5001-HârnWorld/3rd Edition/23

In medieval societies, the use of money was not widespread, barter being more common. We have taken some liberties with this so that players can handle money, find it, earn it, and spend it.

Hârnic prices and incomes are based on 13th century medieval Britain, modified as necessary to relate to Hârn. For example, wood was relatively scarce and expensive in medieval Britain, but on Hârn, which is still heavily forested, the prices for wood products have been reduced. The prices of weapons on the other hand have been increased to restrict their availability.

Hârnic Coins
The first Hârnic coins were minted by the Sindarin. These were tokens of esteem for their human subjects, who were soon trading and forging them, making regulation necessary. When the Sindarin withdrew to the Shava Forest, they ceased minting coins, leaving the Khuzdul with a monopoly for many centuries until the first comprehensive system of coinage was developed in the Corani Empire some 300 years ago. In contemporary Hârn, coins are generally struck at official government mints but sometimes freemaster jewellers will be awarded a license to strike coins for a fixed period. The penalty for making coins without such license is death.

There are no bronze or copper coins minted on Hârn. The Khuzdul of Azadmere mint a gold coin called the Khuzan Crown, but most people will never see one. The coinage system in use throughout Hârn is based on a single coin, the silver penny.

The farthing (f) is one piece of a silver penny that has been divided literally into four quarters. The shilling (12d) and the pound (240d) are not coins, merely terms used for quantities of silver pennies. Coins contain about 75% of metal value, the difference being due to the cost of minting and the addition of 10% tin for strength.

Most civilized states produce their own silver pennies. Coins from Azadmere have universal acceptance throughout Hârn; coins minted elsewhere are usually discounted 10–20% outside their own territory. Rethemi coins, due to chronic problems of clipping and debasing, are hard to pass outside Rethem. The coins in common use on Hârn as of 720 are illustrated here.

Prices
A price list of basic goods and services is on the following pages. The GM must keep in mind that these are “retail” prices at the indicated source, which may not, of course, be the original source. The selling price of goods must cover not only their buying price and work done to make them saleable, but also levies of tariffs and tolls, transport costs, and losses to shipwrecks, storms, pirates, and brigands. A mercantyler would buy items for as little as 10% of these prices and sell them for roughly 50% of the indicated price to the named source. That is, a beaver pelt is listed as 20d. This would be the selling price for a dressed pelt from the indicated source (Hideworker). A mercantyler in the fur trade would purchase such a pelt from a trapper for as little as 2d, sell it to a Hideworker for 10d, who then cures and dresses the hide and sells it for 20d. Select goods from eastern Lythia change hands many times and sell in the west for up to 100 times their original cost.

All prices should be seen as only a rough guide. Bargaining over prices is as much an art form on Hârn as anywhere. Most items are sold on the basis of quality and volume, not weight. Markets do not have scales and, even if they did, they would probably not be trusted by buyers. The seller, with a shrewd eye on the size of the buyer’s purse, sets a price. Haggling follows and the final transaction can vary 25% or more from the noted prices.

The units of measure noted on the price list are those standard to Hârn. See also “Weights and Measures” in Hârndex. Food and livestock are bought either at a market or directly from the producer. Most meat is purchased live since a live animal is indisputably fresh and will keep without spoiling as long as you feed it.

Weapons and Armour
These are listed by basic type, such as swords, clubs, and spears. Armour is also listed by type, such as mail, scale, and so forth. Kurbul is the Hârnic name for hardened leather.

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