Hi all
I am currently trying to break out of the Prince John/Sheriff of
Nottingham vision of tax collecting but having some trouble
envisaging the scene. These are my assumptions (followed by
questions):
- Tax collection is based around the city of the relevant tribal
confederation - one tax collector per confederation. Is this too
large an area for one tax collector? Does he have sub-collectors to
go out and about whilst he stays in his counting house? Does he have
represnetatvies on sight in each tribe?
- The tax collector does his rounds in Earth Season after harvest
and possible in sea Season after lambing/calving time. One trip per
year seems a bit like light work for your tax man. What else does he
do all year? Does he carry out censuses and the like?
- The tribes have little in the way of coin so taxes are going to
have to be paid in goods, cattle and grain. These taxes will be
collected from the tribal king. This creates a problem as I see it
for those clans who have turned Lunar within a tribe that has not.
How does the tax collector ensure a Lunar-friendly clan pays less
taxes if he gets them from the tribal king?
- This collection creates quite a caravan - herds of cattle and
sheep, baggage trains of grain and other goods. This will all need
protecting by what I think would be quite a substantial guard.
(Strange visions of Rhinos and elephants keep entering my mind from
the Disney Robin Hood 'toon - don't know whats wrong today) How big a
guard do we think this should be? It could take up quite a lot of the
regional troop contingent to make sure it all stays out of the hands
of rebels/bandits.
Please help me get rid of these horrible visions ASAP
Thanks - Jon