khitan coinage Most cities minted their own copper, silver, and gold coins during less troubled times, and a good supply of those remains the accepted currency among the world’s humans and Pachyaur One gold coin buys 10 silvers or 100 coppers However, Khitan coins show their age and the desperation of their times, most having been shaved and scraped down again and again, then beaten flat until they are thin, misshapen things Whatever symbols or writings graced them at their minting are now pounded, squashed, and unrecognizable On average, Khitan coins are 100 to the pound Most business and exchanges are done by barter items but, as one of the few sources of these, charges exorbitant fees The house also connects sellers of enchanted items to buyers for a facilitation fee Seekers of Crystal Bridge always have the task of finding exotic materials, enchantment-ready goods, artifacts, or talented wizards Few truly know anything beyond that public face of the trading house In truth, the Crystal Bridge Trading House is the largest supplier of mercenary wizards on Khitus This is also, by far, their most profitable venture Crystal Bridge always searches for new trainees, and their vetting process ensures that recruits can handle themselves professionally and manage any sorcerous backlash before being put to work Affiliate wizards owe the house loyalty and better than half of their earnings, even though they never publicly acknowledge these ties Recently, Crystal Bridge has petitioned the Merchants’ Council for a place in its membership The two most recent petitioners to join the Council gained their strength in part with Crystal Bridge’s magical aid, and Tzim expects his favors returned now The vote is yet to happen, but if Crystal Bridge is denied, interesting times may lie ahead for the mercantile communities around Torqal and beyond The Kretch Consortium The Kretch Consortium is a great merchant house based out of Pharanor Like the other Merchant Council houses, the Consortium trades in a wide array of products, but it specializes in spices, oils, art, and other compact goods Because its goods tend to be small items, the Consortium only operates one caravan of its own, renting space on 18 other caravans as needed Ownership and control of the house passes down to the shrewdest scion of the Kretch family as it has for several generations Competition among the family is vigorous, to say the least, and a few bloody feuds occur in each generation Amdar Kretch, the Consortium’s current leader, is a hawk of a businessman Amdar used small weapons trades (and, some hint, virulent poisons) to bring local bandit tribes to his side Once his protections were in place, he and his caravans could safely move spices and salt throughout the region, a profitable venture for the tribes and more so for Amdar It was so lucrative that Amdar became the most successful Consortium merchant by his early twenties and easily earned the leadership of the house after his mother’s passing Amdar’s standing orders have many seekers scouring the wasteland for new trade routes, specialty goods from the artisanal villages, or lost art to bring to market At Units of Measurement on khitus These common units are used across Khitus’s human cultures: • Weights are measured in pounds and 2,000-pound tons • Volumes are measured in pints, cubic inches, feet, and yards • Distances are measured in inches, feet, yards, and miles • Time is measured in minutes, hours, days, and 365-day years Other traditional or non-standard units: • Cubit (used in construction): One cubit is equal to 18 inches or 1.5 feet • Pace (used in military formations): One pace is equal to one yard One double pace is equal to two yards • League: One league is equal to 10,000 paces or roughly six miles • Brick (used in construction and transportation): In weight, one brick is equal to 10 pounds In volume, one brick is roughly 150 cubic inches, derived from the basic 10-inch by 5-inch by 3-inch clay brick • Block (used in construction and transportation): In weight, one block is equal to 270 pounds In volume, one block is roughly 2.5 cubic feet, derived from a 3x3x3 pile of bricks