The Amazing Travels of Goods and People Part 1

The history of how the goods that we buy every day in stores arrive within our reach through time and space is often fascinating and educational. So for this issue dedicated to trade in Mystara, I guessed that it would be a good idea to write a history of the goods that reach, regularly or less so, the Known World and surrounding areas.
Supply and demand come from the trade maps and lists in Gazetteer 9 The Minrothad Guilds (page 33 of the DM’s book and back covers), Gazetteer 11 The Republic of Darokin (pages 16–17 and 27 of the Player’s guide), Poor Wizard’s Almanac II (pages 166–167) and Joshuan’s Almanac (page 192), plus some fan resources such as Darokin trade maps for the north Serpent Peninsula by Arghis http://pandius.com/nsptrade.html, Glantrian Trade Centers by Michael Berry http://pandius.com/GlantrianTradeCenters.png, Advice for traders in the Sea of Dread by LoZompatore from Threshold Magazine issue 4 http://pandius.com/trdadvce.html and the Economica section from the Mystaran Almanac AC 1018: http://pandius.com/econom5.html.
All of these resources indicated ‘wanted’ and ‘offered’ goods divided by city or country, but I made different tables here, dividing the goods by types, as this can be useful to highlight the trade routes of specific merchandise. I’ve also done some oversimplification, for example grouping some Glantrian goods to the Principalities’ capitals and major trading hubs. Finally I’ve expanded some goods’ origins based on the real world and I’ve divided some categories by types, especially, but not limited to, cereal, fruits and vegetables.
Below are also some locations, such as Rafieltown and Krakatos, which exist only after the events of the Wrath of the Immortals adventure, and others, like Alfheim Town, which do not exist anymore if things go as indicated in the above adventure. Likewise, Alphatian cities are present too even if only one, Aasla, is indicated in Gaz 9. So any other trade information on Alphatia comes from Official details about Metropolitan Alphatia by LoZompatore http://pandius.com/metroalp.html and other fan works on Alphatia, including the descriptions of the Alphatian kingdoms made by Bruce Heard on his blog https://bruce-heard.blogspot.com.
I’ve also added to the Karameikan cities Halag, Krakatos (obviously after AC 1010) and Vorloi, with their likely imports and exports, based on the canon and fan information we have. Likewise I’ve added some imports and exports which were not present in canon or fan sources but I’ve considered likely. As Wallara, Herath, Ator, Shazak, Eshu and the Midlands^¹ were included in the AC 1018 Almanac’s tables, I’ve also added Nimmur, Jibarù and Cay, expanded Ator and Shazak a bit, and added also a couple of gate cities of the Yezchamenid and Zuyevo empires^² and the trade city of Richland^³. All locations that could be reached from the Known World or are at least canonically reached by Vilaverdan and Texeiran traders. I’ve left out Gombar, Suma’a, Aeryl and Eshu instead, as I think they are more difficult to reach from the Known World and difficult to reach even from the Savage Coast, considering the geographic barriers. My additions and the ones from ‘Advice for traders in the Sea of Dread’ by LoZompatore are indeed the only ones without the + or - value.
The tables below list the major exporters and importers of food from Minaea and Esterhold to the Savage Coast and Davania, i.e. basically the routes that can be reached from the Known World, at least by some more enterprising merchants.

After each table I’ve also added some in-world stories of trade routes and specific goods, narrated in-character by a Merchant Prince of House Elsan to the young apprentices of the Guild. Therefore all the text outside the tables from now on is the in-world perspective of the Merchant Prince, whom I’ve left unnamed.

Cereals, fruits and vegetables

First you need to know that basically all the big cities import food, at least that food which they do not produce in their immediate surroundings.
The regions and countries which are big producers of grains, typically the ones with lots of flat land and water, often import fruits and vegetables, while hilly, mountainous and woody countries, and the insular ones, tend to need grains.
The above is just the start of the food trade, but we’ll discuss the rest in much more detail.

Trade in Cereals, Fruits and Vegetables

Grain

Grains are the basis of feeding for humans, halflings and many farm animals. Dwarves also need a lot of them because they use them to make beer and, regardless, even they cannot survive on mushrooms and lizard meat alone. And elves also buy a lot of grain because even if we eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and, in the case of us water elves, also a lot of seaweed, shellfish and fish, we still love to taste new foods, and grains are excellent to make beers, spirits and breads.
The trading advantages of grains are that you can sell them in a lot of places, and they usually last long enough to give you time to bring them there, but the disadvantages are that they take a lot of cargo space and prices can be terribly volatile.
Yet as it’s always the rule for successful trade, the better you know the markets, the greater your chances of success.
Maize, also known as corn, is probably the most common cereal of the whole world. According to elven sages, the Oltec humans domesticated it in ancient times and propagated it everywhere from Bellissaria to the far west. Production is big in western Brun and Davania, but nearest to us the biggest production is in Atruaghin lands, Darokin, the Shires, Sind, Ochalea, Alphatia and Bellissaria. It is also a common feed for cattle, pigs, and poultry. You can do a lot of things with it, such as syrup, popcorn, roasted corn, flour, bread, porridge and a lot of alcoholic beverages.
Rice, originally domesticated in eastern Skothar, is the next most common one, and the biggest production is in Sind and Ochalea, but it is also grown in some regions of Thyatis and the Shires. Note that of each grain there are an incredible number of varieties. You may think it’s stupid to try to sell rice to the biggest producer in our region of the world, which is Ochalea, but it’s not so at all for intelligent merchants. Ochaleans for example are always interested in acquiring new types of rice from Skothar or, when a harvest has been bad, they need rice from other lands to replenish their fields. A trader who knows such things is a successful trader. The so-called Wild Rice (or black rice) of Atruaghin lands (but I know it exists also in Skothar), in truth a plant completely different from rice, is widespread in Atruaghin lands and highly sought after as a luxury food in all the big cities of the Known World.
Wheat is the king of grains in our region, the most common and popular in the Known World; some fields are present even here in Alfeisle and around Alfheim Town. But the biggest producers are obviously the nations who have extensive plains: Darokin, Thyatis, Sind, Alphatia, Bellissaria and Norwold. The more hilly and mountainous countries, such as Rockhome, the Shires, the Northern Reaches, Heldann and Glantri are great importers of wheat, but also Ylaruam, Yavdlom, Minrothad and Alfheim. According to sages, it was originally domesticated in the regions of Minaea or Bellissaria, in remote times. Thyatians, and Milenians, have many species of it, for example they call farrum, or Farro, the dried grains of three wheat species, Spelt, Emmer and Einkorn which are used in many soups. It’s a national dish because the three species respectively come from Kerendas, Thyatis and Hattia. The above varieties are also cultivated in Karameikos, the Shires, Darokin and the Northern Reaches. A notorious Thyatian wheat species is also Durum, which is used to make the famous ‘pasta’. Glantri and Darokin cultivate it too, but the demand is always higher than the production. A good production is now also starting in Ierendi and Minrothad, mostly on Open Isle. Goes without saying, the Shires are buying loads of it. The hin dislike the Thyatians, but not their dishes.
Despite the fact that Thyatis is a big producer of wheat and also has a solid internal trade circuit, I know some Minrothaddan captains who live very well selling grains to the always hungry Thyatian cities of the mainland and the other major cities of the empire. They do so by buying grains around Thyatis and the Isle of Dawn whenever there is an excess of production or storage, and selling it in Thyatis City, or other cities, when their reserves have become low. In fact they are often directly called by Thyatian landlords or city authorities when such circumstances arise.
Barley too is widespread, used as people and animal feed and to make beer, which is the reason why Rockhome, Heldann, the Shires and Glantri import a lot of it. The biggest producers are Norwold, Alphatia and Darokin, and it too was probably domesticated in the near east millennia ago.
Sorghum was domesticated in Davania, differently from the preceding ones, but has since spread to western Brun and southern Skothar. It’s not very common in our region because the biggest productions are in Hule, the Savage Coast, Davania or far eastern Skothar. It’s in high demand in the Shires and all elven lands due to nostalgia for the southern continent. The same happens with other typical Davanian grains, such as Fonio and Teff or the Celosia, which is also cultivated in the Savage Coast.
Millet was likely domesticated in Skothar, but now it also has a lot of production in the arid lands of northeastern Davania, due to its resistance to the lack of water, and is much also cultivated in nearby Sind, where it is also used to make beers and a strong liquor named Raksi.
Rye came from Skothar too but as it is more resistant to cold than any other grain it has become quite widespread in the northern lands of Brun and Alphatia, and it is very popular to make bread in the Northern Reaches and Norwold. It also grows in the southern countries, but its production is marginal. So you see that loading rice in Ochalea, selling it in Thyatis, buying wheat there to sell it in the Northern Reaches, then buying rye there to bring it south could be a very simple but very profitable trade in grains. The Alphatians have also invented a hybrid of wheat and rye, Triticale, which is basically a wheat more resistant to cold, but it has not yet spread beyond their empire. It could become a very profitable trade in the future.
Buckwheat is a new grain domesticated by the Jennites of Skothar, which recently has been popularized by Hattian merchants which apparently buy it in Bellissaria.
Kamut is a grain developed in the far western Yezchamenid Empire. Another curiosity, which has a market among the wealthy and in Alphatia. You can more easily buy it in Tyjaret, Slagovich or even Azurun in Hule, when the local holy men allow trade.
Amaranth, Chia, Huauzontle and Quinoa are all plants which were domesticated by Azcans and Oltecs, and are present in the whole area from Atruaghin lands to the Savage Coast and further west. They are not really cereals as the others are, but still sought as exotic food.
Wattleseed is even more exotic as it comes from the far flung Orc’s Head Peninsula, which we’ll discuss in detail later while speaking about Fruit.

Addendum 1: Bread and bakery products

A whole important class of products is obtained from grains: Bread, Pastries, Pies, Cakes and Biscuits, with innumerable regional varieties^⁴, often flavored with herbs, nuts, fruits, spices or liquors. Most of these products have been so far limited to local and regional trade, as it may be difficult to move them from and to far away places. But with adequate storage, and maybe magic, an enterprising trader could gain great profits by bringing such local specialties to big cities and specialized markets. The Focaccia of Machetos, the Pizza of Thyatis and Minrothad, the Tortilla of the Savage Coast, the Cozonac sweet bread of Karameikos, the Rye Bread of The Northern Reaches and Rockhome, the Pretzel of Heldann, the Bing bread of Ochalea are certainly typical products which can raise great interest in Sundsvall, Glantri city, Alfheim town, Shireton and many other cities of the world.

Fruit

Fruit is a difficult trade commodity due to the space it occupies in cargo and the relatively short time it takes for it to spoil. Also all the communities and races of the world normally grow their own fruit and do not need to buy those coming from far away lands. But if these are the general rules, there are distinct exceptions which may make fruit trading a very profitable business. First of all, a lot of fruit can be preserved in many different ways: in their original form by magic, or in other forms such as liquors, jams, juices and syrups, or dried, or you can sell their seeds. Second important point, there are regional varieties for all the existing types of fruit in the world, and there are always buyers greatly interested in tasting them. Typically, rich people who like to awe guests at their banquets. But also us elves and the halflings, who are always keen to acquire new seeds and try to plant them, we the elves because we are notoriously interested in all botanical species, and the halflings because they are interested in all the botanical species which can be eaten. Indeed, elves and halflings are a perfect example of customers who do not need some products, but still want them. Elves in fact have a deep knowledge of nature and know a lot of edible plants, and know how to make edible a lot of forest or sea plants that humans do not eat at all. Still we are always interested in new seeds and taste, and the same is true for halflings. You will find a decent market in Alfheim Town or Shireton even for the nearby and common Darokinian red apples, and a much more profitable one for any exotic fruit coming from the Savage Coast or Alphatia. Note that elves and halflings are generally not willing to pay gold for exotic fruits and vegetables, but they are more than willing to barter their produce, which have great value in the big cities. Buy Minrothaddan oranges, sell them in Sind, buy mangoes there and bring them to the Shires, barter them with a lot of local fruits and bring them to Minrothad again. Simple, quick and profitable, and I could make a hundred more examples of this kind.
You can see that a smart and well organized trader can easily become rich with fruit trading. I personally know several who had great success even with very easy one-way routes, one by selling Ierendian pineapples and bananas in Karameikos, another by selling Sindhi^⁵ mangoes in Darokin, yet another by gathering here in Minrothad jams from all over the Known World to sell in the Shires.
The main indigenous fruits of the northern lands, from Skothar to Brun, are berries, apples and pears, but in modern times much more fruits are known from all over the world, or at least a sizable part of it. Certain fruits indeed have arrived in the Known World so much time ago that sages are still discussing where their exact origins have been.
Going back a moment to what are probably the original Known World fruits, apples, berries and pears are grown almost everywhere from Norwold to Minrothad and from Vestland to Sind, but the greatest productions of Apple and Pear are in Glantri, Darokin and the Shires. Berries are much more widespread, with many local variants, but Bilberry, Currant, Raspberry and Cranberry are typical of colder climates, while Blackberry, Mulberry and Strawberry are typical of warmer regions. About the latter, the Darokinian and Shires varieties are the most appreciated. Indeed it seems the big, cultivated Strawberry we all know was actually domesticated in the Shires just a few centuries ago from the smaller wild one.
The Strawberry Tree, common in all the Known World coast from Ylaruam to Ierendi and also in the Isle of Dawn, extensively used for jams and spirits, is actually unrelated to strawberries. Several other spontaneous fruits are common in the Known World, such as Rowan and Whitebeam, Cornelian Cherry, and Azerole. These fruits are not so tasty when consumed raw, but are picked by farmers because they can obtain from them excellent jams and liqueurs, and some also have medical properties.
Elves, druids, foresters and other people who live at close contact with nature know many more fruits which are edible, or are at least edible when they are fermented, so among them you can always find new jams and liquors, and for those you will always find an easy market in the big cities and in the Shires.
A lot of the most famous and now common fruits originally came, according to elven sages, from the region of the modern Minaea in Skothar, but spread to Alphatia and the Known World, and even northern Davania, centuries if not millennia ago. This includes Apricot, Peach, Plum, and Cherry, which are all of the Prunus family, and also Grape and Fig. They all need a warm climate and in fact most of the production is in the southern Known World, northern Davania and the warmer regions of the Isle of Dawn and Alphatia, but some varieties grow in Darokin and the warmer valleys of Glantri, such as the Red River valley in Caurenze and Blackhill. In the Known World the main producers of grapes and figs are Thyatis, Minrothad and the Shires, while cherries and plums grow up to southern Norwold, and apricots and peaches are common in Kerendas, Karameikos, the Shires and southern Darokin. Still, the Known World production of these fruits is dwarfed by the abundance you can find in northern Davania, the southern Isle of Dawn, southern Alphatia and the Savage Coast.
From the east also came the Quince, in very ancient times, which is mostly used to make jams, and it’s very common in Karameikos and in the Shires. The Jujube also came from the east centuries ago, and nowadays Hattian farmers make a notorious liquor with it. The Loquat and the Kiwi arrived more recently, possibly from the Pearl Islands and beyond, but are now cultivated in Thyatis and Darokin with sizable productions.
The Citrus family, Lemon, Orange, Mandarine, Tangerine, Grapefruit, Lime, Citron and Pomelo also originally came from Skothar according to sages, but their diffusion in the Known World has not been identical for all species. Lemons and oranges have been documented in the Known World since before the coronation of the first Thyatian emperor, and maybe even before it. Thyatis, the Shires, Minrothad and Sind are now the biggest producers. Mandarines have been grown in Alphatia since the beginning of the empire, but became common in the Known World only in recent centuries, arriving from Ochalea, and the tangerine is a variety developed in northern Davania which reached the Known World through the Thyatian Hinterlands, but is now cultivated in the southern Known World and has reached the Savage Coast and beyond. Grapefruits became centuries ago an important crop in Ochalea, Yavdlom and many regions of the Alphatian Sea and northern Davania. More recently a red and sweet variety called Pink Grapefruit has been developed in the Savage Coast. Lime has been cultivated for centuries especially in Sind, Ochalea, Yavdlom, Ierendi, the Pearl Islands and the Savage Coast. I know from Alphatian traders that in Skothar there are multiple varieties of citron, including one shaped as a hand, non edible, but in the Known World they are mostly grown in Thyatis and the Isle of Dawn. Finally, the pomelo has not reached the Known World yet, at least as an endemic species, even if several have already reached the rich banquets of Thyatis, Glantri and Darokin. Despite all their agricultural magic, even the Alphatians have not been able to grow a juicy enough variety in their mainland, and so they still have to import pomelos from Skothar. Bergamot Orange is a kind of bitter orange used mostly for tea and beverages in Thyatis, northern Davania and Hule. Chinotto is another small orange which grows only in Thyatis and northern Davania, and it’s used typically for beverages and spirits. The Kumquat is another citrus, small as an olive, which came recently from Ochalea and had some success both as a decorative tree and edible fruit.
Sages and elves say Mango too came from Skothar in ancient times, but it has become a common crop in Sind since so many centuries that any Sindhi will refuse such a notion wholeheartedly. More or less recently productions have been established also in Yavdlom, Ochalea and the Savage Coast.
Pomegranate is now a typical fruit in Thyatis, Ylaruam and the Shires, even if its ancient origin is supposedly in the east. Persimmon was born in Skothar, but Thyatians, Alphatians and Ochaleans cultivate it since so long they are all convinced that they invented it. And nowadays there are sizable productions also in Ierendi, Minrothad and the Shires.
Banana too came from Skothar, or so elven sages say, as nowadays it has spread much beyond the Known World, basically to all tropical regions of the world. The biggest productions nearest to the Known World are now in Sind, Ochalea, the Thyatian Hinterlands and Ierendi.
The Coconut supposedly spread from the Sea Kingdoms to the Pearl Islands, Yadlom and Ierendi, and has been implanted also in the west and in the coasts of northern Davania.
According to sages, the Date, the Melon and the Watermelon came originally from Davania, brought by us elves or by the halflings, and while they are still a big production in northern Davania, they are now grown also in several regions of the Know World, mainly Ylaruam, Thyatis, Minrothad, Ierendi, the Shires and Sind. They all spread eastward and westward centuries ago, from Skothar to the Savage Coast. The Carob has become typical in regions of Minrothad, Ierendi, southern Thyatis, Ylaruam, Sind and the Savage Coast since many centuries, some say originally brought by us elves from Davania.
Several fruits also come from the west, domesticated by the ancient elves of Davania or by other forgotten peoples. The most famous of them is certainly the Pineapple, supposedly brought by Thyatian explorers from the Savage Coast and now grown in Yavdlom, Sind, Ochalea, and in high demand in Alphatia and further east. The Papaya too came from the west and has been successfully planted in Yavdlom, Sind and Ierendi. It has indeed spread as far as Skothar, supposedly brought by the Milenians. The Avocado too came from the Savage Coast about a century ago, but nowadays successful plantations have been established also in Ierendi and Ochalea. Many other western fruits so far have reached the Known World only as curiosities, such as the Cherimoya, Sapodilla, Sapote, Soursop, Maracujà^⁶ and many more. Sooner or later they will probably be planted in the countries whose climate can support them. But until then you can preserve them raw, or as juices, jams or liqueurs, and likely sell them at a premium in the main cities.
The Atruaghin people are a very special case in the Known World as they claim to have been living in the land before any other people, i.e. the halflings, the elves and the paler humans, came to live around them. So they know and harvest a lot of fruits known only to elves and maybe halflings, but uncommon or rare even in elven lands such as Alfeisle. Some of these fruits can also be found in the Savage Coast or some remote regions of Brun, but still Atruaghin lands are a great nearby source of exotic fruits. There are the so called Red Cranberry, a local bigger and sweeter variety; at least three varieties of local Grape, which are much sweeter than the more common ones; the Pawpaw, a yellow very sweet fruit; a local Persimmon from which the natives obtain also a tea, a coffee, an oil, a jam, a liqueur, wood and at least two medicines; the Mayhaw, which grows also abundant in the Malpheggi swamp and is used to make a delicious jelly, the Chokecherry and the Black Cherry, similar to the Bird Cherry found wild all over the Known World and beyond, but darker and sweeter; the Blueberry, a local variant of the Bilberry; the Elderberry, a plant used for delicious jams and found also in the Shires, Karameikos and other nations, used also to make a famous syrup in Rockhome; the Serviceberry, used for pies, jams and wine; the Salmonberry, such called because a notorious Elk clan dish is made with them and fish.
So as you see the fruits and fruit wines alone can justify a stop in the Atruaghin lands, if you can find a willing trading partner. That’s not easy because for example the Akesoli merchants of Darokin monopolize the trade with the Bear, Elk and Horse clans, some Ierendi pirates are the only ones so far which managed to trade with the Tiger clan and some human Minrothaddan traders by sea and some Sindhi traders by land have exclusive deals with the Turtle clan, and none of them are afraid of using violence to protect their monopoly. Still, you can find most if not all the Atruaghin’s products, and some Atruaghin traders too, in Port Tenobar, Akesoli and Kandaputra in Sind. There you’ll pay the goods more than what you would pay directly at the source, but still low enough to have chances of a very good business if you sell them here, in the Shires or in any big city where you can find a good market for them.
At the far west of the Savage Coast there is a big, special region which is called the Orc’s Head Peninsula, and the Trident Bay north of it, which have a very specific flora and fauna, some says a relic of the ancient times when the planet of Mystara was dominated by dragons. The peoples of these lands, the reclusive Herathian wizards, the ferocious jungle orcs, the manscorpions of Nimmur, the phanatons of Jibarù, the chameleon men of Wallara, the lizardmen, caymen and gatormen of the Serpent Kingdoms, range from the hostile to the cautious toward travellers, but the local equivalents of Minothaddans, the sea powers of Texeira and Vilaverde, have managed to strike some trade deals with them. And some of our captains go as far as Porto Preto and Boa Mansão, the capitals of Vilaverde and Texeira, exactly to buy the exotic products which come from the far west. The fruits are named Boab, Gular, Kakadu Lime, Kakadu Plum, Muntries, Native Gooseberry, Native Rosella, Red Bush Apple, Riberry, Satinash, Sparrow's Mango, Quandong. All of them can be eaten raw, in syrup or used to produce jams and wines. There are probably many more we do not know yet and you never know, until you try, which one will be the next big commercial success in the banquets of the Known World.
Curiously enough, some of these far western fruits can be found both in the far west and in the far east, likely because Skotharian traders brought them to western Brun, or the opposite way. This is true for some fruits such as Blue tongue, Caqui, Medlar, and Morinda. And this leads us to the incredible variety of fruits you can find in Alphatia, Bellissaria and, even more, Skothar. As we said before, many fruits you now may consider Known World classics, such as Grape and Peach, came in remote years from the east. Many more have not arrived yet, but some have already been seen on the tables of Thyatis City, Darokin City, City of Minrothad and Shireton. They are the Bayberry, Breadfruit, which is rather more similar to a vegetable, the Brindle Berry, the Dragon Fruit, Durian, Goji Berry, Guava, Jackfruit, the Langsat, Longan, Lotus fruit, Lychee, Mangosteen, Nashi pear, Pulasan, Rambutan, the Santol, the Snake fruit, Starfruit, Sugar Apple, and Wax Apple. All of them are colorful and exotic enough to be highly sought after in any big city, elven and halfling community of the Known World.
Finally there are the fruits of Davania. For us, these are an even more secure investment than the others because they are described in ancient halfling and elven poems and chronicles. Therefore I know from personal experience that halflings and elves will go mad about them, especially in the communities furthest from our ancient southern homeland where there is not a chance to successfully cultivate them with a decent production, such as in Shiye-Lawr or Norwold. But you’ll earn a good profit even here in Alfeisle, where sometimes they grow in gardens but a bad winter is enough to destroy the meager production, thus producing a high demand for Davanian fruits and seeds in the next season. You cannot go wrong with the Ackee, which has been planted also in Yavdlom, Balsam Apple, the Baobab fruit, Bush Pear, Carissa, Deleb Palm, Detar, Hanza, Gingerbread Plum, Jackalberry, Junglesop, Kei Apple, Kiwano, Marula, Matoke Banana, Mazhanje, Milkplum, the Miracle Berry, possibly the most sought out, as when consumed it makes all citrus taste sweet, the Mobola Plum, Nerè, Oil Palm fruit, Ramontchi, Sand Apple, Sea Coconut, Strychnos, Sycamore, Waterberry, White Star Apple, Wild Custard Apple. Many of these fruits have also spread to southern Skothar, and some Skotharian fruits have spread to eastern Davania, thanks to traders from Cestia, Minaea, Ochalea and the Sea Kingdoms.
You can see the fruit trade can be a very profitable one, and one especially suited to elven traders such as us.

Vegetables

The chapter on vegetables is as big as the one on fruits. The difficulties of trading them are the same already explained for fruits, if not worse, as vegetables normally cannot be transformed into juices or stored in syrup and must be traded as they are, with some exceptions. Yet some are quite durable, especially roots and tubers, and can easily survive in good conditions even on a long ship’s voyage. As per fruits, there is an enormous number of local variants which always draw some interest in big cities and among elves and halflings. Farmers, landlords and local authorities are also often interested in acquiring new vegetables or seeds, especially if the ones they normally grow had some bad years or have become infested with some malady.
Let’s start with the vegetable which is likely the most common in the whole world, the Potato. Domesticated by the Oltecs in ancient times, it has been brought everywhere by them and by anyone else who learned how advantageous it is for nutritional content and easy cultivation. In fact nowadays it grows in Sind, Skothar and everywhere else, including the Broken Lands. You can still sell them well in many places, basically any hilly, mountainous or cold countries where the average agricultural production is never abundant enough. Glantri, Heldann and Norwold are the biggest producers, but I know a Darokinian trader who got rich by selling potato varieties in his own country and bringing extra supply of potatoes when the demand was higher than the production. Again, let me stress out that information is everything for a successful merchant.
The second most cultivated vegetable of the world is likely one that is almost unknown in our region, the Cassava, also called Manioc. Also domesticated by the Oltecs, it is widespread in Davania and from there has reached Yavdlom and eastern Skothar. But from Sind to Minaea it is still considered an exotic food, and you can sell it well as such. The Sweet Potato is another vegetable, distantly related to the true potato, which was domesticated by the Oltecs, and it’s more common in the western Brun coast, Davania and parts of Skothar. The same is true for yet other tubers, including the Yam and the Yacon, which however was likely domesticated by the first Oltecs who settled in Davania, as the elves traded it with them millennia ago on the southern continent.
The Tomato is another plant which was domesticated by the Oltecs, but it has now reached the whole world, or at least the warmer world. It is really a fruit, but often categorized as a vegetable because of its use as such in many cuisines. Production is big from Skothar to Sind, the whole coast of the Known World, northern Davania and the Savage Coast. But in colder climates it is hard to grow it, so it is in high demand as a luxury food just north of Ylaruam. And there is also much local trade. Trader’s Isle and Alfeisle for example do not grow enough tomatoes for their internal consumption, and so they import a lot of it from Open Isle, the Shires and Thyatis.
Then there is the Onion and its relatives, Shallot and Scallion. As you know they are a traditional part of many culinary traditions, including Minrothaddan, Thyatian, Ochalean, Darokinian, Glantrian and halfling, and they can be easily preserved in vinegar and many other ways, the reason why they are always present in many ships’ supplies. As with other widespread vegetables, there is always demand for them somewhere, the point is always to know where. They are relatively less common in Alphatian cuisine, but this is actually a trade advantage as they are easily sold in Alphatian cities as an uncommon food.
The Cucumber was likely domesticated in Bellissaria before the Great Rain of Fire, but brought to Davania and the Known World by the Milenians and to Skothar by their descendants, the Minaeans. As it resists cold, it has also become very popular in central and northern Brun.
The Cabbage, with its many relatives, such as Broccoli, Cauliflower and Kale, was likely domesticated by the Neathar, while they slowly migrated from Skothar to Brun. It is now common in all the northern hemisphere and a stable part of the diet of many populations, but much less common in Davania, where it can be a sort of novelty in many places.
The Turnip, Rutabaga and Radish were domesticated in ancient Alphatia, or possibly even in Brun, some say by dwarves. They are indeed still appreciated and cultivated in Rockhome and in many countries of Brun, as many species can grow in cold climates. They have spread to Skothar too but are uncommon in Davania. The related Horseradish is often used as a spice or sauce rather than a vegetable. There are indeed especially strong varieties in Skothar. The Mustard is related too, but we’ll treat it under Spices.
The Legumes family includes many varieties which are perfect vegetables for trade as they can be easily stored and do not spoil too fast. The Bean is another Oltec domestication which has spread all over the world, in so many varieties that most people are thoroughly convinced their bean is native and has been there since the beginning of the world. They last a long time when dried so they are a good trade commodity. Production is significant in Thyatis and Ylaruam, Sind and Ochalea. The Savage Coast and the east have a lot more varieties. The Pea instead was likely domesticated in ancient times in the Alphatian region, as were the Fava Bean or broad bean and the many less known varieties of the same botanical family. They are cultivated literally all over the world. The major producers of peas I know of are Alphatia, Darokin, Glantri, northern Sind and Soderfjord. For the fava bean I’d say Glantri, Thyatis and Rockhome, but there are also many varieties coming from Alphatia and Skothar. The Chickpea, traditional in Thyatis and Minrothad, is also extremely popular in Sind and Hule, but cultivated everywhere from northern Brun to Davania and Skothar. The Lentil probably comes from Bellissaria, and has spread from Skothar to the Savage Coast, with sizable production in Sind, Hule and Glantri. The Lupine may have its origin in northern Davania but is widespread in Thyatis, Ylaruam, Minrothad, Atruaghin lands and the Savage Coast.
The Eggplant was probably domesticated in Minaea or in the Alphatian region in remote times. As you well know, it is a cornerstone of Minrothaddan cuisine, but it is quite popular also in Thyatis, Ylaruam, Sind, Alphatia, Hule and many other places.
The Pepper, domesticated by the Oltecs in ancient times, is quite famous for the spices you can obtain from some varieties, such as Chili and Paprika, but there are also many mild, not spicy varieties. The usually mild Bell Pepper is cultivated in Minrothad, Thyatis, Ochalea and many other places. The spicy peppers of the Savage Coast are becoming famous all over the world, but there are noteworthy spicy varieties also in Sind, Ylaruam and Alphatia.
The Carrot was probably domesticated in ancient Alphatia, much before the modern Alphatians arrived on Mystara, and Alphatia still produces them in all varieties of colors. As many varieties also resist cold weather well, there is a good production in Norwold, and all over the Known World. Parsnip is a relative, another root vegetable, and another relative is also Parsley, which however we will discuss under herbs and spices.
Garlic too originally came from the Alphatian region, and it is now a fundamental component of dishes in Minrothad, Thyatis, Sind, Ochalea, Ylaruam and Karameikos. There is also significant production in Skothar and northern Davania. It does not spoil quickly, so it is quite useful in trade. Leek is a relative, popular in all the Known World, up to Glantri and Hule, and also in the Isle of Dawn.
The Squash is another Oltec domestication which had huge impact and diffusion, with varieties of every size, shape and color. The winter squash, or Pumpkin, resists cold well and is widely cultivated in Alphatia and Norwold, but also in many other places from Glantri to the Savage Coast. The Gourd may have been first domesticated in Davania and many varieties have a characteristic ‘bottle’ shape which is often used to make containers in the southern continent. A specific variety of summer squash, called baby marrow or Zucchini in Thyatian, was selected in Kerendas just a few centuries ago and has since spread all over the Known World.
Lettuce is popular in Alphatia but is also extensively cultivated in Thyatis, Sind and from the Shires up to Glantri. It was probably domesticated either in ancient Ylaruam or northern Davania. It has many green and red varieties. The related Celtuce, popular in Ochalea and Skothar, is cultivated for its stem rather than the leaves. Chicory is very popular in all the Known World, with the variety Radicchio, Puntarelle and Escarole widely used in Minrothaddan and Thyatian cuisine and the Endive in Darokinian and Glantrian cuisine. Many other leaf vegetables are known and used, such as the Corn Salad, the Rocket (actually related to cabbages) and others which often are relatives of turnips or cabbages. All present a problem for trading as they normally can be stored only with magical preservation. Anyway bringing ‘exotic’ vegetables where there is demand for it could be, as said before, a very profitable business.
Spinach is another popular leaf vegetable which was developed in ancient Alphatia and is now widespread in the Known World from Thyatis to Glantri.
And finally among the most common and valuable vegetables, Beets and its relatives are extensively cultivated in all the Known World and Alphatia, including colder lands up to Glantri and southern Norwold. The Sugar Beet, developed by the Flaems in Glantri, will be discussed later under honey and sugar.
Davania, Skothar and western Brun have their own exotic varieties of vegetables, some unknown in our corner of the world, such as the Choy (a turnip relative) or the Chi Qua (a gourd) or the Lotus root in Ochalea and Skothar, or the Cowpea and the Bitter tomato (an eggplant) in Davania. What we said about exotic fruits is equally valid for exotic vegetables. You can probably find a market for them in big cities and among elves and halflings, if you can store them properly. Alphatia basically has huge productions of almost all the non-exotic vegetables, yet in the big cities you can always sell them all the Brunian varieties and all the exotic ones—just find a good and reliable buyer.

Nuts

Nuts are a wonderful trade. They are easy to carry, you can sell them quite highly and they do not spoil too easily even in normal storage. Nuts are basically fruit seeds, but we will discuss here those commonly called so. Coconut is technically a nut too, but we have already talked about it under fruits.
Acorns are a traditional food both in Atruaghin lands and among the elves, but also for many farmers of the Known World. You can make flour and bread with them, and they have the advantage of not spoiling, even after years if properly stored. There is not much trade of them but you can buy some flour and bread to enrich a load in Karameikos or the Atruaghin lands.
The Chestnut is only partially a domesticated tree, but still consumed widely in Alphatia and Brun, especially in the hilly region of the Shires, Karameikos, Thyatis and even our Minrothad. It is used in Skothar too, in the Atruaghin lands and in many regions of Brun, but it is a rarity in Davania, and highly profitable if brought to Kastelios.
The Almond, a close relative of Peaches and Apricots originally domesticated in the Alphatian region, is still the second most popular nut in Alphatia and it has spread in many temperate areas, from Minrothad, Ylaruam and Thyatis to northern Davania, Hule and the Savage Coast. The fruit is hard, sour and green, but Ylari and other people still eat it raw sometimes with salt. Almonds are also used to make a special milk, an oil, flour and many different cakes. Some almonds are bitter, and slightly poisonous, but can be used as medicines. You see you cannot go wrong with this nut, if you can find a good supply of it. In fact it is popular and requested, and so it may be difficult to find enough material.
The first most popular nut in Alphatia, where it was likely domesticated, is the Walnut, which from there spread eastward to Skothar and westward to the Savage Coast. It is now widely cultivated in Darokin and Glantri. Actually Brun has its own native relative, the Black Walnut, which is not only edible, but it can be used also as a quite valuable wood, a dye and as decoration, as the interior of the shell has beautiful forms. The nut can also be used as a scrub in woodworking. Needless to say, Black Walnut from the Atruaghin lands are extremely popular here in Alfeisle and in Alphatia, but there are already several captains who are exploiting this trade with great profit.
Yet the most popular nut in the world is neither the Almond nor the Walnut, but the Peanut. It was likely domesticated by elves in Davania but soon spread to the Oltecs who settled in the southern continent in ancient times. It is different to other tree nuts as it grows under the earth and in fact it is botanically a relative of legumes. It grows well in all the tropical regions, but not in colder climates, and so nowadays it is widely cultivated in Ochalea, Yavdlom, northern Davania, the Alatians, and highly sought after further north. Some smaller productions have been established also in Ierendi and the west.
The Cashew nut, also domesticated by elves and soon used by the Oltecs, is widespread and popular in western Davania but is still relatively rare in the Known World except for a very small production in Alfeisle and a slightly bigger one in Sind. Over the centuries however it has spread to eastern Davania, Ochalea, the Pearl Island, Cestia and Skothar, so it could become more common very soon. The Brasol nut is another Davanian nut, whose wood is also very precious, which currently can be obtained only from Savage Coast traders, but likely could be bought directly in the Addakian sound and Brasol.
The Pecan nut is much less common in the world but more readily available to us as it is traded by the Atruaghin, and appreciated also in the Savage Coast. Similar in shape to a walnut, it has its distinct flavor and it is currently in high demand in Alfeisle and in Alphatia.
The Hazelnut is likely native to the Alphatian region or to Brun, and used by dwarves, humans and later elves too since remote times. Thyatis, Alphatia and Hule all have relevant productions.
The Pistachio nut probably had its origin in Bellissaria or Minaea, where it is still quite common, as in all southern Alphatia, the Alatians, Ochalea, here in Minrothad, southern Thyatis, Ierendi and Sind. Even if widely cultivated, the yield is limited and so the demand is always high.
The Macadamia nut came originally from the Orc’s Head Peninsula and the Trident Bay, but recently successful cultivation has been started in the Savage Coast and Yavdlom. It is a precious commodity in the main cities of the Known World and in Alphatia.
The Pine nut is an extremely precious nut, because it is grown wild only and it comes from only some species of pine trees, one which grows also here in Minrothad, Thyatis and other southern nations, the cluster pine or maritime pine, and two others, a pine and a larch, which grow only in northern Brun, Alphatia and Skothar and produce smaller nuts. The limited production and the fact it is considered a delicacy to decorate several recipes in Thyatis, Minrothad, the Shires, Darokin, Alfheim and Ylaruam make it a perfect trade commodity, if you can gather enough of them.

Mushrooms

Elves love mushrooms and know well all the ones that grow in the forest. Dwarves love mushrooms and know well all the ones that grow in the mountains and in the caves under the earth, down to the Shadowdeep. Elves and dwarves do not always get along but be sure that elves love to try dwarven mushrooms and dwarves also love to try elven mushrooms. And then there are the halflings and the gnomes who want them both. You can become rich trading mushrooms without ever meeting humans, but I assure you humans love them too.
Mushrooms sell at high prices. And they can be dried quite efficiently. The only problem is there are hundreds of species and several are poisonous, some fatally so. Others can be consumed cooked but not raw. The bottom line is that you have to know mushrooms very well before buying or selling them, or rely on someone who knows them well and can be trusted. I’ll not even try to list all the known species here. There are too many. Just let me repeat the warning: do not mess around with mushrooms. Unscrupulous traders have killed people and have been convicted for murder.
Limiting ourselves only to the most common mushrooms, the Cep, or Penny Bun, or Porcino, as they call it in Thyatis, is probably one of the most precious ones. Highly appreciated are also the Golden Chanterelle, the Saffron Milk Cap, the Oyster mushroom, the Honey fungus, the Zendrolion’s mushroom^⁷ (not to be confused with the poisonous Fly Agaric and Death Cap!), the Puffball, the Button mushroom, the Morel, the Shaggy Parasol, the Wood Hedgehog, the Shaggy Ink Cap, the Black Trumpet. Many of these mushrooms are common in Brun and the Known World, and even in Alphatia, but rare or unknown in Davania, which however, like Skothar and western Brun, has its own specific varieties. Specific varieties as well grow in the Shadowdeep only; a trader’s job is always to bring something new to the people who can appreciate it, and you will be adequately rewarded.
A specific chapter must be opened for the Truffle, a highly sought after mushroom which grows under the earth. Rich men and women in Darokin City, Glantri City, City of Minrothad, Thyatis City and Sundsvall are eager to pay incredible prices for it, which is a great source of wealth for Alfeisle, as we are the only ones who have learned how to cultivate it under oak trees. In the rest of the Known World, humans, halflings and dwarves typically search for them with pigs and dogs. Lupins as well are said to be very good at finding them. And werewolves, but you do not want to mix with them, probably. Despite this and our cultivation, the demand is still much higher than the offer, so even if you are a born and raised Minrothaddan elf, it is not easy to obtain a steady supply of this precious mushroom.

Addendum 2: Trading with Shadow Elves (written in AC 1,014)

Shadow Elves were the stuff of legends before they sprung up from the ground, literally like mushrooms, a few years ago. After some years of war and bad relations we have recently discovered that the Shadow Elves are literally an untapped platinum mine for traders, especially for elven traders such as us. In fact, even if for some absurd religious notion they steadily refuse to sell gems, not only they will sell you the purest metals you’ll ever find in the world, rivaling the dwarves’, but they do have a lot of exotic productions which are The New Trend in the richest circles of the Known World and beyond. They have exotic mushrooms, exotic spices, meat, fish, spirits, exotic animals, monsters, hides, cloth, silks, dyes, glassware and porcelain, ivory from strange animals, weapons, semi-precious stones, books, perfumes, art and magical items. Things that can make you very rich in Darokin City, Thyatis City or City of Minrothad.
But that’s just the start of it. As I said, they have some absurd religious fascination with gems, so they are willing to pay for them more than their already high market value!
As I learned from dwarves, initially they were rather eager to take gems by violence, considering it ‘sacrilege’ that humans, dwarves and other races picked them from the rocks to use them as simply decoration. But now that they have learned, the hard way, that such an attitude would only have brought down on them a coalition of the other races, they are more amenable to obtaining gems in the civilized way, which is to pay traders a lot for them.
And the best of this is that due to the bad relations they have with dwarves after the recent wars, dwarves and gnomes refuse to sell them gems directly and so we can act as intermediaries and make a lot of money from it.
Now you’ll say, Darokinians will already be thick in doing that, and this is correct, but we, the elves of Minrothad, have a huge trading advantage here. Because the Shadow Elves do not look for gems only, but love all products of the world and especially those of the other elves, but many groups still hate or fear them due to the Alfheim events. So as we were able to gain their trust as elves willing to accept them, they now want to buy literally everything from us. And I mean everything, and with an eagerness you have never seen the equal anywhere in the world.
Once I brought magically preserved Davanian fruits in Shireton and I was really overwhelmed by buyers, so much that I had to cap my prices. I know how strange this may sound, because I was ashamed to exploit too much from it. In fact halflings of the Shires are always solid buyers, and you should never take too much advantage of good customers. They could resent you for it in the medium and long run, and your future business will suffer.
But that day in Shireton pales compared to the day I reached Alfheim Town, which they now call Rafieltown, whatever this means, with more Davanian fruits and a variety of products from all over the Known World. I was immediately surrounded by a very polite crowd, and when I started to show my products there wasn’t really a flurry of bids like humans could do, but the shadow elves rather discussed among themselves to let whoever they think could offer an adequate value for the products I was offering. And so, for some Davanian fruits one finely dressed warrior offered me a magical plate mail! A silk trader offered me a full load of their silk, which was extremely fine and I later sold for incredible profit, for just a mantle made with Alphatian silk. Their offers were so high I decided to grant them additional future orders in exchange for such high payments. For the same reasons as explained above. If you do not have competition now, you will have sooner or later, and competitors will destroy your market in a place, if they can paint you as excessively greedy.
I must confess I was moved seeing all those shadow elves almost in tears looking at things which they previously knew only from ancient stories and legends. Living away from the sun for centuries is not something easy. No wonder they look so somber.
But what really made me cry was a very old shadow elf, ready to depart as a wanderer, which means he is supposed to leave the community so as not to be a burden for it. I know how absurd this may sound to your ears, but you have to understand these elves have lived for centuries in a very unforgiving, harsh environment. That old elf explained to me his great-grandmother had been a farmer under the sun in the remote past, and had passed down stories about the fruits of old times. He wanted to taste some of them before dying and bring some to his grandchildren, and asked for forgiveness because he could pay only with some gold. Just 10,000 times the value of what he wanted to buy. I ended up giving him much more than some fruits, I still made a 1,000-fold profit and I was sad I had nothing more to give to him, as he probably would not be around for my second trip. But I promised to bring fruits to his grandchildren, and I’ve kept my promise.
Now that some time has passed and Rafieltown is opening up to trade with many more foreign traders, including humans and halflings, the profit margin has obviously shrunken, but it is still incredible. Consider that anything which is not easily supplied by the nearby nations, Darokin, Glantri and the Shires will sell for a +5 to +10 price in Rafielton. And anything the shadow elves export, you can buy at -5 to -10 to sell it anywhere in the main cities of the Known World.
While it lasts, rush there to trade.
One warning though, a very important one. Do not hire former Alfheim elves as caravan guards and if you meet former Alfheim elves on your way to or from Rafieltown, do not tell them where you are going or whence you came from. Nowadays there are peace talks and in the future it’s possible that former Alfheim elves and Shadow Elves will share a new forest, but for now there are still many Alfheim elves who hate Shadow Elves with a passion and will be very keen on cutting your throat by night as a ‘traitor to elvenkind’ if they discover you trade with them. You have been warned.

Seaweed

Vegetables of the seas can be eaten, and cultivated, as well as the vegetables of the land. And they have a great variety as well. Obviously we water elves know a lot of edible seaweeds, and many more we trade with our cousins the aquatic elves and the tritons, merrow and kna of Undersea, but let’s forget for a moment our friends and enemies beneath the waves, of whom we’ll speak soon. Seaweed in fact is known and consumed by humans too, and by many other races. The most common is probably Porphyra, a big family of seaweeds which are used in many countries. Green laver, also known as sea cabbage, is used as a vegetable in Ochalea and Skothar, Pyropia is used to wrap rice or eaten roasted in Ochalea and the east, while the red alga called Carrageen moss is eaten in all the northern Isle of Dawn, and in the same area Laver is used to make a typical dish. In the west, Oltec-descended peoples used to make a sweet pudding with some seaweeds. Seaweeds also have many other uses, some known also to humans and some only to us. They can be used to wrap and preserve rations and foods, in cakes and to make gelatins useful to preserve fruits and meat. There is a seaweed which heals from many maladies, and another which makes you feel not hungry even when you are. With them you can also make filters to purify water, cosmetics, and fertilizers for land cultivation. Several seaweeds are sold for decorative purposes in Ierendi and Minrothad, and some can be used to obtain fibers. In some communities of the Northern Reaches, they are also used to build roofs, and as feeding for sheep and cattle. And obviously you can also use some to feed and raise fish.
The challenge with seaweed is the same as with other vegetables: it can spoil. But many species can be stored well in salt water, and others can be efficiently dried and traded as such.

Addendum 3: Trading with Undersea

Minrothad had a notorious clash with the best traders of the Undersea, the kna—a big mistake if you ask me—but it is what it is and so now we can trade only with the Aquarendi elves around Alfeisle, who by the way mostly buy from the kna all that they cannot produce. The clash with the kna and the bad relations our human countrymen have with the tritons of the Undersea have all been a great advantage for Ierendi, which trades very well with the merrow.
Nevertheless, the Thyatians have with Undersea races even worse relations than us and the other Known World nations do not have much contact, except for some kna traders who occasionally reach human traders in Athenos, Shireton, Vorloi and other places, so we still have, through the Aquarendi, good access to more Undersea products than other nations, except perhaps for Aquas in Alphatia.
And there are many Undersea products. Fish and seaweed, obviously, but also fish skins, seaweed silks, seaweed spices, seaweed dyes, seaweed spirits, seal skins, narwhal tusks and other fish bones which can be carved as ivory, corals and pearls, seashells which can be used as decorations and containers. And metals, gems, semi-precious stones, rare marbles, magical items and magical ingredients, and Undersea art. Lots of rare products which can be sold for big profits in the major cities of the Known World.
The Aquarendi on their part are more than eager to barter all the above products for things coming from the surface, many of them later re-sold to the kna and the tritons. As the more eccentric Darokinian or Thyatian upper class love to stupefy guests with ‘Undersea dinner’ and trade Undersea magic and art, so does the tritons nobility love to present surface foods to entertain their guests, despite their perishable nature and the altered taste when consumed underwater. And the same goes for everything else which can be preserved at least long enough to arrive more or less in its original shape to the bottom of the sea.

Salt, oil, honey, sugar, herbs and spices

Humans and halflings have spent considerable time and efforts to find substances to flavor food. Dwarves and elves in old times were a bit diffident toward salt, sugar and all kinds of spices that alter the taste of food, but nowadays they have mostly set aside such prejudices, and you can sell well a load of spices even in Dengar, while not as well as in Thyatis City.

Trade in Salt

Salt

Salt has been produced by humans living by the sea since ancient times. The origin of Sea salt production is likely somewhere in ancient Minaea or the Alphatian Sea region. The elves of Davania discovered it much later, from the humans, and for centuries they refused to use it, as they thought it altered too much the natural taste of foods. But salt is also extremely useful to preserve food for trade, especially fish and meat. The dwarves apparently discovered Rock salt on their own, mining it in the mountains. Salt mines are actually, according to many sages, dried seas of remote ages. Salt was also used as currency by many ancient cultures, and human cities and kingdoms in history have risen and fallen over the trade of salt, so its importance cannot be stressed enough. We do have a decent production here in Minrothad, but we still import it as much is needed for internal consumption and to preserve fish. Production is much greater in Thyatis, which has both sea salt and mines, Sind, which has both sea salt and a salty swamp, and Ierendi, and farthest away in the Isle of Dawn, Bellissaria and Yavdlom. Precious rock salt also comes from Sind and Ethengar. The biggest consumers are all the big cities and the cities from whence traders depart, so almost the whole Darokin, or countries which have little to no production, such as Wendar.

Trade in Oil

Oil

It’s also called liquid gold, and for good reason. Like many other modern foods, it was likely extracted first from Olives in the region of modern Minaea. Olive oil is still the most common and appreciated cooking oil, but it is also used to preserve various foods, especially vegetables, and for cosmetic purposes. Thyatis is probably the biggest producer of the world, but there is a good production also here in Minrothad, in the southern Isle of Dawn, northeastern Davania, southern Bellissaria, Minaea and parts of the Savage Coast. The biggest importers are all the big cities, especially the northern ones where olives do not grow.
There are other edible oils in the world, such as Avocado oil (Savage Coast), Hazelnut oil and Almond oil (Hule), Sesame seed oil (Sind) and Macadamia nut oil (Trident Bay), or Argan oil (northern Davania). Typical products in certain areas, where they are more common than olive oil. Alphatians have learned to extract oil from Maize, Sunflower seeds, Rapeseed and Safflower seeds, considered delicate oils ideal for cooking and salads. In Sind and Yavdlom there are also Peanut oil and Cottonseed oil. Coconut oil is known in Ierendi, Thanegioth and the Pearl Islands. In Skothar Palm oil and Soybean oil are very popular and widespread. The Savage Coast and Davania have their own species of palm, such as Açaí, Acmella, Tucumã, Carapa, Moriche and Pentaclethra, whose fruits can be used to produce oils as well. Linseed oil likely came from ancient Minaea and spread to Ylaruam, the Northern Reaches and Norwold, where it is still used as food and, almost everywhere, also as paint binder, wood finish, gilding and putty. Except for Linseed oil, which grows also in colder climates, most of the known oils are produced in warmer climates, so the biggest importers are the colder countries and, as usual, the big cities. Note also that many places which produce oil, such as Kerendas for example, still import it as the local production is not enough for the internal demand, because regions which produce oil often are also those where there is much domestic consumption.

Trade in Honey and Sugar

Honey and Sugar

Another commodity which has become a gold mine of modern trade. Obviously elves have known honey for millennia, but initially we made a very limited trade of it, until humans, halflings and even gnomes became big producers. Nowadays honey is in big demand in all the big cities, and the less common elven honey is still the most precious one, alongside the novelty which is Sugar. There are two kinds of it. Sugar obtained from sugarcanes now comes from the Savage Coast, mostly Texeiras and Vilaverde, Aegos in the Alatians, Ochalea, Ylaruam, Sind, Jaibul and Ierendi. All these countries claim they invented it. Sugar obtained from beets was recently invented by the Glantrians. While the latter is hard to grow in Minrothad, the Guilds are now trying to plant sugarcane in Trader’s Isle, with some initial success. It’s certainly a business we should not leave to the Ierendians and the other major producers.

Trade in Spices

Spices and Herbs

The wealth of traders, spices are one of the main reasons why people face long travels, for great gains. There are so many of them, any list will necessarily be partial, but let’s try to briefly discuss at least the more common ones. In this category I have included more or less any vegetable herb, powder or leaf which is used to make food taste better, even if some of them could as likely be categorized among vegetables. Anise was likely developed by Thothians and is now widespread from southern Skothar to here in Minrothad. It’s used for sweets, liquors and medicines and has become highly popular and much demanded in the Savage Coast. Asafoetida is a spice which probably originated in Skothar but is nowadays used also in Sind, Hule, and western and northern Davania. Basil is typical in northwestern Thyatis but also quite common in Minrothad, Sind, northern Davania, Minaea and Skothar. It is used to make sauces or to accompany tomatoes. It has become quite popular in Alphatia and the Savage Coast more recently. Borage or Starflower, is used as a vegetable in Thyatis, Karameikos, Glantri, Heldann, but also as far as Minaea and the Savage Coast. In Machetos it is used as a filling for pasta. Black Pepper is popular in Sind and in all the big cities of the world now, but it could be native to southern Skothar, or northern Davania. It’s one of the most appreciated and traded spices. White Pepper and Green Pepper are popular Skotharian varieties, while Pink Pepper is a Davanian plant, traded from the west and the Savage Coast. Caper is popular in northern Davania, Minaea, Thyatis, Bellissaria and all the Milenian-influenced regions. It is cultivated in Minrothad too. Cardamom is another very popular spice, probably native to Skothar but now also cultivated in Sind, Ochalea and as far as the Savage Coast. Celery is a vegetable mostly used to flavor salads and soups, popular in Thothia, Minaea, Bellissaria, Thyatis and Minrothad too. It has enjoyed a rising popularity all over the world: it is now extensively cultivated from Skothar to Darokin and Glantri. Chicory or blue dandelion, is a wild plant probably native to Alphatia which has now spread more or less everywhere. It’s very versatile, as it can be eaten as a vegetable, the root as a carrot, and it can also be used to flavor beer and to make a coffee-like beverage which is popular, mixed with real coffee or alone, in Thyatis, Darokin and Glantri as a cheaper version of coffee. It’s also considered excellent for horse and cattle. Cicely is another herb widespread in the Known World up to Glantri and southern Norwold, used as vegetable, root or seed and also to flavor spirits. Cinnamon is another major spice, native to Skothar, brought possibly by the Thothians to Ylaruam and Sind, more recently it has become popular in all the Known World and the Savage Coast to flavor especially biscuits and cakes. Cloves are the flower buds of another Skotharian plant which spread to the Pearl Islands, still the nearest place in which they grow. They have become quite popular to flavor meat, rice, fish, hot wine, cooked fruit and many other dishes, from Minrothad to Heldann to the Savage Coast, making the fortune of several Pearl Islanders and many traders. Coriander is another queen of spices, possibly native to ancient Minaea and spread by the Thothians, now quite popular in Sind, Minrothad, but also the Northern Reaches and Norwold (for rye bread) and Glantri (to flavor beers and spirits). Cumin is another ancient spice, probably spread by Thothians and Milenians from Skothar, but now also cultivated in Sind, northern Davania, and the Savage Coast. It is widely used in Sindhi rice, Glantrian cheese and Savage Coast sauces. Curry is really a mix of spices developed in Sind in ancient times and possibly from there spread in many other places, including Yavdlom, Thanegioth, Ochalea, the Pearl Islands and it’s now in high demand in Alphatia, Skothar and the Savage Coast. Dill is another herb common in the Known World, Alphatia and northern Skothar, probably another Thothian diffusion which is now widely used in soups, sauces and creams in Norwold, the Northern Reaches, Glantri, Karameikos but also in Hule, Sind and Minaea. Fennel, a vegetable related to carrots, was very popular among Milenians and so it is now in Thyatis, the Isle of Dawn, Bellissaria, northern Davania, in salads or to make tea and flavor spirits. It is used in cooked dishes in Sind and Skothar, and to flavor Thyatian and Heldannic sausages. Galangal is a root widely used in soups in Skothar, the Pearls Islands and Ochalea. Of Garlic we already spoke under vegetables, even if it too could be considered a flavoring. Ginger is a root probably native to Skothar, but spread to the Pearl Islands, Ochalea, Sind, Ierendi and Yavdlom, which was already very popular at the times of the Mileanian Empire and it is even more so nowadays. It is used fresh, cooked and to make almost anything, including sweets, beers and tea. Horseradish is a root vegetable likely spread by the Milenians, which is widely used for sauces and salads from Karameikos to Norwold. Hyssop is a shrub which probably spread from ancient Bellissaria and is used now to flavor vegetables in Thothia, Ylaruam and northern Davania and for liquors in Karameikos and Glantri. Junipers are the berries of a tree used in northern Thyatis, Karameikos, Rockhome and other places to flavor spirits or meat. Lavender is a notorious component of perfumes in Glantri but also cultivated in Alphatia, Sind, Darokin and Ierendi, used also to flavor tea, vinegar, jellies, baked goods, and beverages. Lemongrass or Cymbopogon is a grass used for cooking, tea, perfumes, soaps, and as insect repellent. Licorice is an aromatic root also popularized by Milenians and now cultivated in Sind, Thyatis, Minrothad, Ochalea, Bellissaria, Minaea, Hule. It is used mostly in sweets but also as a medicine and to flavor tobacco, or to clean teeth. Mustard seeds, mixed with vinegar or lemon juice, are used to obtain the notorious condiment which likely traces back to ancient Bellissaria then to Mileania and Thyatis and later spread to Glantri, which have some famous varieties. Now it is also in high demand in Sind, which as you can see by now has a real passion for spices, and Alphatia. Nutmeg is another Pearl Islander spice, later also cultivated in Ochalea, Ylaruam and Yavdlom. Another profitable trade as it is sought after in the Savage Coast and Alphatia. Oregano is a flowering plant and traditional condiment in northern Davania, Thyatian and Minrothaddan cuisine, and it has also reached the Alatians, southern Isle of Dawn, Minaea, Bellissaria, Hule and the Savage Coast. Parsley is another herb widespread in more or less the same area. A root parsley is also grown in Karameikos and Darokin as a sort of carrot. Paprika and Red Pepper are relatives of the vegetable pepper and not of black pepper. Paprika is indeed the spice obtained from dried and grounded red peppers. Originally from the Savage Coast, it has spread a century ago with Thyatian traders, making it still a sort of ‘novelty’ spice in many places, and therefore in high demand. Successful attempts have been made to cultivate it in Yavdlom, Ierendi and Minrothad. Peppermint, Watermint and Spearmint are leaves generally used in cakes, spirits and tea, or in toothpaste. Probably native to the islands of the Alphatian Sea, they have spread from Skothar to Davania. Poppy seeds are used especially in bread and pastry or to obtain oil. Poppy also grows in Thyatis and Minrothad, but it is cultivated mostly in the Savage Coast, Hule and far eastern Skothar. A drug can also be obtained from the seeds, but we’ll discuss it later. Rosemary is another culinary herb used already by Thothians and Milenians, then by Thyatians, and now very appreciated worldwide for meat stuffing and cooked vegetables. Saffron is obtained from a purple flower, likely native to ancient Minaea, which is still one of the major producers. Milenians and Thyatians were initially great importers of the spice until they learned to cultivate it, and now there is decent production also in Minrothad and Darokin. It is still very profitable as a much sought-after spice. Sage is another leaf likely native to the islands of the Alphatian Sea, commonly used to flavor meat in Thyatis and for stuffings in some areas of Glantri and Alphatia. Sesame seeds are probably native to northern Davania and used in bread, salads or as a sauce in many places, such as northern Davania, Ylaruam, Sind, Bellissaria, Ochalea, Yavdlom and the Savage Coast. Tarragon or Estragon is a herb used in cooking in a vast area of Brun, from Glantri to the Savage Coast. Thyme is another herb popularized by Thothians and Milenians and used in cooking in all of the Alphatian Sea region, including Minrothad. Turmeric is an orange powder obtained from a root, cultivated and used extensively in Sind, Yavdlom, Ochalea, northern Davania and Skothar as a flavoring and a dye. Vanilla is a sweet yellow powder obtained from the beans of a flower which was cultivated by the Oltecs of Davania and now grows in many warm areas such as Yavdlom, Ochalea, northern Davania and Skothar. It’s one of the most precious and sought-after spices, also because the major producer seems to be the far off Davanian island of Cestia, with which only some Alphatian traders had so far regular contacts. Vinegar is a fermented liquid used mostly for salads, sauces and marinades. A vinegar can be obtained from a lot of things, mostly fruits and grains. Each country has its own varieties, and some are highly appreciated, such as the Balsamic Vinegar of Retebius in Thyatis. Wasabi is a very spicy and very rare spice obtained from a sort of cabbage which apparently grows only in the island of Zyxl in Skothar, and so is traded only rarely by Texeiran, Vilaverdan or Yezchmenid merchants which are in contact with traders for Gomar and Suma’a, two mercantile nations from the other side of the Arm of the Immortals.
The best places in which to buy spices depends on the kinds of spices you seek; some are quite near to us and others very far away, but there is always a promising market for them, including in Minrothad itself.

Tea, coffee, cocoa, milk, butter, yogurt, cheese

Milk and all the products you can obtain from it, as well as tea, coffee, cocoa is a broad category in which I’ve put all the beverages and foods which some cultures consider so common and essential they can hardly imagine there are other cultures and races which have lived millennia without knowing they even existed. And the other thing which associates all these products is the fact that now in the places where they were completely unknown and people have lived millennia without them, they all want them, need them and can’t stay without them anymore. And this is great for us, because it means incredible profits.

Trade in Tea

Tea

If you tell a Sindhi or an Ochalean that tea was invented by rakasta and their ancestors have lived for generations without even knowing tea existed, they will not believe it and may challenge you for even saying such an insulting thing. But that’s the truth. What’s nowadays commonly called tea was selected in Skothar by rakasta farmers so much time ago it’s lost in the mists of time. Meanwhile, elves in Davania developed on their own all kinds of herbal teas, also called infusions or tisanes, which are so many it would be impossible to mention them all.
Starting with the plant commonly called tea, it too has many variants. White Tea is a mild tea of freshly dried leaves, developed in Ochalea and the Pearl Islands. Yellow and Green Tea are freshly dried varieties developed in Skothar, but now relatively common also in Alphatia and Ochalea. Oolong or Dragon Tea is another Skotharian variety of dried leaves, with various kinds and tastes, some also Ochaleans. Red Tea is possibly the most common one, with varieties cultivated in Skothar, Sind, Bellayne, the west, the Pearl Islands and also Minrothad and Carytion in Thyatis. Black Tea is a fermented variety made in Skothar and Ochalea.
Herbal teas are made with many plants we have already discussed under fruits or spices, such as Anise, Dill, Cinnamon, Fennel, Ginger, Lemongrass, Licorice, Mint, Sage, Thyme, several berries and Citrus fruits and many others. Chamomile is traditionally used for infusions in most of the Known World, and supposedly have calming effects. Echinacea tea is used in Atruaghin lands as a cure-for-everything medicine. Mistletoe tea is popular in Rockhome and Heldann with the same purposes. Gentian tea is popular from Karameikos to the Northern Reaches for a lot of maladies. Ginseng is a Skotharian root used for teas, soups and beverages which has spread to the Pearl Islands, Ochalea and northern Davania. Hemp is a remarkable plant which we’ll discuss later as it can be used also as a drug and as a fiber, and is also used as a tea in Skothar. Hibiscus tea was likely used by ancient elves and then spread by the Oltecs from Skothar to western Brun and Davania, and it’s popular also in Ylaruam and Thothia. Valerian is a tea popular in Thyatis to promote sleep. Mate is a popular tea in western Davania which has spread to the Savage Coast.
Many more infusions exist, but some of them could be classified more as medicines or drugs, which we’ll discuss later as they may present risks for the consumers and therefore also for the traders. Elves obviously know all kinds of herbal teas to achieve all kinds of results, from curative to soporific to exciting, but normally do not trade them with humans due to their penchant for consuming foolishly or abusing such substances. Halflings often have the same expertise with plants which they are not always willing to share, and dwarves with mushrooms.

Trade in Coffee

Coffee

The ancient Tangor people of Skothar claim they were the first who cultivated coffee, but similar claims are made also by some people in the Alphatian Sea region and Davania. Whatever the truth may be, a couple of thousands of years ago coffee was already extensively traded by the Thothians, and soon became a major import for Alphatians. Nowadays there are important productions in Atruaghin lands, Bellissaria, the Savage Coast, Garganin in Davania, Ylaruam, Yavdlom, the Pearl Islands, Tel Akbir in Thyatis, West Portage in the Isle of Dawn and even Minrothad, where the demand is often higher than the supply, as it happens often in Ylaruam too. All of the northern Known World and all the big cities are great markets for coffee, as nobles and wannabe-rich everywhere pride themselves of offering it to hosts. And obviously elves and halflings love some coffee too from time to time, and even dwarves are not immune from the lure of this fantastic beverage.

Trade in Cocoa

Cocoa

Cocoa was likely first cultivated by the western Oltecs before the Great Rain of Fire, but remained a local curiosity until a few centuries ago, spreading to the Known World especially after the Thyatian conquest of the Savage Coast in AC 900. In truth the biggest producer in our relative vicinity is Yavdlom, and in fact some Alphatian traders have faced for centuries the long voyage to Yavdlom especially to buy cocoa. Now cocoa has become the most sought-out curiosity in all the big cities of the Known World and basically anywhere there are rich people willing to pay for it. In many places, a pound of cocoa can be sold for ten swords, ten pigs, a cart or a spell, just to tell you how profitable this trade can be. For this reason traders are exploring other routes to western Davania, where it seems there is an abundant production of cocoa. Maybe you could be the one who will open a new and rewarding trade route.

Trade in Milk and its derivatives

Milk and its derivatives

I’ll tackle here milk, butter, yogurt and cheese even if they are quite different in use and strictly related to the breeding of some animals which we will discuss later, mostly because they are a sizable trade in themselves. Their trade is very sizable in most places of the Known World from the countries to the cities, and much smaller, but quite profitable, for high-quality products to the big cities and the tables of the rich. But let’s say first that, as strange as this may sound to those used to consuming milk daily, there are many places in the world where milk and its derivatives are not used at all, because such places lack farm animals which can produce large quantities of it. Elves for example have lived millennia without milk, and likewise the halflings and the Oltec humans. But let’s begin from the start of milk history. The best animals to make milk are cows, goats, donkeys and sheep, and their numerous subspecies. The Oltec humans, which as we have seen domesticated a lot of important plants, did not domesticate those species. The humans which instead domesticated such species and made milk were the Neathar humans. This group of humans began as nomadic tribes which initially spread in the interior and in the north of Skothar. Some of them in the south mixed with Oltec humans, forming the modern Jennites of Skothar, and brought the animals and their milk to them too. From the Jennites, animals and milk spread also to the Tanagoro humans of southern Skothar. In the meantime other Neathar and mixed Oltec/Neathar humans spread through the islands of the Alphatian Sea to Brun, bringing milk with them and spreading it also to the dwarves and gnomes. But in the region inhabited by Oltec humans, elves and halflings, so basically the whole of Davania and many regions of southern Brun, milk was almost unknown until a few centuries before the Great Rain of Fire. Even then in Oltec and elven lands it was more a curiosity than a common product. Nowadays the picture is a bit different. In some countries milk and yogurt are popular, while cheese is still an exotic product, in others milk and cheese are popular, while yogurt is almost unknown. In Thyatis, for example, milk is used daily by anyone who has at least an animal or can buy a bit of it, and there is an incredible variety of cheese, but yogurt is just a curiosity for the rich, and butter is used only in the north where olive oil is less available. In Ethengar, milk and yogurt are consumed in large quantities, but cheese is almost unknown. And so on. Dwarves and gnomes now breed goats, and love their milk and cheese, but yogurt is not very common. Milk, butter, yogurt and cheese are all very popular in Glantri. Halflings, who did not know milk before coming to Brun, now love it and produce butter and a lot of cheese, and also some yogurt. In Darokin, milk and butter are used a lot, but cheese is more popular than yogurt, while among the Traladarans of Karameikos yogurt is more popular than cheese. In Minrothad milk and cheese are extremely popular, but yogurt and butter much less so. In Ierendi and Atruaghin lands, milk and its derivatives are not commonly used. In Sind all dairy products are popular but only certain regions have a relevant production of cheese. Elves still hardly use much milk and butter, but some yogurt and many cheeses are appreciated as interesting ‘human’ products. In Alphatia, especially in their northern ‘kingdom’ of Frisland, there is a true cult of cheeses, with some very strange ones developed. The other regions of Alphatia use milk, yogurt and cheese as well, while butter is more common in the north than in the south. Cheeses in particular have fantastic regional variations from country to country and even from region to region and town to town in the same country. Their history traces back to the regions of ancient Minaea and Bellissaria, but then they spread to Alphatia, the Isle of Dawn, many regions of the Known World and Brun, the Savage Coast and some regions of northern Davania. It’s just impossible to list them all here, so I’ll just give some examples. Many Known World nations have famous cheeses, like Stracchino, Ricotta, Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Pecorino, Caciotta, Grana, Provola and the thousand others you can find in Thyatis. Brie, Reblochon, Camembert and Edam in Glantri, another major cheese-producing country, but there is also the Matò of the Belcadiz elves, one of the few elven cheese, Brocciu of Minrothad, Byaslag in Ethengar, Rubing in Ochalea, Paneer in Sind, Passendale in Darokin, Emmental and the melted cheese in Rockhome, Kashkaval and Telemea in Karameikos, Danbo in Vestland, Adelost in Soderfjord, Brunost in Ostland, Moose cheese in Norwold, Feta in Minaea, Queijo in Vilaverde and the many Quesos of the Savage Coast, Jameed in Ylaruam, Picodon in the Shires, Cheddar in Bellayne, Domiati in Thonia, Tulum in Hule, Pikauba, Colby and Muenster in Alphatia, and so many more. Among the more exotic, there is a camel cheese called Caravane in northern Davania, Ayibe cheese from eastern Skothar and the Lighvan of the far western Yezchamenid Empire. I am certainly forgetting some very important ones here, you’ll have to do your own research if you want to become an expert cheese trader. It’s a market which can be very profitable. Cheeses last long, even in cargo’s hold, but beware of long hot days, as they can ruin your cargo of cheese pretty fast and make your ship smell as if some big creature died inside it. You may want to prepare yourself with some good preserving magic.
Finally, some people and regions use alternatives to animal milk with the same aspect of white liquids. These are the plant and nut milks, of which there are many types among the elves, in Sind, Atruaghin and several other places. And some of these vegetable milk can also make cheese, as for example soy and rice cheeses which are popular in Ochalea. Plant milks and cheeses too can have a market as exotic foods.

Addendum 4: Restaurants and Chefs

A special niche of food trade is the one dedicated to famous restaurants and cooks. Even if they are elite establishments, there are many of them in all the big cities of the Known World and beyond. Some gather local ingredients, but almost all of them eventually search for exotic or rare ingredients, including magical ones. This means there are quite some successful traders who earn a lot of money by supplying such rare ingredients to them. If you prove to be a reliable and interesting supplier for one big restaurant, it could make your fortune.

Conclusion

That’s all for today. We’ll continue next time with many other products, starting from some which will certainly interest you young scoundrels, which are alcoholic beverages, tobacco and other similar substances.

1Not the northern ones created by James Mishler with the same name (http://pandius.com/midland.html) but the countries of Dvinzina, Azardjian, Chengoush, Kyurdukstan, Grouzhina (also known as the Kavkaz region), Sardjikjian and Douzbakjian. These were originally introduced by Christian Constantin in his Hulean Timeline http://pandius.com/htime.html as predominantly lawful nations opposed to chaotic Hule, and located in central Brun between the northern Black Mountains and the Yalu Sea, later also used in the Fan Almanacs from AC 1016 to AC 1018.

2Created by Adrian Mattias and mapped by Christian Constantin; see more information here http://pandius.com/yzchmnid.html and here http://pandius.com/zuyevo.html.

3See The Great Northway Lands by Matthew Fleet from Threshold Magazine issue 18: http://pandius.com/grtnway.html.

4Wikipedia has obviously complete lists of local bakery products which can be easily used in Mystara too, such as List of breads https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_breads, List of Cakes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cakes and List of cookies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cookies

5It’s the nationality adjective used in Champions of Mystara boxed set, the main canon source about Sind, so I used it even if Sindian or Sindi would seem more logical.

6Also known as the Passion fruit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_edulis. I’ve used the native Brazilian name however because the common one is specifically connected to real world history, as it was created by catholic missionaries to remember the passion of Christ.

Exported	Imported
Ah’roog, Shazak (cocoa) Ciudad Real Gargoña (cocoa) Ciudad Tejillas, Almarrón (cocoa) Gurr’ash, Ator (cocoa) Katambwe, Yavdlom (cocoa -3) N’Goro, Yavdlom (cocoa -2) Tanakumba, Yavdlom (cocoa -4) Tu’eth, Cay (cocoa) Tyjaret, Serpent Peninsula (cocoa) Ulimwengu, Serpent Peninsula (cocoa)	Aasla, Alphatia (cocoa) Bluenose, Alphatia (cocoa) Darokin, Darokin (cocoa) Glantri City, Glantri (cocoa) Gulluvia, Adri Varma (cocoa) Itucuà, Jibarù (cocoa) Kishinev, Zuyevo (cocoa) City of Minrothad, Minrothad (cocoa) Ragmata, Yezchamenid (cocoa) Richland, Yalu Bay (cocoa) Sundsvall, Alphatia (cocoa) Skyreach, Alphatia (cocoa) Starpoint, Alphatia (cocoa) Thyatis City, Thyatis (cocoa)