City of Thornmouth

Thornmouth is a young kingdom grappling with the emergence of capitalism and a need to adapt to rapid growth and change. It facilitates nearly all trade between the east and the west, its economy dependent upon the relations it maintains from both sides of the continent. A lucrative port of trade and kingdom of innovation, the capital city deals in a wide variety of goods. While bartering still exists among individuals and smaller settlements, the kingdom is host to an evolving market economy.


Thornmouth's currency comes in the form of crystals called 'shards', created from a local form of quartz that grows at an unnatural pace within deep cave systems. Their growth is thought to be linked to the natural saturation of magic in the land. The approved money of the kingdom is crafted in heavily guarded mines where small slithers of metal in the shape of the troll cross are placed inside the crystal as it grows. These mines are very well fortified both above and below ground, sure to be the death of any would-be robber or saboteur.

The local system of fiat currency was developed out of necessity. While an attempt was made to use human coinage in the early days of the kingdom, a metal standard proved difficult to maintain due to the melting pot of cultures and immigration from other worlds. In time there was citizenry who could create their own precious metals and additional importation from travelers meant the scarcity of any given material could not be guaranteed. So alternatives were sought and a solution found in the fast-growing crystals of the region. With the exception of currency from recognized nations (see: International Trade), precious metals here are only worth their melt values.


Pebbles (equivalent to cents) are the primary currency for most citizens. They are small rounded byproducts from the harvesting process tumbled into smaller currency and usually kept in a secondary pouch separate from the rods. There are five basic types of pebble and one additional that counts as a single shard:

Stone Pebble - 1p
Iron Pebble - 5p
Copper Pebble - 10p
Silver Pebble - 25p
Gold Pebble - 50p
Banded or Royal Pebble - 1s


Shards (equivalent to dollars) come in the form of small crystalline rods that fit in the palm of your hand. They are typically carried in soft leather pouches or containers with slots to prevent chipping or too much noise. Their values are denoted by coloration and the metal of the troll cross trapped inside: with each higher value the metal also increases in value, from iron, to copper, to silver and lastly gold. There are four main denominations of shard:

Iron - 5s
Copper - 10s
Silver - 25s
Gold - 50s

When one reaches the denomination of gold, one will see 'standard' golds and then those with bands: each band represents a gold valued at 100s, therefore a shard with two bands inside it = 200s. These are called 'banded golds' and go from 'one banded gold' all the way up to a 500s 'five-banded gold'.

One-Banded Gold: 100s
Two-Banded Gold: 200s
Three-Banded Gold: 300s
Four-Banded Gold: 400s
Five-Banded Gold: 500s

• The common folk deal primarily in pebbles, which is why the only one shard denomination is the gold banded pebble, whereas the iron shard starts at five - a stark example of gold being devalued here and considered decorative before rare. It is not normal to carry around a great deal of crystal - most people have bags of pebbles and a case for a handful of higher denomination shards.
  
• The rich condense their wealth into the higher denominations for safekeeping, the banks have vaults filled with lockboxes containing shelves of slotted trays for shards.
  
• A payment in goods is still accepted by many!

• These estimates are only rough averages, your character may get paid more or less depending on their situation. They may live lifestyles above their means. They may be more frugal or have an easier time saving due to a lack of dependents. They may have a higher than normal lifestyle cost due to dietary needs, fines, debt, etc. Whatever the case may be, don’t take these averages as perfect ranges!
• These averages assume most workers have days off and work roughly 22 days a month, your character may be working more (or less).
• An individual making less than 50s a month is considered impoverished.
• There is a 10% tax on land and business owners (of income or produce), but most taxes are gathered through tariffs.
• In general rent ranges from 22% - 30% of income depending on district.
• The aristocracy consists of roughly 500 people in the approximate population of 20,000.

These are some average local cost estimates - keep in mind they will vary depending on quality, where purchased, etc. It is always cheaper to get a product straight from the source!

Food and Drink
mug of ale = 4p
gallon of ale = 15p
glass of standard wine = 14p
glass of fine wine = 33p
bottle of fine wine = 1.6s
loaf of bread = 8p
lb of flour = 10.6p

Rent and Board
a common room cot in an inn a day = 20p
a night in a regular inn = 40p (assuming included meals)
an apartment in the slums = 10s a month
a house in the slums = 13s a month
a dock house = 10s a month
a house in the forest district = 26s a month (less safety, more land)
a middle-class apartment = 20s a month
a middle-class townhouse = 26s a month (more safety, less land)
luxury rentals = probably don’t exist, the wealthy simply buy their homes

Housing and Land
apartment = 2000-3000s
smaller home = 4000-5000s
large home = 10,000s
noble estate = 45,000s
two story shop, crescent district = 4000s
farmland = 100s per acre
woodland plot of land = 40s per acre
inarable land = 10s an acre
small city plot = 200s (depending on district) (no building)
large city plot = 4000-6000s (depending on district) (no building)

Livestock Costs
mount boarding costs = 20p a day boarding, 8p a day feed
a riding horse = 28s
a fine war horse = 160s

Common Goods
candle, 4p
ink (1 ounce bottle), 15p
basic shirt, 4s

Raw Materials
a lb of gold = 18.15s
paper (one sheet) = 12.7p

Common Services
custom tailoring = cost of materials + labor

Education
It is important to note that fees are not paid to the schools, but directly to the teachers who set their own prices and in turn pay fees to their institutions. These costs are going to vary dramatically depending on the instructor and the type of class. Thornmouth Academy and Steeplestone charge by the class, with no general education offered.

Thornmouth Academy (general education) = 1s a day or 15s a month (per class)
Steeplestone Academy (higher magical education) = 2s a day, 35s a month, or 120s a semester (for most basic classes - specialized courses get considerably more expensive)


While Thornmouth produces much in the way of material goods, there is a shortage of open land due to the nature of the isthmus - too far north and one risks dragon fire, too far west and one finds nature unmanageable, too far east and one runs into arid, rocky ground and predators. What towns and cities host fields tend to be closer to the capital and middle of the region, with more being fished and hunted than grown or raised. While the crops the kingdom produces are not insignificant (especially in regards to fungi and fruits), it still imports a lot of other foodstuffs (especially grain).


The isthmus is rich in ore and hosts a number of mining operations, primarily out of Crystal Town and settlements within the Sleeping Mountains. While more of a rural agricultural village, Arakho Valley plays host to many a miner and merchant passing through.

There is ample copper all around the volcanic central region and the more mountainous areas are host to not just copper, but iron, tin, gold, and a not insignificant amount of other minerals (including lead, silver, cobalt, manganese, zinc, and uranium). There is said to be a great deal of gold within and around the central sea, a claim supported by the fact the metal seems somewhat more abundant in this world and region in particular.; this is part of the reason that the kingdom uses shards instead of a gold standard.

The Central Region is also host to a variety of crystals both magical and mundane found throughout its mountain ranges, in particular the multicolored quartz used to mint shards.

Melt Values
WIP! What can be said off hand is that copper, iron, tin, and gold are cheaper here than they might be elsewhere. A metal that might be considered precious today, like platinum, has minimal application due to its difficulty to work with. It is primarily valued as a decorative metal used by jewelers, but not widely so given its high melting point. In the real world its value comes from industrial applications that have not been discovered here.

gold = 1.13s/oz
platinum = similar to gold, potentially less...
silver =
copper =

In general, trade is facilitated by businesses and wealthy merchants through trade licenses and district charters. A traveling merchant is expected to pay fees when crossing borders or entering ports. This includes those traveling directly into the kingdom through magical means, who must apply for a specialized merchants license in order to do business.

The Merchant’s Guild

Thornmouth does business with both sides of the continent and acts as neutral ground, maintaining peace while facilitating trade - they make good money through the taxation of goods passing through the kingdom.

While the port is ‘open to all’, the kingdom engages in minimal serious trade with other worlds due to the level of risk and difficulty involved. There are few reliable moon gates and the reliance upon magical items questionable. It has already proved a struggle to maintain a stable economy (or even ecosystem) with the unexpected goods that immigrants and merchants often bring with them, so an effort is made to minimize the damage by limiting such imports.

The major difference between ‘other world’ and local trade agreements is that most merchants pay a toll at border crossings - if someone is traveling another way, such as a moon gate or by personal means, they bypass this and therefore have to pay monthly ‘portal fees’ for their license even if they haven't done business recently.

Trade Partners
Thornmouth primarily does trade with the dwarven, elvish, fae and orcish nations. While the elves have been historically considered culturally isolationist, in recent years they have become increasingly interested in lavish imports. What exchange rates for currency exist include those of the dwarves, elves, and orc - currency from Naldrima would only be valued as its raw material and the fae do not have a currency, instead dealing in barter and trade.


The lucrative nature of trade in Thornmouth led to a demand for expanded financial services and so the banking industry was born, lending their services to money exchanges as well as financing merchants in their endeavors.

It is notable that gold and silver are devalued in the central region and one may not receive quite as much in local currency as they might expect (when making an exchange of foreign currency or ingots).

• in abundance, and cheaper here: fish, gold, copper, iron, tin, crystal, wine, fruit (esp. grapes and olives), mushrooms, reptiles
  
  
• scarce, and more expensive here: timber, paper, coal, aluminum, sugar, wool, beef

Thornmouth produces some highly sought after articles and materials, such as moon glass, gold, magic retaining crystals, fruits, ores, and reagents. It imports a decent amount of foodstuffs from the east to supplement what would largely be fish and reptiles otherwise, as arable land in the kingdom is limited to the portlands. The larger livestock is largely kept for work purposes despite a growing demand for red meat, farm animals most commonly consisting of goats and poultry. A large herd of cattle is difficult to find a place for as well as more likely to attract predators (read: dragons) and harder to protect.

Thornmouth imports coal, aluminum, timber, sugar and spices from the southeastern rainforests. It also imports beef, cloth, wool, grain, livestock, leather, and various exotic goods from a range of nations. They still primarily trade with nations in the west, but are seeing increased business with traders from the east as time marches on.

Thornmouth exports crystals (both magical and mundane), reagents, glass, sand, oil, pearls, copper, iron, gold, wine, fungi, and fruit (esp. grapes and olives). A demand for trade in crafts such as metalworking and tailored goods has also been on the rise, the elves in particular finding interest in certain fashions coming from the mixing pot of cultures.