Languages

A character’s choice of race or locale determines his automatic and bonus languages. You may select a Local Language as an automatic language if your character hails from one of the nations or cities within the parenthesis. Note that there is not really a unifying language, or Common, as there is in other campaign settings. The closest to “common” would be Aybanese, as it is considered to be the language of trade, and the native language for the majority of the members of the largest and most powerful merchant guilds. For all intents and purposes, Dur’Edhelan can be considered the equivalent to Undercommon.

Calendar

Thanks to the efforts of the scholars of the Library of Foyene, the accuracy of the calendar left from the Old Empire is still in use today. Though the origins of the names of the months are lost to antiquity, phases of the moon Luna and the changing of the seasons are quite easy to predict. Each calendar year is 365 days long, divided into 12 months of 30 days, with each month divided into 3 ten-day long weeks. Five special feast days fall between the months, marking the seasons or changing of seasons.

Month Names and Important Date

Annual holiday: Yeartide – Once every four years, Armsmeet follows Yeartide

• Genever – Spring Equinox, Genver 19
• C’hwever

Annual holiday: Fieldbloom

• Meurzh
• Ebrel -Summer Solstice, Ebrel 10
• Mae

Annual holiday: Midsummer

• Mezheven
• Gouere – Autumn Equinox, Gouere 21

Annual holiday: Harvestide

• Eost
• Gwengolo
• Heru – Winter Solstice, Heru 10
• Miz Du

Annual holiday: Midwinter

• Kerzu

Coin and Currency

Coinage – The Church of the Juridical Bond has made agreements in order to create an international currency. Most countries base their economies of the lightweight coins, though the three largest nations still hold out and mint their own currency. The standard Juridical Bond coin is about one inch across and weighs 1/50^th of a pound. The value and exchange is equivalent to the standard presented in the Player’s Handbook (p.112), though no platinum pieces exist. In Grenmond and Daland, the coins are larger and heavier (1/10^th lb.), and are worth 5x their equivalent in Juridical Bond coins. The Grenmond gold piece is called a Sun, silver a Leaf, and copper is a Seed. Daland calls their gold coin an Emperor, silver a Crown, and a copper is a Sovereign. Maldova, with its wealth of rare metals and ores, uses a platinum standard. A Maldovan platinum Bar weighs 1/10^th lb. and worth 10 Juridical Bond gold coins. The Halfbar weighs 1/20^th lb. and worth 1gp. Finally, the Quarterbar weighs 1/40^th lb. and is worth 1 Juridical Bond silver piece.

Banks – Most people of wealth find it wise not to travel with their fortune. However, if it is simply left at home, it can be easily stolen. Other than safeguarding money, banks circulate coin and can honor trade notes. Trade notes operate much like checks and are generally accepted as payment in most transactions. The most widely prevalent bank throughout the region is the Black Heron Bank. All major cities have at least one Black Heron branch. The Black Heron charges 100gp to open an account, and 5% per transaction. It will honor a trade note from another bank for an additional 5% fee. In Daland, the Imperial Bank charges 10 Emperors (50gp) to open an account and 5% per transaction, with an additional 10% fee for trade notes from other banks. Grenmond’s Royal Oak Bank charges 50 Suns (250gp) for a new account and 10% per transaction, and will honor trade notes from other banks for no additional fee. The Archon Bank of Maldova charges 10 Bars (100gp) to open an account and 5% per transaction. The Archon Bank will honor trade notes from Black Heron Bank accounts for an additional fee of 15%, but will not honor notes from the Imperial or Royal Oak Banks. Other organizations, such as the Three Blades, will offer banking services to its members. Generally, no additional fee (other than the fee to join the organization, if any) is charged to open an account though a 5% fee per transaction is typical. Usually only the Black Heron Bank will honor trade notes from these types of banks. When an account is opened, the bank will issue the account holder a token, which holds the account information. When depressed against parchment, it will produce an arcane mark copy of itself. When an amount is added to a parchment so marked, it becomes a trade note.

Travel

Most nations within the Three Kingdoms regularly patrol highways and major trade routes, making travel safe for their residents and merchants. Travel within the borders of a particular country is generally not restricted. However, whenever anyone travels across a national border, they are usually required to carry traveling papers that identify them, their residence, their destination and reason for travel. Traveling papers consist of parchment with the pertinent information and an arcane mark, bound in a scroll case for safe keeping. Typically only government entities issue traveling papers for a standard fee of 5gp. Sometimes other organizations, such as large guilds or churches, will carry enough authority to issue traveling papers.