Trade on the Oakrun

The economic success of the Arborvale Concord is due in no small part to the Oakrun and the fleets of barges that ply its waters daily. Ranging anywhere from small boats crewed by an oarsman and guide to massive things hauled by aurochs, barges make their way to every city and town reachable by river. Originating in the Stewardends, barges have also been co-opted by the Concord for the purpose of luxury trips and the movement of trips; many an outpost has received vital reinforcements due only to the skill of an Oakrun barge crew.

Having been in use for many centuries, the actual invention of the barge is lost to time. Many credit its conception to the small halfling villages that dotted the riverside prior to intermingling of the Stewardends' various inhabitants, credit which halflings quite readily reaffirm. The Concord as a whole could care less, however. Despite the fact that the Stewardends' fleet can be cited as the primary factor in the Concord's rapid economic growth and expansion, the region itself has yet to see any equal amount of repayment for their efforts and craftsmanship. Due to the continued extortion of barge workers in general, they have become a haven for fugitives and criminals: crews and captains are more than happy to except bribes in exchange for the smuggling of goods or people.

Price

Barges range from what is essentially a roofed raft to ostentatious luxury builds. Their price is equally disparate, reaching anywhere from a fair amount of silver to a ludicrous amount of gold.

Complement / Crew

Dependent on size, a barge carries a crew of anywhere from one to 10 people. The exception to this is luxury barges produced for the parties of nobles, and military barges, which typically house an entire squadron.