Coinage

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Commerce and Coinage in Minaria

Minaria’s economy is quite advanced in certain respects, with a widespread network of trade routes connecting different parts of the continent, serviced by well-established traders. There are many merchant fleets and caravans, although surprisingly there are few large trade costers. Most merchants are small, either individuals or with only a few ships/wagons. Most states maintain relatively open borders, although local tariffs can be steep. There is little systematic control of trade at the national level. Some areas, are somewhat mercantilist, but most are not developed enough economically to be so rigid.

Minaria is not as advanced in the types of materials traded. Most regions are self-sustaining when it comes to foodstuffs, and there is little agricultural produce traded, unlike the wide scale movement of wheat and produce that occurred in the waning years of the Lloroi Empire. Most food-related trade is in specialty items, like Parrosian salted fish or Girondese tropical fruits. Trade in animals like the hill goats and the longneck sheep provides both meat and wool, not to mention pack animals.

Fashion plays a role, as Dwarven platinum, Immerite furs, and a variety of gemstones from all regions move across the continent to large cosmopolitan urban centres like Adeese. Feather plumes from the Enciree bird are exported from Mivior for use in hat fashions everywhere, not to mention pillow stuffing.

Industry is a rarity. Minaria operates in a medieval economy, with metal working being the most predominant industrial process known. Mining is done for precious metals, but there are a few unusual mines. Mines near Khuzdul and Marzarbol produce tin. Amber is found in the northern reaches of Immer and Zorn. Moonrune in Girion produces quality diamonds and Tostog platinum. A magic-enhancing ore, known as Meteoric, can only be found in the Kookustathorn Mountains of Lered, and it is forbidden by the mages of Lered to export the priceless ore.

The flaky, easily cracked, translucent purple ore requires extremely delicate mining skills to extract the easily destroyed ore. If the ore is damaged in extraction or shipment, it loses its magic-enhancing properties and becomes nothing more than a semi-precious pyrite.

While anything can be had for a large enough price, most regions will not see foreign goods from outside the normal originating destinations. It would be highly unlikely,

for instance, to find High Elven trade goods in Pon.

Resources in Minaria

Slavery

Regrettably one of the biggest trade goods is slaves. Slavery is widely practiced in many parts of the continent, and few realms are so enlightened that slavery is forbidden outright. Even where slavery is frowned upon, it can still exist in law, as many an escaped-slave, handed over to authorities by dutifully loyal peasants, has found out. Some slavery is referenced with regard to race. While the goblins will enslave any race, dwarves do not enslave their own, although they will grudgingly acquiesce if a pre-existing human slave is brought across their border. This varies from region to region, and is often dependent on the racial attitudes towards the enslaved race. Most gnomes would think twice about handing over a halfling slave, but would have fewer compunctions handing over a goblin slave. Because slavery is so pervasive, it is important to distinguish which attitudes encompass different regions. There are four categories of attitudes towards slavery in Minaria:

Group 1: Free Lands

Regions which abhor slavery in all its forms are known as “Free Lands”. Within the borders of these lands slavery is not permitted. Any slave brought across the border will be freed if possible. Escaped slaves entering these regions are automatically freed and almost nothing could persuade authorities to turn someone over knowing they would re-enslaved. Known slavers are shunned and unwelcome, even if they are not actively enslaving. There are occasionally racial exclusions, such as Dwarves only recognizing the freedom of dwarves respectively. Neuth’s general disinterest in the fate of non-elf slaves is another degree lower on the scale, but most free lands have a long tradition of officially forbidding slavery within their borders.

Group 2: Slavery allowed, but with disapproval

Most regions of Minaria allow slavery to exist. It is a question of degree and support that authority will provide to uphold slavery laws that varies. In the case of Group 2, slavery is officially permitted to exist due to longstanding tradition, and slaves brought across the border will remain slaves in the eyes of the law. However, a wide degree of latitude exists, as local lords or people may take a dim view of slavers and slavery. Escaped slaves are more likely to be given shelter and rarely handed over. No new slaves may be taken in these areas and slave markets are strongly discouraged. Domestic slavery is rare. Slavery may once have existed (such as in Mivior), but has subsequently become socially unacceptable. It may be discouraged for religious reasons (Spires to the Sun), or for social pressures (in Hubbleglum nearly everyone is an ex-slave and slavery is widely loathed).

Group 3: Slavery allowed, with approval

These regions are the opposite of Group 2 in that slavery, while not widespread domestically, is accepted as a fact of life and most authorities will willingly cooperate in ensuring escaped slaves are handed over or that slavers’ property is secured. Inalienable rights are generally ignored in favour of property rights (namely the property of the slavers). Occasionally slaves brought in from aboard are put to work in such regions, as long as no citizens are enslaved domestically. Slaver caravans are a common sight. Immer, for example, imports slaves to work in the gold mines and rock quarries of the north. There are exceptions and degrees again. Zorn generally forbids enslavement of goblins in its territory, but has no compunctions about enslaving all the other races, nor do the goblins hesitate to enslave each other outside the Nithmere Mountain range. The Westward Isles tend not to enslave their own citizens (many of whom, like Hubbleglum, are ex-slaves) but actively work the slave markets, shipping and selling slaves from and to other parts of the world. Muetar is a special case in that the kingdom practices serfdom, a form of slavery, while officially outlawing domestic slavery. Serfdom ties the peasantry to the land, making them the property of the land-owning class, while providing a minimum amount of personal rights (no serf may be forcibly separated from his family, for example). A serf is nowhere near as free as near the yeoman class of Hothior and elsewhere, but serfdom is a slight step above formal slavery, at least in theory. In practice, it depends on the enlightenment of the local landlord.

Group 4: Slave states

The relatively few states which actively practice slavery account for the bulk of the slave trade in Minaria. At any given time, thousands of slaves are bought and sold inside and outside the boundaries of these nations. Most will work the great agricultural plantations, tilling irrigated crops in the arid lands. A smaller portion will be hard labourers in cities and mines. A lucky few may become servants to the local upper classes. Almost none will enjoy a full or long life. Escaped slaves are hunted ruthlessly. Once branded, a slave can only be counted free if he can produce official papers. Strangers without proper papers can be enslaved on the spot (if they can be disarmed, restrained, and shipped without too much fuss). Authorities will zealously enforce slavery edicts. Slavery is a common sentence for crime in these states, including aiding and abetting runaway slaves. Few individuals will go out of their way to risk punishment by helping an escaped slave. Shucassam is the worst slave nation in Minaria, with thousands of slaves. The slave markets of Zefnar, Khuzdul, and Adeese are linked by the caravan routes and the remains of the Great Road. Afgaar of Girion is a like-minded nation, with a predominant upper class living off the labour of the conquered population and the imported slaves. The Scarlet Empire (Witchlands) epitomizes misery and despair, with hundreds of thousands of slaves living or dying at the whims of their capricious master.

Slavery in Minaria

Currency

Minaria operates on a silver standard. Silver and copper are the most common coins in use throughout the world. Gold coins are rarer, and not widely circulated despite many items being priced in gold. While most kingdoms and city states produce coins with their own mark on them, the coins are usually interchangeable throughout Minaria. Even countries at war with each other will usually accept each other’s currency. Coins are valued for their metal content, not their provenance (excepting Imperial Lloroi electrum coins), and one of the gravest crimes is coin-shaving.

Copper is a relatively common metal in Minaria. Most hills and mountains contains small deposits of this ore, and most regions produce their own copper coins for use in general circulation. Pon and Mivior have deeper deposits of copper. Ponese shipments of copper bars make up the backbone of the eastern Minarian economy, while Miviorian copper dominates the Coastal Heartlands.

Silver is the base metal for the commerce of Minaria. Even where items are priced in gold values, coins and bars changing hands are usually silver. Small silver mines are to be found in most regions where the land rises to the sky, but only in Pon are deep deposits of this precious metal found. Ponese silver coins predominate in general circulation.

Gold is rare in Minaria. While a number of mountain ranges have small veins of gold, large deposits are only found in two places: the Dwarf Kingdom of Aws Noir and in the bed of the River Rapid on the northern Immer border. Most of the gold in circulation in the old Lloroi Empire had to be imported from Pterak on the Trazig continent. In recent centuries, mines have opened in Tostog, a dwarf kingdom of Girion.

Electrum was a currency of the Lloroi Empire of old. The Lloroi merged the common silver with the rare gold, creating a unique coin. However, the practice was lost in the years following the Great Cataclysm and no new large gold mines were discovered in Minaria until 1130 AC. No new electrum coins have been minted for over 1300 years, save perhaps a very small trickle in the reclusive realm of Annuwin in southern Girion. Most electrum coins are in the hands of collectors, and are rarely seen in circulation.

Platinum coins are even more rare than electrum. There are only two known mines of platinum in Minaria: the mines of Rosengg and Tostog. The dwarves hoard their rare precious metal and little of it ever enters circulation. Platinum coins bearing the stamp of the Dwarf Kingdoms are the most valuable coins in the world.

Large Coins called Crowns exist, often valued at 25x the face. So a Gold Crown is worth 250 silver pieces. Normally these are handled at the guild or national level, not at the tavern.

Bars of monetary value exist, called ingots. Their values vary wildly, but generally from 1000 to 2500 times value. So a gold bar would be worth 2500 silver pieces. Again, a guild level item.

Other currencies have been popular from time to time in certain regions. Prior to wide scale contact with the outside world, the goblins of Zorn used Jozon (rock salt) blocks as currency. This practice was discontinued as the silver standard spread amongst the humanoids and they found that their rock salt was one of the few commodities sought by the human traders.

Diamonds and other gemstones are not usually used for commerce, but it is not uncommon to use them for a portable valuable treasure hoard. Ivory and amber are used similarly. Artwork tends not to be portable enough and is too fragile for mass shipping.

Commerce in Minaria is not suitably advanced to support a paper economy. Occasionally merchants will accept a wax-sealed letter of credit from another allied merchant, but this is the exception rather than the rule. The most common paper transaction comes from the nobility to the merchants. The Royal List is an IOU from the royal treasury to the merchant, usually used to purchase military supplies. It is not transferable and is only valid inside the borders of the kingdom in question.

Game information: Minaria operates with the standard currency conversions and price lists found in the Player’s Handbook

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