Most of the clockwork merchants in Akanon and the vendors in Steamfont
(including the tinkering merchant) use the MerchantsofAkanon faction. The
merchants at the caster's library use the Eldritch faction and the merchant
in the warriors guild uses the Gemchoppers faction. Not sure about the
necro guild, cleric guild and the rest.

You can raise the merchant faction by turning in rusted blackboxes to Manik
and turning in scrap metal and micro servos to the scrapyard gnome. After
handing in those items in very large quantities (I was bored, heh) I
finally saw my faction go from indifferent to amiable. There are probably
some quests at the library that also raise the merchant faction and
probably faster but they won't give quests out with an apprehensive /con.
:( However, from what I see faction doesn't seem to have as much of an
impact as CHA does.

Fizzwiz pointed out a while back that if you plan to do some serious
tinkering you'll want to pick up some +CHA items like a Crude Stein. Also
Enchanters have a nice +30 CHA buff that they can cast on you. There'll be
a several plat difference on the more expensive components and that quickly
adds up.

Hope this helps.

-Luke
Tinkering trade site:
http://www.eqportal.com/tinkering

At 02:12 PM 10/19/99 UYT, you wrote:

>From: "Catbik Tinkerton" <catbik@...>
>
>Also let's find a way to raise our faction with the merchants too so we pay
>a lot less for those expensive components =) Also note that Merchant Faction
>only affects the, umm.. "real" gnome merchants, not the clockwork
>merchants... I think
>