A trade coalition is a type of merchant guild found around the Chaska Sea. They are particularly favored by Tamkaranu merchants, but coalitions formed in other lands are not unknown. These organizations of merchants with shared interests are generally aligned either along geographical lines or by what they trade. They exercise sweeping authority throughout Tamkaranu, its colonies, and even in the ports of foreign nations, providing their members with mutual protection and supplying them with crucial information by maintaining trade posts in distant lands. Additionally, trade coalitions are able to set prices and determine the availability of goods and services by coordinating embargoes, tariffs, and other mechanisms.