MoneyCoins    The primary currency of Lur-Asko is by now simply called the coin. Various attempts to establish a more formal name have all failed to become popular, as they reminded people too much of the competing national currencies of the Imperial Age.

    The coin itself is a tiny quantity of gold, embedded within a copper disc for easy management. Coins are produced by mints, generally found within each realm's largest city. Like banks, they are overseen and coordinated by the League of Masrafi. In order to become commonly accepted money, each strain of coins has become functionally identical. Each bears a specific set of stamps and emblems to prove that it has been legitimately made with the proper quantity of gold, and inspected to that end by the League.

    In the present time, the value of a single coin is roughly equal to a day's wage for a common laborer. Each coin is thus rather valuable, and guarded very closely by commoners - or thrown around in the thousands by wealthy adventurers.

    Coins are small and convenient, but their weight is considerable when carried in extreme quantities. 20 coins weigh 1 pound. Almost all commerce outside of major cities involves the physical trade of coins, but urban businesses are equipped to deal via banks (see below). When in major cities, papers can be written to authorize transfers of coins between bank accounts, thus sparing adventurers from lugging around cartoonish sacks of money for large purchases.

Infras    Besides the common currency of coins, there are several lesser currencies that vary between realms and city-states. Usually based on silver, copper, or bronze, these tokens are referred to as infracurrencies, almost always abbreviated to infras. Because each gold coin is quite valuable, infras are necessary to pay for inexpensive, everyday purchases. Traditionally, commoners are paid a small quantity of infras in addition to their coin wage to cover their daily food and conveniences. Commoners generally save their coins for large purchases, land rent, taxes, or business expansions; larger families may need to exchange some coins for more infras. Each city's banks will exchange coins for whatever infra is in local use, often at a rate of 100 or more to a single coin.

    Because adventurers are usually quite wealthy, it is not necessary for players to keep track of their infra supply. Except for extremely unfortunate circumstances, it is assumed that an adventurer always has enough infras to cover everyday expenses such as food, clothing, soap, tavern drinks, and equipment maintenance. Going to the bank to exchange for the proper infras is likewise a mundane activity that does not need to be mentioned during gameplay.

Buying & Selling    Traditionally, Lur-Asko shops will buy items for 50% of their listed selling price. The listed prices in the Legends rules are the average prices throughout Lur-Asko in the year 1100 AFA; the GM may vary them slightly to reflect local economic conditions or recent events of supply & demand. After any such variation, the price might vary further through a character's use of Culture Abilities, or via haggling.

    Whenever an Ability or haggling adjusts the price of an item with a normal price of at least 1 coin, round the coin amount in the direction of the normal price (rather than the normal rule of rounding down math at all times). For items with a price expressed in coins but less than 1 coin per unit (such as steel arrows normally priced at 5 for 1 coin), apply price reductions as increases to how many units can be obtained for 1 coin, and vice versa; round towards the original amount.

Banking    Banking was invented in the First Alacrian Era, and subsequently reintroduced in the Adventuring Age by the League of Masrafi. Today, banks can be found in every major city. In addition to forming a vital part of the entire economy, banks are of particular value to adventurers, given their typical wealth.

    All banks provide deposit services to any person. For the cost of a few infras, the account holder may deposit an unlimited number of coins, which are kept in their account until withdrawn. Depositors are not harmed by any calamity that befalls any individual bank; behind the scenes, the League of Masrafi insures against disaster, pursues bank robbers, and guarantees the accounts of any depositor. Because of their association through the League, all banks throughout the seven realms are coordinated; any person can access their accounts from any major city, regardless of which banks they have used in the past. Banks are extremely secure locations, and even more so in larger cities. In addition to employing their own security measures and personnel, they are closely guarded by city-state governments or Preamblian security guilds due to their economic importance.

    Banks also offer time deposits, which are deposits made available to be loaned out to others, earning extra money for the lender's account through interest. Such pursuits are beyond the normal timeframe of an adventuring campaign, but are available to adventurers between campaigns as a possible flavor of the Coins and Investments LP Elements. Meanwhile, Bank Loans (Culture) enables an adventurer to receive such loans.

The Poor    The vast difference in income between commoner and adventurer has been the subject of countless books, speeches, and riots. It is generally accepted that the greater wealth of adventurers is a market incentive to offset the tremendous risk associated with their profession. Any attempt to equalize the two groups - usually by the Opened Hand or other post-decs - has tended to drive away much-needed adventuring business.

    Still, many adventurers are kind-hearted and seek to use their wealth to help the poorer folk. Unfortunately, giving money directly tends to distort markets and actually ruin commoners' lives - most are not prepared to handle the envy of their communities. The common wisdom is that interested adventurers should make their charitable contributions to Red abbeys, as well as Methodian or Rationalist charities. These organizations are commonly found in cities, and make it their business to know the local economies. They can help needy commoners much more effectively - or so they claim.

    Of course, many adventurers use charity in a strategic way. Particularly generous individuals tend to garner a heroic reputation with commoners, whether or not it is truly deserved.