"what?"
They perform surgery by themselves, but can't barter by themselves. .
Just because one thing is one way, doesn't mean another thing has to be the same way as well.
Heavens to Betsy, no! I didn't mean anything more than comparison. Its hard for anyone but Toady to justify a noble task as it must be in a dwarf subsection. But I simply meant to say, that I don't respect or endorse Toady's labeling this kind of skillset, the broker, trader skillset as a noble.
Lets talk nobility. Noble to me, in DF represents a Hero, or a particular hand picked dwarf of particular importance with exclusive tastes and politics that meet a purpose, or is representative of the entire dwarf community. A role model, a dwarf who possesses traits, ideally found for a noble task. However, broker isn't a noble task, anymore than cook and hauler. Its a necessary skill, MATH, every dwarf should possess. Those without it, should be offered outcasthood of death, to preserve the law of the cave.
Nobility is a hybrid skillset, either verbal or physical, both, or none, above the ordinary, that combines multiple skills, and unique skills into a discplined, and somewhat hardier dwarf, for doing it. A dwarf of stature. Brokering is math. There is no combined art, no hybrid mixture of skills. Give him more than this, if he's to have noble status, lineage, a coat of arms, or demote him, to that of a simple Trader status. Or broker, but not the Noble broker.
I'd rather see a Beastmaster, be noble than a broker. And give him the sole responsibility of the pound, and all trainable war animals. That to me is more noble than someone who adds 2+2, and works on his own schedule.