The Merchant

Baldric Tumblewhistle has walked every Realm tile more times than he can count, and monsters have never once given him a second look. He doesn't explain why, and heroes who press him only get a shrug and a change of subject.

The oldest rumor says he struck a quiet bargain of his own, long before Malachar ever rose — the kind of deal a Dark Pact deck doesn't have a card for, because it was never meant to be found out. Whatever the truth of it, he keeps walking, keeps trading, and keeps his prices fair — which, in a dying world, might be its own kind of quiet defiance.

“Monsters don't so much as glance my way — I made sure of that, a long time ago.”

Never targeted: No monster Hunter condition or targeting rule can ever select Baldric, and he is immune to monster attacks entirely.

Activation: Moves once during the Monster Phase, after all monsters have activated.

Direction: 1 space clockwise along the perimeter. Loops his current tile's 4-space perimeter (A→B→C→D→A) unless the next step crosses into a neighboring tile, in which case he crosses. He never enters any center space.

Travels the map: Not anchored to his starting tile — over a full session he circuits the entire connected map's perimeter, tile by tile.

Blocked: If a monster occupies his destination space, he does not move that phase.

Can't activate: If a monster is in the Merchant's current space, heroes cannot trade there until it's defeated or leaves.

Blocked: If any monster occupies the Merchant's space, trading is suspended.

Inventory: The top 5 cards of the shuffled Item deck are placed face-up beside the Merchant at game start. Sold items are not replaced.

Buying: Spend 1 action while on his space: pay the gold cost of any available item.

Selling: During a Merchant action, a hero on Baldric's space may sell any item back for half its cost (rounded down).