A Query...

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by He Who Has Fathered His Nest

Exactly. And surely some of the noble born - or at least their teenaged children - showed off by using/consuming items from banned nations. Not all were 100% loyal to the King/Country.

Alatar,as you appear to be our #1 Expert in Children--a title once held by Thenamir (whose brood now have I believe outgrown the roost)--I think you have fingered the less nefarious avenue for illicit trade. A surefire way to get teenagers to do something or want something is to ban it.

Originally Posted by The Big K

Elves seem the most likely to be the great weavers of Middle earth...but I don't think there is ever any mention of where they obtained their materials.

Yet trade can be so, well, like being a green grocer--at least to the English hupper classes. Doesn't strike me as part of elven aesthetics. So who would they get to do the toil? dwarves?