# ECONOMICS & CURRENCY GUIDE: COMPLETE REFERENCE
## I. CURRENCY SYSTEM
### A. The Talent: Standard Unit
Temerant uses a talent-based system divided into silver and gold denominations.
Exchange Rate:
1 Gold Talent = 100 Silver Talents
1 Silver Talent = 100 Copper Talents
Physical Form:
- Gold talents: Coins stamped with Maer's seal; reliable, trusted across Four Corners
- Silver talents: Standard currency for most transactions; widely accepted
- Copper talents: Small change; rarely used except in slums
- Barter: Common in rural areas and with Ruh; no formal exchange rates
Stability:
- Gold talents hold value across centuries; inflation minimal
- University maintains monetary stability through arcane oversight (rumor)
- Tarbean underworld occasionally floods market with counterfeits; authorities suppress
### B. Purchasing Power Benchmarks
What One Silver Talent Buys:
• 1 loaf of bread (quality varies)
• 1 decent meal at tavern (ale included)
• 1 night’s lodging (poor quality inn)
• Basic candles (1 week supply)
• Simple tool (hammer, saw, knife)
What One Gold Talent Buys:
• Comfortable meal + lodging for 1 month
• Quality sword or weapon
• Skilled laborer’s weekly wages (5-7 talents)
• Merchant’s stock of trade goods
• Bribing low-level official
What 100 Gold Talents Buys:
• Fine horse + tack
• Annual rent (nice apartment)
• Modest sailing passage across sea
• Formal education (1 year, non-magical)
• Significant bribe to mid-level official
## II. COST OF LIVING
### A. Annual Expenses by Class
Peasant/Slum Dweller:
Rent: 5 silver talents/month (60/year)
Food: 3 silver talents/month (36/year)
Clothing: 2 silver talents/month (24/year)
Fuel (heat/light): 1 silver talent/month (12/year)
Tools/replacement: 5 silver talents/year
Total: ~140 silver talents/year (~1.4 gold)
Notes: Subsistence living; high disease/mortality; minimal comfort.
Working Class (Craftsman, Laborer, Soldier):
Rent: 2 gold talents/month (24/year)
Food: 1 gold talent/month (12/year)
Clothing: 3 silver talents/month (36/year)
Fuel: 2 silver talents/month (24/year)
Ale/entertainment: 1 silver talent/month (12/year)
Tools/replacement: 10 silver talents/year
Total: ~75 gold talents/year
Notes: Stable living; modest comforts; family possible.
Merchant/Professional (Doctor, Artificer, Skilled Tradesman):
Rent: 5 gold talents/month (60/year)
Food: 3 gold talents/month (36/year)
Clothing: 1 gold talent/month (12/year)
Fuel: 5 silver talents/month (60/year)
Entertainment/dining: 5 silver talents/month (60/year)
Staff (servant or apprentice): 5 gold talents/year
Supplies/tools: 25 gold talents/year
Total: ~200 gold talents/year
Notes: Comfortable living; can afford quality goods; supports dependents.
Nobility (Minor Lord, Knight, Successful Merchant Prince):
Estate maintenance: 50 gold talents/month (600/year)
Household staff (5-10 people): 100 gold talents/year
Food/entertaining: 20 gold talents/month (240/year)
Clothing: 10 gold talents/month (120/year)
Horses/transport: 30 gold talents/year
Hobbies/personal items: 50 gold talents/year
Taxes/tithes: variable (100-500+/year)
Total: 1000+ gold talents/year
Notes: Luxury living; extensive property; political influence.
Royalty/High Court (Maer, Master, Prince):
State functions: unlimited
Personal wealth: 10,000+ gold talents/year
Expenditure: Whatever desired; limited only by political cost
Notes: Effectively unlimited resources; wealth measured in property/political power.
### B. Tarbean Living Costs (City-Specific)
Tarbean is expensive; costs 30-50% higher than provincial towns.
Poor Quarter (Slums):
Rent: 3 copper talents/month (essentially free)
Food: 2 copper talents/week (minimal, often stolen)
Clothing: rare
Fuel: scavenged
Total: ~2-3 silver talents/month
Working Quarter:
Rent: 8 silver talents/month
Food: 5 silver talents/month
Clothing: 2 silver talents/month
Fuel: 2 silver talents/month
Total: ~17 silver talents/month (~2 gold/year)
Merchant District:
Rent: 5 gold talents/month
Food/dining: 3 gold talents/month
Clothing/grooming: 2 gold talents/month
Entertainment: 2 gold talents/month
Total: ~120 gold talents/year
Noble Quarter:
Rent: 20+ gold talents/month
All other costs: scaled upward
Total: 500+ gold talents/year
## III. FACTION-SPECIFIC COSTS
### A. University of Arcanum (Tuition & Fees)
Admission (One-Time):
E’lir entry exam: 20 gold talents (covers testing, materials)
Re’lar advancement: 50 gold talents (materials, advanced instruction)
El’the advancement: 100 gold talents (rare materials, personal Masters)
Master candidate: 200+ gold talents (depends on research focus)
Annual Tuition (Including Room & Board):
E’lir: 60 gold talents/year
Re’lar: 100 gold talents/year
El’the: 150 gold talents/year
Master: negotiated individually (100-300+)
Additional Costs:
Materials/components: 10-50 gold talents/year
Research supplies: 20-100+ gold talents/year (depends on focus)
Library access fee: 5 gold talents/year
Master’s personal fee: 10-50 gold talents/month (for advanced instruction)
Total Cost to Become Master:
- Entry to El'the: 170 gold talents
- 5 years El'the study: 750 gold talents
- Master candidacy: 200+ gold talents
- Total: 1,100+ gold talents (11+ years of skilled laborer wages)
Scholarships/Waivers:
- Maer provides 20-30 full scholarships annually (highly competitive)
- Rare merit-based waiver (1-2/decade)
- Most students work or have noble patronage
### B. Church (Tithes & Services)
Required Tithe:
Peasant/poor: 1 silver talent/month (12/year) or 10% of income
Working class: 2 silver talents/month (24/year)
Merchant/professional: 5 silver talents/month (60/year)
Noble: 10+ gold talents/month (120+/year)
Sacramental Services (Optional):
Marriage blessing: 1 gold talent
Funeral rites: 5-20 silver talents (depends on ceremony)
Birth blessing: 2 silver talents
Grave blessing: 1 silver talent
Extreme unction (last rites): 2 silver talents
Confession penance: 1-5 silver talents (depends on sin)
Hospitaler Medical Care:
Examination: free (tithe-funded)
Simple treatment: free
Complex surgery: 5-20 silver talents
Overnight lodging: 1 silver talent/night
Extended care: negotiated
Exceptions:
- Hospitaler cares for extreme poor free (tithe mandate)
- Serious injury/plague: free care (community obligation)
- Wealthy patients subsidize poor
### C. Doctors (Private Healing)
Consultation:
Simple examination: 1-2 silver talents
Diagnosis: 2-5 silver talents
Rare condition assessment: 5-10 silver talents
Treatment:
Simple remedy (cold, minor pain): 2-3 silver talents
Moderate treatment (infection, internal): 5-10 silver talents
Surgery (bone-setting, stitching): 10-20 silver talents
Complex surgery (amputation, extraction): 20-50 silver talents
Ongoing care (chronic condition): 2-5 silver talents/week
Rare Ingredients:
Dragonroot (per dose): 10-50 gold talents (if available)
Moonflower extract: 5-10 gold talents/dose
Rare herbs: 5 silver - 2 gold talents/dose
Poison antidotes: 10-100 gold talents (depends on poison)
Midwife Services:
Simple birth: 5 silver talents
Complicated birth: 10-20 silver talents
Contraceptive knowledge: 1-5 gold talents
Abortion procedure: 10-50 gold talents (illegal, high risk premium)
Prenatal care: 3-5 silver talents/month
Payment Plans:
• Often negotiate based on patient wealth
• Barter common (goods, future services, sexual favors)
• Street Doctors willing to work for “future payment” (risky)
• Wealthy clients pay premium for discretion
### D. Tarbean Underworld (Criminal Costs)
Protection Money (Per Month):
Slum dwelling: 1-2 silver talents
Small shop: 5-10 silver talents
Merchant business: 1-2 gold talents
Gambling house/brothel: 5+ gold talents
Illicit Services:
Information: 2-10 silver talents (depends on value)
Theft contract: 5-50 gold talents (depends on risk/target)
Assassination: 50-500+ gold talents (depends on target status)
Poison supply: 10-100 gold talents (depends on type/quantity)
Stolen goods: 30-70% of market value
Counterfeits: 50-80% of market value
Fencing (Stolen Goods):
Common item: 20-40% of value
Rare/magical item: 10-30% of value (higher risk)
Gambling & Vice:
Dice game: 1 copper - 5 silver talents per bet
Card game: 1 silver - 1 gold talent per hand
Brothel (per hour): 1-5 silver talents
Brandy (quality): 2 copper - 1 silver talent/cup
Smokepowder/recreational drugs: 1-10 silver talents/dose
## IV. ADVENTURER ECONOMY
### A. Typical Quest Rewards
Local (Small Town/Village):
Fetch/carry task: 1-5 silver talents
Pest elimination (rats, minor creatures): 5-10 silver talents
Monster hunting (2-3 creatures): 10-20 silver talents
Escort mission (dangerous): 20-50 silver talents
Magical research task: 20-100 silver talents
Total per job: 1-5 gold talents average
Regional (City/Maer's Lands):
Complex investigation: 20-50 silver talents
Theft/recovery: 50-200 silver talents
Mercenary work (dangerous): 100-500 silver talents
Artifact acquisition: 200-1000+ silver talents
Magical research: 50-500 silver talents
Total per job: 5-50 gold talents average
High-Level (Faction Work/Apocalyptic):
Faction espionage: 100-500 silver talents
Assassination (high-profile): 500-5000 silver talents
Artifact recovery (Amyr level): 500-2000 gold talents
Name research support: 1000+ gold talents
Total per job: 50-500+ gold talents