Embassies

The Way is home to embassies from each world. An embassy is the definitive source of information about its homeworld, and houses information officers, task officers, Interpol senate members and trade representatives from those worlds.
The Information Officers supply up to date information on all sorts of topics from trade and stock market information to local climatic conditions. They can direct questions about maps and locations to the correct persons either in the Way or on their homeworlds. To be a business sactioned by an Embassy means a huge trade benefit to that business, and as such the competition can be cut-throat. A sanctioned business must show that it can continue to offer the high quality service that is expected of them regardless of how the market responds. Also a sanctioned business must also operate a trade or informational front on the embassies home world (it doesn't have to be owned by a local inhabitant, though). Sanctioned businesses are usually excluded from any trade tarifs to that world, again making it a desirable position as it allows that business to trade at more effective price.  The high requirements and demands are often too much to ask for and sanctioned businesses change and fluctuate over time. For instance, trade could be interrupted by conditions such as worker strike.
Information Officers are also versed in the history and lore of worlds. It is presumed that as beuracrats they love the sound of their own voices and as such as happy to lose hours relegating the advances or disasters that shaped their home worlds.
The Task Officers are charged with keeping the Information Officers and Interpol up to date. Task Officers will happily hand out their tasks to those who seen a small reward or require reason to travel to other worlds. These officers are people, though. They are sometimes hard to find, sometimes hard to talk to, and they have a habit of going home – usually back to their home worlds – after hours or on public holidays. They're not quite as dedicated as the Information Officers, who are available all day every day. Sometimes people have to be patient.
Interpol members at the Senate are usually hidden away and seen by apointment only. Task Officers are usually happy to make these appointments, though at times may direct you to others who then make the appointments for you to see the Interpol officers. Many find this red tape unnecesary, but it all helps to keep up the flow of information within an Embassy. Interpol Officers will hand out tasks or rewards to their respective Law Enforcement Officers.
Trade Representatives will handle all transactions related to trade and money, including the sale of common items found on homeworlds. Most of these items are of little value, as major trade happens in the markets. The Trade Representatives are experts at the markets and will exchange local currencies at market price. Some Trade Representatives will also offer cash-reward tasks to those who are willing. These tasks usually involve locating people or places, delivering packages or engaging traders in order to assess their market strategies.