1,200,000 lunars surely, maybe as low as 900,000 if the pay for the missing troops is abstracted while still in the heartlands.
>This number
>goes down significantly leading up to Starbrow's Rebellion. Prior
>to Starbrow's Rebellion, there were probably around 7000 Lunar
>soldiers in Sartar (of course, there were about 2500 soldiers in
>Pavis) - costing about 56,000 lunars a year. Let's say the average
>cost of the Occupation (prior to the Rebellion) was around 100,000
>lunars a year.
>
>Circa 1610 (prior to the big tax increase of Euglyptus the Fat and
>the Fazzurite tribute) the Lunar Occupation receives some 22,500 to
>25,000 lunars in taxes and tribute from the tribes. This goes up
>about a third or more after 1613 (not to mention the huge lump sum
>tribute demanded after Starbrow's Rebellion). Tolls and urban taxes
>add another 5,000 to 10,000 lunars. So maybe about 30,000 lunars in
>taxes and tribute from the tribes and cities. I don't know how much
>Pavis and the River of Cradles supplies - although I suspect that
>the initial conquest was quite lucrative.
>
>That means the Empire must send on average around 70,000 lunars in
>support of the occupation. This goes up after Starbrow's
>Rebellion. Assuming this comes in seasonal installments, we've got
>armed supply caravans with some 15,000 lunars or more in silver
>(worth about 750 cows) coming to Boldhome each season. That's a
>pretty tempting target for raiders and must be exceptionally well-
>guarded. Once in Boldhome, smaller caravans bring silver to the
>various commands in Jonstown, Wilmskirk, Swenston and Pavis.
>
>Don't know how much this weighs - assuming a lunar coin weighs about
>20-30 grams (a little less than a US silver dollar), then each
>caravan has about 375 kilograms of silver, which is a fair amount
>(weighing more than just about anyone on this mailing list). Each
>year, more than a ton of silver would be sent to Boldhome.
More than any ten of us I would think. However it's not that much, about a wagon load.
But let's look at the effect on the Sartarite economy of an influx of even 70,000 lunars in 1610. Because let's face it those soldiers are going to spend most of it locally even if merchants start importing wagon loads of quail's eggs from the heartlands. Now let us assume there's enough silver in Sartar to actually pay the Lunar taxes - 25,000 lunars worth.[1] Even if we assume less than half the influx gets into the local economy it will double the amount of silver there. So yes, it becomes easier for the Sartarites to pay the taxes in 1611 but it also means that local goods will cost twice as much in silver - so the cow becomes worth 40 lunars. This is just in one year - 100% inflation.
[1] In fact I suspect a fair proportion is paid in cows, sheep, grain
etc. because there isn't that much silver coinage.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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