NikkelSten Estate info

Major Estate; NikkelSten (Rich Hill of Nickel)

Geography

The estate is about 5x5 km in area, with the Murad River running through its center from east to west. The farmland of the estate is the valley area, about 2km wide by 4km long. The mines are located in the hills north of the village, an old mine about half a mile away and a new mine about a mile and a half distant.

The village sits between two streams, each running down to the Murad from near the mine sites. It is more like a small town than a typical estate village, with its population of minors and craftsmen. The farmers are mostly scattered, west of the village along the main road and south of the Murat River.

Population

In many ways the estate has two population groups of nearly the same size and importance, each with their own prime interests. This makes for a troublesome population. Perhaps it is one of the reasons Lord Herewald feels he is running a kingdom rather than a simple estate.

Unlike most estates who are food exporters, NikkelSten just barely produces enough for its own needs. In some years it must import crops. Fortunately it can supply itself with the timber and live stock required to run the mine. Some lumber is cut from the northern hills but most comes from the southern forested hills. For reasons of rugged terrain, the shortest distance is not the most practical one.

Economy

The main export of the estate is nickel ore, with iron ore being a sizable second. Naturally the Baron of Winterstone takes his tribute first. Then shipments are sent down the Murad river to the Slan Nyttig river and eventually sold in the port town of Seewick. Of course some is taken in taxation by the Baron of VeturNos, who controls a long section of the river. At Seewick, Lady Gisa’s family house MyrskyRiff has the right to buy half of each shipment, before it is sold to any others. The Earl of Seewick of course has a similar right to buy, in addition to his taxation right. Unless there is a special order, three large shipments are made each year, each sent under armed guard.

 

The village area in detail. There are about 40 families living with in the walls. 

Who is Who

 

Lord : Herewald son of Ethelbert House NikkelSten

He is a rather cold and stern man, honorable but very rarely generous. He runs his estate as if it was a miniature kingdom. He is proud of his land and actively works to improve them. He hopes one day to attract a Dwarven minor to work for him. He seems to be cursed with an inability to produce sons. Even his attempts to father a bastard have all resulted in girls. He has a strong dislike for the Baron of VeturNos, who charges outrageous tolls for the use of the river. 

( He is the father of Leola, one of the PCs )

  

His wife : Gisa daughter of Wyrtgeorn

Her birth house is MyrskyRiff (Storm Reef) – an estate near the town of Seewick. Her marriage to Herewald was an economic arrangement advantageous to both families. Although he treats her well, she has never known real love and so she developed a hobby of reading romantic stories. She is well known for rewarding singers who perform epic love ballads. She is often away from the estate visiting other Ladies.  

His daughters (oldest to youngest):

Aelfgiva (age 22)

She is a perfect young lady; attractive, smart and modest. She learned very early that it was best to please her parents. Although she grew up hearing the romance stories he mother loved, she also gained a practical wisdom from watching her father.

Perhaps her only flaw, in her father’s eyes, is that she enjoys the company of Triston, the son of Baron VeturNos, who frequently around at festival time. They had met while she was at university.

Now at long last she is engaged to the perfect match – Sir Lukion of the royal guards.

  

Annabell “Ellsbeth” (age 19)

Player Character – She has always been wild and willful, working hard to get her own way.

Ymma (age 16)

She is a great admirer of her eldest sister and wants to be the perfect noble lady. She does not see the usefulness of a university education, but would prefer to find a good man sooner than later. She attends all social events on the hunt for a husband.

Fraya (age 13)

She is scornful of all lady-like delicate things. She admires Annabell and her wild ways. She recently started taking the goat trail up to Oswin’s estate to see Lady Mulbara and have some fun. (Thus she is somewhat known to Lor's family of forest dwelling fetchers.)  

People of note in the village:

Balif : Larsvag son of Ingrog

A small man, nearly a dwarf – it runs in the family, he is dedicated and tireless in his work. Although not brilliant, he has a good memory and a practical wisdom for getting things done. He is always quiet, never having to yell because Wolfbert is often hovering around to make sure any order Larswag gives is followed.

Chief man at arm : Squire Wolfbert son of Wigstan

A gruff old warrior, he was handsome in his youth. When on duty he growls at people and looks very intimidating. When off duty he tells endless stories of his own past heroics. Everyone on the estate knows the “saga of Wolfbert” most of it is exaggerated.

Village Elder : Aylmer son of Almaric

An average man in appearance he has a core of iron determination, when he sets his mind to a task. In many ways his post is more like a town mayor than a village reev, because the NikkelSten village is sizable and packed with non-farmers, it is home to most of the minors. The farmers live scattered around the estae, mostly on the other side of the river.   

His father was an obsessive record keeper, collecting endless trivia not only from the estate itself but from all over the Barony. Aylmer took up the hobby because everyone expected him to.

Village priest : Thurwade son of Sigward

The second son of the old master smith, he dedicated his life to the God of Smiths from an early age. After traveling for several years he returned and became assistant to the village cleric, then recently took on the post of chief priest. He is quite proud of his accomplishments.

Blacksmith : Thunor son of Sigward

The first son of the old master smith, he used to make fun of his younger brother for being bookish and weak. Now he is somewhat annoyed that his brother holds a higher social post than he does. Of course his own role in the community is sizable, more important than most village smiths, he controls the refining of the nickel ore which is the estate’s main commodity. 

Miller : Elfwald son of Acca

He proudly owns two mills, the village’s grain mill and the mine’s rock mill. He is a fat man with an overly familiar and friendly manner. Most would call him pompous. Although he is very smart when it comes to machines, he does very little of the actual work on them. His apprentice, a boy from Nath / now a young man, actually does most of the real work.

Tavernkeeper : Dunstan son of Eadwulf

A good friend of Wolfbert, he was a warrior until he lost his leg in battle. Fortunately his wife was heir to the Inn and so he took up working there until it passed into his hands. He still keeps his axe handy, as the minors who drink at his place often get rowdy.

Midwife : Lioba daughter of Almarica

She took over her post when her mother was banished. Lord Herwald blamed her for his failure to produce a son. Lioba feels that her job, if not her life, is in constant danger, so she is very carful. 

Master Minor : Leofric son of Oscetyl    

He was only recently promoted to his post, after the old master’s death in a cart crash. He is a polite man towards his betters and a harsh man towards his underlings. He knows all about his craft and a good deal about the politics that surround it. The minors respect him, although not many like him. 

Wedding Plans 

The union of Lady Aelfgiva, heir to the house of NikkelSten and Sir Lukion, knight of the royal guard, former squire to the king, third son of house Demsee.

The Lord's Commons will be used for notable guests to set up tents. The village commons will be used as the festivities area. Regular guests may camp along the river by the village docks. The wedding ceremony will take place in the open triangle before the Lord's keep, unless it is raining in which case it will be held in the church. Father Thurwade, the local priest will preside. 

Lords from all over the Barony are expected, also there will be some of Sir Lukion's family and his noble friends. About 200 people, including servants, must be accommodated. This does not include any commoners from near by estates who come to the party. 

The ceremony itself will be held on the 16 of Marssin (second month of spring) with festive events on the preceding and following days. A small gift is expected.

After the wedding the couple will tour the kingdom during the summer, then spend winter at house Demsee.

 

Life as a Mercenary

Naturally there will be a great deal of deviation between the low quality units who are little more than “land privateers” and the high quality companies of “freelance fighters”.

What makes a group Mercenaries 

To be an official mercenary unity you must have a charter, signed by a Baron or higher ranked noble. Quality units with have a lengthy document that sets out details about its organization and its aims, as well as a code of conduct it claims to follow. Low quality units will have a single page very similar to a ‘letter of mark’ allowing it to attack any enemy of the realm, during war time. The noble’s signature on a charter implies that he is the unit’s patron. However the link is often a weak one, and there is a long history of nobles not allowing themselves to be held responsible for the actions of “their” mercenary unit.

An adventuring company is similar but usually smaller than a mercenary unit and has a charter, if it has any, that clearly states the group will do work other than just fighting. Treasure hunting, message delivery, escort duty, and problem solving are usually listed. Frequently such a charter is simply drawn up and notarized with a town council stamp, rather than a noble’s signature. 

For some old units the charter is a mere footnote. Having been formed to fight in one war, the unit becomes an institution unto itself and continues on for generations. These companies exist as facts in the political-military environment. They are usually very large with over 100 troops, often they have a permanent camp rather like a small village.While part of the unit fights another part trains new troops and guards the camp. Their legitimacy comes from their long term existence not any paper.

At the other end spectrum are the “bastard” mercenary units, who have no legitimacy at all. Most often they are a band of brigands who have fled from their usual territory to seek a more respectable livelihood. These units are usually small and of low quality with questionable loyalty. They are seldom trusted with any important missions.

Employment & Pay

Whenever possible a unit prefers to hire people who can fight. Taking on green troops is necessary from time to time, but never the preferred choice. Low quality units will provide very little in the way of equipment, you bring whatever you can in with you. High quality units will make some attempt to standardize equipment and ensure that every troop has a basic kit including weapons and armor. Most units require new men to promises several years of service and exact serious punishment for deserters.

Pay for is usually 5 coins / day for troops, 10 coins / day for officers. However most units deduct 2 coins / day, to cover the cost of regular food & drink. In addition 1 coin / day may be taken as lodging fee. This is often a questionable fee, because troops end up camping in tents. Some units even force their troops to pay for all sorts of other things, so the average man is frequently in debt to his unit. On the bright side, most units pay double rate for any day of battle, and they have a generous policy about looting.

Most mercenary troops will actually see 10 to 12 coins / week, not a horrible wage when you consider they have very few necessary expenses. Of course very few troops keep their money; they buy alcohol, gambol and visit local pleasure houses. Getting rich enough to retire is not as easy as most new recruits think.

What mercenaries do

Generally mercenary units have two kinds of job. 1. Garrison duty, which is dull but safe, until the place comes under an attack. The unit is typically organized into 3 watches of 8 hours each and acts like any town guard. They are concerned with outside danger not with stopping petty thieves. 2. Active duty, which involves lots of marching and fighting. This is preferred by many because it offers the bigger pay days. However there is a high chance of death, especially because mercenary units are almost always on the front line.

Organization

A typical small mercenary unit will have a Captain and a Lieutenant as top officers, a mage or cleric will be recruited if possible as another officer. There will be 3 squads of 10 men, each lead by a Sergeant. This allows for effective watch duty when on garrison and is the minimal attack force of any real use. Also there will be half dozen non-combat support people to run the camp.

Variations on this basic structure are numerous. Low quality units will tend to be mix and match in terms of weapons, with only the officers having horses. High quality units will usually divide troops according to weapons type and will include a cavalry squad.

Economics 201

Economics Theory on Carsis 201

Theory and Reality

            The accepted theory holds that everything can have a value set in coins. However reality soon exposes a practical problem. There are not enough coins in existence. With in the local economy of a Barony (20x20 km area) we may find 5 large estates, 10 medium estates, 20 small estates; giving us a total agricultural market value of 2,739,000 coins. That is a lot of coins. Most regions do not have that many coins in circulation. How then does the economy function?

            First we need to consider that there are several types of coins. All theory is given in the lowest coinage value, the copper piece. There also exists the silver piece, worth 10 coppers, and the gold piece, worth 100 coppers. A simple progression of value, assuming the same weight for a coin is used.  

            Second it must be noted that all coins are not the same size / weight. Many places produce a double thickness silver piece worth 20 coppers, which are in common use and a small gold bar worth 5,000 coppers, which are quite rare.

            Returning to the market for an example:

A farmer has 100,000 lbs of potatoes for sale. According to basic fare trade theory, he would sell them in 20 lb basket for 1 coin each, earning 5,000 copper coins. That is a cumbersome amount of cash to carry around. He could be paid 500 silver coins or 50 gold coins. In reality he normally sells by the bushel, an 80 lb measure sold for 3 coins. Thus the potatoes would be sold as 1,250 bushels for 3,750 copper coins, or which would be paid in some combination of coinage.

            Direct trade is not dead:

Most likely some of the potatoes will be traded directly with craftsmen at the market for items they produce. Some will be sold to residents of the town for cash. Some will be traded with other farmers who offer different crops. Some will be sold to merchants, who transport the produce to the big cities. Some may also be sold to the less reputable “holders” merchants who are equipped to store produce until a later date when the demand drives up the price.

            Regarding the reputable merchants

            They make money if they buy in bulk at a local market, transport the produce to a city and sell it there. Their profits are fair because they add the value of transport to the produce. But the business is risky; accidents can destroy goods and bandits can run off with them. Typically a merchant will not simply trade in one commodity. He will acquire goods in the city from craftsmen, bring them to the small town market and offer them as part of the payment to the farmers for their produce. He usually acquires the goods on credit; a promises to deliver a certain amount of grain or other produce.

An element of barter occurs as the merchant enters the market. Although the documents of fair trade offer guide lines to what any product or service should be worth, nothing compels the farmer to accept an item he does not want as payment. So the merchant must make educated guesses about what will be desired.

            The reputation of the merchant is critical in two ways. First, he must be well known to the craftsmen as they are extending credit to him, offering goods now and accepting payment later. Second he must know and be known to the farmers, so he can guess what they want and avoid lengthy haggling. A merchant who provides a wanted service is a welcome sight.

            Regarding the disreputable merchants

            They are typically called holders or hoarders because they do not provide a noticeable value addition, such as transportation, to a product. They buy local crops at the end of harvest time, when the farmers want to be rid of their surplus and will sell by the bushel. They hold onto the produce until late spring, when most people, especially those in town, are running low on supplies. Then they sell at above fair prices.

            The service they provide is not a welcome one, but it can be useful. It is better to pay double the fair price than to go hungry. The claim made by these merchants is that they invested money to build storage houses and they know the best storage techniques, so they have put value into the produce just be keeping it safe. The risks they take are that rotten food can not be sold, also that robbers and rodents may diminish their supplies.  However logical these arguments are, holders seem to make money for doing nothing and thus are not very popular people.

            Back to the question of cash in the economy

            Many transactions are made item for item, based on the standard fair value of each item. For example; the local brewer may trade a gallon keg for a basket of produce. In this way he stocks up his kitchen by trading directly with the farmers. His coin profit comes from selling to the tavern, assuming he is not running the tavern himself. A similar pattern exists for other local craftsmen like the black smith and the miller. They provide goods or services in exchange for items. All transactions regulated by the guide lines of fair trade, so there is little actual bargaining or haggling involved.

Economics on Carsis 103

Economics Theory on Carsis 103

Agriculture Income on a small estate

Here we shall look at the typical small 400a estate, About 200 acres (50%) is often farmland; 100a grain, 50a root crop, 50a fallow. Using the high average numbers for crop production we find the following is often true; 60a wheat = 360,000lbs, 20a oats = 40,000lbs, 20a barley = 60,000lbs also there is 20a potatoes = 400,000lbs, 10a carrots = 190,000lbs, 10a onions = 180,000lbs, 10a turnips = 120,000lbs. Of these numbers 25% must be kept as seed stock, 50% is consumed locally, thus the last 25% would be sold at market.

The total volume of produce at market is thus; wheat 90,000lbs / 4,500 sacks, oats 10,000lbs / 500 sacks, barley 15,000lbs / 750 sacks, potatoes 100,000lbs / 5,000 sacks, carrots 47,500lbs / 2370 sacks, onions 45,000lbs / 2,250 sacks, turnips 30,000lbs / 1,500 sacks.

If we use the normal price of 1 coin / sack we find a total value of:16,870.

In theory this would be the income of the estate from its agriculture at market. The reality is a bit more complicated. Because many estates sell at market at the same time, trade tends to be by the bushel; 80lbs for 3 coins instead of 4. This effectively reduces income by 25% so the small estate would have an income of about 12,580 coins.

How that money is divided up depends entirely on the vassalage agreements between the Lord and his farmers. At one extreme the Lord would keep almost all of it, paying just a few coins to each peasant family. This arrangement is actually quite common because it does not involve any complicated book keeping. At the other extreme the Lord may divide the produce in half, selling the first half directly himself and allowing his peasants to take the other half to market a day later. In these cases the Lord usually charges a small market permit fee.

At one end of the spectrum, each peasant family may receive 20 coins at harvest, while the Lord earns around 12,000 coins. At the other end, a Lord may earn merle 7000 coins while each peasant household earns 500 coins.

Of course a Lord also gains income from taking livestock to market. On most estates the Lord keeps as monopoly the right to sell animals to the market town. Peasants are allowed to keep and breed small numbers of livestock but only for their own use.

Economics 102

Economics Theory on Carsis 102

 Making money from farming

According to the council on fair trade; “A bag or basket of any local crop should weigh 20 lbs and cost 1 coin.”  The amount of crops produced in one acre is the critical factor. This of course depends on the type of crop, the soil and the weather.

The following chart is based on good agricultural practices and should be seen as a high end output. Also most crops require about one quarter of produce be used as seeds for next year, the exceptions to the rule are marked with *.

Type	lbs / acre	Value	Type	lbs / acre	Value
Wheat	6,000	300	Potatoes	20,000	1000
Barley	3,000	150	Carrots	19,000	950
Oats	2,000	100	Onions	18,000	900
Rye	8,000	400	Cabbages	13,000	650
Corn	6,000	300	Turnips	12,000	600
Apples*	25,000	1250	Cucumbers	8,000	400
Olives*	4,000	200	Grapes*	14,000	700
Dates*	9,000	450

Example

The minor 100 acre "family farm" estate typically has 20a grain, 10a root crop, 10a fallow. If the farmer planted 10a wheat and 10a rye he would have a total grain crop of 140,000 lbs. If he planted only potatoes he would have 200,000 lbs as a root crop. From this he must deduct one quarter as seed stock. He will also keep some food to survive, about half the total. Thus he has 35,000 lbs of grain and 50,000 lbs of potatoes for sale at market. Grain is sold in 20 lb sacks, so he can sell 1,750 sacks. Potatoes are sold in 20 lb baskets, so he has 2,500 baskets to be sold. Thus our independent farmer has an income of 4,250 coins. That sum however it is a once per year event. Taken as a monthly amount ( divided by 8 ) we find the farmer has an averaged income of about 530 coins. 

That is the abstract theory behind farming as money making activity, using some of the highest yield crops. The reality is that farmers usually mix their crops to ensure variety on their own table and to hedge against the danger of crop disease. Also with variable soil and weather conditions, they will often receive less than the amounts predicted here. And the above applies to an estate-farm, not to every peasant farmer on an estate. In their case the amount of money they make depends very much on the vassalage agreement they have with their Lord. Certainly it will be less than the above example.  

Harvest market selling in bulk.

A bushel is an 80 lb measure sold for 3 coins. The merchant supplies his own barrel and the farmer fills it from his wagon. This is a common harvest time tradition to speed up the sale of products, especially root crops. The farmer is selling at less than normal price, however doing so ensures that he sells all he has to offer and is not left with unwanted surplus.

Economics 101

Economics Theory on Carsis 101

By the council for fair trade

The council was comprised of clerics from the following gods; Ballomur Prince of order - writer of the law - keeper of the score. Addella Princess of duty - who is committed to the collective good. Ratarlur God of merchants. Gebalur God of farmers, cooks, bakers and brewers. Arkalra Goddess of textile workers, cobblers and dyers. Fremelur God of masons, carpenters and architects. Their mission was to establish a foundation for the coinage cost of essential goods and services.  Thus all modern economics on Carsis stems from the words of the council, which are taken to be divinely sanctioned as a just system of pricing.

Under the system of barter all exchanges are negotiable, all prices are relative. “What will you trade me, here and now, for this item?” is the foundation. Although tradition had established certain norms of exchange value, the rule of supply and demand clearly dominated economic life. There is nothing morally wrong with this system; however it has some sizable faults. 

Coins offered a stable storage for value. They had been common in ancient days but they fell out of use during the Dark Age, because a coin itself provides no real utility; you can’t eat a gold piece and it makes a poor tool. (the Elves always held this view) The question “What should be the purchasing power of a coin?” was posed as civilization became more stable and coins began to be used again. However there was no established value for any coin, it fluctuated from place to place and even from season to season.

As Gebalur said “Bread is the basic sustenance of life.” so we shall start there.

Taken as a basic commodity we shall say that; 1 loaf of bread = 1 coin. From this we can start to deduce some other basic costs. 

The average family needs a minimum of 1 loaf per day, x8 days / week = 8 coins spent if they buy bread from a baker. If they make it at home, as most families do, they need to use 8 lbs of flour. As any baker knows the real amount of flour used will be a bit more. Thus we find that a 10 lbs sack of flour should cost 1 coin.However flour is not a raw product, it is milled grains of wheat (or other cereal crop) that requires the labor of a miller. In the grinding possess the weight of grain is effectively reduced by half. So it takes a 20 lbs sack of grain to make a 10 lbs sack of flour. Thus we may say the basic allotment of grain should be a 20 lbs bag costing 1 coin.

Under this system of logic 1 coin can either buy you ready to eat bread for 1 day or the main ingredient for enough bread for 1 weak.

Taken as a general guide for ready to serve food and drink, the cost of a basic meal; a bit of bread, meat or cheese and a few vegetables, should be 1 coin. Likewise the average mug of beer; 1 pint should cost 1 coin. 

            How much will it cost a house hold to put food on the table?

We shall assume a simple few items for a family of five, living in a town.  

Flour for bread, 10 lbs sack / week, 1 coin, x4 weeks / month = 4 coins

Potatoes, 10 lbs basket / week, 1 coin, x4 weeks / month = 4 coins

Onions, 10 lbs basket / week, 1 coin, x4 weeks / month = 4 coins

Cheese or meet, 10 lbs / week, 1 coin, x4 weeks / month = 4 coins

Beer, 1 gallon keg / week, 1 coin, x4 weeks / month = 4 coins

We find a weekly cost of 5 coins and a monthly cost of 20 coins.

Of course farmers don’t pay for their food, that’s their big advantage in life.

When you start adding a few more items and especially if you want any luxury foods, you can double the monthly cost of feeding your family. We must stress that these costs are for locally grown products. The cost of transport will increase the cost.

            How much does it cost to put a roof over your table?       

We shall assume a dwelling for a family of five, living in a town.

Quality	Cost / Day	Cost / Week	Cost / Month
Low	1	8	32
Medium	2	16	64
High	4	32	128

Low quality often means an apartment with a shared yard if any.

Medium quality means a two level house with a small privet yard.

High quality means a large home with room for servants and a sizable yard.

Some apartments rent on a weekly rate, but most dwellings only offer a monthly cost.

The exact rate will change slightly because of location and other factors. Most typically as follows; Low 30 coin, Medium 60 coin, High 130 coin.

The cost / day, reflects the piece rate for an inn. Low; bed in common room, Medium; small privet room, High; luxury suit with sitting and bed room. Generally each extra person in a room pays 1 coin, so two people sharing a Medium room would cost 3 coins.     

             Cost of Living

We shall briefly look at the cost of living for an average family of five in a town.

Food cost 20 coins / month, according to out above list which is rather incomplete. A more reasonable sum would add 2 coin / week for various kitchen supplies, for a total of 28 coins / month. Rent on a low quality home would be 32 coins / month. Fuel costs would add about 1 coin / week, for the kitchen fire that is always burning, 4 coins / month. Clothing is not purchased regularly but its cost is usually significant, so we estimate about 4 coins / month should be set aside. Drinking at the tavern, four days / week as many men do, will amount to 16 coins / month. Thus our grand total is 84 coins.

This tells us that our average working family man must earn more than 80 coins / month.

This example of a cost of living would be considered poor by most; it offers no real luxuries or savings and requires a low quality home. But it provides a valuable scale to measure non-aristocratic social levels by offering a subsistence bench mark.

            Required levels of Income

Anyone making less than 80 coins / month would be considered poor. Those making 80 to 100 would be lower average. Those making 160 to 200 would be considered upper average.  Those making 200 to 400 would be the wealthy commoners.   

The next question is about wage rates. Most towns have a 6 day work week and pay is by the day. No one pays by hour, but some jobs do pay on completion of specific tasks. What matter here is the average wage as follows…

Pay / day	Pay / week	Pay / month
2	12	48
3	18	72
4	24	96
5	30	120
6	36	144
7	42	168
8	48	192
9	54	216
10	60	240

A rate of 4 coins / day will provide a solid lower average class living.

With a wage of 6 / day you are middle class.

At a rate of 8 / day you are upper average.

But the above is not true for many people.

It must be pointed out that life in rural areas still operates very much with out cash.

Most food is free, so is fuel, rent is usually taken as an amount of crops you grow. For the farmer money is generated by selling surplus crops at market. It is used for luxury items which can not be made locally. For the towns’ people money is more essential.