"Heart matters more than form, but intent seems to be the most important thing," he agreed with an encouraging smile. "Even something that you find, some particularly beautiful flower or stone - or shell," he added, reaching up to tweak the ridged shell Isuma was playing with so that she growled happily at the game. "Something beautiful that makes you think of her, or that you would like to keep for yourself, but that you sacrifice to her altar would do."
He glanced to the sea again, still marveling at how overwhelming it was, vast and powerful beyond what he had imagined from mere books and travelers's tales. "Currency, though... there's the rub. Most of us Outlanders seem to come from worlds with coin or scrip of some sort. I suppose such things require functioning governments and an agreement between people of distant lands that the same metals are valuable. Here, though, the governments are sparse and so far they operate on a system of barter and trade. Raw materials, favors, labor... that sort of thing." He smiled wryly at the young woman. "If you can fish or hunt you can trade meat for most things in most places. You can perhaps try and gather firewood for sale to those too busy with other tasks to search for it themselves, or offer to wash dishes or serve tables at one of the bars around the various regions?"
He glanced to the sea again, still marveling at how overwhelming it was, vast and powerful beyond what he had imagined from mere books and travelers's tales. "Currency, though... there's the rub. Most of us Outlanders seem to come from worlds with coin or scrip of some sort. I suppose such things require functioning governments and an agreement between people of distant lands that the same metals are valuable. Here, though, the governments are sparse and so far they operate on a system of barter and trade. Raw materials, favors, labor... that sort of thing." He smiled wryly at the young woman. "If you can fish or hunt you can trade meat for most things in most places. You can perhaps try and gather firewood for sale to those too busy with other tasks to search for it themselves, or offer to wash dishes or serve tables at one of the bars around the various regions?"
