Coin and Commerce in Starhelm

Humans , Dwarves, and Gnomes make the best merchants and have dominated the economic life of Starhelm for a long time. Essillion and Avandar are both successful merchant cities, although they function differently in how they perform trade. The ability to find and maintain trading partners is essential to the success of these races. In Avandar they have stop using actual coins within the city preferring to use sheets made from Avandarian paper, this allows them to not spend as much time mining a resource that they don’t put much stock into. Most Avandarian Merchants won’t take coins because it requires them to transfer them into sheets and pay the fee.
Other races do not put the same importance on commerce as Humans, Dwarves, and Gnomes. Elves trade for goods and sell or barter their art but they are not interested in the accumulation of wealth, more important for one meaningful object to hold a great place of respect than a large collection of items or money. Halflings like to collect things, but they are just as likely to give it away. For them it is the getting, not the having. Typically, Dragonkin, Goliath, Grippli , and barbarian tribes, all live off the land and their economic health is less of an importance to them than survival.

Labour

Most citizens of Starhelm are required to perform some sort of labour for their daily coin. The privileged nobles and merchants who hire labourers are the minority and often are looked on with envy by their less fortunate neighbours.

Work and Rest

In Essillion citizens enjoy one accepted day off per month, falling on the last day of Death in each month. This day is considered a religious holiday, and everyone is expected to not work unless there is a great need. Other than that day they are expected to work the other days of the month, resting as is reasonable throughout the day.
In Avandar they are expected to know when they need to rest in order to perform at optimum efficiency. Those who take advantage of this and shirk their responsibilities find themselves without work, customers, or steady income. Most Avandarian labourers take a day here and there but recognize the impact too many days off has on their livelihood.

Slavery

No civilized nation on Starhelm engages in slavery, accepts slavery, or allows it in their borders, with the exception of the Fallen, the Goblins, or the Witch Queen, as well as the city of Pyrez within the Scar of Fire. This does not mean that slavery does not exist and there are some Humans that worship Leftis or Greegis that have been known to dabble in the slave trade. If slavery is committed and the perpetrator is caught and found guilty there is a standing death sentence punishment across Essillion and Avandar. Most of the other races will jail or banish the culprit instead.
The Goblins buy and sell slaves both to the surface dwellers and those Undersands or Underdark dwellers that practice slavery. They use them for labour mostly or occasionally for sacrifices or experiments.
The Fallen deal in slaves mostly in their dark cities or amongst those in the Underdark. Typically, they use them for labour or sacrifices, but sometimes they try to break them and put them into their armies as fodder, saving their more worthwhile fighters for more glorious tasks.
The Witch Queen will buy slaves from anyone who is willing to sell to her. She uses them for experiments or to turn into undead soldiers for her army. Even the Fallen and Goblins sometimes do not sell to her as there is no guarantee that the slaves, they sell won’t be used to attack them at first chance.
The Golden Dome of Pyrez see slaves as a natural part of society; a resource like coin, food, or silk. Slaves are used as free labour that noble families or merchants will buy instead of hiring staff. Slavery is a common punishment for crimes, and it is even used against travelers within the Golden Dome if they are not careful.

Agriculture and Industry

Agriculture is the typical and most prevalent profession on Starhelm, and Humans, Halflings, Gnomes, and Goliaths practice it most often. The other races have some agriculture, but they are not as prevalent as these races.
Industry is very popular amongst the Gnomes, the Humans of Avandar, the Dwarves, and the Minotaurs. Trading well-made and unique items amongst these people is a popular pastime and a way of showing a person’s qualities.

Crop Farming

Avandar has little land to use for farming on the island but they have worked hard to improve farming efficiencies so they can produce more with less space. They have been mostly successful but the inclusion of the lands surrounding Brightwave has increased their farming production quite a lot in the last few years. On the island proper they make hearty wheat, rice, and plant fruit trees (apples, bananas). In the swampy and water-logged areas, they have found success with duck potatoes, watercress, cranberries, spinach, chestnuts, celery, soy, taro, and water lotus, to name a few. They also have many water-farms where they grow rice, seaweed, water plantains, water lettuce, water caltrops, and cucumbers. They have some inventive chefs who make some interesting meals with their vegetables and fruits. One Avandarian specialty is water lotus stuffed with duck potatoes and cranberries called the “The Bountiful Harvest”. It is filling and can feed a number of people with little space used or with little resources.
Essillion has the benefit of being in a valley crater, and experiences four seasons, which makes for good growing. The land in the city proper as well as the surrounding countryside makes for good agricultural benefits. Fruit trees in the city not only beautify the landscape but provide apples, pears, and cherries to the city. Farmers in the countryside grow all manner of crops, including bush bean, bell pepper, carrots, brandywine tomatoes, brussel sprouts, beets, cabbage, wheat, millet, and soy.

Livestock

Avandar’s proximity to the water makes it no surprise that the main source of their protein is fish or seafood of most kinds. They do not turn their nose up at odd food choices, given their limited accessibility to a wide variety of meat. There are some livestock bred for meat but not much. They take up too much land to be of much use. Most animals are used as beast of burden, like mules, horses, and oxen.
Essillion enjoys the typical assortment of cattle, pork, poultry, sheep, and game meats. Venison and boar are two of Essillion citizens favourite meats. Meat pies are a favourite meal of many Essillionites.

Mining and Metalwork

Mining in Essillion is one of their primary resources for trade and commerce, as well as the largest workforce of citizenry. Outside of the Dwarves, where they learned much of their mining skills from, Essillion has the most successful mining organization on Starhelm. Many citizens of Essillion have some connection to the mines of their city, whether it is working them, buying or selling the ore, or supporting those that do both. Gold, iron, silver, and some copper make up the bulk of the ore they mine, but there have been the occasional platinum vein that has opened up. Particularly rare in most places but abundant in Essillion is Kingsmetal (or electrum elsewhere) and they are proud of the relative uniqueness of their metal. In Avandar they do not do any mining as it takes up too many resources and space and their landscape does not lend itself to any mining. A small Dwarven community exists below Avandar in a small area they simply call ‘the mine’ but they do not have any real industry there. Some intrepid entrepreneurs that have taken to undersea mining but so far, they have not been able to see great dividends. It is still a young business so in time it may prove to be quite beneficial for the people of Avandar.

Papermaking and Bookbinding

The Rookery, in Essillion has a very big and serious operation in bookbinding, scribing, and selling of the written word, owing to their dedication to Gnurich. Only the wealthy and educated can afford books to own but the library is open to all and the priests of Gnurich encourage all to partake of their knowledge. Pamphlets and notices are always printed from The Rookery and the King is always asking for volumes of histories, diplomatic treatises and legal documents to be written, gathered, and held for posterity and future generations to learn from.
Surprisingly, Avandar has a large book and paper operation. The pulp taken from the swamp trees has an interesting feature, that make Avandarian books and paper sought after. They have perfected the art of making their paper weather and water resistant, allowing for less damage and mould to occur. However, a special ink is required to make the writing become most protected. Regular ink can be used but the special properties are not maintained. Many people just like to have the outer covers and pages made from Swamp Paper, but they use regular ink and seal the book as best they can to preserve the contents. The specialized ink is cultivated from two different sources, but both are equally effective. The Green-Mottled Squid found near the Avandarian underwater stables produces ink needed to mix with a secret concoction known only to the Pulp and Paper guild in Avandar. The other is cultivated from a rare plant in the Bogbrook and Skurrush Swamp areas. The secrets there are as highly guarded as the squid brew.

Narcotics

Narcotics are not uncommon on Starhelm. The Union of Shadows is the number one supplier of narcotics, typically dealing in Mindlock, and P.M.E (Pure Magical Essence or Arcanium as it is commonly known).
Mindlock is found in the PuKtan desert. It is derived from the Kortan flower whose pollen is a powerful hallucinogenic. The drug is a less potent version, and when inhaled it can either cause the user to hallucinate, or in stronger strains, cause the user to become locked in their own mind and have control over what they experience and the world around them. Mindlock is very popular and highly illegal.
Arcanium or P.M.E (Pure Magical Essence) is pure magical energy concentrated into a patch. When applied to the skin, magical energy courses through the user and spells can be cast. The danger with Arcanium is that once the magical energy is used the body craves more of it, making it highly addictive and illegal.