this game makes it so you explore, hence the search for the trader. With a prize if you do.
you dont have to look all over the place, just sail around the coast of the nearest islands land masses.
the location goes to your map first, even a long way away so the devs have just given you, us something to do.
The dev, devs have stones everywhere showing us the locations of the lords, bosses whatever so they do give us clues.
You will need the trader for stuff to make good weapons you will need to defeat the bosses.
how did you find the trader then, did you use the valheim world generator.
if you did , i do to, now, but only now as i want to eventually make a super good base or many, i have made esso's plains base up on a huge rock, and also vetlives simple boat house.
vetlives boat house fails a little as the long boat's rigging gets fouled in the roof at times.