Would an empire that has everything possibly need?

[Kilmore]

I'm working on the grand geography of my world. One empire is central to the setting. They are large and old and have a perfectly adequate commerce going, supplying everyone with food, metal, and other necessities.

I want to create an outside dependence. Kinda like the way America would be in bad shape if we didn't have middle eastern oil, only there would not be such dependence on oil in a medieval world (this is not Warcraft).

I was thinking there could be something magical that the empire needs to import in order to keep working, and someone has them by the nose for it. Any suggestions?

 

[Draxus the Tainted]

Maybe have the whole world use the same currency, and the main central region is the one who mints the coins. But they don't have the gold,silver,etc. to make the coins. They have to rely on other regions to mine the resource, and then central region has to import it. Without the other regions mining the resources, the whole worlds economy would fall apart because of the lack of currency.

It might also help some more if you gave us some more info on the setting.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Pssst! We import most of our oil from Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela (like around 80%+). I mention this not to bring politics to the forum, but rather to recognize the hard work of my fellow North Americans and cousins to the south.

But this doesn't answer your question.

1) Magic. Who says it's in the air? Why not make it a resource? You'll have to hammer out the game mechanics, but as a rough draft how about 10 spell levels being available in a standard 5X5 area per day. It recharges exactly at midnight. The spell levels can be "farmed" into coin-sized glowing objects via a third level spell. The spell would use up three levels, so each unit would store seven levels. The Empire would go through magic very quickly and need outlying areas to import these objects.

2) Gorgon's Blood. It's been kinda-sorta established that gorgon's blood can prevent scrying. Naturally this would lead to gorgon extinction or gorgon farms. Let's say the empire already killed off their naturally occuring gorgons (nice environmental sub theme here) and has to import gorgon's blood to keep the spying down.

3) People. This would be for an evil Empire. I'll leave the details of what happens to the people when they reach the Empire up to the imagination of the reader. However, I note that the Book of Vile Darkness is due to be released soon.

4) Stuff They Already Have. See New Ideas From Dead Economists by Todd Buchholz. There's an excelent bit on trade between Gilligan and the Skipper from "Gilligan's Island". Basically, just because the Empire CAN produce everything doesn't make it cheaper for them to do so.

5) Material Components. This is sort of an extended vesion of #2. But look at what you need to cast all those spells! What if that stuff is gone?

I hope this helps! Happy Gaming!

 

[Achilles]

I know you said that you had food covered, but I just thought I'd mention the fact that the Roman Empire got almost all of its grain from Egypt and Nubia. As such, those areas were so valuable that Rome banned senators from entering those provinces for fear of the empire's food source being held hostage, so to speak.

 

[Nifft]

Plenty of things were in short supply in the middle ages:

Spices: they don't grow in the Empire's harsh northern climate. Maybe they don't grow anywhere but the Islands of the Pirate Slave Lords.

Sugar: Sure, the Empire can try to live without sugar, but the black market for Maple Syrup -- which only grows in the harsh lands of the Dire Frost Giant's Jarl -- would destroy the Empire's economy.

Salt: Extracting salt from the ocean is dangerous work, in no small part becuase of the constant raids by the Shark-Raiders of the Bloody Fin. Luckily for the Empire, our southern neighbors, the Sultans of the Sandy Oppressive Theocracy have extensive salt mines -- and sinners enough to work them for eternity.

Metal: This is important stuff! Sure we could glean inferior iron from the peet bog, but why bother? Our new neighbor, Baron von Killavillage, is willing to supply us with a reasonable portion of steel each year. He keeps the better portion for his own arms -- he must look to the defense of his large mountain citadel, after all -- but we have enough to outfit a moderate standing guard force for ourselves. And with such a strong neighbor, what do we have to fear, anyway?

Silk: It's better than linen or wool, and those are all you've got if you're stuck in Eurasia before 1500 AD. Alternately, any other fabric -- cotton, wool, mink fur, spandex, whatever.

Coffee or Tea: If you control the supply of a highly addictive substance, you will own a segment of the population -- this is why Starbucks will never go out of business. Works equally well with less socially acceptable addictions: tobacco, opium, pipeweed, cocaine, uppers, magic mushrooms (literally, of course).

Hope this is helpful!
-- Nifft

 

[Cedric]

How about good old fashioned grain. The climate in the central part of that empire may just be insuitable for growing grain.

And basically without a primary starch (grains, rice, etc). You have no civilization.

Cedric

 

[Reynard]

While mundane things like grain or metals would certainly work (and have the effect of rooting the conflicts firmly in "reality -- is this what you want?), and the basic magic oriented things (mana, components, etc...) has the advantage of tying it to something PCs care about (assuming there are wizards/sorcerers/bards in the party), I would go with something a little different, if for no other reason than to shake things up.

Assume your empire came to be and into power before this dependance came to be (much like America and the oil dependance).

Put all these things together an what sort of fantasy analogue to oil do you get? Well, my brain screams Verdant Waters.

See, the Empire is a huge, populous place and its capital hosts over a million inhabitants. The sheer land required to feed such a population is ridiculous, and the costs of caravans to bring the food to the city is just not economically feasible. However, it is just this population that makes the Empire powerful -- after all, who would dare oppose the empire if it can raise and army of one hundred thousand?

So how does the Empire maintain its size?

There is an aquaduct that runs over a thousand miles, from the Verdant Springs of the far north (in the lands of the Treants and Dire Beasts and Fey) all the way to the Capital City. Numerous other cities have sprung up along the aquaduct, and it is the lifeline of the Empire. Why? The Verdant Waters make things grow. Fast. And well. With the Verdant Waters, the great plantations around the Capital can bear three or four harvests a year, never tapping the soil of its natural health.

Certainly, the Empire would diminish should the Aquaduct be broken or the Verdant Waters dry up. Perhaps even a civil war, or starvation leading to plague. So the Empire must be ever vigilant in defending the Springs. But the Verdant Springs are untouched wilderness and raising even a single structure or cutting down a single tree in that place spoils the water (as the Empire found out much to its dismay during the Starving one century ago). So, not only must the Empire defend the physical structure of its aquaduct, but it must also go against ever imperial instinct and leave protect this place from becoming depoiled.

Does that help?

 

[FireLance]

A magical spice that promotes longevity and gives those that take it prophetic visions. It is only available from a desert country populated by giant purple worms and religious fanatics waiting for their Messiah.

 

[WayneLigon]

I'm working on the grand geography of my world. One empire is central to the setting. They are large and old and have a perfectly adequate commerce going, supplying everyone with food, metal, and other necessities.

I want to create an outside dependence ... and someone has them by the nose for it. Any suggestions?

FOOD

Maybe the large and old empire exists in an area with little good farmland, but rich in other resources that are scarace elsewhere. They would need to import food once the cities get a certain size. They'll also conquer nations with good farmland, or attempt to subvert them economically.

LUXURIES

Suddenly the ladies of the Empire are seized with a desire to wear purfume. Really good perfume only exists when you have ambergris to make it with. The Northern nation of Thule suddenly finds themselves with leverage over the largest known nation, simply because they are the only whalers.

SPICES

Empires in the real world have been built on the ability to import spices. Fortunes that would begger the imagination have been made and lost in this trade. Most food without spices tastes like crap, so people will riot to get spices if they know they exist. Suddenly the nation of Sumara finds itself in a position of power, because they have peppercorns. Sumara has to find a balance between squeezing the Empire for every little consession it can, and not triggering an invasion.

Whatever It is, It has to be in a place where it's not practical for the empire to simply invade and take what they want. Most empires got to be that way through just that practice. Maybe there is a powerful Good priesthood in control of key government positions? It would make it very difficult for the Emperor to wage war for purely economic reasons.

 

[Kilmore]

Not to bump a sinking thread, but thanks, guys. Some real good ideas here.