Sightings

[JP_Finn]

Now that we have a system in place for asking for blacksmiths that extends beyond connected villages, I suggest to add foreigner sightings.

Either villagers telling the character there's some foreign people sighted at X direction, Y distance away. Earlier in the day, yesterday, few days, week ago.
Or the character could ask if the folks have heard of or seen foreigners lately, same as for smiths and sages.

Extra bonus if we could get sightings of traders and invaders both.

[JP_Finn]

Maybe even sightings of wildlife: bear, elk, forest reindeer herd, wolf pack. But I feel that would require good or great relationship with the people. Especially with elk and deer, folks wouldn't give away locations of game that their lives can depend on, to some stranger passing by.

[PALU]

I can certainly imagine villagers readily sharing news of sightings of bears and wolves, as those are serious threats. Wolverines and lynx, on the other hand, might depend on the culture, with cultures focusing on livestock more interested in culling the threats to their animals, while hunting oriented cultures may be more interested in their valuable pelts.

I don't think they ought to share info about reindeer and elks with anyone other than people they consider to be their own.

[Bert Preast]

If we are talking foreign traders, I think they should be in the village or camped very close to it.  The idea of them wandering the forests at random, searching for lone trappers and hunters who may or may not have quality pelts is a little silly.  Also immersion breaking if you are far from any villages and foreign traders are more common than game!

Foreign traders would camp in or close to a village, and wait for trappers and hunters to come to them.  Word would get around, so the player may be told "It is said that foreign traders have set up a camp close to XXXXX village".  IMHO, they should also be found only at coastal villages or those connected to the coast by trail.

[JP_Finn]

If we are talking foreign traders, I think they should be in the village or camped very close to it.  The idea of them wandering the forests at random, searching for lone trappers and hunters who may or may not have quality pelts is a little silly.  Also immersion breaking if you are far from any villages and foreign traders are more common than game!

Foreign traders would camp in or close to a village, and wait for trappers and hunters to come to them.  Word would get around, so the player may be told "It is said that foreign traders have set up a camp close to XXXXX village".  IMHO, they should also be found only at coastal villages or those connected to the coast by trail.

Enterprising FTs might be working their way up rivers too, I.e. coastal Finns might've learnt the value of their furs, so traders might try to get better deals deeper inland. And also look for wind-shamans and any warriors to join on the plundering treks to ... Lindesfarn... Rome ... Paris ... Miklagard...

But yes, I agree that path finding improvement would be in order for FTs: village to village, then same way back or circling around. Doing donuts at random pine mire 12 miles from closest village makes very little sense.
Even nicer would be if the FTs would tell you which generic direction they're headed, so you can meet up with them later with more furs. "5 days inland, then 2 days north and finally 6 or so days back to the coast/ship"