Eastern Trade Alliance

The Eastern Trade Alliance (E.T.A.) has acted as the central thread connecting the active settlements of the Eastern United States after the Apocalypse of 1999.

History

Formed out of necessity, the E.T.A. started as a small caravan of townspeople from Marion after a large storm destroyed one of the towns storage facilities, and along with it a large portion of dried foods. Soon they had formed an agreement with Ashton Point to trade lumber and paper for wheat and corn. Trade soon spread down to New Hartford, a new town that had sprung up around a large banana farm. Trade routes were then formed with Melbane and Johannesburg as The Institute began to send research expeditions south. It was soon realized that a standardized currency was needed as the perceived value of certain goods in each settlement was too different for the long-term feasibility of trading. A meeting was held in Johannesburg to agree on a new standard. Many things were suggested such as just using old world money to using scales from Dragons and other beasts. But in the end, all the representatives agreed that simple was best. They went with a new currency based on tried-and-true Copper, Silver, and Gold. This was the birth of the Eastern Trade Alliance and the currency know as E.T.A. Coins. The E.T.A. would set up its main headquarters in Johannesburg, acting as a central bank. This is where they mint coins and make sure the economy is running smoothly by recommending the set prices for certain goods based on demand.