1
Ter'ari = 10 Si'ari = 100 Ke'ari
1
Si'ari = 10 Ke'ari
Size
Comparison: (Same for Length and Height)
Five
Ke'ari = Four Si'ari = Three Ter'ari
Manufacture,
er, Production
For
security reasons, and to prevent counterfeiting, much of the details of
the creation of coins is kept secret to all but those who must know what
to do. However, some of the process is known or easily inferred and
is listed below:
By
official decree, the species of nut trees used to create the coins were
restricted to governmental gardens only, and only then to orchards specifically
created to grow the coins. When the new currency was established,
some orchards that had mature trees already planted were taken over by
the government, with adequate compensation, of course. Such "coin
orchards" are heavily guarded by soldiers, mostly young recruits on their
mandatory term of service and those old veterans nearing their retirement.
Two
expert-level Lifesingers per coin orchard are entrusted with the knowledge
of working the living nuts into coins. Once a plant is established
and knows how to make the coins on its own, lower-level gardeners can see
to the plant's needs until it is time to harvest the coins, just like any
other fruit in an orchard. From then on, the experts need only to
periodically walk through, monitor the progress, and make slight corrections
when needed.
Ara
trees have both male and female flowers and pollinate by wind; however,
the nut yields are greater if there are at least two trees. In a
healthy orchard, that's not a problem. But as a hedge against disease,
and in the eternal search for a perfect cultivar, the gardeners have a
few trees held in reserve.
Some
trees are Lifesonged into an idle state, their potential crop not being
needed in the foreseeable future, but ready to be turned back into coin
trees with a few notes. Others are spectacular producers being bred
for an even better, more responsive tree, one that would take less Lifesong
manipulation. There are also some trees Lifesonged into staggered
production, so that the harvest is more than once a year.
At
harvest time, every three or four months or so, the gardeners comb through
the trees and pluck off the grown coins, and pick up those that had fallen.
Then, the coins are examined for defects and rejects are catalogued, catagorized,
and then mulched. The gardeners will, of course, look out for problem
trees and attend to them. [So, an NPC gardener would have some Lifesong,
expert normal gardening skills, and be in search of the perfect coin tree
variety, just as Lasen of the Pale Moon is trying to perfect an elf brewski.]
Neighbors
of these coin orchards will notice that the number of guards will wax and
wane with harvest time, increasing as harvesting time nears, an decreasing
while waiting for the next harvest if the soldiers are needed elsewhere
in the meantime. Often the increase comes from soldiers on furlough
to the nearby town. Since such guard duty is usually [Usually. Heheh.]
noneventful, the requests to be temporarily transferred there are many,
especially among those in the border war. Once the harvest is over, and
the coins are stowed in a warehouse, then the only soldiers needed are
those for the warehouse and its convoy to banks and shops, and a small
permanent detachment watching over the compound.
The
Coins Themselves: Details
The
ke'ari, also called the lute or the acorn, is the smallest coin and denomination,
and substitutes for the copper coins of the other currencies. Five such
coins laid end to end will stretch across a single elf palm. It is
the thinnest of the three coins, and the darkest by Lifesong manipulation.
On
the front is a picture of bard's lute, symbolizing the elf's love of good
music and the other arts. On the back is an acorn, standing for the
low denomination and for the grand potential of something just starting,
whether it be life, or a great endeavor. Green is its color, symbolizing
growth and potential.
The
si'ari, also called the church or the sapling, is the middle coin of the
three, substituting for the silver coins of the other currencies.
Four such coins laid end to end will fit in the same space as five ke'ari.
It is a little thicker than the ke'ari as well, wih four si'ari stacking
as high as five ke'ari.
The
front shows the Church in Silverdawn in a spectacular view of its great
entrance doors, symbolizing the healing that goes on inside, physical and
spiritual. The back shows a sapling, symbolizing continued growth
and experience, or the adventure during a journey, as well as signifying
the middle denomination. Red is its color, just like the eternal
color of leaves of the Church in Silverdawn.
The
ter'ari, also called the palace or the tree, is the largest denomination
and coin, being the equivalent of the gold coins of the other kingdoms.
Three such coins laid end to end fit in the same space as four si'ari or
five ke'ari. They stack in the same ratios compared to the other
two coins, too: Three ter'ari stack to the same height as four si'ari
or five ke'ari. The front shows the Palace of Morning, symbolizing elven
leadership and power. The back shows a large, mature tree, symbolizing
the wisdom accumulated over time and experience, as well as standing for
the largest denomination. Gold is its color, not only suggesting
the kinship with the other large coins of other currencies, but also the
glorious Palace in golden dawn light.
Because
of the unique manufacturing process, every coin is different. However,
just as with art, each expert has his own touch, and the many collectors
among the elves seek out examples from every expert and every coin orchard.
Exchange Rates
Officially,
the exchange rate, as keyed to the Korresh currency, is around one ter'ari
per every one and a half Korresh gold pieces.
However,
it is common knowledge that the actual rate you get depends upon who you
ask and who does the asking. Elves will often get very close to a
one for one rate when asking other elves to exchange money. But should
a goblin ask an elf to exchange arin for his Mirg coins, then the rate
is much more along the lines of one arin for every two Mirg coins.
A rough
listing of the basic exchange rates of each currency, give or take a few
coins:
