Garren's Mill, Taxes and Its People
What is Garren's Mill?
Only seven generations ago it was as much as a mill settlement upon the river Ribbon in the kingdom of Brugge, away from all civilization on the edge of the forest named Brokilon. However with the rise of the Old Road and with it the taxes along the way new paths became more frequented among the traders trying to pass from Maribor towards Cintra and Verden. And that is how the first actual village of Garren's Mill came to be - only five generations ago it was a small settlement for the traders to rest in the protection of a little keep of Garren's Mill before crossing the river and going onwards to the larger cities further south, however in the last 150 years turning into actual trade town with plenty of opportunities.
The society of Garren's Mill
Nowadays, for five generations, the town of Garren's Mill is a barony under the family of Garrens, the descendants of the original miller family. The Garrens are the owners of the land and many buildings in the city, they hold the highest authority over the court and military and yet despite how it sounds their actual authority is somewhat limited. Back in the day of the city's establishment, there were several more influential families who likewise were trying to politically reach out to the local ruler, Count of Rothesay, to possibly secure the claim for themselves. In a set of events the Garrens eventually came victorious, however many political arrangements had to be made to maintain a balance and peace in the area.
And so in reality and formally, the town of Garren's Mill is governed by the "City council in the grace of Baron Garren", a gathering of five elected citizens with the Baron or Baroness at its head. As stated above, the city council is elected from the city's citizens. Each member of the council has immediate decision power, they act as representatives, city guard commanders and judges. That said, in case of an unpopular decision a vote of three other councilors can revert it back, and the Baron has the power to veto. Each councilor can propose the removal of an unpopular councilor, and if four councilors vote in favor, the vote would be passed.
The citizenry of Garren's Mill is not every inhabitant of the city, but only the most influential and wealthy caste. A citizen is recognized by paying a donation of ten threescores of orens (600) to the city coffers, has to own property (house, workshop or a business) and has to pay at least five threescores of orens (300) of tax yearly. In return the city council logs them as citizens and they are given the right to elect and get elected, and in times of a siege they become the city's militia lieutenants. Their obligation is to provide military for the city, either by serving personally in times of need, or keeping a professional mercenary in their pay instead of themselves. It is not uncommon that due to an attempt to save money, such mercenaries can be recruited from the city's beggars and poor, and are adequately poorly equipped. Curiously, there is no mention on the need of a citizen to be a human, however due to the steep price an eventuality of non-human becoming a citizen is very unlikely and their chances to ever be elected into the council by a majorly human town are quite low.
The rest of the city's inhabitants rank among the Plebes. They are typically apprentices in workshops or run their own small businesses not successful enough to reach the steep price of citizenry. These people possess the right for a free business, that is taxed business within the city limits without additional outsider tax and in the times of danger they are required to serve as the core of the city's militia.
The non-humans of the city typically belong to the plebes caste. They do have the the obligation to protect the graveyard wall of the city, and unlike other plebes, they are as well taxed per head since the age of six by so called "Good Neighborly Tax", a tax of five orens monthly additionally to their normal taxes.
The last caste in the city are the actual Outsiders.The outsiders are the poor, or travelers. These people posses very few rights in the city, and if they want to trade they need to pay so called "Guest Tax" in addition to other city's taxes.
The City Taxes
The city is ran on several taxes collected, here is the list:
- The House Tax, paid on the turn of the month by anyone owning the building, the sum in orens is equal to one third of the main facade of the building in feet.
- The Business Tax, paid weekly by anyone running a business in the city, consisting of every tenth oren made on trade.
- The Good Neighborly Tax, paid monthly by non-humans of the city in return for protection provided by the good human neighbors, costing five orens per head since age of six.
- The Guest Tax, paid daily, by anyone who is not listed as local to the city and wishing to sell in the city. It adds additional oren paid with the business tax out of ten made.
- The Gate Passage, paid by any outsider passing the gate into the town, costing a single oren per head, two orens per horse and ten orens per cart.
The city coffers then pay three orens out of ten to the Baron, who pays one third to the Count of Rothesay and one third to the King of Brugge.
The Law and Order
The city itself does not have any standing army or patrol force. There is a small professional armed group belonging to the Baron, operating from one of the houses of the Miller's Keep. These men and women provide the city with a semblance of security, however their major job is to patrol on the city walls and enforcing tax collection. They are easily to be seen at the gates, on the main roads and in the square. They rarely venture into any of the side streets without a specific purpose.
When it comes to the protection of the city further, the city has its own militia, and everyone living in the city limits is its member with the obligation to defend the city walls in times of need. Irregularly there are drills happening under either the supervision of the Baron's men, or by the city councilors. When danger is declared and men of the city are called to arms, the overall command belongs to the Baron, the Councilors take command each over a gate or a square and the Citizenry becomes the city's Lieutenants. The Baron's guard serves the Baron directly.
When justice is called upon, each of the city councilors can be a judge. The only exception is a death sentence which would need decision of at least three of the councilors. If the councilors seem conflicted and can not reach any outcome, or are involved directly, the Baron has the final word over such matters.
The justice is typically handed out in a quick fashion, most common being fines, followed by time in the stockades for minor crimes. Torture, mutilation and death is reserved for more severe crimes such as large thefts from the city coffers, from the Baron, assault on Councilors, murder or treason. Of course, the system is hardly fair and tends to judge the richer and more important more leniently. Also, it is not uncommon that a citizen buys out a sentence of their apprentice with large donation if they deem it worth their money and effort.
The Garren Family
The Garrens is the family who now rules the city for five generations. They are descendants of the line of millers that settled on the bank of river Ribbon over 180 years ago, but is only around 120 years since they become rulers of this part of the land.
Their crest given to them by the Count Venimar of Rothesay for their part in establishing the new trade route and the town, while tasking them with protection of the local section of the road passing around the edge of the fairly dangerous area of Brokilon, is a golden wreath in the red field. As the Garrens themselves would say, the red symbolizes the blood they'd shed in the defense of the traders and the golden wreath symbolizes the fertile land surrounding the area, baring color of the wheat and traditional color of the harvest. However, sometimes the women of the Garren family tend to explain the golden wreath as a praise to their traditional beauty, one that Venimar of Rothesay was so charmed with that he put the maidenly beauty symbol in golden color on the proud crest.
There is of course one more, less glorious, tale, one that the Garrens do not like much but somehow it still exists in the city:
Some say the story might have been slightly different, that the Garrens were in a big argument with other settled families about who should collect the trade route tax for the Count. When the argument made all the way to Rothesay, the young Count set out to hold a court to solve the feud. Alas, this version would say that when he arrived, instead of judging he spent his days drinking and chasing local girls, and eventually finally even bedded one. And as the story goes, it was none else than the Garren's eldest daughter who he took the maidenly wreath from that night. By the morning's hangover, Garren the Miller stood with a mob of his helpers and armed with pitchforks at the doors of the young noble's bedroom. Finding the upset mood of the miller reasonable, and not wishing a bloodshed, the count therefore made a bargain with Garren and granted him the landed title of Baron to appease him.
The last joke however was on the Count's side: It is said the crest of the family is "One wreath taken, one wreath given", implying that the title was earned in the bed of Garren's daughter, and the red shield symbolizes blood indeed, who's and on what sheets I will leave to reader's imagination.
Of course, this story might not be true at all. At all.
Garrens in charge of city up so far:
- Garren the Miller
- Calmach Garren
- Radmir Garren
- Calmach II Garren
- Svetlana Garren
Only seven generations ago it was as much as a mill settlement upon the river Ribbon in the kingdom of Brugge, away from all civilization on the edge of the forest named Brokilon. However with the rise of the Old Road and with it the taxes along the way new paths became more frequented among the traders trying to pass from Maribor towards Cintra and Verden. And that is how the first actual village of Garren's Mill came to be - only five generations ago it was a small settlement for the traders to rest in the protection of a little keep of Garren's Mill before crossing the river and going onwards to the larger cities further south, however in the last 150 years turning into actual trade town with plenty of opportunities.
The society of Garren's Mill
Nowadays, for five generations, the town of Garren's Mill is a barony under the family of Garrens, the descendants of the original miller family. The Garrens are the owners of the land and many buildings in the city, they hold the highest authority over the court and military and yet despite how it sounds their actual authority is somewhat limited. Back in the day of the city's establishment, there were several more influential families who likewise were trying to politically reach out to the local ruler, Count of Rothesay, to possibly secure the claim for themselves. In a set of events the Garrens eventually came victorious, however many political arrangements had to be made to maintain a balance and peace in the area.
And so in reality and formally, the town of Garren's Mill is governed by the "City council in the grace of Baron Garren", a gathering of five elected citizens with the Baron or Baroness at its head. As stated above, the city council is elected from the city's citizens. Each member of the council has immediate decision power, they act as representatives, city guard commanders and judges. That said, in case of an unpopular decision a vote of three other councilors can revert it back, and the Baron has the power to veto. Each councilor can propose the removal of an unpopular councilor, and if four councilors vote in favor, the vote would be passed.
The citizenry of Garren's Mill is not every inhabitant of the city, but only the most influential and wealthy caste. A citizen is recognized by paying a donation of ten threescores of orens (600) to the city coffers, has to own property (house, workshop or a business) and has to pay at least five threescores of orens (300) of tax yearly. In return the city council logs them as citizens and they are given the right to elect and get elected, and in times of a siege they become the city's militia lieutenants. Their obligation is to provide military for the city, either by serving personally in times of need, or keeping a professional mercenary in their pay instead of themselves. It is not uncommon that due to an attempt to save money, such mercenaries can be recruited from the city's beggars and poor, and are adequately poorly equipped. Curiously, there is no mention on the need of a citizen to be a human, however due to the steep price an eventuality of non-human becoming a citizen is very unlikely and their chances to ever be elected into the council by a majorly human town are quite low.
The rest of the city's inhabitants rank among the Plebes. They are typically apprentices in workshops or run their own small businesses not successful enough to reach the steep price of citizenry. These people possess the right for a free business, that is taxed business within the city limits without additional outsider tax and in the times of danger they are required to serve as the core of the city's militia.
The non-humans of the city typically belong to the plebes caste. They do have the the obligation to protect the graveyard wall of the city, and unlike other plebes, they are as well taxed per head since the age of six by so called "Good Neighborly Tax", a tax of five orens monthly additionally to their normal taxes.
The last caste in the city are the actual Outsiders.The outsiders are the poor, or travelers. These people posses very few rights in the city, and if they want to trade they need to pay so called "Guest Tax" in addition to other city's taxes.
The City Taxes
The city is ran on several taxes collected, here is the list:
- The House Tax, paid on the turn of the month by anyone owning the building, the sum in orens is equal to one third of the main facade of the building in feet.
- The Business Tax, paid weekly by anyone running a business in the city, consisting of every tenth oren made on trade.
- The Good Neighborly Tax, paid monthly by non-humans of the city in return for protection provided by the good human neighbors, costing five orens per head since age of six.
- The Guest Tax, paid daily, by anyone who is not listed as local to the city and wishing to sell in the city. It adds additional oren paid with the business tax out of ten made.
- The Gate Passage, paid by any outsider passing the gate into the town, costing a single oren per head, two orens per horse and ten orens per cart.
The city coffers then pay three orens out of ten to the Baron, who pays one third to the Count of Rothesay and one third to the King of Brugge.
The Law and Order
The city itself does not have any standing army or patrol force. There is a small professional armed group belonging to the Baron, operating from one of the houses of the Miller's Keep. These men and women provide the city with a semblance of security, however their major job is to patrol on the city walls and enforcing tax collection. They are easily to be seen at the gates, on the main roads and in the square. They rarely venture into any of the side streets without a specific purpose.
When it comes to the protection of the city further, the city has its own militia, and everyone living in the city limits is its member with the obligation to defend the city walls in times of need. Irregularly there are drills happening under either the supervision of the Baron's men, or by the city councilors. When danger is declared and men of the city are called to arms, the overall command belongs to the Baron, the Councilors take command each over a gate or a square and the Citizenry becomes the city's Lieutenants. The Baron's guard serves the Baron directly.
When justice is called upon, each of the city councilors can be a judge. The only exception is a death sentence which would need decision of at least three of the councilors. If the councilors seem conflicted and can not reach any outcome, or are involved directly, the Baron has the final word over such matters.
The justice is typically handed out in a quick fashion, most common being fines, followed by time in the stockades for minor crimes. Torture, mutilation and death is reserved for more severe crimes such as large thefts from the city coffers, from the Baron, assault on Councilors, murder or treason. Of course, the system is hardly fair and tends to judge the richer and more important more leniently. Also, it is not uncommon that a citizen buys out a sentence of their apprentice with large donation if they deem it worth their money and effort.
The Garren Family
The Garrens is the family who now rules the city for five generations. They are descendants of the line of millers that settled on the bank of river Ribbon over 180 years ago, but is only around 120 years since they become rulers of this part of the land.
Their crest given to them by the Count Venimar of Rothesay for their part in establishing the new trade route and the town, while tasking them with protection of the local section of the road passing around the edge of the fairly dangerous area of Brokilon, is a golden wreath in the red field. As the Garrens themselves would say, the red symbolizes the blood they'd shed in the defense of the traders and the golden wreath symbolizes the fertile land surrounding the area, baring color of the wheat and traditional color of the harvest. However, sometimes the women of the Garren family tend to explain the golden wreath as a praise to their traditional beauty, one that Venimar of Rothesay was so charmed with that he put the maidenly beauty symbol in golden color on the proud crest.
There is of course one more, less glorious, tale, one that the Garrens do not like much but somehow it still exists in the city:
Some say the story might have been slightly different, that the Garrens were in a big argument with other settled families about who should collect the trade route tax for the Count. When the argument made all the way to Rothesay, the young Count set out to hold a court to solve the feud. Alas, this version would say that when he arrived, instead of judging he spent his days drinking and chasing local girls, and eventually finally even bedded one. And as the story goes, it was none else than the Garren's eldest daughter who he took the maidenly wreath from that night. By the morning's hangover, Garren the Miller stood with a mob of his helpers and armed with pitchforks at the doors of the young noble's bedroom. Finding the upset mood of the miller reasonable, and not wishing a bloodshed, the count therefore made a bargain with Garren and granted him the landed title of Baron to appease him.
The last joke however was on the Count's side: It is said the crest of the family is "One wreath taken, one wreath given", implying that the title was earned in the bed of Garren's daughter, and the red shield symbolizes blood indeed, who's and on what sheets I will leave to reader's imagination.
Of course, this story might not be true at all. At all.
Garrens in charge of city up so far:
- Garren the Miller
- Calmach Garren
- Radmir Garren
- Calmach II Garren
- Svetlana Garren