Revision 1

Piastres are the primary trade currency in Windrose. They function as the universal currency accepted by all merchants, faction traders, and base vendors. The name reflects the historical Caribbean currency of the Age of Piracy, the Spanish piece-of-eight (peso or piastre), widely used across colonial trade networks in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Sources

Primary Uses

• Purchasing equipment and materials from faction traders at Tortuga

• Hiring NPC workers from the Recruitment Vendor (e.g., Farming Contractor for 10 gold coins)

• Paying merchants recruited to your base via Merchant Contracts

• Unlocking faction-specific services and questlines

Economy Design

Windrose's economy rewards players who prioritize trade goods over raw resource sales. Contraband fetches higher Piastre prices than Naval Supplies or Medical Crates, so hoarding Contraband for Tortuga traders is a common optimization. The Doctor (Galen) provides a free Minor Healing Potion every in-game hour at each camp, reducing the need to spend Piastres on basic healing and allowing currency to accumulate toward larger purchases.

Currency Distinction

Community guides occasionally reference "silver coins" or "gold coins" separate from Piastres. The relationship between these tokens is not fully documented in primary sources. In-game interactions like the Farming Contractor recruitment (10 gold coins from the Tortuga Recruitment Vendor) suggest multiple currency tiers may exist. Players should check each vendor's interface for accepted currency types.

See Also

• Trading and Merchants - trading system overview

• Tortuga - main trade hub

• Factions - faction reputation