Economy & Craft
14.1 Overview
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Currency | The Frostborn operate primarily on a barter economy, exchanging goods and services directly. Ice Gems serve as a high-value trade medium with outside races. |
| Core Crafts | Ice Sculpting (artistic and structural), Bone Carving (tools, jewelry, weapons), Fur Crafting (warm, durable clothing and shelter), Runecraft (enchanting tools and weapons), Ice-Steel Forging (weapons and tools created in the Forge of Jokul). |
| Export Goods | Rare furs (Frostfur), Ice Gems, magical artifacts (enchanted weapons and talismans), bone carvings, medicinal arctic herbs, and Runecraft services. |
| Import Goods | Metals (especially iron and mithril-alloy from the Dwarves), certain foodstuffs, grain, Eldorian metalwork and magical items, textiles from southern regions. |
| Trade Partners | Dwarves of the Ironspine Mountains (furs and ice gems for metalwork), Eldorians (resources and knowledge exchange), occasional trade with the Nomads of Aurora who serve as intermediary merchants. |
| Crafting Tradition | When not hunting or gathering, the Frostborn spend much of their time crafting - making tools, weapons, clothing, and art. They also engage in trade with other clans and, occasionally, with outsiders who brave the journey to their lands. |
14.2 Craft Guilds & Specializations
While the Frostborn do not have formal guilds in the manner of southern civilizations, certain clans and family lines have become renowned for specific crafts. The Deepglacier Clan produces the finest ice-steel smiths, their proximity to the Forge of Jokul giving them unmatched access to materials and tradition. The Whitepeak Clan is known for the delicacy of their bone carvings, which are prized as luxury goods by collectors in distant lands. Ironveil Clan leatherworkers produce the most durable travel gear, born from their experience equipping trade caravans for the long journey through the mountain passes.
14.3 The Ice Gem Trade
Ice Gems are the most valuable export of the Frostborn and the closest thing they have to a universal currency. These magical crystals form naturally deep within ancient glaciers, requiring expert miners to extract them without shattering their delicate internal structures. The largest and most magically potent Ice Gems are extremely rare and can command prices equivalent to a year's worth of iron ingots from Dwarven traders. A master Ice Gem assessor named Fenrik Glaciereye of the Frosthollow Clan is currently the foremost authority on grading and valuing these precious stones.