In my time in Thay, money never had much meaning. We were not paid, nor did we require anything that was not provided by the Order of The Pure Flame. There was never any reason to need money so, while I knew it existed, I had no conception of what it cost.

When I started working as a guard, I must admit I was cheated several times. I had no idea what my services were worth, so it was sometimes difficult to survive from one job to the next. I would usually exchange a night working in an inn as a bouncer in exchange for a meal and place to sleep (which was usually a cot in a storeroom or the stables). I eventually learned about how much my services were worth, but I was confused when suddenly merchants were offering me more than that. Some would try to pay me double rates so I would guard them rather than another I had already agreed to travel with. It was very confusing, although I never had trouble surviving in a city anymore. I have a rough idea I'm being cheated sometimes, but generally I simply buy what I need at the price the vendor asks. I have enough to pay for whatever I need, so I never worried about it.

Once I started spending time with Marcus, Reese and Deuce, though, I realized I didn't know anything about money. First, they never paid the initial price, even though they clearly had more than enough money. In fact, they had more money than I could even imagine...huge amounts. How much is ten thousand gold? Fifty thousand? I had a few gold, but mostly copper and silver, which would buy just about anything. I could live for a year on the amount I had in my bag without working, but they had so much money it was ridiculous. But the haggling...they never agreed on a price without arguing for five minutes. If you can pay the price the merchant asks and it's not exorbitant, why bother with the arguing?

They tell me I have 5,400 gold now. I think I have a small bag full of red gems and a hundred and fifty platinum pieces. I don't know what platinum is or why it's worth so much more than silver, but apparently I'm a rich man now. I don't feel rich. Reese and Deuce were telling me things I should buy with it, like a house or a horse (or a hundred horses!) or some new clothes, and Marcus keeps telling me that there are others who need this money more than I do.

I think I'm just going to ask Tabra to hold it for me at her house...I don't like carrying so much around; I've noticed how people's eyes grow wide when I pull out the bag to pay for something simple, like food or lodging. I've noticed that magical items cost a great deal of money usually. I've been troubled by the cold weather here; the cold isn't so bad, but the clothing required is overly cumbersome and makes it difficult to fight. Perhaps I will be able to purchase some clothing that is light, doesn't restrict my movement and will give me protection from cold weather. I think I will save for that.