Re: Trade goods in Glorantha

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_5dwQZ8zbhH5__pnUtrejh3-Nh10CYiCp5eTKOytXQ33mQeMvQBMW9FK4JcbY_wfjLww>
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:40:49 +1300


Todd Gardiner wrote:

> Not sure if this is covered at all in Men of the Sea, but I was hoping to
> find out what products are created for export from various regions (Peloria,
> Maniria, Ralios, Technos, etc.) and who they trade these to. Especially
> items that are Glorantha-specific, such as the drug Hazia or the rare
> Truestone-crafted item or slave bracelets.

Products created for export is such a modern term. In glorantha, all products are created for local use first and foremost and it is generally the surplus stock that gets traded through across cultural and national borders.

An additional consideration is that the world is beginning to reunite after the catastrophes of earlier centuries (the Closing, the Syndics Ban, the Seleran Empire and so on). Pretty much all the countries are geared to self-sufficiency first and trade second. Most societies will consider that the best way to get rich is to kill other people and take their stuff rather than produce goods that other countries might like.

Lastly I don't think that many of the organizations and religions (Issaries Goldentongue, Argan Argar, Vashanti, Etyries etc) involved in extensive trading are doing so primarily to get rich. They have higher motivations which will often interfere with sensible business practice.

> One of the reasons listed for the Lunars to push themselves as far as Holy
> Country was access to the sea so they could expand their trade and make the
> aristocrats--and thereby the empire--more wealthy. But what are they
> intending to export and import? That I have always been unclear on.

It was always unclear because it never made much sense (and fraud was more plausible explanations as in the "East Isles Bubble"). I think the Lunars sought access to the sea for mythical reasons not commercial ones.

--Peter Metcalfe            

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