by Etienne Suarven Lorneau in Dark Ages
 
 

"Economia" is the Rucesian word for "economy". This is what this small text is about: the economical aspects of our kingdom. I came across it in a pile of miscellaneous writings of mine, from the time Light had not yet called me, and decided to bring it outside, in hope someone can benefit from my sights. I will read it aloud exactly the way it has been found.
 
 

    In my travels across the lands of this magnificent kingdom, I have made many observations, which I now set together. I hope the reader finds this collection to be of use.
 
 
 

Geography
 

    I have divided the kingdom in five specific regions to aid in the comprehension. They are:
 
 

Loures

    This region includes our capital city and, for environmental similarity, the town of Piet, as well as all the smaller villages and the area around them.
 

Rucesion

    Having only one city, this region is named after it. It does not include, however, the area around that which is called the Dubhaim Castle, as any human conducted events of any sort that might come to happen in the vicinities of such a monstrous place is illegal and extremely dangerous. Thus, the area to the North of Rucesion Bridge is not part of this region, or of any other.
 

Abel

    Despite the major focus of this region being the port city of Abel, we must not neglect the economical potential of the town of Mileth, nor the agricultural potential of the whole region, from the coast to the mountains. It would also be unwise to overlook the Mines of Kasmanium - they could produce a vast quantity of raw ore if the proper care was to be taken to bring safety to the workers. Being this so, the region named Abel includes this city, the town of Mileth, the Kasmanium Mines and all land worth the practice of agriculture around them.
 

Undine

    This is mostly a coastal region, including the small city of Undine and the area around it.
 

Suomi

    Probably the smallest region, yet somewhat odd. Includes, as well as the city of Suomi, the fields around it, and a part of the mountains surrounding it.
 
 

 
Economical Value
 

   Having described each of the regions' geography, I will now move on to the main point.
 
 

Loures

    The capital city itself is not of great economical value, as it counts with a very small consuming population. The major production of the city consists of weapons, sold in the castle by the same blacksmiths who forge them. This small commerce, however, is not enough to sustain the city. So, in the last analysis, the city of Loures is the one, which generates less revenue to our kingdom.

    The city of Piet, on the other hand, is not known for its weapons, but for one somewhat overlooked activity: the cattle breeding. Most of Loures and Rucesion's meat comes from this town. Sheep is also common in the area, making it the main producer of wool clothes in Temuair. And of course horses; the best horses of the land come from Piet. In fact, the first horses of the Royal Stable of Loures were bought in Piet.

    Entering the forests of this region, one can easily find fine sorts of noble trees, used in the construction of houses, when the use of masonry is not possible, as well as in the making of furniture. Among the many varieties of species found in the forest of Loures, I could cite the oak, the larch, the peroba and the mahogany. We know these trees require very different environments - an oak would never grow side to side to a peroba - but nature seems to have thought about it quite well: the variations of climate in the region of Loures along the year allow the growth of trees of tropical and temperate climate. This is, as far as I know, an unique case of which the kingdom most assuredly should take advantage and proper care. Most of the kingdom's wood comes from the forests of Loures, and that is sure to bring it to death in the not so far future. It would be advisable to install a program of reforestation in a few years, to secure our supplies of noble wood.

    Unfortunately the region has very small agriculture being practiced, probably for lack of tradition. A few farms exist, however, which produce mostly grapes. It is an incoherence, of course, that Loures imports most of its grapes from Suomi. The wine produced in these farms is of very good quality, usually surpassing those made with the grapes of Suomi or in other regions, but the production is too small, making it unknown to most people.
 
 

Rucesion

    The city of Rucesion has made itself famous over the years by the wizards who in it reside. Its paved walkways and bright lamps, however, are not the reflect of a good economy, such as in Abel, but of the personal wealth of the wizards, who financed themselves most of the improvements built in the city.

    Rucesion is not to be despised, though, as it has its commerce, and an important one. Despite not being a textile producer, the city is known for the fine clothes its shops sell. It must also not be forgotten that only in Rucesion one can find for sale some magical material available nowhere else.

    It is also important to notice the revenue provided to the kingdom from this city. Being the connection point between Abel and Loures, its port receives many people and goods every day. Furthermore, the wizards are known to have riches that would cause envy to the bourgeoisie of Abel, and this wealth does not go untaxed.

    Being on a small island, the city left no space for agriculture, except across the Rucesion Bridge. It is unfortunate, though, as its climate seems just what is needed to grow olives and some citrus.
 
 

Abel

    No one questions the importance of the port city of Abel to our kingdom. It is, in fact, the largest and richest city of Temuair. Having such a high population, Abel counts with the most varied services and products for sale in its stores. It is impossible to define a single major production in this city, but the main internal economical activity is the commerce. Second to the shops in profit come the inns and taverns, always crowded with travelers. As for external economy, it is to all known that Abel profits greatly from its port.

    Near Abel is the town of Mileth, a place of simplicity and history. The original Aosda statue of Danaan, as well as the Altar of Donation, is in Mileth. There is also an ancient temple in the region, used by those who call themselves Aislings. I am not quite sure about this whole thing, so I will focus on the economical side of the city.

    Whatever they may be, the Aislings have been a great benefit to the town of Mileth, once forgotten like most of the smaller villages. There has been a great increase in sales; the blacksmiths, inns and taverns have raised their profits to once unreachable levels. If this goes on, I would not be surprised to see Mileth surpass Rucesion in wealth in the next few decades. Assuming, of course, the Aisling situation does not shift to a bad side.

    Around Mileth there are small forest areas which, while not blessed like those in Loures, present the region with a reasonable supply of wood. It is interesting to notice, however, that none of the trees found in the region of Abel are of the same species of those found in Loures, despite their proximity. This happens due to the differences in weather. The chain of mountains between the two regions prevents most of the cold sea wind from the North from reaching Loures, while also blocking the warm air from the central sea from Abel, rendering the region colder than Loures most of the year.

    This different, yet stable climate is, when it comes to agriculture, a plus to the region of Abel. It allows the growth of grains and cereals like soya, corn and wheat, which are sold to the rest of the kingdom. As for the animals, a comparison can be made with Piet. Sheep do not adapt well to the place, it is unknown why, but horses and cows do well enough to keep this region, as well as Undine and Suomi, away from Piet's animal ships most of the time.

    Dug a long time ago, the Kasmanium Mines are today abandoned, completely taken by all sorts of dangerous animals not even these Aislings dare facing. Their potential, however, is unquestioned - everyone knows many chariots of ore could come out of them, which would give an even more powerful boost to Mileth's economy, putting its weapon production at par with Loures. To make them safe, however, it would be needed to send a well trained army to clean the mines from animals and monsters, which would cause the kingdom, specially Loures, more loss than profit, not to mention the possibility of losing many lives, if not all. So, the Kasmanium Mines remain closed.

    Following the Mines examples are the East Woodlands, populated by all sort of dreadful creatures. This is the hunting ground of many of those Aislings, and is entirely filled with worthless trees, rendering them useless for agriculture and extraction. This small area will bring our kingdom no good.
 
 

Undine

    The small coastal city of Undine relied mostly on the cold North Sea to sustain itself. It has been like this for uncountable generations, until a few years ago a disaster took place. A wizard, trying to help the fishers, took all the fish to the land at once, nearly ruining Undine's economy. The city has only been standing due to the support of Loures, which does not go without thanks. Slowly the sea is recovering its life, and fishing is being made possible in small scale. One lucky and wealthy enough person can sometimes buy a fine codfish and have it prepared in the local tavern. I do hope the sea life returns to normal soon, as I love codfish, but at the current price, I can do nothing but dream of it.

    As for agriculture, Undine has none. The climate is cold, the soil is rocky and salty. Nothing worth planting grows in this region.
 
 

Suomi

    Surrounded by mountains and a small branch of barren water, Suomi has nearly no space for growth. The population can rise, as there is enough space inside the city boundaries, but that would prejudice the fine agriculture going on there. The finest jewelry can be found in Suomi, but that is nearly all there is to mention about the commerce.

    The fine agriculture mentioned above is unexplainable. Suomi has severe temperature changes during the day, due to the surrounding mountains. At daytime, the hot air is kept over the city by the cordillera, resulting in a very sultry environment. At night the air cools down quickly, and without any external wind to move the cold air away, it remains there, sometimes dry as a bone, despite the nearby sea, other times extremely humid. It is truly amazing that Suomi is the main producer of grapes and cherries of the kingdom - those lands must be really blessed by the gods. However, it is to be noticed that, despite growing healthy, these cultures, specially the grapes, are not the best thing to make a fine beverage from. The lack of rain cause them to have a very strong taste, rendering the liquors and wines from Suomi a threat to those not used to it.

    There is a little space remaining outside the city that could be used for agriculture, but it would most probably result in poor harvests. The mineral potential of the mountains around the city, however, seems enough of a reason to invest in the region, since the Kasmanium Mines are such a dangerous place.
 
 

The short document ends here. Thank you for listening.