The World Of Twilight

We seem to be getting continually more hints about how much power the Traders have over everything... so how are they organised? Does the Emperor control them at all? How were they formed? Insert slightly melodramatically phrased question that isn't quite coming to mind right now here?

Pretty much a Guild system as far as I understand, though Tom will know this better than me.  Yes they are politically powerful, but not as much as, say, American corporations.  Probably not as much as the Delgon priesthood.

i guess you have lots of power if you have the ability to give people what they want and need... or to withhold it.

Aye, and to set prices for any non-locally produced items across the whole of the empire. Not to mention controlling how fast news could reach it's audience.

I guess most of what a village would need would probably be produced locally, except for rare or exotic items, probably mostly luxuries.

Being so important (or weiliding enough power), and venturing beyond the safe holds of the Empire, do they provide their own protection, or are militia expected to escort them? I imagine it might be a combination, but do the local authorities give it grudgingly or gratefully? Which of those adverbs best describes the way the empire deals with the trading guilds, which seem to be autonomous, though closely integrated?

from the story in the rule book it seems that local rulers of towns and villages provide militia but can call on empire knights if the problem escalates and they need hope. It seems to me as though it is willingly given but isn't always enough, and its at that point relationships become strained.

It is willingly given, to a point. Traders expect perfect protection and are somewhat demanding. The councils know that they need the traders and they need to follow their requests, but they aren't always happy about the fact, especially when resources are stretched.

I expect different clans and villages would also have different opinions of the traders - more distant clans would be very grateful for the news and exciting deliveries. Villages in the central empire probably start to grumble if their order is a couple of days late and see it more as a service than a luxury.

Query from the Casani thread; are the travelling traders linked to a home clan, or are they more or less outside the clan structure? And how "tight" is the clan structure with regard to individuals anyway?

I think it varies. A lot of traders will have pretty much left their clan for good, but others might maintain their links. The trading guilds are probably largely independent of the clans, although they will have bases of operation.