Issaries gives Issaries Markets a competitive advantage over other markets with his spell - but the Issaries cult would not shut down other markets with troops themselves. I don't think Etyries gets the money from import taxes etc. themselves, though they might secure government assistance. The point is that while Etyries and Issaries might not be averse to getting someone else to use force on their behalf occasionally, they are cults that are generally peaceful in their dealings and more likely to outcompete their trading rivals, while Argan Argar are both warriors and traders, for whom using military force for economic advantage is standard business practice.
Which is true of the trader princes as well, which doesn't disprove the point at all. I wouldn't count them as peaceful folks either.
David
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