Coffiee (IN GAME)

I know this is an odd topic however its perhaps worth mentioning that in real life coffee was an expensive luxury item in the middle ages through renaissance.

Tea was readily available though its cost & popularity fluctuated at various times and according to where you lived. Though reasons could be anything from its high cost to its flavor coffee never enjoyed large scale popularity in western markets until after the american revolution where the large scale boycott of tea (first by the colonies themselves and then by the vengeful British government) caused people to switch to coffee on a large scale. Its rising popularity in Europe was more likely due to falling costs than national pride of course.

Anyway history rant aside..... What is coffee's station in this world?



Fun fact about the US... We still have no tax on tea, just on everything else   

Arg-reg isn't really 'European' though. It's sub-tropic, and you can find banana's and coconuts in the wilderness. I'm not sure what Cuivipyra is made of, and if it is coffee. ODA has actually thought out what places produce what and what is good trade- something you can pick up in rumours.

Friends,
As background material, having specific trade items attain popularity can be a great immersion builder. Many of the books I've read have imagined whole environments and materials extracted from them for fodder in a story. I would be very interested in developing MORE material - as, although I have put a load of effort into this, there are still areas that need development. This is one of the areas I left a little vague - we did add some 'drugs' but skipped the commodity items so far.

Shall we lay the groundwork for a few plant based commodities that the world values? Tea or brew-beans of particular types and effects?

Elgate wrote:Arg-reg isn't really 'European' though. It's sub-tropic, and you can find banana's and coconuts in the wilderness. I'm not sure what Cuivipyra is made of, and if it is coffee. ODA has actually thought out what places produce what and what is good trade- something you can pick up in rumours.

No and that's just my point.. This isn't RL so history aside what IS the value of things like coffee vs tea here?

Oda has already established that Doral imports most of its grain due to the climate but exports things like fruit's. All in all i would say the climate of Doral reminds me of the South Carolina (or perhaps Georgia) here in the US. Not really sub-Tropical but close enough to have both snow and citrus; this is based on what i can see and gather IG not from actual lore however.

I just feel that this is an interesting point of immersion.. after all, the three things that have shaped history (and i mean ALL of history) are Religion, Trade, and War.

When world building I tend to refer to this wonderful site ( http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/blueroom/demog.htm ) , along with a book called 'The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England" (although, both of these are european based, or England specifically).

I know the area of Arg-reg, but not population, so I can't judge that- but 1 square mile of land can support 180 people.
Now an area is 0.09 square miles of land, and in Dohral there's 15 areas surrounding Dohral's 20 (Making Dohral roughly 1.8 miles squared). Now in those 'areas' not all of it is farmed- theres a lot of grass land, a few fields dotted around- It's not intensely farmed. So out of 1.35 miles squared, maybe 2/3rds of that is utilised fully... that's 0.9 miles of farmland. With magical aid (Druids and clerics with plant domains might boost production levels), that might support the average 180 people per square mile. However, to add to this, Dohral propbably has many fishermen. That might boost supplies, but not by much. It still means that still means Dohral is barely supplying itself, considering it's dense city.

Tivook has it less hard. It's far less densely populated- It has a single fort and about 4 small farm villages (and Tivook Inn). That's about 0.38 square miles of farmland (which appears a bit more intensely farmed than the areas around Dohral, but that'll only support about 60-70 people. That'll probably cover Tivook though- it doesn't look like they have a huge population, although forts tend to house quite a few people.

Humfoodale has many farms (or 6, and a fort). That's maybe 0.5 square miles of farmland, so roughly about 90-100 people. Again- that probably supplies Humfoo with the bare basics.

Esrogoth has a fort and a fort town with a few farms. That... might support itself. Ehh.

The Citadel? uh. Beer. I have no idea how that place survives, probably off of trade and dwarven secrets.

However there's also hunting, gathering, trade.... It still means that if trade was ever stilted, or if the lands suffered a bad year with farms- they'd be having a tough time. This is likely why there is so much wilderness still- These are trade posts more than 'proper' settlements.

The Isle of Vestalla is tropical so coffee beans could grow there.

So maybe Cuivipyra is coffee.

Coffee has been around since the biblical times.

Also Vestalla could grow cocoa beans for chocolate and hot chocolate!

Player handbook sources:

Dohral:
"Additionally, Dohral imports many goods and raw materials (especially grain) from abroad. This makes Dohral a crossroads for a great deal of wealth and with it intrigues."

"Citadel, to build the Eastern Citadel at the upper side of the falls that feed the Dwarf Lake itself, and to henceforth provide for the continued annual supply of timber from the forests at the western end of the region to the dwarves at the Eastern Citadel. So long as each season sees delivery of the timber at the Eastern Citadel, the Lord of Dohral shall control the lands described. The agreement allows for only three failed seasons in twenty lest the dwarves exact penalties to uphold the agreement. Failures beyond seven in twenty seasons are grounds for dissolution of the agreement."

"Today trade makes the city flourish, the dwarves find ready hands to take their mined silver and crafted metal goods, the human contingent not only find access to timber but also a local client for same (dwarves) with its own set of resources to exploit. Non-dwarven sorts (mostly adventurers) likewise find gain in the spoils and travails that wealth in motion often creates."

Dwarven clans:
"All dwarven clans engage in basic domestic manufacturing of cloth (woven rothe wool), and other essential domestic goods, though they do prefer to trade for quality items in these same forms when able to do so."

"Fellaxe (...) engage in the several trades from hafting, to axe forging, and also candlemaking, rivit-making, and leather crafts." -The candles with added Giant ear wax. That stuff smells foul went burnt XD.

"Grimhammer (...) In addition to hammer manufacture, this clan engages in foundry and forgework in general."

"Strongshield clan are also leatherworkers, woodworkers, and makers of quality barrels."

Tellhelm's make the best helms. But only for other dwarves.

"Deepdraft – widely known as fine brewers, these note-worthies of Mountainfast Dazzlehall are among the chief exporters of that economy. Since the founding of Dohral, this clan has prospered by constant availability of grain supplies, and the addition of a new ingredient hops (previously an alternative fungus was used in place of hops)."


Essentially- These lands seem to survive off Trade- With Dohral being the middleman, supplying resources to the Dwavern Lands in return for their crafts, which is sell for more supplies.


Commodities to think about:
Potions and magic- how common are these?
Monster resources
Fruits
Coffee, cocoa
Silk, wool- textiles.


Dohral, as a port, would likely have no issue for salt or fish.