RIHANNSU - ECONOMY

 

The main economy of the Empire is highly centralized, due to the necessities of constantly providing for the protection of the Empire. The civilian-run and High Command monitored Rihannsu Merchant Marine is given the task of running the Rihannsu merchant fleet and providing the income necessary to maintain the Empire and take care of various expenses. Any failure of the Rihannsu Merchant Marine adversely affects the defense of the Rihannsu Empire and as such, is generally not tolerated terribly well.

Thanks to the Rihannsu attitude towards alien races, trading with them is rather similar to the standard Terran means, in which the vendor attempts to get the highest price possible from the customer and the customer tries to bargain him down. When two Rihannsu trade, the procedures differs considerably. The vendor honors the buyer by offering the lowest price he can possibly give and the buyer tries to talk the vendor up to an honorable price which he feel accurately reflects the social status of his house.

For example, if a Rihannsu were to buy a hlai steak, the vendor would first offer to sell it at cost, or even less if the buyer is of particularly high status. The buyer would then make a counter offer, providing a profit margin which reflects the power and status of himself and his family. The two then bargain until a compromise is reached, at which point merchandise changes hands.

Most recently, due to a failure of the civilian leadership of the Rihannsu Merchant Marine to perform their duty of earning the money necessary to keep the Rihannsu Empire operating effectively, the Praetorate (High Command) decided to place sole control of the Rihannsu Merchant Marine in the hands of the rihannen'Galae, the Rihannsu fleet, referred to as the Bloodwing Legion.

From the former Trekmuse website http://www.trekmuse.org/romulan/

___________________________________

 The following article is from the former site: http://www.romulanstarrepublic.org/society/economy.html

 

Rihannsu Economy

The main economy of the former Empire is highly centralized, due to the necessities of constantly providing for the protection of the Rihannsu. The government-run Rihannsu Trading Corporation (RTC) controls all major commodity production and large scale trading. The RTC also regulates the smaller privately owned trading companies to ensure high standards.

 

Trading between Rihannsu and alien races has the same character as any other economy, in which the vendor attempts to gain the best possible price from the customer while the customer attempts to gain a bargain for himself. 

 

Trading between Rihannsu operates on extremely different principles, however. The vendor honors the buyer by offering the lowest price he can possibly give, and the buyer tries to talk the vendor up to an honorable price which he feels accurately reflects the social status of himself and his House.

 

For example, if a Rihannsu were to buy a bottle of wine, the vendor would first offer to sell it at cost, or perhaps less if the buyer was of particularly high status. The buyer would then make a counter-offer, providing a profit margin which reflect the power and status of himself and his family. The two then dicker until a compromise is reached, at which point merchandise changes hands.

 

Trades, and their effect on the society, can greatly vary amongst the Declared. While replicator technology has become a common commodity in the Republic, an interest in 'physical perfection' still drives many Rihannsu to peruse farmer/agrarian posts. Furthermore, the social enticement of land ownership, and the pride of growing high-class Romulan ale brings many more. But, for many more, industrial and semi-artisan based jobs, in the gigantic state legislated (but not always state-run) production centers, are where work is. Though much smaller in number, and socially frowned upon, Romulan underworld activities generate private revenues. Hunted viscously by the Tal'Shiar, the Romulan syndicates, pirates, crime families, and smugglers and many other unsavory but necessary workers eke out a living-- sometimes a creating greater fortunes than those of the proud noble class.

 

 

Back to Index