World Technology

Calendars

Each city state or cultural group is likely to have it’s own calendar. Occasionally details about a specific event will be listed by the date of the calendar used it that city states calendar. When doing so it is necessary to also put the date in years B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) or if the event has taken place after the beginning of the Common Era, simple use the abbreviation C.E. In this way events can be cross referenced between different regions and city states. We will assume for the sake of consistency and historical perspective that all descriptions of regions and city states were recorded in the year 1 of the C.E. The use of this system and the beginning date of the Common Era is arbitrary and is based on no special event.

For example, in the city state of Hellianoptis the present King was crowned at the age of 12 in year 113 H.D. (Hellianoptic Dynasty) which is also 5 B.C.E., or five years before the common era, i.e. year 1. At the same time in Bhutangozulli that same year is 2234 E.E. (5 B.C.E.) according to their calendar.

Weights and Measures

The scale is one of the most important tools for both local and long distance trade. Locally scales are used to measure commodities that have a set price by weight, such as grains, wine, spice, etc. Each city state has its way of measuring things but for ease of use during game play the English Standard System or the Metric system should be used. The weight and measures given in the descriptions are to provide background and setting.

Coinage (optional)

In long distance trade, scales become important because each city state creates and circulates its own currency in the form of copper coins. There is no standard size or weight of coins found throughout this campaign setting. Each city state has it’s own standard coin size that typically ranges from 1 to 10. This number is selected by the creator of the city. These values are a way to measure the value of coins from one city state against those of another or an “exchange rate”. Size is used because the metal themselves have value as a metal and not because they are backed by a particular city state. This means that any particular piece of copper would be worth the same amount in any city state but that the coins given in compensation would be different.

For example: in the city state of Hellianoptis the standard copper piece is 1 and in the neighboring city state the coin size is 5. This would mean that it would take one coin from Hellianoptis is equal to 5 coins (the equivalent value) in this second city state or vice versa. Or you could think of it in this manner, 1 coin from Hellianoptis is equal to 1 copper piece. In the second city state 5 coins are equal to 1 copper piece. From this information a GM or player can figure out the exchange rate from one city state to another.

Even though the copper piece is the most common form of currency it is common practice to cut coins into quarters and even eighths.

Trade

There are two main means by which people move trade items around in this setting. One is by caravan, using overland trails and road where they exist and the other is by boat. Trade caravans probably need little explanation and the same for the basic premises for shipping. However with boats, limits need to be set and some explanation of maritime trade discussed since it varies from the more typical fantasy setting.

Maritime Trade and Trading Vessels

The largest ships in existence in this setting are trade ships, in fact, warships have not yet been designed and built. The largest trade ships are 16 meter long, 4 meters wide and 3 meters deep, roughly 46 x 12 x 9 ft, and had a maximum cargo capacity of 20 tons. These ships are all square rigged sailing ships with a single main sail, and constructed of linen or leather. A second smaller, bow (front) mounted sail, known as an artemon is used during storms and rough weather to keep the ship from turning sideways into the wind and from being overwhelmed by oncoming waves. Sails are often dyed or painted with bright colors and good luck symbols. Often a pennant is flown from the top of the mast and is used as a rough gauge of speed or wind direction when the ship is not moving. Steering is done by means of a large oar or tiller mounted to one side of the ship. It is common practice for all ships to carry a spare tiller as well as a boarding ladder. Boarding ladders are often 3-5 meters long (or longer) and are used as a means to board other ships, climb aboard a beached ship or for the loading and unloading of cargo in ports of call. The use of the boarding ladder to load cargo is standard practice as the pier and docks have not yet been invented. Ships simple anchor near shore then use the boarding ladder as a ramp into shallow water or the beach. The decks of the ships are flat with no other structures present other than the occasional shade structure for the helmsman. Hatches to the ships cargo holds are square to rectangular in shape and are typically covered with a linen or leather tarp to keep cargo dry and water out of the hull. Hatches to other areas of the ship are smaller and are covered by a small wooden door. On smaller vessels there may be no wooden deck, just a tarp covered hull but this is only on vessels with a cargo capacity of a few tons and fishing boats. During the winter months ships are beached and repaired. Barnacles are scraped off, rotten planks are replaced, and the ship is re-waterproofed with pitch and tar.

The total number of trade ships in existence is hard to pin down precisely but each city state with a harbor, port or beach and an adequate supply of lumber will be building them. For game purposes we will assume that one large trading ship per 1000 population of the city state is possible each year. We will also assume that the average life of any given ship is 10 years. Given these assumptions, a city state with 5,000 people will have a trading fleet of 40 large vessels in operation at one time. We could also assume that not all cities or merchants will want to build large ships for trading and expand our categories of ship size to medium, small, and light (fishing). Per 1000 population lets assume that 2 medium, 4 small and 8 fishing vessels can be built per year in the place of one large trading vessel. We can also assume that a large portion of the sailing fleet will be tied up in fishing for local consumption / markets, lets say at least 50%. This leaves us with a total of 20 large vessels or any combination of large and smaller vessels for use in the pursuit of trade ventures. So the break down of a cities sailing fleet might look something like this:

Large Merchant Ships -----------------10

Medium Merchant Ships--------------10

Small Merchant Ships -----------------20

Light Vessels and coastal ships------160

The cargo capacity of each ship is determined by the size. Large ships have a 20 ton capacity, medium = 10 tons, Small = 5 tons and light = 2 tons.