Creature Culture (part 3)

I started the Creature Culture series back at the inception of this blog.  It's one of the parts of world building that I really enjoy, imagining how these mythical/magical creatures could really exist in my world.  We've discussed a bit about biology and some about internal social structures, but in a Fantasy world, these cultures will have to interact somehow.  Hatred, war, and conquest is a simple suggestion for how these cultures will relate, but if these are in fact intelligent creatures (and of similar military capacity), they may want to find some way to create a mutually beneficial relationship.  The question then is, "How do we trade?"
    One of the basic conceits of role-playing games is the idea that there is a "common" language.  Generally, this is the primary human tongue and anyone we need to converse with is fluent.  Unfortunately, real life is not so neat.  Latin was the language of learning for quite some time in Europe, just as French became the language of diplomacy.  English has pretty widely become the language of business in recent years (at least for international trade).  Basic trade can be accomplished with little to no shared language, but that would hardly be acceptable for enduring partnerships.  Often, traders or others with limited contact with a culture would develop a pidgin language.  This is basically a streamlined version of one language, or a simplified combination of both (George Martin has the "trade talk" as his sailors pidgin taking a bit from this and a bit from that).  Most of your average workers and sailors didn't spend a whole lot of time learning the finer points of regional dialects, but they would work out some way to ask for certain things.  For specialists, it's perfectly reasonable that they've spent time at study, but where did they learn?  For thoughts about how to portray non-native speakers, try my post Foreign Languages.  Misunderstanding, or a lack of understanding, due to language barriers are a common occurrence.  Don't be afraid to use it.

    If you make contact with a foreign civilization, it's always good to see if they do something better than you.  First it's important in case negotiations break down and you end up going to war, but secondly, if they do something better and at a reasonable rate, it's all to the good.  Trade can alleviate some of the lacks your other cultures have.  If your elves don't mine, they can now have a source of metal or finished goods.  If your dwarfs don't grow things very well, now maybe they have a source of grain.  If your orcs love vodka, but they're not good at handling a still (or simply don't have bathtubs for their gin), then oh happy day.  There are obvious parallels today with commodities like oil, steel, copper, timber and rare earth elements.  By having trade partnerships, certain lacks that each of these cultures might feel alone can be alleviated.  Naturally, this can be manipulated and played for advantage by any or all involved.  All civilizations have a product or craft that is unique to their cultural heritage (though some will not be prized as highly as others).  If nothing else, certain peoples could be willing workers for a less populous people who are more capable artisans.  In the modern world, people move for work all the time.  It was no different in the pre-industrial world (when they weren't tied to the land in a feudal system).
    War is one of the constants in the worlds we create (you need conflict to have a story?).  Military alliances are one of the favorite foundations for successful trade partnerships.  Who wants to give an enemy something that they want?  There are usually specific terms under which one ally will come to the aid of the other.  Some nations have been quite famous in history for producing a certain type of warrior (bowmen, pikemen, halberdiers, axe weilders).  History is littered with these agreements, fulfilled or not.  Trade alliances usually offer protections for traders traveling within the other country.  There may be some kind of envoy living in the capitol (or most important port) of its ally to oversee their people.  The alliance may offer preferential terms for trade, or the right of first refusal on goods produced.  Having envoys and eyes in another country allows access to knowledge (via spies, yay!) that might otherwise be hidden from your government.  Cultural exchange can then develop, people get to know each other and sexytime commences (writer's note: sorry, I'm still getting over a cold).  Military alliances open up new theaters of war for your soldiers as well as interesting cultural clashes.  Would a foreign general know best how to use your well trained elite fighting force?  Allies of necessity from war time can become trade partners during the peace and vice versa.
    Trade is an amazingly complicated system which can be simplified with a few generalities.  I remember as a kid learning about the Triangle Trade (slaves go to the Caribbean, which sends sugar to North America, which sends rum to Africa).  Obviously the system was much more complex than this, with many players, but by stating the prime goods involved, you can see what each needed from the others.  The Caribbean needed workers for the plantations.  The English Colonies needed raw materials to fuel their factories.  Africa needed manufactured goods that they did not have the technology (or raw materials?) to produce.  Why all of these statements are true could fill a thousand blog posts, but they start to create images in our minds and as an author, this is what I want to do.  I want to create a ground for my reader's mind to play on.  With a few simple sketches, I can create a people or a country or a continent to fill in later if the story takes me there, all with the simple mechanic of supply and demand.