Servitors

Rather than a single shop, this is something of a catchall category. These are separate businesses offering services rather than goods. Some of these are hired or retained on a permanent basis, while others are used as needed.

Barber, haircut. . . . . 12ƒ

Barber, shave. . . . . 8ƒ

Bather, balneotherapy. . . . . 9₲


 * ————Some bathhouses, and some healers, offer therapeutic bathing. The bath may sometimes be mud, oil, or clay rather than mineral-treated water. Some places offer massages or other spa treatments as well.

Bather, bathhouse visit. . . . . 3ƒ


 * ————If you need to wash your stank ass, but modesty or the weather keeps you indoors, you need to get yourself to a bathhouse. Ammenities will vary by culture, from the simple tubs in Byzant, to the sweat lodges of the Heldanns, to the elabourate hot-spring fed Killian bathhouses where you must clean yourself prior to soaking in the bath. This category includes the base price for saunas, sentō, and spas as well as baths.

Bodyguard, per shift. . . . . 3₲


 * ————At this price, they are quite professional, skilled, and armed as appropriate.

Calligraphus, per message. . . . . 2₲


 * ————Most often one sees this service provided by various scribes, scriveners, heralds, and messengers, but this service itself is not commonly available. A calligraphus encodes a message to be decoded by a similar servitor on the receiving end. A variety of codes are used, and calligraphi who are familiar with one another will use one that the other also knows. The most secured variant uses something akin to public key encryption, but this is twenty times the price as it is far more difficult to both encode and decode. Note that regardless of the code used, both the sender and receiver must pay for encoding and decoding separately.

Clerical rite, major. . . . . 6₲5


 * ————One does not generally hire priests. One gives an agreed-upon minimum donation to the church for a service. This entry is for the more involved rituals and ceremonies: weddings, baptisms, funerals, sanctifications, et cetera.

Clerical rite, minor. . . . . 10ƒ


 * ————This is how much you should drop in the collection plate for quick & easy blessings, hearing confession, general benedictions, and the like.

Dancer, per performance. . . . . 3₲10

Day labour. . . . . 1₲10


 * ————Sometimes you just need a warm body and/or strong back for a few hours.

Delivery service, monthly. . . . . 5ƒ


 * ————You get a regular daily delivery of a product, typically milk or water. Other products can be brought by similar deliverymen, such as lamp oil, groceries, or candles. These are more often dropped off weekly. The price is for the delivery service itself, with the cost of the product added.

Footman, monthly. . . . . 45₲


 * ————If you only have one servant, this is the correct term. The feminine appellative is maid-of-all-work. In either case, this is a personal valet, assistant, aide, steward, attendant, factotum, what have you. They stick by you most of the day—when their duties do not require otherwise—ensuring that your clothes are presentable, reminding you of appointments, light cleaning, and otherwise making you look good. You must provide room and board, as well as livery (if any) or additional funds for appropriate clothing. In large households, the duties differ, with several servants of various strata handling these tasks; this is for your one-and-only, your Gal Friday.

Herald, per event. . . . . 4₲10


 * ————This isn't always a cushy court position. Novice heralds act as criers, announce the entry of someone wanting to feel important for a night, and generally be hype-men for hire.

Lavendar, per load of laundry. . . . . 1₲


 * ————Cleaned, dried, and folded

Lock, door installation. . . . . 6₲


 * ————Price includes the lock as well as the locksmith's services

Lock, lockpicking. . . . . 1₲10


 * ————You'll first need to prove that you own the building or that this is otherwise a legitimate and legal entry.

Loremaster, per question/hour. . . . . 2₲10


 * ————Not all loremasters charge to answer an easy (for them) question, especially for locals or those they know. This price is for adventurers and other annoyances.

Maid, per weekly visit. . . . . 2₲


 * ————The price assumes you get regular service, at least once per week. The price to have someone clean up a big mess once will cost you five to ten times as much.

Massage, per half hour. . . . . 15ƒ


 * ————This is a real massage. No 'happy ending' for you. Flush your mind you pervy bastards.

Messenger, cross-country, per day's travel. . . . . 2₲10


 * ————This assumes the messenger is walking or on a large passenger ship. It's double the price if you want your message delivered by fast horse or ship.

Messenger, in town, per message. . . . . 8ƒ


 * ————If you want your communiqué memorised (to prevent theft or unauthorised reading) the price triples.

Painting, house. . . . . 2₲


 * ————Price is per wall of up to 20' long, and includes the paint

Porter, for each firkin per furlong. . . . . 12ƒ


 * ————I couldn't resist using FFF measurement on this one.

Scrivener, Legal document preparation. . . . . 60₲


 * ————In some areas, this is an officer of the court (i.e. working under a noble) in others this is a lay position. Likewise, this is an essential service in some jurisdictions (many parts of Byzant), and largely superflous in others (much of Formour).

Scrivener, Notary Public stamp. . . . . 3₲


 * ————By signing, dating, and either stamping or sealing (as with a signet ring) this syndic makes a document all official like.

Security guard, per shift. . . . . 1₲


 * ————You must supply any weapons, armour, or other equipment you want. For around the clock watches (pun unintended) you'll need three shifts daily.

Shoeshine. . . . . 4ƒ

Slave. . . . . 500₲


 * ————Note that slavery is outright illegal in many areas (such as all of Norditerre) and frowned upon in most others even where such trade is not expressly prohibited. It is always a really dickish thing to do. As slaves are commonly sold at auction, the purchase price can be greater or less, up to four times as much. Skilled slaves, or those possessing certain desired characteristics—such as being strong or attractive—will also increase the purchase price. Multiply the monthly wages by 25, after adjusting for any desired demographics. For a general labour slave, this is ten thousand silver, or 500 guilder.  Subtract a thousand from the cost for women, and add a thousand for men.  This is the base price for a 20 year old slave.  Subtract 250 silver for every year older, or 500 for every year younger than 20. A slave's price may be cut in half if he or she is crippled or is a runaway.

Teacher, per week. . . . . 30₲


 * ————Most professional teachers will have at least fair proficiency in the Teaching skill as well as the skill being taught. This listing is for individual instruction of a single skill, rather than the salary of someone who teaches a class of children.

Torchbearer, nightly. . . . . 5ƒ


 * ————As this is a job typically done by poor children, you provide the torches. Most often, this is properly a lantern bearer, as lanterns don't have the same risk of some kid setting your cloak on fire. You can also call them linkboys, but that just sounds dirty.

Victualler. . . . . 3x standard prices


 * ————Noble or other wealthy folk, or just those living in large urban areas, may not go to farmers' markets for their provisions. These storefronts procure food from farmers and sell them in grocery stores. Prices are triple what they would be closer to the source, but these are always selected from the finest goods available.

Water bearer, for each firkin per furlong. . . . . 10ƒ


 * ————Price includes the water, but you provide your own container on the receiving end.