We are transported back to 400AD, a time of great change in the world. The Western Roman Empire is collapsing and the Eastern Roman Empire is becoming a power in its own right, later to be called the Byzantine Empire, which is just beginning its 1000 year history in Constantinople. The West clamors for goods from the East: Silk and Paper from China; Resins and Emeralds from Arabia; Wheat, Glass, Linen and Ivory from Egypt and Spices (pepper, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc), Dyes, Gums, Mordants and Incense from India.
Amber, Gold and Silver, along with many crafted manufactures, flow from and through the major trading cities of Constantinople and Istakhr to the people of the East.
As the head of a trading family, you wish to extend your influence and gain interest in the great Trading Families through the marriage of your children and grandchildren into those families. Great gifts are expected with each marriage, but you expect to gain from each new alliance with other families through your shared profits.
As new trade routes are established, profits are made and paid. The marriage price you pay to acquire an interest in another Trading Family should not be too low, or they will not have the financial resources to grow fruitfully. Paying too much is wasteful and diminishes your own personal fortune. We would wish you luck here, but there is no luck in this game. Instead, we wish you wisdom and skill in this age of scheme, spreading your influence and gaining wealth in creating and expanding these Routes To Riches.
This game will be shown at Essen 2008.
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