Does anyone in Glorantha have paper currency or banking? If not, I think the prime candidates to discover it are the Rokari merchants. It fits in with the historic growth of banking among the Italian merchant princes (the Talastar merchants are the closest to the renaissance). But more importantly, they have a really good reason to develop it - the Rokari merchants are probably still of the peasant class, and they are forbidden to use gold by Rokari caste restictions. So when the merchants start to amass considerable wealth, they must either carry around huge quantities of silver, or amass their wealth as inconvenient 'personal property' (ie gems and art), or develop some more convenient forms.
I think its a common form of discrimination by the Rokari nobles to demand payment in gold if they haave something they need to sell that they don't want to fall into the hands of the lower classes.
On another tack, it has occurred to me that in our numerous discussions about the oncoming battles between the Kingdom of War and the Loskalmi, we haven't been considering the power of the Crusade, as detailed by Greg in TOTRM 13. The KOW are indeed much tougher than the Loskalmi - but I think the power of the Crusade is powerful enough to give the Loskalmi a good chance (if we also assume not too many die in the initial onslaught, and having a few real veteran units starts to turn the Loskalmi into a real fighting force).
Certainly its the best hope for the Loskalmi yet. The only problem is that they are only permitted to invoke the power of the Crusade if given the personal permission of Hrestol. Perhaps we now have a clear idea of one of the most crucual heroquests of the conflict (perhaps undertaken by Sir Meriatram?) - to seek the personal permission of Hrestol. Otherwise, I am sure that they will attempt to invoke it anyway, and then the Inquisition will be loosed and Hrestoli tuned against Hrestoli at the worst possible time.
And I am sure the five ancient horrors of Fronela, as described by ike Dawson in Codex, would also have something to say on the matter.
Cheers
dave
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