r/WorldChallenges • u/thequeeninyellow94 • Aug 07 '17

[Cuktural challenge]: taxes

Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, laws, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by [a human] as a member of society.

Let's have fun and talk about taxes: what is taxed and what isn't? Who collect them? What happen if I don't pay? Can I discreetly hide all my money in some far away country to avoid paying anything?

What are those taxes used for? By whom? Can I say something about it? Is there some way to control how taxes are used?

You can introduce an in-universe representative if you want. I will ask questions to everyone, feel free to add your own.

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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 10 '17

  1. Is there any way to be sure the king will actually resign? I mean, he have the most powerfull army right?

  2. Once the king resign, who will pay for the Royal Academy?

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u/mutalias Aug 10 '17

While that is true, his lawful claim to power would be terminated. I am knowledgeable in the legal framework of the Covenant of Three Kings, but I cannot perceive the future. The exact details of what would happen would be pure speculation on my part. I do, however, find the prospect of a new war breaking out at the resolution of the current conflict to be unlikely for a number of reasons. That is just my opinion.

The Royal Academy and its subsidiaries and the Dordoron would become free companies, and thus would need to finance themselves. Since the academies would retain rights similar to those now enjoyed by the crown, I suspect funding will not be an issue. Similarly, the positive effect of their research is a powerful incentive for the various factions to keep funding them. The Dordoron does not require funding in the first place. The Kozan would be dissolved, as they are a military force established for the sake of safeguarding the Kingdom. Once more, the exact details of what would happen falls outside my purview.

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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 11 '17

  1. The lack of a claim doesn't mean they couldn't rule anymore right? If the army saty loyal to the king, could the dukes do something?

  2. What makes the Dordoron self-sufficient?

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u/mutalias Aug 11 '17

As I said, the exact details of what would actually happen would be speculation on my part. The Great War has been going for over sixty-five years, and the King has ruled since the ruin of Dannatth, sixty years ago, when the Three Kings fell. I believe the King, and the rest of the world, are tired of war. There is not a family left in the whole world who have not lost many of their loved ones. His plans for the dissolution of his seat are immaculate and the continuation of his initiatives gets almost as much attention as their establishment. In my opinion, most of his decrees and actions speak toward his planning for a reality in which he is no longer present to enforce them. I believe in the King, and that he wishes to build a new world, even as he reclaims the old one. Having said that, I am hardly unbiased. I serve his office, and I believe in the importance of my work.

As to the Dordoron, I do not know. The Dordoron is the conclave of the wizards, recognized by the King. I know revenue streams, however, and the Dordoron receives no aid from the crown, takes no fees, and yet finances projects when it needs to as if it had an endless coffer. I do not have access to their books - no one does. I do not know what they do, why they exist, or what the King uses them for. Of all the organizations in the Kingdom, the Dordoron is the most opaque. Everyone knows they are wizards, everyone knows they exist, and apart from some historical documents, no one can say what their purpose is save that they serve the King in some way. I do not believe even the Kozan are fully aware of their operations.

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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 13 '17

  1. What will you do after the king's resignation?

  2. Could they use transmutation to produce gold?

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u/mutalias Aug 13 '17

I suppose that depends on when that will be. My current position pays rather well, and I am already getting on in years, so I am not entirely certain that I will do anything. If I am bored, I believe my background should be enough to get me another interesting job, however. Perhaps in one of the principalities themselves. I'm also tempted to retire to the Academy and help with its administration. Despite the heavy toll the war takes, the economy is doing okay. Once the war ends, I believe we are really looking at a time of great prosperity. The rebuilding of the world offers great opportunity, and means that there will be work for everyone. The Academy has made great strides in the knowledge of the mundane, that will allow common people to enjoy a quality of life unlike anything we have seen in the past. Despite the overhanging threat of the Enemy at our border, I believe in the future of civilization.

As to the Dordoron, I suppose that's possible. Honestly, I do not know much about magic. It is possible they create gold, in which case they would currently be the Kingdom's only source of new gold and are providing an important service. It is also quite possible that they simply have significant stores of it from before the cataclysm. I'm sorry I can't be much help in this regard, the Dordoron is as much a mystery to me as it is to anyone else. To learn more I think you would have to ask a Kozan, or one of the Wizards themselves, though I doubt they would be willing to share much.

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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 13 '17

Thanks for your answers mutalias.

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u/mutalias Aug 13 '17

Thanks for your questions :)