he's actually secretly the leader of the evil organization H.A.R.M.]]
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87	[[AC:MMO]]
88	* Bob the Jagex Cat and Postie Pete in ''VideoGame/{{Runescape}}''. The first is the mascot of the game owners, who wanders endlessly across the land and if you are lucky you can spot it sometimes, though it doesn't serve any purpose. He was originally added to test NPC pathfinding but latter [[EnsembleDarkhorse became a character in several quests]]. The second is a walking (hopping...) skull with a hat and a mailman's bag, who goes around Gielinor delivering letters to every character the player writes to (outside of the game). He's actually in the game as a joke from the developers.
89	* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' there is Hemet Nesingwary, a travelling [[GreatWhiteHunter big game hunter]] who is found all over Azeroth (and beyond) with his buddies, killing things.
90	* ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' has Nicholas the Traveler, a merchant NPC who shows up in different maps across all three campaigns and the expansion each week, collecting locale-relevant trophies or materials in exchange for Gifts of the Traveler, which offer highly sought after items.
91	* ''VideoGame/TheLordOfTheRingsOnline'': Dewitt the Explorer and his trusty steed Floid can be found in most northern regions of Middle Earth. Players can earn a pair of achievements for finding him in each region.
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93	[[AC:PlatformGame]]
94	* The mole {{Mentor}} Bottles in ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' shows up everywhere--though to be fair, he can tunnel just about anywhere. In ''Banjo-Tooie'', [[DrillSergeantNasty Jamjars]] will even let you use his tunnels to [[WarpWhistle get around the island]].
95	** It IS fairly odd, though, when you find Bottles inside a giant mechanical shark floating in the sewers.
96	** [[FridgeLogic And on top of a]] [[GangPlankGalleon Crow's nest]].
97	* Wentos the Travelling Salesman from ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed''. Every once in a while you'll see him in a town (the places he visits are random) where he will sell you goods at randomly-generated prices. Sometimes you can buy a product from him at [[GameBreaker less than the selling price]]. So basically, you can buy something from him and then [[GoodBadBugs sell it back immediately for a profit]].
98	* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'':
99	** [[AlmightyJanitor The Plumber]] makes an appearance in almost every game. He likes to [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall softly tread around the fourth wall.]]
100	*** In [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002 the first game]], the Plumber can be found on Novalis and will sell Ratchet an Infobot with coordinates to Aridia for 500 bolts. Later, he appears on Batalia having fixed a turret for Ratchet to use to take down some Blarg ships.
101	*** In ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando'', the Plumber appears on the Flying Lab on Aranos unclogging a pipe, which has a Captain Qwark Action Figure in it that he sells to Ratchet. He then says that he'll [[{{Foreshadowing}} "See ya' in another year or so."]]
102	*** ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal'' was released a year later, and The Plumber can be found in the sewers of Aquatos. Upon Ratchet and Clank meeting with him again, he say's that they're "right on schedule" and gives them an optional mission of collecting all 101 Sewer Crystals for him (for [[GlobalCurrency bolts]], of course). Once you give him all of the crystals, he says that he'll see the duo "one of these days."
103	*** In ''VideoGame/RatchetDeadlocked'', The Plumber doesn't actually make an appearance. If you stick around until the end of the credits, you'll find out why.
104	----> ''Due to a sump pump emergency in the Rygyllian Nebula. the Plumber was not able to appear in this game. He will return. One of these days.''
105	*** In ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction'', The Plumber shows up on Sargasso in a cutscene that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzeMwGlYyGk has to be seen]] to be believed. He gives our duo a 3 ¾ Centicubit Hexagonal Washer in case they need it, since he has a spare. [[spoiler:They end up using it to fix the Dimensionator and narrowly avoid dying]].
106	*** In ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime'', The Plumber appears in what is probably the most ridiculous location: Clank's subconscious. He gives Clank advice about accepting his new responsibilities, no matter how hard they may be. He also says something that, like the Hexagonal Washer, comes in handy later: "I wouldn't risk any more than 6 minutes." [[spoiler:That's how far Clank should go back in time to bring Ratchet back to life]].
107	*** In ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One'', The Plumber shows up to fix a broken platform that takes the heroes to Uzo City. Before they leave, Ratchet asks The Plumber if he has any advice for defeating Nevo, but he doesn't, [[spoiler:probably because Nevo is not the villain]].
108	*** The Plumber hangs around the Starship Phoenix II in ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFullFrontalAssault''. [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight Nobody really minds him.]] [[spoiler:Except he's actually Stuart Zurgo in a hologuise]].
109	*** The Plumber appears in ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus'' on the Nebulox 7, fixing something in the wall. He later gets stuck in a Gadgetron vault made of Raritanium which crashes on Thram. Getting the 6 vault keys will allow you to free him, and bringing him the 9 parts of the RYNO VII plan and giving them to him will earn you the 7th weapon in the line of [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity+1 Guns]].
110	** The Smuggler makes multiple appearances throughout the [=PS3=] series, namely in ''Tools of Destruction'', ''Quest for Booty'', ''A Crack in Time'', and ''Into the Nexus''.
111	** Slim Cognito makes appearances in ''Going Commando'' and ''Up Your Arsenal'', and the Shady Salesman appears in the first game and ''Going Commando''.
112
113	[[AC:RealTimeStrategy]]
114	* Little Timmy shows up several times in ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII''. At one point he's even selling powerful magic items, ''after he's been killed''.
115
116	[[AC:SportsGame]]
117	* Many kids who give you challenges in ''[[VideoGame/BackyardSports Backyard Skateboarding]]''.
118
119	[[AC:SurvivalHorror]]
120	* ''VideoGame/AlanWakeII'': Sheriff Tim Breaker takes this role in the [[EldritchLocation Dark Place]]. Alan can always find him one step ahead in small safe zones. He exchanges information with Alan about his [[HeroOfAnotherStory independent endeavors to find Mr. Door]], and has a map nearby with the general location of collectibles marked down for Alan.
121	* The Merchant in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''. In a logical extension of the idea, it's possible to kill him, whereupon he no longer pops up in the location in which he was killed. He will, however, still appear in other locations.
122	** They're actually InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals, as they're actually different people. Some of them are actually infected with Las Plagas, and in different stages of the infection too, if you look at their eyes.
123	** How identical they actually are is debatable, since we never get to see their actual faces, they DO sound exactly the same.
124
125	[[AC:TurnBasedStrategy]]
126	* ''VideoGame/ShiningForce'' contains a character named Boken who is apparently on a personal quest, which happens to take him to many of the same locations as you. He even has his own character sprite; oddly, though, he's never recruitable as a Force member, not even in the GBA remake.
127
128	[[AC:WesternRPG]]
129	* Elminster shows up many times throughout the ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' series, though its not at all surprising given who he is.
130	** There's also an unexplained farmer called Lahl in [[VideoGame/BaldursGate the first game]] who keeps showing up (with the same dialogue) in different places from Nashkel to Beregost. He's even been spotted in two different copies in the same area, so apparently the game chooses to spawn him near you for some reason.
131	* This is the case for all named, recruitable [=NPC=]s you meet in taverns in ''[[VideoGame/MountAndBlade Mount & Blade]]'', in addition to a handful of [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking human traffickers, slave traders, and booksellers]]. There are too many of these [=NPC=]s to keep up with, and so one of the dialogue options is, "What's your story again?"
132	* ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights: Hordes of the Underdark'' avoids the improbable traveling merchant version. Rather than placing merchants in improbable locations in the Underdark and Outer Planes, the game gives you a shopkeeping genie in a bottle that you can summon at will.
133	** ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' gave us Guyven of the Road, whom you can eventually convince to come and stay in your keep after meeting him three times in the wilderness.
134	* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
135	** Two traveling dwarven merchants, Bodhan Feddic and his adopted son, Sandal. In the [[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins first game]], they're actually tagging along with your party on purpose, reasoning that since you're tough and go lots of places, it's pretty safe to stick around wherever you are, and can always be found in your camp. Sandal even shows up during the main plot right before the final boss battle to give you one last chance to buy stuff from him and get buffs for your gear. ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' has them working for the main protagonist, Hawke, living in Hawke's manor starting from the second act of the game on.
136	** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' also features Old Tegrin, a surface dwarf merchant who is met regularly through RandomEncounters while traveling the global map.
137	[[/folder]]
138
139	!!Non-Video Game Examples
140
141	[[folder:Film]]
142	* Naturally, this is played for laughs with the shopkeeper in ''Film/PressStart2007''.
143	[[/folder]]
144
145	[[folder:Literature]]
146	* Lu-Tze the History Monk in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''.
147	** DEATH, as well, who appears for at least a short scene in almost every book.
148	* Hoid appears in almost every story in ''Literature/TheCosmere'', under several jobs, disguises, and aliases. He is recognizable by his sharp, angular face and sometimes his white hair, and the use of [[WrongContextMagic magic established in different books]].
149	[[/folder]]
150
151	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
152	* Phil Keoghan, Allan Wu, and all the other hosts of ''Series/TheAmazingRace'', whose only interaction with the racers is to show up at the Pit Stops to officially check them in.
153	* The Creator/CirqueDuSoleil production ''Solstrom'' had a well-dressed matron appear somewhere in each of the first 12 episodes, even though each story took place in a different city (and several different countries in all). At the ''very'' end of the 13th and final episode, [[spoiler:she's revealed as the mother of Fogus Punch, the astronomer tracking the events of each story]]; though a careful viewer would start putting two and two together by paying close attention to the end credits of each episode, which refer to her as [[spoiler: Madame Punch]].
154	* [[HonestJohnsDealership Salmoneus]] and [[LethalChef Falafel]] in ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys''.
155	--> '''Hercules:''' (to Falafel): ... Don't you have a home?
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	%% Only example is a sentence fragment
159	%%[[folder:Western Animation]]
160	%% Sentence fragment * The cabbage merchant in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''.
161	%%[[/folder]]
162

Context Main / RecurringTraveller