The Duros lending tradition refers to the established set of local practices that the Duros people's financial institutions adhered to when providing monetary loans to individuals or groups. These loans were typically used to finance the acquisition of assets, such as a starship.
Repayment of the debt could be structured in two ways: either through a series of scheduled installments, or as a single lump-sum payment that included an interest charge equivalent to ten percent of the original loan amount. A key tenet of these lending traditions was the strict prohibition against any form of debt renegotiation or modification.
According to this custom, the loan was tied to the purchased item itself, rather than the borrower. If the borrower sold the item to another party, the new owner also assumed responsibility for the remaining debt – a fact that an honest seller would disclose to the buyer. In the event of the original debtor's death before the debt was fully repaid, their heirs would inherit both the asset and the outstanding debt. If no heirs existed, the asset could be sold off. It's important to note that the lending institution could not seize the asset in this situation, as their claim was only on the profits generated by the asset, not the asset itself.
Only in situations where the debt could not be satisfied were lending institutions permitted to seize the purchased item and terminate the debtor's credit privileges. This action carried significant social consequences within Duros society, resulting in severe stigma for the debtor.
The Duros Captain Mirchidi NeMall abided by the Duros lending traditions when he acquired his vessel, the Starfeld ZH-25 Questor NeHimmep.