The Road
The Road arrived on Monday, August 31st, 2026 — a new place on the Realm tab, sitting above The Chronicle and the Hall of Legacy. Most days it lies quiet: a crossroads at the edge of the realm, ruts in the mud, dust and crows. But some mornings, a cart stands there — and for one day only, the realm has a shop.
The Cartkeeper
A small hooded trader who walks the roads between realms, pulling a cart of wares behind him. He is the first face in the realm that isn't trying to kill you. He sells consumables — only consumables. Ask him about weapons and he'll wave a hand at the empty ground: "Arms? I don't deal in arms. Ask again when there's a town here."
He'll tell you his name himself, if you visit.
Visits
- He arrives for everyone at once. When the cart is at the crossroads, all three Tarnished can shop — but each of you sees your own stock. His cart holds different wares for each customer, and what your realm-mates buy never touches what's offered to you.
- He stays one day — no longer. At the next dawn, the cart is gone.
- He keeps his own schedule. He is never back sooner than two days after his last visit; beyond that, he comes when the roads suit him. He does not announce his plans — but the realm notices him coming: the night before an arrival, the Notice Board speaks of dust on the road, and the next morning's New Day Card carries the news.
- You'll know when he's here. An arrival card appears on your Quests board, THE ROAD glows on the Realm tab, and an ember smolders on the Realm button until you've been over.
- The fallen shop too — eventually. If you're dead when he arrives, your stock is rolled and waiting. Rise, and the cart is there like nothing happened. He was raised in a bog; the dead don't bother him.
The Cart
Five slots, rolled fresh for each player at each visit. Four regular slots and one Showpiece — the top shelf, always Rare or better, and most days Legendary, at its normal price. Every item is stocked in quantity one: buy one of each, buy as many different wares as you can afford, and when a slot is bought out — "that's all I've got, friend."
Some wares wear a badge reading MERCHANT EXCLUSIVE — items the Cartkeeper alone carries. They never appear in loot drops, chests, or anywhere else. If you skip one, the only way it comes back is his cart on a later visit. Everything else on the cart also circulates in the ordinary loot pool.
There are 26 of them, across all four rarities — see Merchant Wares for the full list and what each one does.
- Consumables only. Never weapons, shields, greases, talismans, or pets — and never anything that grants or multiplies Runes.
- At most one boss-affecting item per cart (the scrolls and aromatics that cut boss HP or blunt its blows), at most one Grace Ward, and at most one Key of the Realm.
- Rare and Legendary wares turn up here more often than in loot drops. That is the point of him.
Prices
Prices are fixed by rarity and scale with your class band — the realm's shopkeeper respects a milestone, not a number. Base prices, multiplied by your band:
| Rarity | Base Price | At Hollow (×1.0) | At Tarnished (×1.3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | 4,000 | 4,000 | 5,200 |
| Uncommon | 9,000 | 9,000 | 11,700 |
| Rare | 20,000 | 20,000 | 26,000 |
| Legendary | 45,000 | 45,000 | 58,500 |
The band ladder continues upward (Wanderer ×1.7, Warrior ×2.2, and beyond) — as your income grows, so do his prices, and a Legendary stays a real decision for the life of the game.
The Cartkeeper's Horn
At his first visit, the Cartkeeper gives every Tarnished a gift: a horn, somehow damp in any weather. It is permanent — never consumed, never lost, one per Tarnished, forever. It lives in your Pouch, and it is sounded from The Road.
- Sounding it summons him by morning — for the whole realm. The summoner pays; everyone shops. Calling him is a gift to all three of you.
- Your first call is free. Ever after, he charges for the trouble.
- It cannot be wasted. The horn simply won't sound when he's already here, already on the road toward you, or when you can't cover the fee.
His fee scales with your class band — and with your impatience. The less time he's had to rest, the more the trip costs:
| Days since his last visit | Fee multiplier | At Tarnished band |
|---|---|---|
| 2 days or fewer | ×3 | 15,600 |
| 3 – 5 days | ×2 | 10,400 |
| 6 days or more | ×1 | 5,200 |
Waiting is always cheaper. And the Cartkeeper favors the small and struggling: Hollow-band Tarnished pay a fraction of the usual fee. He'd call it marketing.
Notes & Tips
- Buying out your own cart harms no one. Stock is per-player — your realm-mates' carts are untouched, and every rune you spend is a rune not spent on a level. Spend freely.
- Stock doesn't carry over. Every visit is a fresh roll. If you see something you want, the cart leaves at dawn.
- The Showpiece is the savings target. A Legendary at Tarnished band costs about as much as a level — that's deliberate. "Level up or take the Showpiece" is supposed to be a hard call.
- A summon is a realm-wide gift. If someone sounds the horn, everyone wakes to a cart. It's polite to mention what you're hoping he stocks.
- Watch the Notice Board the evening before — dust on the road means wares by morning.
He sells his wares, counts his coin, and between customers he looks a long while at the empty ground beside the crossroads. Merchants are always appraising something.