Economics & Trade
World Currencies
Historically, Destreans have used gold, silver, copper, and more rarely, platinum coins/bars as fungible stores of value to trade with. However, as the nations of the realm have significantly expanded in both scale and influence over the past two centuries, alternatives to this system became increasingly necessary to avoid economic stagnation. As such, many countries developed their own currencies, which are detailed below.
The Triva (Stön Trillium)
The Dimi (Antür)
The Dracari (Voran)
The Boltmark (Anclevan)
Originally backed by The Stön Trillium's gold reserves, the Triva now instead represents their Materia shard reserves. As the latter is capable of growing naturally over time, new Triva notes can be pressed/minted in keeping with the growth of the Materia without devaluing them too drastically.
The Dimi is a commodity currency which takes the form of coins carved from Materia shards. Each is charged with a base amount of arcanic essence, which determines its value. As the arcanic skill required to simply transfer essence between shards is trivial (and a lossless process), the Dima themselves do not circulate very often during a transaction.
Voran Dracarii coins are able to be split into six segments (representing the six Legates at its time of minting) due to their hexagonal shape, as well as assembled into larger denominations using their galvanized edges. Dracarii is a fiat currency, and as such, is backed only by the state's attestation of its value. Voran's relative stability and steady economic growth over the past centuries has established a degree of confidence in foreign entities which makes this possible.
The Boltmark is the newest currency in the realm. It is a commodity currency, composed of bronze and steel, much of which is purported to have been melted down from seized armour, equipment, and monuments left by the Voran Empire's forces during the occupation.
Edonian Sterling (Demonitized)
Kingsmark (Demonitized)
Spectrali Gildi (Demonitized)
Various Orcish Clan Monies (Demonitized)
Exchanged for Anclevan Boltmarks, then melted down for its dreadsteel.
Composed of dreadsteel and nickel, the Kingsmark's value was inherently high. Melted down and converted into Edonian Sterling shortly after the Edonian Uprising.
Hyperinflation, which was followed swiftly by the collapse of their national provisional government, caused the Gildi, Spectralos' longtime currency, to be completely devalued.
Following their amalgamation into the Gorrano Republic, the Highland and Lowland clans who had fought against the Voranites were permitted to exchange their various currencies for Voran Dracarii, at the insistence of Legate Ebonia Sootscale. This move was intended to aid their transition into a single state. While some used traditional gold, silver, and copper, others utilized iron coins, gemstones, or even arcanically-condensed bone mass.
Regulatory Bodies
The Destrean Economic Assessment Division, headquartered in the Commonwealth, is charged with validating the claims of currency value by Antür, The Trillium, Anclevan, and Voran. Their wages are paid out in traditional platinum, gold, and silver coins, to limit their incentive to favour any currency in particular. Theirs and their family members' currency exchanges are kept a matter of public record from their tenure, up to 1 year after they leave their position.
Realm-Wide Economic Practices
Service-Oriented Transactions
Many large transactions are held in arcanic escrow by either Ephemeral Affairs LLC, or Ransom Inc. - the two largest payment guarantors in the realm. They reserve the funds using an, and upon completion of the terms of service for the associated contract, pay out the appropriate amount to the contractor. Most transactions are logged with local authorities when relevant, but there have been cases of high-profile transactions whose records were lost... these typically involved authorities themselves, or highly 'influential' people (vide, the wealthy).
Most other service-based transactions follow the traditional half up-front, half upon completion business model.
International Trade
While the majority of Destreans prefer air travel for themselves, most large freight is transported by rail or by ship. It's true that the traditional model of using trade caravans traverse the landscape is still in use today, however, as rail infrastructure has proliferated throughout the realm, there is less and less need for the use of these caravan companies to transport goods.
Freight depot for the West Daring Company, Stön Sundr
Morgan Bronze, Sawtooth Shore Caravaneers' Union Chairman