chapter 10 done, working on 11
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# Economy of Corvel — Reference Document
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**Purpose:** Canonical reference for currency, pricing, wages, and economic context in the world of Corvel. Consult this file when writing any scene involving money, prices, payments, or financial stakes.
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**Last updated:** Ch09 final (2026-03-06)
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---
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## 1. Currency Denominations
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| Denomination | Material | Notes |
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|-------------|----------|-------|
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| **Copper** | Small copper coin | Base unit. Common in daily transactions. |
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| **Half-silver** | Thin silver coin, half-width | = 5 coppers. Real denomination, not slang. |
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| **Silver** | Standard silver coin | = 10 coppers. Primary unit for goods and services. |
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| **Gold** | Larger gold coin | = 100 silvers = 1,000 coppers. Wealth-class transactions only. |
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**Exchange rates:**
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- 10 coppers = 1 silver
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- 2 half-silvers = 1 silver
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- 100 silvers = 1 gold
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---
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## 2. Cost of Living — Reference Table
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### Food & Drink
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| Item | Cost | Source |
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|------|------|--------|
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| Street meal (bread, cheese, apple, dried meat) | ~4–5 coppers | Ch04 (Phelan's first non-austerity meal) |
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| Tavern meal (hot, with ale) | ~8 coppers | Extrapolated |
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| Proper sit-down meal | ~1.5 silvers | Extrapolated |
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| Month of food (eating properly) | ~1.5 silvers | Ch04 (monthly expense calculation) |
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| Month of food (austerity) | ~1 silver | Implied pre-guild |
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| Ale (tavern) | 2–3 coppers | Extrapolated |
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### Lodging
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| Item | Cost | Source |
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|------|------|--------|
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| Dockside shack (Phelan's) | 2 silvers/month | Ch04 (monthly expenses) |
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| Decent room above a shop | ~5 silvers/month | Extrapolated (Leon's likely range) |
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| Comfortable quarters | ~8–12 silvers/month | Extrapolated |
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| Noble-district housing | 30+ silvers/month | Extrapolated |
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### Herbs & Supplies
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| Item | Cost | Source |
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|------|------|--------|
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| Common herbs (chamomile, feverwort) | 1–3 coppers/bundle | Extrapolated from Gavren's shop |
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| Specialty herbs (thornwell root, sweetbalm) | 5–15 coppers | Extrapolated |
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| Refined/rare (silverthorn, powdered) | 1–5 silvers | Ch01 (Mere's purchase, premium product) |
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| Hand-ground silverthorn (4x powdered price) | 4–20 silvers | Extrapolated |
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### Magical Goods
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| Item | Cost | Source |
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|------|------|--------|
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| Focusing rods (retail, overpriced) | 2 silvers each | Ch02 (noted as 40% overpriced) |
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| Focusing rods (fair price) | ~1.2 silvers | Ch02 (implied) |
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| Ward-resistance compound | 3 silvers/vial | Ch06 (Carter's price); guild price 6 silvers |
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| Binding salts (bulk) | 2–5 coppers | Extrapolated |
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| Binding salts (refined) | 1–2 silvers | Ch01 (Mere's purchase) |
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| Calibration-grade runestones | 3–8 silvers | Extrapolated |
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### Equipment
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| Item | Cost | Source |
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|------|------|--------|
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| Rope (quality) | 4 silvers | Ch06 (guild catalogue) |
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| Medical kit | 8 silvers | Ch06 (guild catalogue) |
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| Light source (ceramic rod) | 2 silvers | Ch06 (guild catalogue) |
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| New boots | ~3–5 silvers | Ch05 (purchased, amount unspecified) |
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| Full guild equipment loadout | 20 silvers | Ch06 (guild catalogue total) |
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| Carter's equivalent loadout | 7 silvers | Ch06 (including bonus ward-resistance vial) |
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### Services
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| Service | Cost | Source |
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|---------|------|--------|
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| Licensed warding work (full property) | ~200 silvers | Extrapolated from house cost breakdown |
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| Self-sourced warding | ~140 silvers | Extrapolated |
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| Healing magic (minor) | 5–15 silvers | Extrapolated |
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| Healing magic (serious) | 50+ silvers | Extrapolated |
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### Daily & Miscellaneous
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| Item | Cost | Source |
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|------|------|--------|
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| Common clothing | 3–8 silvers | Extrapolated |
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| Horse hire (day) | 5–8 coppers | Extrapolated |
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---
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## 3. Income Brackets
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| Social Class | Monthly Income | Notes |
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|-------------|---------------|-------|
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| Unskilled laborer / dockworker | 5–8 silvers | Subsistence level |
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| Skilled tradesperson / shop worker | 12–20 silvers | Phelan's Gavren's pay was likely in this range |
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| Guild specialist (Tier One) | 15 silver retainer + job fees | Ch04 — Phelan's starting tier |
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| Established merchant | 30–80 silvers | Comfortable, growing savings |
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| Minor noble income | 1–5 golds/month | Land rents, investments |
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| Major noble / trade house | 10+ golds/month | Political-class wealth |
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**Guild economics (Tier One):**
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- Monthly retainer: 15 silvers
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- Job fees: variable (40 silvers for field retrieval, Ch07)
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- Commission: 20% of job fees (retainer is not taxed)
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- Minimum: 2 engagements per quarter
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- Net from first job: 32 silvers (40 minus 20%)
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---
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## 4. Magic's Effect on Pricing
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- **Mass-produced magical goods** undercut artisan equivalents in some markets, creating tension between traditional craftspeople and licensed enchanters.
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- **Licensed magical services** carry an Arcane Compact tax (~15–20% premium), which is why guild catalogue prices are steep (e.g., ward-resistance compound at 6 silvers vs. Carter's 3).
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- **Unlicensed work** is 30–40% cheaper but carries legal risk — practitioners can lose their license, clients can be fined.
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- **Healing magic cost** is why infection still kills — most people can't afford magical treatment. Herbalism and trained surgeons handle the majority of medical care.
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- **Magical construction** is a luxury: guild halls, noble estates, public works. Phelan's house estimate includes 200 silvers for warding alone.
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---
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## 5. Financial Anchor Points
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These are key reference values for calibrating new prices:
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| Anchor | Value | Context |
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|--------|-------|---------|
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| Phelan's starting wealth | 12 coppers + 1 shaved half-silver | Ch01 — "two to three meals" |
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| Phelan's monthly expenses (basic) | ~4.5 silvers | Rent 2s + food 1.5s + incidentals 1s (Ch04) |
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| Phelan's house goal | ~1,300 silvers (13 golds) | Ch01 — 800 materials, 60 permits, 200 warding, 300 labor |
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| Leon's Mallory crystal sale | 1,200 silvers (12 golds) | Ch05 — "windfall" benchmark, life-changing sum |
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| Tier One job fee (field retrieval) | 40 silvers gross / 32 net | Ch07–09 — moderate-risk solo job |
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| Guild equipment (full loadout) | 20 silvers (guild) / 7 silvers (Carter) | Ch06 — price comparison shows guild markup |
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| "Forty silvers would keep the rent current and leave enough to actually eat" | Phelan's internal framing | Ch08 — shows 40s = several months of security |
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**Cross-reference:** See `/world/story-summary-book1.md` Section 5 (Phelan's Financial Ledger) for chapter-by-chapter income/expense tracking.
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---
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*Update this document when new prices, wages, or economic details are established in prose. All values stated in published chapters are canon.*
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