Economy of the Separate Races and Realms
Khardfee / Dwarves: The economy of the Dwarven Kingdom
of Khardfee centers around the mining, smelting, forging and creation of
metal, alloys and metal crafts. They are the smiths of Thardferr.
Though any race can learn to work a forge and create metal crafts, it is
the Dwarves that excel in this area. The metals of the dwarves are
purer and the steels harder than any other smelted in the confederacy.
The forging and casting of metal and alloys by the Dwarves are secrets
handed down from father to son through millennia. Not only metal-works
but also stone-work is a strength amongst the Dwarves, and the best masonry
is designed and built by Dwarven hands. Much of their ability comes
from their innate ability to detect flaws and differences in stone.
This allows the Dwarves to be able to discern a problem before it happens,
and find the stones that would work better and be placed more cleanly with
one other. Dwarven masonry is sometimes marveled at by other races,
who cannot understand how they can have some of their work stand, let alone
be stronger than a work of greater size and thickness.
Of all metals, the Dwarves are most fond of
silver. This may be why the monetary system started being based on the
metal, since it was the Dwarves who first created coins and a monetary
system. When they find a rich vein of the metal, or the special silver,
true silver as they call it, they are as excited as if they had found gold
or diamonds. And to them and many others the true silver is worth
more than either. Some Dwarven mastersmiths have learned to work
the true silver into exceptional weapons and armor as well as having other
spells and magics enchanted into it. But in the hands of a lesser
smith, it is of no special worth and can be indistinguishable from the
common silver ore. The Dwarven smiths sell their finest pieces at
exorbitant prices, but most buyers admit that they are well worth it.
Edilar / Elves: The Elves of Edilar have no economy, at
least not in the way other realms would see it. They have craftsmen
and others that specialize in certain areas, but they create for the use
of others, and so would only make something as it was needed, and either
gift it, or trade it for something that they would need. Though they
did make many works of art for the pleasure of creating it and giving it
to another, it was not as a means of gaining wealth. The free gifting
of your hard work to another seems strange to most other races, but the
elves have traditions going back before most other races, dealing with
trade and an economy wherein everything belongs to all elves, and if a
thing better served one elf over another, then it should be his for as
long as it was needed.
Even so, the elves joined the Confederacy
and learned the ways of money and economy, sometimes the hard way, as they
traded things of great worth for other things of little value that they
needed at the time. After a while the elves learned the value of
things, and stopped thinking others were like them, and so would only trade
for things of like value, or use the foreign money only to purchase things
from outside their realm. In almost all cases they would use a gnome
trader in which they had trust to do their dealing for them. The
common elf had no idea of the value of things or the use of money.
If traveling in the outer realms, as they called all other realms outside
Edilar, they would likely pay any cost without haggling because it is the
way of an elf to believe that others would only ask what a thing is actually
worth.
The principal resource of Edilar is wood,
and as such the elves have become experts in the working of it. The
elves are the undisputed masters of woodcraft. Their musical instruments
have the best tone, and are the most durable. A bow crafted by an
elf will outlast and stay accurate longer than that created by any other
hand. Furniture created by the elves is not only functional, but
beautiful. It is not uncommon for an elf to spend as much time searching
for the right piece of wood as it takes for them to actually craft what
they are making. An elf will not use a piece of wood not suited for
what it is meant to be.
The Elves of Edilar are famous for their beautiful
hand-crafted wood carvings. These carvings are sought world wide, although
the Elves rarely sell them. These carvings many times are given to the
other races as a sign of rare friendship. When the Elves do sell their
works, normally they are sold to a gnomish trader, who distributes them
at high prices.
The Lunar trees of Edilar on Norben Island
were a one-of-a-kind resource. They were never harvested or cut down,
though the wood that naturally fell from the tree was used to make the
greatest of woodcrafted items in all the world. The wood itself,
even though seeming dead, will glow faintly in the light of the moon, and
under the full moon increase its glow. With each full moon the light
is greater, until it is almost like a candle light under the glow of all
three moons. Lunar Trees also produce fruit. This fruit is
used to make wine, but the wine is never used except to celebrate the greatest
of affairs, and it is almost never served to non-elves. Now that
the trees are in rotting and dying, the wood of the Lunar trees is becoming
increasingly rare, and no more Lunar wine is being made. This makes
Lunar products into even more valuable commodities.
Ruch / Goblins: The Goblin cities of Ruch are filled with
minor craftsmen that can make many duplicates of some uncomplicated thing.
The greatest strength of the goblins is their numbers and the ability to
work tirelessly for hour after hour on the most simple of tasks.
Because of this, the goblins are efficient at turning out great amounts
of simple products for cheap cost to them, mainly because of the use of
slave labor, and sell them for profit. Their goods aren't the most
beautiful, but they serve their purpose. Since the Goblins are not
very good at resource collecting (mining, woodsmen, farmers) or maintaining
them once they have them, they have to trade with Gnomes for their materials.
When Goblins collect materials, they tend to strip the area of any further
use. They will cause deforestation or collapse a mine to get at the closest
and most easily-gained ores, making it four times as hard to mine the area
later. The Goblins also deal with the Halflings for foodstuffs, in
trade for their cheap trade goods.
Ruch / Orcs: Since becoming part of the Confederacy, the
Orcs of Ruch have learned to trade with the Gnomes and Halflings to better
their life. Mostly nomadic, the Orcs have started to settle down
into territories, and fight to keep them. Their economy is still
fairly crude, and in many cases it comes from the selling of their brute
strength for menial tasks, or to the highest bidder as mercenaries.
But there are some who have started to trade on the abilities for crafting
that they do have.
One such thing that has given the Orc women
more value to the clans is their working of natural fibers and intricate
knot-tying that they do while they are with child. The women will
hook and tie beautiful and ornate rugs for the camp and tent floors.
These rugs are durable and colorful and caught the eye of Gnome traders.
When they were introduced to the rest of Thardferr, the rugs became the
carpets of choice. Even lesser-quality rugs are often thrown down
under a bedroll to cushion the ground under a traveler. The Orcs
also make a braided rope using techniques similar to the rug making, that
is stronger than thrice-twined rope of hemp, yet much lighter.
The women of the Orcs also weave fine cloth,
using some exotic fabrics found only in Ruch, or out of materials they
are brought by Gnomes. They also raise worms that produce a fine,
smooth, and very strong material when it is woven together. They
make rope of this as well. Although it isn't as strong as the braided
rope, it is much lighter than normal rope, and just as strong. Orcs
have a great amount of knowledge about dyes and the wild plants of Ruch.
Ingredients they find in animals in the area allow them to produce vibrant,
lasting colors for their cloth and rugs. They are able to produce
good red, violet and almost true black colors.
The Orcs work with the Halflings and trade
their strength and masonry skills for the food the Halflings produce.
A common village will see a small group of Orcs living with a group of
Halflings maybe four times their size. The Halflings provide the
basic staples of the community, and the Orcs protect it and add to it with
their strength-oriented skills. Besides these, there is moderate
stone-work the orcs can perform, and they make competent masons.
Other skills are known, mostly the basics for maintaining a village, but
they do not add much to the economy of the Orcs.
Orcs know precious metals and other things
of worth have intrinsic value, though they are not very good at putting
an actual price on them. They will ask those they think they can
trust for help in this, and then usually hunt down and kill them if they
are cheated. They also mine the mountains and hills of Ruch for such
ores and trade them with the Gnomes. The southern parts of the Lost
Mountains are rich in copper and tin, as well as a newly-discovered and
highly-valued resource known as Earthsblood.
Ruch and Tuth / Halflings: Halflings live within Ruch and
Tuth, and are handy craftsmen as well as superior farmers. Their
main economy is in growing and providing food for those races they live
amongst, especially for larger towns and cities. This is a good livelihood,
but a hard one, and rarely allows the Halflings to become rich. Any
extra amount of effort that they can make generally goes into providing
some other craft or goods that they think can be sold and gain them profit.
Though they are not as professional as the
Gnome, or as hard working as most Dwarves in their field, the Halflings
are able to shoulder almost any task, and Halflings can be found in every
profession. The thing that they excel in is the art of making the most
disgusting things edible. Also, they are the makers of the finest
ale in all of Thardferr. The Red Ale made from the red barley of
Ruch has the richest taste of all the brewed drinks in Thardferr.
Many house or family ales of differing taste and brew abound, and are traded
throughout Thardferr by industrious Halflings and Gnomes.
The Halflings also grow, gather and grind
spices for sale, and have special mixtures that they sell and trade.
Halflings are masters of animal husbandry, and are able to provide dairy
and other products others are either unable to make, or care not to.
The Halflings of Ruch also raise dogs, train horses, and are proficient
beekeepers. Their honey and also honey-mead brings them fame the
land over. They are the only race who are able to train horses to
accept the odor of Orcs, and such specially-trained mounts are highly valued
by the Orcs.
Halflings also grow a wide variety of exotic
plants. Most common is the tobacco plant, and Halfling-grown pipeweed
is usually half again as costly as that grown by other races. Halflings
also grow many specialized plants for many specialized purposes, including
medicinal, recreational, narcotic, and even poisonous purposes. Very
few Halflings will sell the more dangerous products to those whom they
do not trust, and usually reserve such materials for the Gnome traders,
or Watcher-affiliated traders.
Tuth and Lithar / Humans: The Human lands of Tuth and Lithar
are mixed with a variety of economy based resources. They have forests,
mountains, and a sea-based economy. Because of this, the humans may
be the most affluent of all the races. Though Elves may have more
valuable artworks, and the Dwarves more precious ores and gems, these races
do not use them or covet them as Humans do. It seems that Humans are made
to use money. Many of them will work twice as hard as they need to
survive, purely to get more money or buy things that are not needed to
aid in their survival. Human cities will have craftsmen shops under
the living places of the people. The workplace is often a basic part
of their home life. Many cities will even have many of the same type
of shop, and craftsman that will compete for business. This causes
them to always strive to do better work, or sell for a better price.
It also causes some to try and find a shortcut, or lesser materials to
undercut their work and attempt to produce it faster or cheaper.
Much of Human economy is based on these craftsmen
competing, and many join guilds to form some sort of basis for their goods,
so that someone who has some advantage can't cause the craft to suffer,
or put the work of another at lesser worth. The dichotomy of competition
with unification keeps the Humans economics dynamic.
Alderd / Gnomes: The Gnome have brought their way of trade
to all of Thardferr, and it may be the humans most resemble them.
Yet the Gnome will rarely undersell another gnome, or try to produce shoddy
goods to save a crown or two. Though they are always out to make
a good deal, it is not usually the case that they intend to cheat anyone.
Because of this, the Gnome trader is respected throughout Thardferr.
In their cities in Alderd, they have household
businesses that work from the bottom up. From the gathering of materials
by one family member, to the preparation by another and the actual manufacture
by the craftsmen, the Gnome crafting machine works for precision and effectiveness
to get the best product they can make out to those that would buy it.
And they don't stop at what they can make alone. If they find a product
only made by another, or unable to be made elsewhere, they will travel
to those who have control and make a deal to distribute it. The economy
of the Gnome is based on being the middle man, as much as the manufacturer.
Like the Humans, Gnomes will work three times
as hard to attempt to make ten times as much as they need to survive.
Not only do they live above their workshops, but many Gnome live in them,
having nowhere else to live. And the workshop is more important than
the home to many Gnomes. The Tinkerer will forfeit comfort and even
livelihood at times when they are inspired. They will give up all else,
working on some innovation they think will be either a means to improve
life or make them rich or famous.
Much of Gnome economy is based upon taking
one commodity from a one place, and bringing it to where it is most wanted.
The Gnomes do make their own goods, most of these being strange and exotic
devices built by Tinkerers, but readily trade the goods of other races
for the most profit. Gnomes have invented distilleries and have the
secret of making Brandied Wines. This commodity is greatly desired
by most people of any race for its flavor and greater ability to get one
drunk with less to drink. The Gnomes have created Brandy Wines from
every conceivable plant, berry, flower and fruit they can find.
Many of the stranger ones take a discerning pallet to enjoy. The
gnomes make the best toys in the world, delighting children and often adults
for hours. Also, they are constantly coming up with newer and hopefully
better inventions that they give to the Traders, who distribute them for
testing.
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