Introduction

Trade is the lifeblood of a thriving civilization. Throughout the history of Gevadun, various currencies have been used by the many empires and kingdoms that have ruled the land. In modern Gevadun, one coin stands out as the only currency: The Silver Phoenix (Px). The Silver Phoenix is a circular silver coin featuring a gold center and an etching of a phoenix in that center. The Silver Phoenix is accepted in every realm of Gevadun.

While some remote areas still prefer barter for transactions, there is no place where the Silver Phoenix is not recognized. Even The Chasm and Praetoria respect the value of the Silver Phoenix, making it a stable currency in those realms. No matter where you are in Gevadun, conventional merchants will accept the Silver Phoenix as legal tender.

History:

The Silver Phoenix was originally minted and accepted in the realm of Phoenix. In 37,691 of the Era of the Lost, the young trading guilds that ran Phoenix recognized the necessity for a standardized currency. To address this, representatives from the fragmented guilds across the two continents convened a summit on the 26th of Twist Sprig, which lasted for eleven days and concluded on the 9th of Mid-Spring.

At the conclusion of the summit, it was decided that all trading guilds would discontinue minting their own currencies and instead adopt a new, standardized coin. Although the coin was planned to be minted in Duraib, resource challenges led to the establishment of a single minting facility in Scorpio. Today, Scorpio is still home to the sole minting facility of the Silver Phoenix. On the 28th of Mid Spring in 37,693 of the Era of the Lost, the minting facility in Scorpio became operational and produced the first batch of Silver Phoenix coins. Subsequently, the old independent currencies of the various trading guilds were recalled and exchanged for the new currency.

In the final decade of the Era of Gevadun, the two dominant trading powers in Phoenix—the Raxudia Trading Dynasty and the Alomod Trading Guild—finalized their consolidation of power. They would offer the Silver Phoenix to the rest of Gevadun as a stable currency to foster good relations. The realms of Bail, The Ash Cleft, The Shattered Peaks, and Sindare would all adopt the Silver Phoenix as their primary currency in the first fifty years of the Era of Storms. During this period, inter-realm travel was exclusively maritime, with the few ships traversing the Deep Astral Sea carrying significant quantities of coin.

This system aimed to ensure that the economies of other realms had enough coins to be their primary currency. However, the system was deeply flawed, and many vessels, ill-equipped to navigate the treacherous Deep Astral Sea, lost fortunes to its eldritch tides. Despite the significant risk, the two dynasties that ruled Phoenix were so wealthy that they could comfortably lend this money on the promise of repayment after the Era of Storms. This is how the Silver Phoenix became the foremost currency in Gevadun.

Felder was the last realm to accept the Silver Phoenix as the standardized currency. The solitary people of Felder, who highly value self-sufficiency, had little interest in engaging with the other realms. However, in the year 346 of the Current Era, Era of Heroes, the practical benefits of a common currency recognized across Gevadun became too enticing to ignore. Consequently, Felder's ruling forces agreed to accept the Silver Phoenix. This decision marked the complete conquest of Gevadun, as the Silver Phoenix established itself as the dominant monetary force in the realms, and its influence has yet to wane.