Re: Gloranthan Trade

From: Joerg Baumgartner <joe_at_toppoint.de>
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 23:08:49 +0000

Theo Posselt has an excellent question about Gloranthan trading

The scope of it makes it impossible to answer it fully on the digest, though...

> * what are the principle trade routes in Glorantha?

I'll tackle Genertela and Homeward Ocean only (though I doubt there will be much more...)

• - Solkathi and Rozgali Sea: since Dormal re-opened the Seas, this is the trade route with the most cargo traffic, from the Quinpolis (Nolos and Pasos) via Handra to the Holy Country, and on to Dosakayo in Teshnos, where Kralori and East Isles traders can be met.
• - Oslir River / Dragon Pass / Mirrorsea Bay is _the_ major north-south route for trade in Genertela.
• - Tanier River / Lake Felster / Upper Tanier or Doskior is the major trade alley to Ralios.
• - Lake Felster - Estal or Helby - Noshain River - Handra is the other trade route into Ralios. In times of increased trouble between Seshnela and Ralios (i.e. almost half of the time), it may become dominant.
• - Janube River is the main trade route in Fronela.
• - Neliomi Sea is the only alternative north south route for anything but speciality cargo to Dragon Pass.
• - Lunar Empire: there is a web of trade routes along the roads, centring in Glamour, and spreading from the major cities. Bulk traffic takes place on the rivers, apart from the Oslir, there are its tributaries Erinflarth and Joat (in Darjiin), and from the Thunder Delta the Poralistor and Oronin connect to Carmania and the Arcos to the Redlands and the Arcos provinces (Jarst, Garsting).
• - Pent: there is something akin to the Silk Road leading from Redhair Place to the Jankley Bore, where trade may go south to the Kralorelan border or north into Ignorance.
• - Kralorela: the Huam Chow provides the main trade route, continuing south through the Sofali Islands or in a wide evasion past Trowjang to Teshnos. Ports and rivers serve as distribution centers. Overseas trade comes via Lur Nop, and connects to Teshnos and the northern East Isles.
• - The Sshorg route connects Teshnos via Teleos or the East Isles to Maslo.
• - Northern Pamaltela: From Maslo to Fonrit, Umathela, and Kumanku.
• - Jrustelan route: From Pasos and the outlying archipelagos through the Orange Guild routes (Vadeli!) to Umathela.

> * what is the volume of trade along these routes?

Solkathi/Rozgali Sea: bulk traffic. Seshnegi wines, iron, and probably manufacture east, Kethaelan grain, wool, and pottery west. Handra leeches some of this flow to Ralios (few bulk goods, though), and adds its own specialities (manufacture, Handran purple) to the Ralian goods. Spice and Silk are carried from Dosakayo in Teshnos to the Holy Country, and on into the West. Some "colonial" fruit, speciality lumber, tea, dyes might be added. I guess the cargo east consists of manufactured items and wine, perhaps adding some raw material less accessible in Teshnos (metal, salt?).

Piracy cuts into the trade volume, but still the volume is staggering, considering the relatively recent opening of this route. Calculating from the number of merchant fighters sent against Alatan within 5 years of re-inventing the shipyard, both the Holy Country and the Quinpolis should have merchant fleets several hundred ships strong. Comparisons with the mediterranean could be made, especially since the Vadeli, Masloi, and Handrans ply these routes as well.

Oslir: grain in large quantities is shipped north from Tarsh (probably on to Glamour). Lunar and Dara Happan luxury articles are carried upriver. From the Holy Country, trade goods from Seshnela, Ralios and the East are carried across Dragon Pass.

Tanier: While in theory the quinpolis would be the distribution center for Ralios and Seshnela, the Kingdom of Seshnela reduces the amount of trade by its growing conflicts in Ralios and against Nolos. Much of the luxury trade is carried north on the Neliomi to Loskalm instead, where display of luxuries might be considered one of the religious duties of the upper castes.

Handra/Ralios: The old iron route has increased in volume, but still the overland travel across Pralorela makes bulk items unsuitable for this route. The best European comparison might be the Rhone/Rhine trade through Burgundy during the Hanseatic and Italian city state era, which had fairly high volume of speciality (colonial) goods in exchange for raw material and food items from northern Europe.

Pent: the Redhair caravans carry exotic goods only, perhaps supplemented by Lunar silver carried east. Not quite as hairy as the Dorastor route to Ralios, the amount of wealth exchanged should be almost as high as that on the Oslir route, the actual bulk much lower.

> * what general goods are produces in one region that are valued in > other regions?

Esrolia: grain
Dragon Pass: wool
Old Seshnela: iron
Peloria: wine

> * how much trade takes place between the continents? any?

The Masloi can be found in any port on the Homeward Ocean. I doubt they carry much bulk, but they will carry luxuries.

The Vadeli do carry bulk (e.g. fish) to Umathela.

The East exchanges luxuries and few bulk items across the Kahar or Sshorg Seas.

> * what are the most mercantile cultures? the least?

Most: Masloi, Vadeli, Quinpolis, Handra, Kethaela, Safelster, Genertelan river cities

Least: Dragonewts, Mostali, Aldryami, Brithini, Ramalians, Kingdom of War, Praxians, Pentans, most Hsunchen (most blatant exception: the Uncolings, possibly the Sofali as well).

> * specifically, how mercantile are the West and the East?

The West started the largest mercantile empire the world has seen so far. Some parts still repent, others happily have taken up this tradition.

The East is as little monolithic - the East Isles happily trade with each other, and outside, whereas Kralorela controls the outside trade flows with an iron hand, and Vormain even more...

> I'm looking for the major items, spanning large areas, not trade
> within a smaller area.  RW equivalents would be, for example,
> spice-gold exchange between Mediterranean/Europe and south asia/se
> asia; or lumber/fir trade along the volga ca. 1000 AD; or the silk
> road.

The luxury items are the usual:

valuable metal (iron, gold, silver, bronze, lead), gems, dyes, cloth, furs, spice, wine, quality manufactured items, rare raw material (amber, ivory, feathers). I don't know whether there is a cocoa, coffee or tea equivalent. Other drugs, and magical ingredients, are traded.

important bulk items include grain, lumber, wool, salt, and fish.

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