Measurements:
Drakesfoot: Approximately (1.5) meters in regular measurements
Hawksbeak: The length of a hawk's beak, used similar to the inch inside of the western Imperial System.
Thumble: The width of a person's pressed thumb, used primarily in carpentry.
Countis: (80,000) Drakesfoots
Ducalis: (350,000) Drakesfoots
Solar Unit: (50) grams
Nanar-Decut: (77) grams
Drakesbone: (3) kilograms
Iron: (0.811) kilograms
Watch: (4-8) hours, an ancient unit of timekeeping used by soldiers
Vigil: (12) hours, more specifically, from dawn to dusk
Season: (3-4) months or one season in a temperate cycle
Currency denominations:
Solars were judged and valued by approximate weight in gold (1 Solar Unit = 50 grams):
Solarian Dollars (Aurius Dynasty): Copper (0.009), Bronze (0.021), Iron (0.023), Silver (0.078), Gold (1.00)
Common Distribution Rates (based on circulation and demand): Copper (9) to Bronze (1), Bronze (4) to Iron (1), Iron (8) to Silver (1), and Silver (13) to Gold (1); In common denominations Copper (36) to Iron (1), Copper (288) to Silver (1), Copper (566) to Gold (1)
The Solarian Dollar uses the Imperial Solar as a standard of weight for all coins, which functions as the prototype gold coin from which others were minted and weighed. Then after, bronze and stone weights were created and distributed to the regional minting centers, allowing for standardized production and value of coinage. Regional mints increasingly produced heavier coins as the distribution decreased, with limited exception, as a way to offset the political damage sustained by the dynasty due to economic decline.
Note that during the Aurius Dynasty, Copper was the most common unit of trade both domestically and internationally. Iron was a relatively new metal that was previously too crude to process into coins but later became easy and common with the advent of the Arcticonian Blast Furnace. This eventually led it to be replaced by the Lead Solar during the Alchemy Revolution. Originally, the Aurius Dynasty only had four denominations, but added the Iron Solar in their vale years to increase legitimacy and capitalize on a novel metal that previously was unused. Bronze was less common due to its military and infrastructural uses at the time.
Solarian Dollars (Heathcliff Dynasty): Copper (0.004), Bronze (0.018), Lead (0.036), Silver (0.56), Gold (1.02)
Common Distribution Rates (based on circulation and demand): Copper (12) to Bronze (1), Bronze (5) to Lead (1), Lead (5) to Silver (1), and Silver (3) to Gold (1); In common denominations Copper (26) to Lead (1), Copper (88) to Silver (1), Copper (613) to Gold (1)
Note that during the Heathcliff Dynasty, the Lead Solar had a massive shortage due to the Alchemy Renaissance which massively deflated the value of lead. Silver on the other hand, was far more common due to both transmutation alchemy and foreign conflicts that were common during the middle and vale years of the dynasty. Despite this, the increased demand for silver and its consumption surpassed its supply in the privileged classes of the Heathcliff Dynasty. Mages used silver for their tools and special equipment, while the Heathcliff Dynasty paid their armies in silver. This led to great distribution of the metal, but only through highly selective channels.
Solarian Dollars (Titanus Dynasty): Copper (0.001), Bronze (0.008), Lead (0.012), Silver (0.010), Gold (0.98)
Common Distribution Rates (based on circulation and demand): Copper (18) to Bronze (1), Bronze (3) to Lead (1), Lead (7) to Silver (1), and Silver (19) to Gold (1); In common denominations Copper (53) to Lead (1), Copper (147) to Silver (1), Copper (396) to Gold (1)
Titanus saw the most stable coin values, although silver was slightly overvalued, due to the diminishing of silver mines in the empire and reliance on foreign trade. Copper remained through the ages as the most widely distributed currency alongside barter goods in the countryside. Bronze was often overvalued due to its versatile uses in tools, architecture, art, and various kinds of appliances. Lead fluctuated the most based on demand but was rarely used, except in special cases, by common men. Primarily, this was due to its softness and degradability. It was often overvalued by commoners and undervalued by soldiers, who traded most frequently in lead and coppers. Gold was mostly a symbol of imperial prestige; it rarely circulated and was handed out by the royal mint solely to those deemed worthy by the royal family.
For high end currencies like gold or silver, the relative copper value is somewhat irrelevant. Gold was so valuable that to equal its value in copper would require multiple large chests of copper, which is impractical for exchanges. Thus, the royal family can pretty much make up any exchange rate the want for gold, and it will always be a logical bargain, even if it requires massive amounts of copper that would be difficult to gather quickly. In the case of silver, it was often distributed among the aristocracy, and the value of gold for them was not just its literal exchange weight, but also the prestige it brought. That being said, illegal smelting of silver still happened on occasion but carried harsh sentences because of its cross-market effect with illegal spellcasting and transmutation.
The Ramian Tally system relies more on a metal purity system instead of a weight system to define coinage value. Metal purity is measured by majority elected Assayers from the Syndicate Assembly. Cupellation, weighing, and a Touchstone test all contributed to the extensive purity testing of the metals. The official Talley serves as the desired purity rate and was determined based on the most consistent achievable purity within existing refinement methods (1 Unit of Tallies = 93% purity):
Ramian Tallies (Trovic Confederacy Era): Copper (98% + 2% Tin), Silver (91% + 9% Copper), Gold (93% + 7% Silver)
Common Distribution Rates (based on circulation and demand): Copper (88) to Silver (1), Silver (17) to Gold (1)
During the Trovic Confederacy Era, much of the Ramian tribes were united by a collective ideology. However, they retained core ethnic differences that divided them with suspicion. As such, Assayers had to be carefully elected by the hereditary kings from each of the tribes. These Assayers regulated the purity of metals strictly and often devoted themselves to ensuring the coinage was as pure as possible. They're largely the reason why Ramian Tallies are considered the most expensive currency in the known world. As such, they were required to take oaths before the church and state and were often executed along with their sires and any children they possessed if found to have committed a violation of the oath.
Ramian Tallies (Varveluvian Banks Era): Copper (95% + 5% Tin), Brass (78% Copper + 22% Powdered Calamine) Silver (97% + 3% Copper), Gold (93% + 7% Silver)
Common Distribution Rates (based on circulation and demand): Copper (26) to Brass (1), Brass (6) to Silver (1), Silver (14) to Gold (1)
In Ram, the Brass Revolution greatly increased the kingdom's prominence and wealth. Its production was a trade secret of the Varveluvian Banks for twenty years before being sold to the Helios empire in exchange for lands in the Ash-Kissed Plains. The Varveluvian Banks made so much money off of its exclusive trade and lending that their coinage eventually had higher circulation than the official Ramian Tallies minted by the confederacy. This eventually led the hereditary kings of old to resign their seats one by one to business leaders and wealthy merchants, replacing the government with mercantile leaders and marrying the Varveluvian Banks directly with the confederate government. To the current day, Ramian Brass remains a prized artefact.
Ramian Tallies (The High Syndicate Era): Copper (94% + 6% Tin), Brass (81% Copper + 19% Powdered Calamine) Silver (92% + 8% Copper), Gold (93% + 7% Silver)
Common Distribution Rates (based on circulation and demand): Copper (21) to Brass (1), Brass (9) to Silver (1), Silver (12) to Gold (1)
The High Syndicate Era saw the complete marriage of government with mercantilism. Profits drove much of the Ramian policy and industries such as textiles, ore refinery, and human goods were among the most lucrative in Ram. This brought stability to the coinage and caused exchange rates to become more regular, even to the point of surpassing the importance of quality. Many people were willing to accept lower purity metals under Trust, Paper, and other fiat currencies. It also was the era when the confederate government was at its strongest. Trade guilds were highly regulated and often prioritized profits above all else. Private militaries were increasingly diminished or bought out by government officials. Ramian ore refineries became the most pure and reliable in the known world, and as such were heavily administered by the government. Slavery was also regulated and required permits though these were often easy to get and required a bulk fee (typically in brass or silver Tallies) as well as a tax on foreign exchange to be paid by the slaver (if the slave was being sold to foreigners).
The Azunain Nanar (plural Nannar) is a gold currency, where different denominations have different purity rates of gold inside. This was only possible because the Azuna Desert was rich with gold and copper dust. The dust would be refined and turned into coinage that was often used as a form of trust and legitimacy during foreign trade or large-scale transactions. Locals preferred to dig the dust straight out of the ground and trade it by weight and color in the markets, making for a something closer to a bartering system used among the lower class. Copper, gold, and salt dust were among the most common mediums of exchange among the lower class, with salt being particularly trusted above all others. Copper coins were also sometimes minted by the government, but these were less common since copper was also a valuable utility resource in the desert. Often, copper coins were simply smelted down and reforged into weapons or tools. So, gold remained the sole consistent currency type in the desert, often using copper or silver as an alloy. The Nanar comes in denominations of "First Nanar, Second Nanar, Third Nanar, and Fourth Nanar."
Azunain Nannar (Pre-Aegytos Collapse): Gold Ib-Nanar (20-21% Gold + 79-80% Copper), Gold Is-Nanar (50-51% Gold + 49-50% Copper), Gold Il-Nanar (60-61% Gold + 39-40% Silver), Gold Id-Nanar (80=81% Gold + 19-20% Silver)
Common Distribution Rates (based on circulation and demand): Ib-Nanar (5) to Is-Nanar (1), Is-Nanar (4) to Il-Nanar (1), Il-Nanar (3) to Id-Nanar (1).
Before the Collapse of Aegytos, the Nanar was an important indicator of the Qaanun's legitimacy and divine right to rule. Gold was plentiful in low qualities and luminous. It served as a natural symbol of the Qaanun's divinity and was thus distributed to key lords of the realm, acting as both a means of exchange and a symbolic sign of a lord's ordained legitimacy by the Qaanun. Regional treasuries were established with certain gold content stored inside. These treasuries gave lords and dynastic chieftains the "Right of Might," whereby the strongest would rightfully come to hold the treasury, and would be chosen by the Qaanun to secure the region and its peoples. Money rarely actually left the treasury, other than to brook deals with other lords or make large exchanges with foreigners. The size of a lord's treasury was often a strong indicator for right of rule. This allowed Azunain to quickly stabilize and spur the lords to fortify themselves (to protect their raw assets) against the aggressive empire of Aegytos, which had pushed them to the south ends of the desert.
Azunain Nannar (Post-Aegytos Collapse): Gold Ib-Nanar (40-41% Gold + 59-60% Copper), Gold Is-Nanar (60-61% Gold + 39-40% Copper), Gold Il-Nanar (70-71% Gold + 29-30% Silver), Gold Id-Nanar (90=91% Gold + 9-10% Silver)
Common Distribution Rates (based on circulation and demand): Ib-Nanar (3) to Is-Nanar (1), Is-Nanar (3) to Il-Nanar (1), Il-Nanar (6) to Id-Nanar (1).
Following the fall of Aegytos, Azunain was quick to fill the power vacuum. Where before they supplemented a limited supply of gold with copper and silver mines in the south, after the collapse, the Qaanun vastly increased gold content in their coinage and goods. The Post-Aegytos boom brought an abundance labor to the kingdom from the displaced Awanets, new mines and dust sifting zones, access to the Green Desert region, where copper dust was abundant, access to the coasts of the Gold Sea and Lasad Ocean, which opened trade with the Iseer Thalassocracy. To demonstrate their triumph and increase the people's confidence and worship of the Qaanun, gold was distributed in great quantities, making it seem as if the divine Qaanun had ordained Aegytos' fall. This was also legitimized as an intention, the subjugation of the Awanets. Gold became a sign of Ankhalil supremacy and reduced Awanets to the dishonorable vanquished, serving as the divine consent of slavery within the kingdom.
Azunain Nannar (Immortal Cult Uprising): Gold Ib-Nanar (20-21% Gold + 79-80% Copper), Gold Is-Nanar (40-41% Gold + 59-60% Copper), Gold Il-Nanar (80-81% Gold + 19-20% Copper), Gold Id-Nanar (90=91% Gold + 9-10% Silver)
Common Distribution Rates (based on circulation and demand): Ib-Nanar (5) to Is-Nanar (1), Is-Nanar (4) to Il-Nanar (1), Il-Nanar (7) to Id-Nanar (1).
Following the rise of the Immortal Cult in the south and the subsequent civil war, access to silver was almost entirely cut off from the Qaanun. The cult was initially ignored during its rise as the Qaanun was concerned with the bloat of Iseer and an epidemic of ghosts haunting and gridlocking key areas of the kingdom. Exorcisms were slow and costly, but the Immortal Cult's novel magics, championed and created by the mage Hamez Wa-Hazin, managed to resolve these hauntings swiftly and efficiently, popularizing it in the endemic southern lands. This new school of magic known as necromancy was highly effective, but also highly strange, and as such, was eventually forbidden by the Qaanun. But when the cult refused to cease its practicing, they were branded heretics and hunted. This eventually led to the civil war, with the cult occupying the southern lands around Kehes̈ebet Bay, where the silver mines were located. At one point, even the Green Desert was occupied, straining the kingdom's economic legitimacy considerably. But ultimately, with help from their western allies, the Immortal Cult was extinguished, and its remaining members were driven to either extinction or exile.
Azunain Nannar (Post Civil War): Gold Ib-Nanar (20-21% Gold + 79-80% Copper), Gold Is-Nanar (60-61% Gold + 39-40% Copper), Gold Il-Nanar (80-81% Gold + 19-20% Copper), Gold Id-Nanar (80=81% Gold + 19-20% Silver)
Common Distribution Rates (based on circulation and demand): Ib-Nanar (8) to Is-Nanar (1), Is-Nanar (3) to Il-Nanar (1), Il-Nanar (4) to Id-Nanar (1).
After the civil war, the lands of Kehes̈ebet Bay and the surrounding forestlands were devastated. A strange magical rot occupied the land and made everything ashen, dull; grey or black. The land became known as the Ebon Forest, and the curse prevented the land from being resettled. The silver mines were effectively lost. But other than this, the kingdom stabilized. Trade was resumed as normal and religious order was put into law to prevent a similar uprising from happening again. To supplement the lost silver, low-quality silver was stripped from the ancient city of Sophëa and remelted into Nannar, but this was hardly noticed by the public as most never even saw a single Nanar with silver content inside of it.
Alchemical Metals:
Adamanthite: formed from platinum and powdered iron (purified), the blood of a silver dragon, and the essence of an earth spirit. Refined through a method known as the Neo-Archon method which involves smelting all ingredients together in a package of snake or dragon leather (preferably) and binding them through conjuration seals placed at the four directions. The final casting must be completed after the metal is still liquidized but beginning to cool to the point that it takes on an appearance resembling a glowing or incandescent mercurial fluid. The properties of Adamanthite include resilience to corrosion, tarnishing, and rust; durability against impacts and weathering (both water and sand); and, imperviousness to Transmutation or Geomancy spells. For sharp implements, only Adamanthite can sharpen Adamanthite. Recommended to set aside a grinding block of the metal for cutting or refining edges as needed.
Argentine: Formed from liquid silver (pure silver metal dissolved in basilisk acid), the Metacatalycitite (blood) of a Blue Dragon (note that Metacatalycitite freezes when it comes into contact with air, the blood must be obtained in liquid form), and the essence of a water spirit. Refined using the natural method, let the ingredients mix in a cast of ice and water. Carve the words in Aurian, Effinitian, or a similar olden language, "Form, Vitality, Spirit, and Earth," into the four corners of the ice cast. Begin carving the seals at the upper right corner of the cast and move clockwise to each corner. Removed after the ingredients have solidified. let the metal bathe submerged in mercury for three days. Remove, and you should behold a bluish-silver metal. Beryl and turquoise are ideal embellishments for enchanters seeking to bind The Will to this metal. Properties of Argentine include resistance to the presence of magics and the augmentation of cold energies. Is subject to tarnish, but impervious to corrosion or rust. Sturdier than silver but softer than bronze. A powerful implement in all cold magics and arrays.
Luminine: Take ivory, pearl, and platinum. Smelt them in an incandescent furnace. Let it cool. Have the metal blessed by a priest. Acquire distilled gold dust and mix with diamond dust. Acquire the essence of a wind spirit. Use the Neo-Archon method and smelt all ingredients together in a package of silk using the same incandescent furnace. Bind the metal through the names of Sól, Amos, and Metaphor, and cast it under unveiled sunlight. Properties of Luminine include lightness, durability against impacts and weathering (sand and water), and abjuration against forces that violate nature (demons, extraplanar beings, Magëa magics). Is malleable but not brittle, reflects light and carries a bright white appearance. Denies darkness. Restores broken things to their original form. Capable of moderate healing/regeneration, augments the effects of Goetëa magics and The Will when applied. Cannot violate the free will of people.