Literate Issaries

From: Michael Cule <mikec_at_room3b.demon.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 23:57:07 +0000

>If KoDP is to be taken as a model, trading in Heortling society is much more of
>a cooperative deal. The Issaries merchants deal between clans, not so much
>between people. If you want fancy cloth from the Goodweavers in the next tribe
>over, you ask your clan's trader. I suppose there are minor traders, like
>tinkers, who wander around selling on a very small scale, but there are no
>contracts there -- you make the deal for what you want, trade goods, and the
>tinker goes off over the hill.

I don't think we can take KoDP for a model. Firstly even Heortling society changes and secondly KoDP looks at a very early stage in the economic development of Sartar. The first city is only built at the end of the game. By the 1620s there are caravans that regualarly go not just over to the next clan but from Esrolia to Sartar to Tarsh to the Lunar Empire and beyond. And there are merchants who travel with them and merchants who just stay behind and finance the ventures. No, I believe that literacy and numeracy are going to be needed for Issaries merchants in 'modern' Sartar or the Lunars are going to take them to the cleaners. - --
Michael Cule

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