[Elwynn] Request for Payment

[Aurangzeb Khan]

To His Excellency the Minister of Trade

In accordance with Imperial Decree 282 I request 200 erb on account of my becoming Duke of Elwynn.

[Yvain Wintersong]

I interpreted Decree 282 as being a one-time deal, in which each Duke then got 200E. If not, one could manufacture money out of thin air (or "arbitrage", as they say) by having two people switch off on being the Duke many times in rapid succession, each taking their 200E and leaving.

But if I'm wrong, I'll gladly take 200E for Brookshire.

[Aurangzeb Khan]

Well it would be drawn from the Crown rather than thin air. But I think it is necessary to avoid a situation where say Duchies become beholden to former dukes... like some places I could mention.

[Yvain Wintersong]

Yes, you're quite right. Thank you for your consideration. But there must be a better way, like to have a Ducal Treasury account.

The easiest way (of many) to game this system is for Dukes to make all their citizens Barons (getting 100 erb each). Switching Dukes every day also works, as does promoting someone to Baron, demoting them, then promoting them again ad infinitum or until the Crown runs out of funds.

I hope Andreas will fix this loophole when he returns.

[Hesam Jayatar]

I considered this when writing the economy. This would happen except for one issue. It's the Kaiser, Arbiter and Minitrade who issue the awards. If they see someone abusing the system, that person can be charged by the Arbiter for fraud.

[Yvain Wintersong]

Well, all I'm saying is we should have laws against fraud, then.
Wait! I'm a Duke! I should write some!

[Aurangzeb Khan]

There you go - and you could even claim for the public service rendered... (or perhaps not... is that legal?)

[Hesam Jayatar]

I don't think you can claim for writing Acts, but a good question. Perhaps an Act defining what the government will give money for?

[Yvain Wintersong]

I suggest you hold off on my and the Khan's claims. Giving us each 200 would be unfair, because Dukes during Kaiser Hesan's reign only got 200 total, whereas a Baron during Kaiser Hesan's reign (like me) would have gotten 100 for his Barony and then 200 upon becoming Duke, for a total of 300.

I proposed an act (the Distribution and Fraud Act) at the Front Gate to regulate these gifts better, and I petition the Minister of Trade to examine it.

[Hesam Jayatar]

I'm very glad you went to the trouble of writing this. It's late here so I'll have to read it tomorrow, but your proactive work is a credit to your character Yvain.

[Andreas the Wise]

My understanding, Yvain and Ardy, is the you get the money for whatever you weren't when you did get paid out. If you were both paid out as Barons, you get the difference between Barons and Dukes ...

I better make a list ...