Sorcerer's of Hohkmat Culture Focus: Trade, Labor, Taxes

[Minuvas 2961]

The City-States of Hohkmat

Culture & Society Highlight 

Trade, Labor & Taxes

 

Most trade and Labor policy is handled by the 'Chamber of Wind' when discussing national policy, but also by the Lord-Magisters over their demesne. 

 

 

 

Taxes: The Hakad are a taxless society, viewing the constant methodical payment of money to an overlord on such a routine as too obviously oppressive. The Hakad prefer a more negotiable and fluid method to collect rents and wares through the use of one time fees and permits. 

Guilds: Also known as 'Sanfi', the trade guilds occupy an important middle-class in Hakad society. As mages are strictly forbidden from conducting physical labor and Soldiering, non-mage members of society stand to make a significant profit through the control of key industries like smithing, farming and military mercenary work. The best and most organized Sanfi who attract the eye of a Mage might be elevated as a Grand-Sanfi, given a quasi-government authority over all trade dealings of a specific area of the economy.

 

Fees & Permits: Hakad people prefer a system of fees , bartering, and permits that varies by city-state. This highly fluid system allows each Lord-Magister to negotiate their own terms to amass wealth and to punish or promote with incentives they want to. In practice, where  one might pay a yearly rental tax in many foreign cities, Hohkmat would extract a negotiable one time fee to purchase a stall, and a one time fee for a merchants permit. Though as the tale goes, price may vary…

 

Patronage: Lord-Magisters and the Nobility  are expected to fund the national government through their patronage; it would be unusual for the central government to collect money directly from citizens. The nobility are expected to contribute to funding major projects and the defense of the nation. Those who cannot do so may be challenged by more successful magi for their positions. 

A Dwarf-Sorcerer looks for some black market artifacts in one the local sanctioned black-markets of Hohkmat

 

Black & Grey Markets: Grey and black markets thrive, especially in wares the government would prefer to control - like magical artifacts. They are loosely tolerated as many black markets help fund the Lord-Magisters or are covertly being run by their own agents. Laws are made to make goods illegal usually with the interest of increasing their price through demand and they are enforced only loosely - only when an individual's extremely obvious and poor attempts to conduct black market operations is now harming the nation.

 

(OOC: Interested in our little Mageocracy? We are building the group and are looking to join the server in force in 9.0 - come on down! )

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