Wealth

The Merebian Empire has a carefully constructed system of taxes that pays for the Army and all the major contruction projects (such as Cinnibar) which helps to maintain its position as the dominant force of the Known World. However, so that the burden of taxes are not so great as to cause rebellion the Empire also tries to maintain a strict control over the wealth of its citizens.

The primary mechanisms for this are standardised wages and tithes.

WAGES

The administration of the Empire regularly calculates and publishes lists of wages that officials, soldiers and crafters should earn (note that "should" often does not equate to reality). The aim of this is to stop those professions that are vital to the running of the Empire from expecting to be able to increase their earnings. It also allows the common people to know what they should be paying and to be able to compare that to their own income - and if lower than these professions to encourage them to enter them.