I dunno--I think his job as the guide of the souls of the dead puts him firmly in the Cosmic Order (he's an essential part of an essential process).
Ditto his function as the messenger of the gods--in a sense, he's the bridge between the mortal and divine worlds, which would make him a fundamental part of the universe.
John Machin:
> If Hermes is a capital-T Trickster, what does this say about Issaries?
Well, I don't think Hermes *is* a capital-T trickster. He's a god with tricksterish elements, but so is Orlanth. Prankster, maybe, especially in his youth, but not Trickster.
In any event, while there's heavy overlap between Issaries and Hermes (in particular, the combination of herald and guide to the underworld), I don't see that Issaries shares Hermes's prankster sensibilities. The correspondence isn't complete. (Hermes is also the patron of merchants, but I don't get the sense that it's because he's a merchant himself--I'm not aware of any myths that would imply it--but rather, it's because Hermes is the traveler and communicator, so he's the closest patron-god available when the Greeks claw their way out of the dark age and start sending merchant ships around. But boy am I not educated on these matters, so take cum big honkin' grano salis.)
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