Transfer Portals for trade

[MerchantDeryni]

Wow, I never saw the last comment on the thread. I just read it, and have to reply.

we know large amounts of material can be moved. The Michaeline outpost/Sanctuary was supllied via portal for a year. That was in Camber of Culdi.

As for the cost of a trained Deryni, the use of Portals is a learned event, and can hold dangers, but they are used by many Deryni in the books. The comment of the decline of the Ecclesiastical network seems a rather odd one, but it is KK's world.

As for the aristocrat risked life and limb for money far more often than for glory. Letters of Marque, Drake and Elizabeth. It was about Spanish silver and gold, and the Spice islands. Sailors were paid in pepper. Wars were started to control spice islands. Entire villages wiped out for nutmeg and cloves.

And the importance of Pepper (and salt) historically is a litle difficult for us to understand. It was worth more than gold at one time, or swapped equal to its weight. It was the cornerstone of trade for years. The phrases 'worth his salt" and "above the salt" marked social distincition in regards to where you sat in relation to the salt shaker.

And in relation to my concept of a Deryni based trading system I was thinking in terms of the second or third sons who inherited nothing. In our past these were the ones that went on Crusade to try and hack out an income from something, or went on voyages around the world looking for spices, or settled the New World. in a magical universe these poor relations could stay at home and bring in an income. Their other option is to ride around like the goons in the beginning of Camber of Culdi and get into trouble. If they had cash they would not be so upset over things.

[Arilan s Fan]

Aristocrats often risked life and limb for material rewards, but getting involved in trade directly was considered beneath the dignity of an aristrocat.

Even the Hort of Orsal would provide the protection for traders who would then pay taxes to his agents in return.  Physical protection and the administration of law, at least the secular kind, was the concern of nobles.  Trade, however, was the concern of merchants.

The concept of different estates provided a ridgid framework social framework that was the halmark of medieval europe.  There were extraordinary exceptions that crossed the estates.

In England Cardinal Wolsey is a most obvious example a Cardinal and the Chancelor of England from the son of a merchant.  If it weren't for the need of Henry VII to demean the aristocracy with talented commoners, it is possible that Wolsey might have never had any strictly secular authority at all.  Wolsey's enemies talked about him being the son of a butcher - a slur about the nature of his ancestry.