Halea's Symbol

The Golden Bargain

Halea's Symbol

Worshipers of Halea often refer to The Golden Bargain; this bargain, as taught by her priestesses, promises abundant wealth to all who follow its tenets. Though not every adherent is able to maintain the strict financial regimen subscribed, those who do, amass great wealth. Even those who falter often achieve wealth through these efforts.

The Golden Bargain is often described in one of three ways. Depending upon the level of wealth of the adherent, it may be taught as The Seven Coins, Seven Cures for a Lean Purse, or The Seven Laws of Gold.

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The Seven Coins

The seven coins is a teaching tool used by the Halean temples to ensure the wealth of their adherents. In a way they are the financial tenets of the religion. The concept is a simple budgeting technique. The priestesses teach the adherents to divide their income into seven equal parts (or Seven Coins) and spend them according to a basic plan.

  1. Halea's Coin
    Tithe thy first coin to the Goddess. All wealth flows from the maiden. (The 1 in 7 tithe of income is sometimes referred to as "the first bargain".)
  2. The Magic Coin
    Keep the second coin in thy purse. Spend it not. Put thy magic coins to work.
  3. The Debtor's Coin
    Give the debtor's coin to thy creditors. Soon this coin will be thyne own to keep. (This coin is sometimes referred to as Sardura's coin. Sardura - Halea's "left hand" collects against the mistresses bargains. The wise debtor pays creditors.) The debtor's coin is also special in that it encourages the follower in practices of wise borrowing. It promises the indebted follower that by paying off debt now, in the future the debtor's coin becomes "thyne own", giving two coins in seven for the pursuit of pleasure. In cases where debt is significant, the worshiper may need to spend two in seven toward debt reduction. This unpleasant practice is referred to as "paying Sardura with both hands."
  4. The Kings Coin
    Keep the Kings coin safe, that when the tax collector comes thyne own wealth will be beyond his reach.
  5. Two Coins for Thy Necessary Expenses
    For thyne own and thy families necessary expenses spend but two coins.
  6. Thyne Own Coin
    The last coin is thyne to spend so that thou will always know wealth and pleasure. Give thy last coin to Dulcia, Galopea, or Tania for thyne own or a loved ones pleasure.

Note: The plan at first may provide what appears to be a repressed lifestyle; it ensures, however, future wealth through stringent savings and investment and satiates the wealth of the worshiper through permission to spend the seventh coin for pleasure.

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Seven Cures for a Lean Purse ¹

These Seven Cures are taught to initiates once they have learned the Seven Coins. The cures serve as a gentle reminder of the original seven coins, while providing additional elements and instruction in the investment of wealth. The priestesses realize that the temples wealth is dependent upon the wealth of the laity, and thus they work diligently to see that these tenets are followed.

  1. Begin thy purse to fattening. This is the magic coin. The dominant principle of wealth in Haleanism is the importance of investment.
  2. Control thy expenses. Haleanism is about wealth and excess, but the priestesses know that even excess must be taken in moderation. The bargain (actually the key principle of The Golden Bargain) is that thrift and abundance in combination produces great wealth.
  3. Put thy magic coins in Elomia's palm. Elomia, the princess of enterprise, represents the bargain of investment. The church knows that wealth wisely invested grows rapidly. To this end, the priestesses often work with reputable investors to establish investments for temple followers. In a sense, the church acts as a broker to leverage and diversify the wealth of Halea's followers. Temple adherents gain access to a safe investment with a moderate return, the investors have a steady source of capital, and of course, the temple earns a small return for its services. This practice is commonly called the Ralathina's bargain.
  4. Ward thy magic coins. Selina, princess of abundance, guards Halea's treasures. The church teaches its laity to guard its wealth carefully. The priestesses go so far as to recommend safe, moderate return investments--such as those they have arranged with known investors.
  5. Own thyne palace. The value of home ownership is not lost on the Halean church. Many temples work with the investors among their laity to provide loan guarantees to their congregations for the purpose of buying a residence. The guarantees usually result in discounted interest rates. Defaults on such loans are rare, but when they occur the church forecloses on the property, and will re-sell the real estate to another parishioner, often at a substantial discount. These guarantees are often referred to as a "Lord's Bargain."
  6. Insure a future income. The church encourages the practice of diverse investments in competent investors as a source of future income. While such matters are minor during major religious festivals, the discussion of investments is a daily occurrence within Halea's temples.
  7. Increase thyne own worth. Halea's lust for wealth is insatiable, as is that of her followers. The church teaches the wise practice of constantly improving ones earning potential. Almost as common as discussion of investments, the practice of trades is also discussed among the church's followers.

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The Seven Laws of Gold ¹

The Seven Laws are taught to those who have mastered the Seven Coins and the Seven Cures. These go beyond basic budgeting, saving and safe investing, to the powerful wealth building tools of investment and entrepreneurship.

  1. Wealth cometh in abundance to anyone who keeps the magic coin.
  2. The magic coin multiplies even as the flocks in the field for the shepherd who makes of it a profitable bargain.
  3. The magic coin clingeth to the wise bargainer or to one whose bargains are made with advise of the wise.
  4. The magic coin slippeth through the fingers of those whose bargains are made in unfamiliar industry, or without the counsel of competent bargainers.
  5. The magic coin flees the bargainer who would force its impossible growth or bargain with schemers and tricksters.
  6. Thalia loves men of action.
  7. Elomia loves men of skill.

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Original author was J. Patrick McDonald,
but has been edited by Avathar Valcana for campaign reasons.


1. The wise reader will recognize the similarity of the seven cures and the seven laws to the work of George S. Classon's The Richest Man in Babylon Signet Publishing, 1988. This book is as valuable to merchants and mercantylers in Hârn as it is to their players and GM's in their daily routine of Papers and Paychecks.