Faction Merchant Spoiler

[Archdemon]

So when choosing between M or T the faction merchant associated with that area will die and cannot be replaced. I have however discovered that a new merchant will pop up in the crossroads spirit area and that merchant is a slight replacement to the one that is gone. You cannot upgrade it, it only accepts the spirit currency, and I don't think you can buy everything that the faction merchant had to sell. But you can sell your valuables to it and you will get faction strength to the faction that is missing the merchant. So if you are struggling with raising strength for either faction, you can just sell to the wisp in the area. Not sure if it pops up immediately or if it takes some time as I only just discovered it last night. Hopefully this helps out.

Slight Edit because I forgot to mention it but the new Wisp will have the merchant icon on the map, so like all faction merchants, this icon is what tells you it's a faction merchant.

[Quacksalber]

Great tip! I checked out one merchant there at the beginning of the game and then never bothered again.

[Archdemon]

Originally posted by dustin1280:

I don't think that wisp gives you faction strength, I would have to double check, but I am pretty sure you get no faction bonus for it...

No you do get faction strength from it, reason I know is because I double checked when I sold stuff to the wisp. There are about I think 4 spirit merchants in the area after the choice, if one of them gives you the option to sell valuables, that's the new merchant. Plus the one you can sell valuables to will have a merchant icon on the map that only faction merchants have. Every other merchant does not have this icon.

[duEprocEss]

I have just tested this and can confirm the OP is right.
The UI doesn't initially show this but there is a pop up after you sell your valuables showing the amount of faction strength earned.

[BTS]

Originally posted by Archdemon:

Originally posted by dustin1280:

I don't think that wisp gives you faction strength, I would have to double check, but I am pretty sure you get no faction bonus for it...

No you do get faction strength from it, reason I know is because I double checked when I sold stuff to the wisp. There are about I think 4 spirit merchants in the area after the choice, if one of them gives you the option to sell valuables, that's the new merchant. Plus the one you can sell valuables to will have a merchant icon on the map that only faction merchants have. Every other merchant does not have this icon.

OP is right U gain faction strength U just can't upgrade the merchant

[Rhapsody]

You can get faction stuff from the Black Emporium, I think.