"See, this is where the bottle of best Bordeleaux goes. The river wardens will search behind here, and find it, and confiscate it. That's what we want because it means they don't find the twelve bottles we have hidden under here. And if they find those, all is not lost, because they will be so pleased with themselves they won't even bother searching over there where there's twenty-four bottles."
- —Hansel Solomon, Smuggler[2a]
Smuggler
Most of the sea and road trade of the Old World is subject to duties and taxes. Imperial tax collectors, local excisemen, petty lords, and anyone with enough muscle can place a duty on the movement of goods. Legal taxes are bad enough, but many pirates and Outlaw Chiefs also demand a cut to allow safe passage. In large ports like Marienburg, nearly everything moving in or out is taxed in some way. Given this state of affairs, the Smugglers’ trade continues to thrive. While smuggling is, of course, illegal, most folks in the Empire don’t think much of cutting a few corners. In their minds, the taxmen and bureaucrats are the real thieves.[1a][2a] Even the smugglers themselves think of their work as a moral service. After all, merchants and consumers can pay less for smuggled goods, and even the odd riverwarden gets a cut…[2a]
There are a wide variety of smuggling jobs, from tiny, very expensive goods to large shipments of common staples. Some smugglers deal in illicit goods, a significantly riskier proposition if caught. However, regardless of the goods, any smuggling operation has the potential to go wrong. However, if a job goes smoothly, they can probably look forward to a bigger one. Even if they decide not to continue, a successful smuggler can find employment in many places.[2a]