First off, from my reading of Howard I doubt Cimmeria has roads, so they'd have trouble getting wagons to this village. I'd think it much more likely they'd use a train of mules or pack horses to carry the ore.
Ah, good point. In my campaign, I've established that there are trails that pass for roads, here and there, but not many of them. You make a strong point, though.
Secondly, a single smithy would be far more likely to freight in bars or ingots of iron rather than raw iron ore.
Another good point. Maybe you should be running my game!
They'll likely pick out the richest source of ore that's within a practical transport distance. I'd guess it's somewhere between 60% and 70% iron. So you're talking about 1300 pounds of iron.
That should be enough to last them years.
Or...as you say the roads are bad to non-existent. Plus, the Aesir who bring the ore are across the Eiglophian mountains, thus I doubt they travel with A LOT of ore (or ingots) that would weight them down too much. So, maybe a trip to trade is made every year or three.
Your analysis is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for putting in the time to write it. I wish we still had the XP option here on the forum.
I established in my campaign (call it My Hyborian Age) that, centuries ago, a smith emerged among the Grath clan--a clan of Cimmerians that live along the Diamondrun river that runs down the side of the Eiglophians. This is "game history". The Grath's existence depended on the river. They are fishermen, mostly, but someone finally figures out (maybe he is shown by a traveller or trader) how to make a living and support the clan by panning in the river.
It's not weapons they make. This ore is much like bog-ore. But, they learn to make metal instruments.
Who knows how long this goes on for, but at some points, maybe generations later, Aesir traders from the north side of the Eiglophians appear with a small amount of quality ore. The Aesir are miners, and some bright yellow-hair finally thought to see if they could expand their market. So, with a small store of ore in a wagon, they ventured south into the lands of the Cimmerians, comming upon the Grath.
There, a deal was made. Two villages depend on each other, one Aesir, and one Cimmerian.
I won't bore you with the details, but trouble errupted among the Grath clan, and that smith (years later) did the unthinkable and left the clan. He traveled south, just outside of the territory claimed by the Grath, and set up a homestead with his forge. The Aesir traders, appearing every year or so, followed the smith. Quickly, a new clan formed around the smith--and this becomes the players' clan: The clan of the Blue Fox, or Urrough, as it is said in native Cimmerian.
Of course, the Grath didn't just let the smith go easily and start a rival clan. No, there was a civil war, of sorts. A blood feud that goes on to this day. The major war between the two clans halted when the call went out to unite against the Aquilonians at Venarium. Both the Grath and the Foxmen sent warriors. And, after their return, the hostility returned but not to the level it was before Venarium.
To this day, the Grath and the Blue Fox are major enemies.