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Economy & Craft
Economic Model
The Elemental Kingdoms operate on a Resonance Economy — value is measured not in coins but in Resonance Credits (RC), units that represent stored elemental energy. One RC equals the energy required to sustain a single Elemental for one day.
Resource Extraction & Production
| Kingdom | Primary Exports | Key Industries |
|---|---|---|
| Earth | Crystal-ore, geothermal energy, living stone, mineral pigments | Mining, crystal engineering, stone architecture |
| Fire | Magma-alloys, plasma cells, ember-stone, volcanic glass | Forging, weapons-smithing, energy production |
| Water | Pearl-water, bioluminescent algae, coral-stone, salt crystals | Aquaculture, hydro-engineering, potion ingredients |
| Air | Wind-silks, storm-charged crystals, atmospheric gases, sky-iron | Textile weaving, atmospheric instruments, sky-ship building |
| Aether | Aetheric crystals, star-dust, void-essence (restricted), enchantment cores | Arcane device manufacturing, enchantment services, research |
Trade Networks
- Internal Trade - Facilitated by Ley-Line Transport Conduits, which move goods at near-instantaneous speeds between kingdoms.
- External Trade - Managed through Trade Portals at the borders of each kingdom, where mortal merchants can exchange goods under the supervision of Trade Wardens.
- Balance Quotas - Strict limits on how much raw elemental material can be exported, to prevent destabilizing any kingdom's plane.
Key Crafts & Guilds
- Stone-Shapers' Guild (Earth) - Master architects and sculptors.
- Flame-Smiths' Forge (Fire) - Elite weapon and artifact makers.
- Tide-Weavers' Lodge (Water) - Engineers of currents and hydraulic systems.
- Wind-Scribes' Circle (Air) - Cartographers, instrument makers, sky-ship designers.
- Aether-Weavers' Conclave (Aether) - Creators of enchantments and arcane devices.
- Confluence Traders' Association - Cross-kingdom guild managing inter-elemental commerce.
Currency & Wealth
- Resonance Credits are stored in Ley-Crystal Wallets — small crystal tokens that hold energy and can be transferred between individuals.
- Primarch Grants - Large-scale projects (e.g., ley-line construction, capital improvements) are funded directly by the Primarch's treasury.
- Wealth Inequality - Minimal by mortal standards; all Elementals have access to baseline sustenance from ambient elemental energy. Disparities exist in influence and knowledge rather than material wealth.