In Altera, a trutchman is a translator—sometimes polyglot—with a flair also for international relations. With a strong tradition stemming from the Ottomans—and beyond that to the ancient Akkadians—trutchmans today act as mid level interpreters that also engage on behalf of their state on official diplomatic missions. Some even work for international organizations like the Society of Nations.

Naturally, many trutchmans travel extensively for work, and therefore, often experience the diversity of the world like no other—as close to the romantic notion of a globetrotter as there can be. Those working for the SoN often carry a diplomatic passport known as the SoN trutchman passport, known also as a laissez-passer.