drad

Drad is a term found in speculative fiction and game writing that denotes a range of concepts rather than a single, canonical object. As a result, its meaning varies across works and authors.

In many settings, drad serves as a currency or trade unit within a fictional economy; writers describe it as a portable form of value, sometimes digital and sometimes minted, without a universal standard value. Some narratives depict drad as subdividable or convertible into other forms of money, with exchange rates that depend on the local economy of the story world.

In other contexts, drad appears as a unit of time, distance, or energy, again dependent on the author’s worldbuilding. It may function as a lightweight, generic measure chosen for ease of use in dialogue and mapping. The term is also used as a place name or surname in fantasy maps and genealogies, reflecting its short, memorable sound.

Etymology is inconsistent across works; some authors state that drad derives from an ancient tongue in their fictional setting, while others treat it as a new coinage with no historical roots. Because there is no single canonical definition, drad is best understood as a flexible tool in worldbuilding that can be adapted to fit a variety of speculative settings.