Drachma

It is said that as punishment, Rhoda was melted down by Helle and their soul remains in Hell in the shape of a coin. The myth, as strange as it is, does at least give some hint as to the origin of the Drachma, as Satanael himself has claimed he gave the inspiration to mankind for most modern forms of currency.   However, it was a different Drachma than the modern one. During the decline of Ishada, the coins of antiquity were replaced by the Aureus of the Draconians up until the complete decline and collapse of Ishada. When it was only Alzirgos remaining in Ishada, as the Helft Empire conquered all other lands, it switched over for a short period to the Rupee of Ruzrugh. Upon the fall of the Helft Empire, in a hope to once more regain its place in the world, Alzirgos created its own currency once more. Named after its ancient coin, this new coin was intended to be stronger, more suited to the modern world.   It has remained a staple coin of global trade, as Alzirgos is in a prime location at the mouth of the Strait of Ildial, and a majority of ships pass by Alzirgos, stopping there for a time to trade. But up until the Age of Justice, there was never even a dream of it being the global standard. That all changed with the rise of a man named Dimos and the fall of a tyrannical organization of Judges.  

Rise in a Post-Alzirgan World

After the fall of The World Court, the Real (a currency form the Court had tried to make standard in the world) was all but dissolved entirely. Due to this, the reformed World Court maintained a limited amount of production for the Real, but began backing the Drachma after pleas from the ruler of the Financial District at the time, who was neither Her Lowness or His Highness due to the civil war.   It is not right to say that there was no state of Alzirgos during the slow rise of the Drachma, though it is often called a “Post-Alzirgan World” because the strong, independent city-state fell into conflict with itself, dividing up and breaking apart into four different governments within one city each claiming authority over Alzirgos. The ruler of the Financial District at the outset of this war, a Human named Dimos, was said to be the great schemere behind the conflict, plotting not just his own rise to power but the economic growth of Alzirgos to the deterement of every other district of the city. He was aware of the massive death toll that would follow the conflict’s beginning, and how much the city would suffer, but all he cared about was his own rise to power and the growth of his currency. The reformed World Court was happy to work with him.   With the aid of this new organization, backed by the heroes who had just defeated the old World Court, Dimos and the Financial District of Alzirgos (or rather, the Alzirgan Nation of Drachma, as Dimos coined his territory) were able to get the Drachma into the hands of merchants quickly, overtaking the newly appointed and still young, naive Grand Wizard of Zephys, Hameila Neconkus, who would’ve otherwise had a headstart in getting the Draconian Aureus to the top of the market. Of course, the Drachma didn’t rise overnight, and both the Livre of Camor and the Rupee of Ruzrugh ended up overtaking both the Aureus and the Drachma for a long period, but that just meant Dimos’s plan was working.   Even after his death, the Drachma continued climbing, its value increasing on a steady path, as no world events ever impacted it. Dimos had strengthened the Drachma by ensuring even the internal strife of Alzirgos would not affect it, as it was mostly minted in Stallbourne, not Alzirgos (though some believe it was Vitroveil where the largest reserves of Drachmas were kept). Due to the conflict of Alzirgos, external world events rarely made their way to the split city-state, and so the Drachma was able to continue on the path Dimos set for it.   The credit can also be given to capable merchants from Alzirgos, Vitroveil, and Stallbourne who kept the Drachma in circulation. One notable merchant, who employed a great deal of lesser merchants, was the Elf known as Kakia, who many merchants claim became the champion of the Drachma after Dimos’s death. Her long lifespan has allowed her to continue Dimos’s work long after his death, even as she sometimes takes a more hands-off approach.   Those who make deals with Kakia are said to "see Drachmas in her very eyes" as she continues to tie herself to the success of the currency and the stability of the global economy, becoming synonymous with both the coins and international trade.  

Conversion

As of the official start of the Age of Chaos, there is not a currency in the world with as much value as the Drachma. While the Rupee, Livre, and Ryō are strong currencies, they still do not compare to the Drachma.