Steel and Gunstones-Customs and Trade

CUSTOMS AND TRADE

Tournaments:

On high festival days certain towns or city-states will host tournaments accompanied by fairs and markets. All classes of people come to these popular events. Knights, mercenaries, wizards, bowmen, and adventurers of all sort come to participate in the competitions and melees. Wizards and alchemists come to show their prowess in the thaurmaturgic arts,and to peddle potions and various other arcane items. Merchants and artisans come to show their skills or sell their wares at market. For the locals, the great fairs are the highlight of the year where they can show livestock and dance and make merry.
Generally, tournaments last from three days to a week where a number of games or competitions will take place. Events include archery competitions, horse and chariot races, axe throwing, as well as the more bloody fencing, pit fighting, and the most popular jousting. At some of the more spectacular tournaments the grandest spectacles are the vast mock combats that take place between mercenary companies. These melees will include teams with up to one hundred of the best myrmidons from different mercenary companies of the region. All events are reasonably safe due to the presence of a number of the Dauchiet brothers.
Tournaments are of utmost importance to adventurers and mercenaries. Huge purses are awarded to those who win the competitions. In most fighting competitions it is customary for losers to forfeit their arms and steeds to champions or pay their equal in ransom. More importantly it is at these gala events that fighting men may display their prowess in battle to an array of rich nobility and merchants who may want to hire them in the future. The tournaments are actually the primary form of advertisement for the many mercenaries that are jobless in Southern Thuron.



The Duel:
The most ancient and sacred institution on Efirvia is the Quallach ach Dier, or Test of Passion. In times of severe conflict or personal altercations a man may challenge his rival to a duel. Almost every culture in the known world has a test of arms or a supreme challenge, mono et mono. Although the great test changes from culture to culture, it still manifests itself almost everywhere on the planet. In the Sealands alone, there are a wide number of duels, and new forms of the duel rise up almost everywhere. The Quallch ach Dier is has a different face in almost every nation. There are four main styles of the quallach in Southern Thuron:

The Tilt:
Fighting on horseback comes from the Equestrian days of the Thuron Empire. It is the most formal style of duel and it is still very popular among the more rural areas and with the Lucern Brotherhood. It is the only style of duel for the Rydarians who live to the northeast. In the cities this style of conflict has lost much of its popularity. The traditional champions of the jousting are of course the Knights Lucern who participate in most of the tournaments. Most tilting takes place during the tournaments but private jousts do take place occasionally.

Daggers:
This style also has its origin with the Thuron Empire. This is generally thought of as the most savage and deadly style of dueling. It is outlawed due to the high casualty rates, but some still presume to settle their differences in this way, especially among the underworld. There is not many variations to this duel. Combatants where no armor except sometimes leather, and each may only use a knife.

Swasher:
Since the wearing of rapiers has come in vogue in the Sealands, dueling with sabers and rapiers has become increasingly popular. This is generally a less deadly and more artistic form of duel. Conflicts are usually to first blood. Some study the use of ornamented swords day and night. This form of the duel has become so popular among the middle classes and young nobility that it has become a problem in the streets of many cities. Young gangsters who think themselves masters of the rapier look for excuses to duel as often as they can with each other, and of course strangers. Swashing has become illegal within the gates of many cities, but the duels are now taken just outside the gates.

Pit Fighting:
There are no real rules to pit fighting. This is simply an all out fight between two opponents. Any weapon or magic can be used. This style was introduced to Southern Thuron through the trogod, who settle their disputes in this way. A conflict of this type is generally fought in an arena or in pits to protect the onlookers, thus its name. Pit fighting is popular in mercenary camps and among certain outlaw groups.

There are a number of unwritten rules about dueling in Southern Thuron society:

No person may challenge a person of a higher social standing than he is without mutual consent. This prevents any peasant from challenging kings and lords. The duel is between equals.
Many older or less skilled officials and nobility will have champions who fight for them when challenged. Huge fortunes may be earned by men with a great skill in arms. In the Sealands a general rule is that a champion may only be used when one is challenged. A challenger may never use a champion unless consent is given by the challenged.
Both combatants are usually required to have seconds. These are friends patrons or allies of each duelist that will meet and arrange the time place and terms of the duel. At the duel they are expected to make sure that their is no foul play.
Duels are usually to the first blood. The first man to bleed looses the duel. There are variations on this. Most Equestrian duels are concluded by the looser falling of his horse. Sometimes, though rarely, duels are to the death. Of course dueling to the death is illegal.
As with tournaments, duels usually require a bond. Each duelist puts up something of value arranged by the seconds. The winner of the duel takes the losers bond at the conclusion of the duel. Sometimes the bonds are merely trinkets but are usually valuable items or vast sums of money.


Slavery

When the power of the Azchignoth was crushed and the Second age came to an end, slavery ceased to exist on the northern continent of Perosia. It has always existed in the south though. Drazid has always been a refuge of this foul curse. And from here it spread into the Kaharah Chars and all over the southern continent.. Eventually, through trade with the south, the Thuron Empire was again exposed to the lure of the slave trade. Slavery slowly crept into the fringes of the Empire. Since the Empire’s fall slavery is again on the rise.
The Merchants Guild has long resisted the temptations of slavery, but has recently been seduced by its money making potential. Slaves have begun to pour into Southern Thuron. A thriving slave trade has begun. At first, slaves were bond servants, allying themselves with merchantmen for the potentials of success. Skilled warriors from exotic countries would come to fight in the great arenas to try and win the vast purses. Others were criminals, forced into indentured servitude to pay for crimes. Slowly the demand for cheap labor and entertainment exceeded the demand. Drazid and other southern powers were glad to supply more humanity... for a price. Slavery has been growing with ever increasing intensity ever since.
The slave trade is a very dirty business in the Sealands but also very, very profitable. Slaves are bought or captured along the Kaharian (southern) continent and sailed north into the Sealands. The two major powers that control the slave trade are Drazid and the Caravan Guild. The Caravaner's political pull in the Merchants Guild is what slowly weakened the laws against slavery, and made its restoration to the northern continent possible. Any push against slavery will find two very insidious and dangerous enemies in these political snakes.
The increase in slavery is not popular in the Sealands, but some of the conveniences it buys are. Everyone admits that the arena games have never been as exciting, and the economy is still prosperous. Nonetheless, many people hate slavery and remember the stories of how once this land was held in bondage by the cruel Azchingnoth. Most take it as part of the cruelties of everyday life.
Certain rules have been passed regulating the slave trade. First and foremost is that no citizen or resident of Southern Thuron may be sold as a slave unless they have been convicted of a crime; in which case they may work off their servitude. The other very important regulation is that all slave traders must be registered with the Merchants Guild and must keep a record of all their trading activity. These laws are almost never enforced due to the high level of bribes slave traders are willing to pay to keep themselves clean. The slave trade has continued to grow virtually unchecked.

The aspect of slavery that is most likely to become involved in adventuring is the gladiatorial games.
Gladiatorial games and slave tournaments are similar to the tournaments of free people except that they are much more deadly. Slaves are released in arenas and forced to fight to death against each other, or as an opponent for some interesting creature. Most great houses and merchant lords who can afford it own stables of Gladiators which they train in special intensive schools. Challenges backed with substantial bets are made between the champions of nobles, royalty, and the great houses. Sometimes city-states even challenge each others champions.
The primary reason for the games though is the entertainment of the masses. Slaves and creatures from all over the known world are brought into the great arenas and forced to face each other in many exotic circumstances. The more unique the better. Some cities have flooded their arenas and had sea battles, others have concocted a magical barrier and had aviary fights on fake trees.
The most popular scenario for the games at the present time is called a maze. Walls are erected all through the arena in a labyrinthine pattern. Of course the top of the maze is open to the air and the view of the audience. A group of gladiators are released from either end. The group of gladiators that reach the opposite side of the arena first, win the games. Somewhere in between, the gladiators usually have to face each other. Quite often vicious animals and monsters are thrown in the middle of the maze to make the maze more interesting. The maze was introduced in Persus and has quickly spread through all the major cities.
The gladiatorial games began of course in Drazid, but now the spectacle has made them very popular in many cities of Efirvia. In the Sealands the cost is usually only a couple of guilders so the stands are almost always filled. It does have its enemies though: The Knights Lucern absolutely detest the institution and no respectable knight would enter the coliseums where so much innocent blood is spilt. On the other hand many adventurers have taken up capturing large and exotic monsters and selling them to the gamekeepers of the arena for substantial remuneration.

Opposition to Slavery

Leading the opposition to slavery is the League of Inland States. They detest slavery and are not as influenced by the Merchants Guild as the cities closer to the sea. The slave trade is illegal there and slave owners avoid the area. The second force that does all it can to resist slavery is the Lucern Brotherhood. Many knights believe that slavery is part of the evil that they have been fighting for years. Many outwardly oppose slavery and this has caused a small rift between them and the Merchants. Even the Red Plume knights who support the Guild generally dislike the slave trade and try to influence the Merchants to raise heavier restrictions on the trade.

The slave trade has also given rise to an organized opposition to the Merchants Guild. A band of wanted brigands, rebels and escaped slaves has formed and calls itself the Sawnshial. This organization does its best to oppose and hinder the evade activities of the Merchants. Some members feel that they are on a kind of Jihad against the evil of the Merchants Guild, others just find it an easy way to make money.
Most escaped slaves flee to the ruined city of Cyrithia. This nest of pirates and brigands has become a serious nail in the foot of the Merchants Guild. After two failed attempts to clean out the old city the Merchants have become extremely frustrated.
The city is discussed in the section of Cyrithia.

Trade in Efirvia

Efirvia is a world based on trade and as such trade will be an important part of the drama that unfolds in your adventures. Much of the world trade is still done by bartering. Monetary systems also differ from place to place and Coins hold different weights of gold and silver in them.
In the Sealands the primary coin is the silver guilder which is printed by the Merchants Guild and is used by all the City States in southern Thuron. This is the most stable form of money in the world of Efirvia and most lands will accept it as a worthy trading piece. The Merchants Guild also prints a gold coin known as a crown. The name is a leftover from the gold coin that was produced by the old Thuron Empire. A crown is about half the size of a guilder and is worth 20 guilders on the market. A small copper piece, worth 1/10 of a guilder is also printed by the Guild and is called a Guild piece or simply a piece. Finally their is a large gold coin called an Emperor which is worth 100 Guilders and is rarely used, unless for major purchases or diplomatic trades. Generally speaking, Merchant minted money is the only coin that is accepted in Southern Thuron and other currency must usually be changed by a Guild agent for a small price.

To the north the Thuron empire also uses silver as its main currency which is called a bit. A bit has slightly less pure silver in it and are not as well accepted in Efirvia as the Guilder. The Empire uses a gold piece which is similar to that of the Merchants Guild and is also called a crown. The Empire readily accepts Merchants Guild money but publicly deny that their bit is worth less than a guilder. Privately everyone knows the difference.

The third of the major currencies is that of Drazid and Kahareth. Drazid uses two coins: the adder and the cobra. The adder is a heavy silver piece worth 2 Guilders and the cobra is a heavy gold piece worth 30 Guilders. Although both these countries print their own currency they are both based on the ancient Azchirgnoth currency.

Other countries and kingdoms circulate their own currency, and in large hoards many different types of coin can be found. Many kingdoms in the southern continent simply use a conglomeration of currency. Both Guilders and adders may be found abundantly in lands along the Hazzur River. The exchange of currency is a big business both legally and illegally. Money is bought and sold based on its weight of the precious metals. In communities where there is a variety of currency vendors will all have scales to use.
A fast way to make money is to clip a small amount of gold or silver from a large amount of coins and melt them together. Large amounts of precious metal can be gathered. This is not looked upon kindly by merchants or governing officials and it is unwise to be caught with large amounts of clipped coins.

Paper Money:
The emperor is being displaced by a the new idea of bearer bonds, bank notes, or paper money. Between Guild officials money can be transferred by notes of credit. Since notes can only be redeemed by Guild officials or money changers, they are much safer to transport than specie and large stolen amounts may often be tracked down when redeemed. Virtually any amount of cash or barter may be transferred by the notes and commoners may even buy notes to transfer and cash for a fee. Guild money changers usually charge five percent to change any bill to hard currency.


Merchandise

Since much of Evirvia is a bartering society, many goods prove more useful to have than actual coinage. Here is a list of some of the most valuable trade Items in Efirvia.
Most of these items are unique and as such should add flavor to your game. Whole treasure hoards may not have a single coin in them.

Dragonsdust:
Dragonsdust is one of the hottest items on Efirvia. It is mined primarily in the Red Mountains to the west of the Hazzur River although small deposits have been found in the Morant Vale and around Thule Dunnan. Both of these areas are particularly dangerous. The Dragonsdust trade along the Hazzur has been monopolized by the Caravan branch of the Merchants Guild. A heavy smuggling ring is also operating in the area.
To be used as gunpowder Dragonsdust must be refined by a trained alchemist. In an unrefined state the mineral is to volatile to be used to project gunstones. Dragonsdust may be refined in three states: semi-refined, which can be fired from cannons; refined, which works in guns; and the super-refined dragonsdust which will work in the accurate rifled guns. The expense of Dragonsdust triples with each level of refinement. At present refined gunpowder costs 15 guilders per gram.
So: Unrefined dragonsdust costs: 2 guilders per gram.
Semi-refined costs: 5 guilders
refined costs: 15 guilders
dragonsdust costs: 45 guilders
Of course prices will vary on location. Actually this is the going rate in the Sealands which is the most common location for refined dragonsdust and is also the cheapest.

Guns:
All crafted weapons have a good value on them but guns are particularly valuable. Without the modern factories of today, guns must be crafted by hand. Since it is a relatively new invention, very few people know how to create workable firearms. The primary gunsmiths on Efirvia are the alchemists in the employ of the Merchants Guild. In recent years some other ingenious gunsmiths have arisen, but none have duplicated the quality of the School of Alchemy. Since guns must be made individually, they are very expensive. Since most of them are bought by the rich, they are usually inlaid with designs and gold. No two guns are alike, and gun gilding has become an art form. Among the nobility guns are as much an item of jewelry as they are a weapon. Of course the value of guns varies with the level of artistry.


Umma wood:
The Umma tree is a strange wood that helps focus magical energies when spells are cast. The Umma tree is vary rare and vary seldom survives when it is transplanted and can only be found in deep forests. It grows particularly well in the Rasberrin Forest. There are two types of umma tree. The white and black varieties. Black umma is considerable more powerful in its magic aiding powers and Unfortunately is much rarer. Black umma is generally made into wands where white Umma is used to form staffs.
Wands staffs and rods are made from this wood and are sold at high prices around Efirvia to all magic using cultures. Prices vary greatly on Umma wood depending on the amount of wood and the power in it. Another variable is the woodcraft that is used in creating the staff or wand. Umma staffs with realistic dragons heads carved into them are considerably more expensive than cylinder poles.

Kuirmite:
Kuirmite is a rare dark colored metal mined in the Borian mountains. When forged with iron Kuirmite becomes a brilliant silver metal that is very hard and particularly resistant to corrosion. The word Kuirmite means both the mineral that is mined and the compound that is formed when it is forged. The forging process is difficult and extremely high temperatures are required. Forged Kuirmite has a very high asking price. The value of the metal is also increased by the heightened effects Kuirmite weapons have on necromantic and unnatural creatures.
Kuirmite is most commonly coveted by the Brotherhood of Lucern. They will pay large amounts of money for the silver metal. It is also highly sought after by grave robbers. Since the metal is so expensive, most of the time it is forged into arrow or spearheads, but occasionally a sword with be forged with the hard silver.

Wine:
The sealands are known throughout the Efirvian kingdoms for its vineyards. Sealand wine is a powerful trade item abroad. Clari Brandy is particularly valued for its flavor and effects. A grapelike berry grows in the swamps around Persus and makes a particularly tasty and potent wine. Persuvian wine is known to be the best in the world and is only found in the best wine cellers in Efirvia.
Wine increases in value depending on the distance from the Sealands. A bottle of Persuvian wine can exact huge sums in the Galingian or Thuron Empires.

Salt and ivory trade:
Along the Western coasts of the Kaharian continent two very lucrative trades flourish.
The Salt trade originates in the great salt deserts to the west of Kahareth where huge blocks are mined from the desert floor. When transported north and east these blocks increase in value until they are almost worth their weight in gold. From the lands farther to the west, along the Ebone coast live the great pachyderm that yield the valuable ivory. Ivory is a preferred substance for making drinking vessels and especially sword hilts and knife handles.