Merchant's guild

[Chinsei]

a rival to the traders guild

i think there should be a merchants guild the merchants guild would be mostly focused on local in city trading.

while the traders guild would be primarily logistics and transportation of goods.

but them constantly fighting over trade rights, and pricing and stuff would add some dynamic to trade prices there wars causing spikes in prices and shifting degrees of reliability as they attack each others shops and caravans.

but also the primary reason i wanted to suggest this would be...

Marketing.

Kenshi is a land where your not likely to learn about something without someone informing you of it. so i think it would be nice if there was a way we could pay to build up character/outpost reputations. they would also keep track of your reliability in your dealings with them and getting to far on their bad side would see them attempting character assassination(figurative not literal).

but it would also allow you to get more drifters/wanderers to come to your outpost/town/base by letting people know it exists but potentially also making it the target of enemies and friends a like. for example you might be in a less patrolled part of the Holy Nation so they might not have learned about it until they notice a flier an realize you are there prompting them to send a sentinel/cardinal/or whatever they might send to speak with you and decide what to do about it. if its reported you're a "free city where everyone including skeletons are welcome" then you might see them show up in force and demand not only taxes or control of your settlement but also demand you turn over any and all skeletons/shek/women/non-whitemales to them or they'll attack.

this i think would allow ways for you to let people know your town exists but would also explain how news spreads by having it relayed through the merchants guild and its contacts.

i also think it would be nice if you could negotiate with them to have them set up a trading post in your city to increase the amount of trade people might come to do in your town. with you being able to tax the trading post. same with setting them up for multiple factions. allowing you to eventually develope into a full fledged faction in your own right if you're able to survive against all potential enemies in your territory .