In Thalassara, wealth is not only measured in coins but also in the raw bones of the earth. Ore and ingots form the foundation of industry, warfare, and trade. As there are only a handful of known metals and fuels in the world, every weapon, every armor, and every tool can be traced back to these few sources. Their scarcity, difficulty of extraction, and usefulness determine their price, and from village smithies to royal forges, their value is a constant truth.
Fuel is the heartbeat of smithing. Forge Coal and Charcoal are indispensable for every forge, yet their roles differ. Forge Coal, dense and long-burning, is prized for heavy industry and alchemical work, valued at one gold piece per unit. Charcoal, lighter but cleaner, is equally valued at one gold coin, making it essential in steel production. Every smith must balance their use of these fuels, and their constant demand ensures steady trade.
Tin, Copper, and Iron are the cornerstones of civilization. Copper ore, at two gold a piece, is found in abundance and shaped into tools, coins, and simple weapons. Tin, rarer and softer, fetches four gold, but its true value lies in combination. When alloyed with Copper, it creates Bronze, the oldest and most reliable alloy in the world. Iron ore, like Copper, costs two gold, yet its transformation into Steel makes it the foundation of most armies.
From these ores come the common ingots:
Copper ingots at five gold, used for coins, fittings, and ornaments.
Tin ingots at four gold, too soft alone but critical for bronze.
Bronze ingots at nine gold, combining durability and affordability, still used in many ports for armor, shields, and ship fittings.
Iron ingots at eight gold, the backbone of weapons and armor for soldiers across the realms.
Steel, made by marrying Iron with Carbon Shards, represents progress and power. Each Steel ingot costs twenty gold, a price that reflects both the complexity of its forging and its unmatched balance of strength and flexibility. Most advanced weapons and armor in Thalassara—cutlasses, plate mail, rifles—rely on steel. It is the standard for serious adventurers and soldiers, more costly than iron yet vastly superior.
Beyond the mundane lie the metals of legend. Mithril ore, a shimmering silver-blue gift of the deep earth, is nearly priceless at sixty gold a unit. It yields ingots of unmatched strength and lightness, each worth eighty gold. Armor made of Mithril is so light it moves like cloth, yet so strong it can turn aside dragonfire. To wear Mithril is to bear not just protection, but status and myth.
Rarer still is Aetherium ore, fallen from the stars themselves. At one hundred gold for raw ore and one hundred fifty for a single ingot, Aetherium is the most expensive substance in Thalassara. Radiating cosmic energy, it is used not for mundane weapons, but for artifacts—items that combine steel and sorcery, wielded only by archmages, chosen champions, or those reckless enough to gamble with powers beyond comprehension.
The value of a weapon or armor reflects the ingots from which it is made. An iron sword will cost far less than a steel blade, and even the finest steel cannot compare to Mithril’s perfection. A simple steel cuirass may cost a few hundred gold, but a full Mithril plate can climb into the thousands. Aetherium arms and armor are rarer still; their cost is not measured only in coin, but in lives risked to claim them.
Thus, the economy of Thalassara is built on metal and fire. From the lowliest charcoal-fed village forge to the star-metal anvils of royal smiths, every strike of the hammer echoes with the price of survival, progress, and power.