The merchant of centuries ago spent his life enduring monotony and hardship by turns. Weeks might be spent in the saddle staring at an unchanging landscape, or on the deck of a ship with nothing but open water all around, only to be abruptly set upon by a ferocious storm or an avaricious pack of bandits. The pendulum swings between boredom and misery were made worse by the constant loneliness of traveling in lands far from home. Among people foreign in their customs and speech, even basic communication was difficult. (more…)