Economics of Hârn
Money
Coinage on Hârn, Hârn is not a well monied society. Transactions on Hârn often do not involve the exchange of currency, most people barter in kind (goods) instead. Note, since it is hard to maintain a barter system in a fantasy roleplaying game, Hârn makes more use of money than was historically true on Terra. However, Hârn is generally “money poor”, which is plausible given the setting. Assuming 12 silver pennies in circulation for each Hârnian, there is an economy of about 1 million pence (or roughly 30,000 gold pieces). This is quite large for a medieval society, but is within the realm of possibility, therefore player characters are unlikely to simply find a 1,000 gold pieces simply lying around in a cavern ripe for the taking.
Rural Economy
Most people on Hârn are part of the rural economy. Farms usually lie on manorial land which is part of a manorial fief. A manorial fief most often consists of a fortified manor house of wood or stone surrounded by an outer wall, at least one village, and probably a grain mill.
The lord of the manor is usually a knight, who received the land from their lord (usually a baron or an earl). In return, he becomes the lord's vassal. As a vassal, he swears fealty to the lord and owes him military service. Some manors and fiefs are controlled directly by a nobleman. Some manors are held by religious groups or fighting-orders.
Sometimes a lord may hire agricultural laborers, but usually, the land is worked by tenant farmers. In exchange for being a tenant, tenants can not be removed from their land without just cause, and they are entitled to justice and protection. There are two types of tenants: freeholders and serfs.
Freehold tenants pay rent to the manor lord (in cash or kind). In return, they may grow what they please for their own use or profit, they may come and go as they please, and they may sell the land to another (with the lord's permission). Serfs are servants granted a plot of land of their own, in exchange, Serfs are obligated to work the lord's land for a defined number of days per week, usually 4 per tenday, in lieu of paying rent. Serfs may not leave the manor's boundaries, or marry, without the lord's permission. Serfs may not sell their land or own significant property. Serfs can buy their “freedom” by paying a stiff manumission fee, to become a Freehold tenant.
Some Freehold tenants may be yeoman. A yeoman exchanges rent for military service. Yeoman can also act as a retainer, guard, attendant, or subordinate official for the lord. Tenants are also required to help the lord in the time of a crisis by reporting for militia duty, but militia's are rarely used as peasant troops are unreliable and are needed to keep the rural economy going.
Urban Economy
People living in the cities are, by definition, freemen. They are divided into two classes: guilded and unguilded. Guilded folk belong to a guild. All significant professional and commercial activities fall within the area of a guild. A guild consists of members of a particular profession.
Guilds have a monopoly on a specific profession, product, or service and which are protected under the law. Folk who are not guild members may not produce or sell goods and services that are the purview of a guild under penalty of law. Some guilds are strong with rigid monopolies, and some are weak with loose monopolies. Most trades have a guild, which regulates the profession, trains new members, and dispenses franchises. The Guilds themselves are regulated by the Charter of the Mangai, the Mangai being the governing body of the guilds, consisting of representatives from all the trades who meet regularily and represent the guilds in legal, regulatory, tax, and economic matters.
The Khuzadul and the Ivinians of Orbaal do not have guilds, but they have clans that function much like guilds.
Unguilded city dwellers are mostly the dregs of humanity, they are often escaped serfs forced to work at the most insecure, unsafe, unfulfilling, and unprofitable occupations. Most unguilded freemen are common laborers. However, an unguilded worker, though, might become a common soldier or success as a scribe, artist, or toymaker.
Hârn uses Imperial weights and measures.
Weight is in ounces, pounds, and tons.
Volume is measured in ounces, pints, quarts, and gallons.
Distance is measured in inches, feet and yards. Longer distances are measured in leagues. A Hârnic league is equivalent to 2.5 miles (4km).
There are slaves on Hârn, a slave unlike a feudal serf has few protections or privileges defined under the law. The “good” human kingdoms; Kaldor, Kanday, Chybisa, Melderyn ban the pratice of slavery. Should a slave run away from their master in one of these kingdoms they would not be considered a fugitive but also not free somewhat like fleeing serf, although they could take refuge in a church, in short it is complicated. Orbaal, Rethem and the Thardic Republic do allow slavery. A slave is a person who is owned outright. Slaves have no rights, cannot own property, and are treated as property under the law. In Rethem a slave owner may do whatever they wish with a slave, in Orbaal and Tharda some slaves have the right not be severly maimed or abused but that is about it. Rethem and the Thardic Republic have the Pamesani Games, a spectacle gladiatorial combat. The Pamesani Games often involve slaves, most of whom do not survive. Orbaal, the Viking kingdom in northern Hârn, has thralls, who are essentially slaves. Neither the Sindar nor Khuzan practice slavery.
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