The worth of money in Glorantha (Sartar for starters)

[Ben Baccaert]

In King of Sartar we can read that Issaries negotiated the price for a living person to cross the River of Swords with Jeset the ferryman, this happened right after Lankhor Mhy had shown him the secret passage that had something to do with the Elder Tree.
In the older coin system, Issaries minted copper coins called Trees that had the value of 5 clacks, they showed Issaries rune on one side and the image of a tree on the other. I probably read too much in that coincidence.

Issaries seeks out the souls that are lost and guides them to the Hall of Judgement. I always imagined the blind soul of the departed holding onto the tail of the mule as it navigated the Path of Silence. As a mule is a horse and not a horse, it may also be in this world and not in this world.

YGMV a lot I guess.

[Scott Martin]

Issaries seeks out the souls that are lost and guides them to the Hall of Judgement. I always imagined the blind soul of the departed holding onto the tail of the mule as it navigated the Path of Silence. As a mule is a horse and not a horse, it may also be in this world and not in this world.
This is fantastic. Love it, love the Trees as funeral coins. Someone evidently minted them even if they’re not in wide use now. Thank you!

[Ben Baccaert]

If I remember correctly this is what the old money system looked like:
10 bolgs (lead) = 1 clack
5 clacks (copper) = 1 tree
2 trees (copper) = 1 spoke of a wheel (gold)
1 hub (gold) = 10 spokes (gold)
1 hub + 10 spokes = 1 wheel (gold)
100 clacks = 1 storm (silver)

I guess this “storm” had to be quite a heavy denomination (10 lunars).

[Rudy]

So basically there is a smaller coin denomination than the clack, it’s the lead bolg. Now that that’s clear, I think I can safely ignore it for all practical purposes, not much fun starting to make players write stuff down when they buy a grilled rat at a market stall somewhere just because they spent 2 bolgs.
Ben, you’re way to knowledgable for a player. I pity the GM that has you at his table :p

[Mankcam]

My impression is that Bolgs are small, irregular lumps of lead which are used as a system of coinage with The Uz when barter is not appropriate. I suspect that Bolgs may not be recognized as currency in other cultures, and that typically copper coins would usually be the lowest denomination in most human settlements.

[Bruce Turner]

After living with the Shadow Tribute for generations the folk of the Holy Country probably recognize bolgs and may (grudginly) accept them as currency. I think the folk up in Dragon Pass would be much less likely to. And further north, trying to pay in bolgs would just get you marked as a lover of monsters.

[Author]

Posts