Kyf is a Thardic mercantyler engaged in the trade of luxury items between Coranan and Thay. In the past, he joined the semi-annual caravan to haul his wares to Tashal where he sold them to Melderyni mercantylers who transported the goods to markets in Thay. This year, Kyf decided to save himself the long journey and instead arranged to sell the goods to his Melderyni contacts on the docks of Aleath. To get his wares to the port, he purchased three carts and four horses (one to serve as his mount and as a spare draft animal) and joined a small caravan through Kanday.
Kyf hires teamsters, one for each cart, paying them a daily wage of 3 pence each as well as providing their meals during the journey. The teamsters will stand watch as guards on the carts during overnight stops, but the caravan fee Kyf pays includes the cost of mercenaries who provide security to the entire caravan. In his budgeting for the trip, Kyf includes his own salary of 4 pence.
Merchants (1 x 4d) | |
Teamsters (3 x 3d) | |
Provisions (4 x 0.5d) | |
Prorated Repairs (3 x 0.25d) | |
Depreciation (horses & carts) | |
Total Daily Costs: |
The standard road-use toll for Kyf's tiny caravan is 5d. See here for a list of the toll-stations along the route.
Coranan to Aleath |
Caravan fee - Coranan to Aleath (3 x 12d) | |
Fodder (4 horses x 1 day x 0.5d) |
Except for the first day's travel, between Kuseme and Quivum, the journey to Aleath passes through settled territory, with plenty of fodder available for the horses. To get through that first day, Kyf allocates enough cargo capacity in the carts to accomodate a day's worth of provisions for himself and the teamsters, and one day's fodder for the animals, as well as assuming a load of 30 pounds per teamster for camp gear and other neccesities. With only a limited amount of space devoted to "overhead," Kyf is able to carry over 2.8 tons of cargo in his three carts (5,808 pounds).
Provisions - 4-mandays (4 cf) | |
Fodder (7.5 cf) | |
Baggage - 30 lbs / person (12 cf) | |
Total overhead: |
Use the information above and an estimate of the passage time between towns (click here: ) to estimate the costs of the journey. Please note that these figures do not include time spent waiting for repairs, or the time involved in arranging the sale or acquisition of cargo.
Daily cost x 4 days | |
Tolls | |
Caravan Fee | |
Fodder | |
Total Cost: |
Kyf's total cost for hauling 2.8 tons of cargo from Coranan to Aleath with the caravan was 148 pence. If he had carried that cargo on a "haul freight" arrangement, and with an assumed profit margin of 30%, he would charge 211 pence for the journey. (147.52d / 0.7 = 210.74d; note the actual price charged will have been negotiated in advance, based on Kyf's estimation of the costs involved.)
The prorated cost of carrying one ton of cargo from Coranan to Aleath in this caravan would be about 76 pence.
As the cart rolls, the distance between Coranan and Aleath is 45 leagues (9 hexes); the cost per hex for one ton of cargo is about 8.44d.
Not included in the above calculations is the cost of taxes and tariffs on trade. See here for a list of the places where bonding fees will be collected.