The economy of Elanthia is based on several media of exchange. Treasure, booty, furs, gems, precious metals, and other rare and wondrous items may appear from time to time in the land, and many even on occasion fall into your hands.
Treasure and goods may be exchanged or bartered in certain parts of Elanthia, particularly towns that are centers of commerce such as Wehnimer's Landing.
Silver is the everyday currency of Elanthia, each coin in the denomination of one silver. Merchants in the towns sell items in exchange for currency; pawnshops and other traders may also buy items of great intrinsic value in return for silver pieces. For large amounts, you may use bank notes instead of silver.
Wealth is accumulated mainly through the gathering of treasure and booty from the creatures you or your party of adventurers have killed. Rogues, of course, have somewhat more subtle ways of obtaining finances. Precious items, treasures, gems, and other trinkets may be exchanged at various establishments in town or to other adventurers for a quick stake. Naturally, if you can perform valuable services valuable services for fellow adventurers, you may care to do so in exchange for a fee.
Shopkeepers, traders and various other vendors of goods and services tend to be centered in towns, where the greatest concentration of customers is located. The primary commercial and trading post in Elanthia is the town of Wehnimer's Landing. Here you will encounter many kinds of shops catering to the discriminating adventurer. You can buy the basic necessities for surviving and advancing in your field, as well as some of the finer things Elanthia has to offer in terms of eating, drinking, and other leisurely pursuits.
To purchase an item, you must enter a shop and issue the command ORDER. Even if the shopkeeper is not immediately in evidence, once you have expressed your desire to make a purchase, he will appear and you can begin your transaction.
Entering the command ORDER at the appropriate shop locations initiates the Merchant System. Each retail establishment is presided over by an individual merchant, with his/her own name, personality, business sense and idiosyncrasies. Some merchants enjoy bantering, bargaining and haggling, while others would just as soon you go away and leave them alone. You will get a feel for each shopkeeper's way of doing business as you deal with each merchant, and they in turn will get to know you. If you show up enough and bargain for the best deal insistently and constantly, you will definitely gain a reputation with the individual merchant. While you may walk away with a bargain or two at first, in the long run, remember the old saying: "Penny wise, pound foolish."
Note that the merchants actually do remember each particular character if they visit enough. In fact, they form likes and dislikes which can make a big difference later on. You will find out quickly enough if a merchant gets to know you and what he/she thinks.
Once in the Merchant System, you will be shown the catalog of what the merchant has to offer you. You can list the items, get more detailed descriptions of any single item, and then decide whether you wish to purchase it or not. Once you decide you do want to buy an item, the process of bargaining begins. When the price is agreeable to both parties, you then buy the item by typing "S" for "sold", and wait for the shopkeeper to fetch it for you. When you are through with all your purchases from that shop, you indicate so by typing "D" for "done". The merchant takes your silver, sets the item down for you on the counter, and it is yours to cherish, for however long it lasts. By the way, there are no guarantees, returns or exchanges.
Banks in Elanthia are confined to the towns, where security and commerce are centered. Wehnimer's Landing contains such an establishment, and you are free to choose where you wish to keep your wealth.
Banking in the era simulated in GemStone III is quite a bit different than modern banking. Banks do not make loans - their primary business is that of security. The economy runs on the silver standard, so when a bank has your money it really keeps your actual silvers locked up in their own compartment. A bank, then, makes its money from
Note that bankers do not make judgments about characters. Their rates are not negotiable. If you have a silver to deposit, they will be willing to deal with you.
Banks offer promissory notes, which act as a substitute for silver. If you must carry a large amount of silver, a note can be both lighter and less likely to be picked from your pocket. Most merchants will accept such notes, even offering you change. Naturally, the bank charges you a reasonable fee for this service.
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If you have problems, comments, questions, or complaints about the GemStone III pages you can send mail to Nora Melton (ntm@tamcon.com) aka Wanton Destruction.
Last modified 29 April 1996.