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Imperial Bourse

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Most important, the money used in such an auction goes to the Private Auction Fund (leaves the game) it does not go to the senate
Most important, the money used in such an auction goes to the Private Auction Fund (leaves the game) it does not go to the senate


The Bourse has gained other roles over the years, such as operating the public <!--and private--> auctions. The [[Public_auction|public auction]] is open to anyone present; most goods sold are herbs, mana crystals, resources, building materials and occasionally even Ilium are sent to the Bourse by Imperial citizens who want a good price for their goods but have neither the inclination nor the time to attend the meetings at Anvil. <!--The private auction is for Bourse members only and sells rare and unique items that agents of the Bourse have sourced from across the Empire and the World.-->
The Bourse has gained other roles over the years, such as operating the public and private auctions. The [[Public_auction|public auction]] is open to anyone present; most goods sold are herbs, mana crystals, resources, building materials and occasionally even Ilium are sent to the Bourse by Imperial citizens who want a good price for their goods but have neither the inclination nor the time to attend the meetings at Anvil. <!--The private auction is for Bourse members only and sells rare and unique items that agents of the Bourse have sourced from across the Empire and the World.-->


==History==
==History==

Revision as of 02:51, 9 May 2020

The Imperial Bourse.jpg
The Bourse ensures the prosperity of the Empire.

Overview

The Imperial Bourse is the economic hub of the Empire. Its role is to ensure the prosperity of the Empire and to provide access to much needed resources to those who can afford them.

Role within the Empire

The Bourse is designed to ensure that ilium, mithril, weirwood and white granite are directed to where they can provide the most economic benefit, rather than being assigned by political or military patronage.

Merchants bid for Imperial positions on the Bourse and those that are successful gain control of one of the Bourse positions and the production that comes with it. It is then left to them to sell these resources at whatever price they can. Although there are frequent accusations of profiteering, when the market functions as intended it ensures that significant sums of money are paid through the Bourse into the Imperial treasury for use by the Empire.

In addition to the auction of Imperial Bourse positions there are a number of national positions which are voted on by key members of each nation. The expectation is that the citizens that are elected to control these bourse positions will use the resources they generate for the benefit of their nation.

The Bourse often attracts a great deal of opprobrium, some aimed at the alleged greed of title holders, some at the perceived dysfunction of the arrangements. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the Bourse is constitutional protected from interference by the Imperial Synod.


History

Mithril, weirwood and white granite are essential to the prosperity of the Empire and its citizens. Deposits of these materials tend to be large but few in number so they are carefully protected. Ilium is also rare and almost priceless due to its arcane powers. When the Empire was formed control of key supplies of these materials was placed in the control of the Bourse; it was explicitly designed to keep control of these precious materials out of the direct control of the Empress and the Senate.

Over time the role of the Bourse has grown, its members instituted a private auction to give them access to some of the most valuable items in the Empire. This was so successful it was eventually copied and a second public auction was introduced to allow citizens of the Empire to sell basic goods at the Bourse. The private auction has suffered in recent years for various reasons and lapsed towards the end of 380YE.

Lorenzo La Volpe, Master of the Butchers Bank, Founder of the League Trading Company, and Bourseholder of the Fortress of Salt Mithril mines, concludes a deal with Richard Tunstall, Imperial Master of Works, to improve the fortifications of the Empire.
Resources are available to those who can afford them.

Powers and functions

Control of Ilium and Building Materials

Mithril, weirwood and white granite are essential to upgrade a personal resource to make it more productive. They are also needed for the large projects authorized by the Senate such as the creation of new armies or the building of bridges and fortifications. Ilium is used by artisans and magicians to make rituals and enchantments permanent. Each Bourse member has control of a single resource, for a single year (unless they are replacing an existing position which has become vacant). They can dispense this resource as they choose.

Auction of Appointments

Over the years the Bourse has helped to create various minor Imperial positions and officers to help the Empire function. Individuals are appointed to these positions by auction - Bourse members commit funds in support of their preferred candidate. The candidate that receives the most support is appointed - and all bids by their supporters become the property of the state.

Imperial and National Bourse Positions

Imperial Seats on the Bourse are assigned to the highest bidder. These positions are available to any citizen of the Empire who does not already control an Imperial title or position. This means that members of the Synod, military or senate can bid for one of these Imperial Bourse position, but must resign their position if they are successful.

National Seats on the Bourse, by contrast, can only be filled by a citizen of the appropriate nation. In addition they are not auctioned off, as Imperial Bourse positions are, but voted upon by resource owners from that nation. The larger the personal holding an individual has, the more votes they can allocate in support to a candidate. The voting for national Bourse positions is handled by the civil servants in the Bourse. National Bourse positions are otherwise identical to Imperial Bourse positions.

Mithril Seats

All mithril seats are re-elected during the Autumn Equinox.

Imperial Mithril Seats

There are five Imperial Bourse Seats that produce mithril.

National Mithril Seats

There are two National Bourse Seats that produce mithril in Imperial hands.

  • The Eternal Shafts of Time in Karov produce 27 Imperial wains of mithril each season. Control of the Shafts is assigned to whichever Varushkan candidate receives the most support from Varushkan owners of mine resources.
  • The Singing Caves in Mournwold produces 28 Imperial wains of mithril every season. Control of the Singing Caves is assigned to whichever Marcher candidate receives the most support from Marcher owners of farm resources.

Lost Mithril seats

  • The Legacy in Spiral produced 22 Imperial wains of mithril each season. Control of the Legacy was assigned to whichever Urizen candidate received the most support from Urizen owners of mana site resources. As of Spring 383YE, the Legacy has been conquered by the Druj.
  • The Pride of Ikka's Tears in Sermersuaq produced 15 Imperial wains of mithril each season. Control of the Pride of Ikka's Tears was assigned to whichever Wintermark candidate received the most support from Wintermark owners of military unit resources. As of Autumn 382YE, the Pride of Ikka's Tears has been conquered by the Jotun.

Weirwood Seats

All weirwood seats are re-elected during the Winter Solstice.

Imperial Weirwood Seats

There are six Imperial seats that produce weirwood:

National Weirwood Seats

There is one National weirwood Bourse Seat:

  • The Thimble in Therunin produces 24 Imperial wains of weirwood each season. Control of the Thimble is assigned to whichever Navarr candidate receives the most support from Navarr owners of herb garden resources. As of Autumn 381YE, and the decision of the Senate to Permit Great Forest Orcs to work the Thimble, the production has effectively fallen to 20 wains each season but the resource requires no upkeep from the Imperial Treasury.

White Granite Seats

All white granite Seats are auctioned or appointed during the Summer Solstice.

Imperial White Granite Seats

There are five Imperial Seats that produce white granite:

National White Granite Seats

There are two National Seats that produce white granite:

  • The Granites of Veltsgorsk in Volodmartz produce 26 Imperial wains of white granite every season. Control of Veltsgorsk is assigned to whichever Varushkan candidate receives the most support from Varushkan owners of forest resources.
  • The Vigilant Swan in Reikos produces 25 Imperial wains of white granite every season. Control of the Vigilant Swan is assigned to whichever Highborn candidate receives the most support from Highborn owners of congregations.

Ilium Seats

All ilium seats are re-elected during the Spring Equinox.

Imperial Ilium Seats

There is one Imperial Seat that produces ilium:

National Ilium Seats

There are three National seats that produce ilium. All ilium seats are re-appointed during the Spring Equinox. Bourse seats that are allocated on the basis of raids conducted by military units, privateering by fleets, or similar are based on the total effective size of all the contributing resources over the last four seasons:

Lost Ilium seats

  • The Stonefield Ice Caves provided 5 rings of ilium each season. It was allocated to whichever Wintermark military unit performed the biggest raid against the barbarian orcs. The Stonefield Ice Caves are not currently in Imperial Hands, having been ceded to the Thule.
  • The Scorrero Nets in Feroz produced 5 rings of ilium each season. It was auctioned to the highest bidder as an Imperial Bourse seat. As of Spring 383YE it has been conquered by the Grendel
  • The Broken Shore Bounty provided 7 rings of ilium each season. It was appointed by the Freeborn fleet captains who engaged in privateering in the Bay of Catazar. As of Spring 383YE it has been conquered by the Grendel

Other Bourse Seats

These appointments come with a Seat on the Bourse, but are not tied directly to the production of mithril, weirwood, white granite, or ilium.

The Master of The Imperial Mint

The Master of the Imperial Mint is a Bourse Seat reserved for the citizen of the League who presents the largest bid. The Master does not receive an income of Bourse resources, but is privy to privileged information about the Imperial economy and has powers to speak and address the Imperial Senate.

Castellan of Spiral Castle

The Castellan of Spiral Castle is a Bourse Seat held by a Dawnish citizen, appointed with the support of Dawnish military units. The Castellan has powers to order the resupply of Imperial armies stationed in Weirwater. The Seat spent many years vacant, but a new Castellan has recently been appointed following the return of Castle Spiral to the mortal world.

Other Titles

A number of other titles are also appointed through the Bourse. Any title that has economic power or responsibilities is likely to be bound to the Bourse. Unless the position includes administration of a supply of mithril, weirwood, white granite, ilium, or says otherwise, it does not bring with it a seat on the Bourse. The appointment of all these titles is organised and processed by the civil servants attached to the Bourse.

The Bourse also auctions the unique title Bearer of an Imperial Wayleave. These three titles each allow an Imperial citizen to commission certain types of structure without going through the Imperial Senate, but retain their title for only a single season.

Table of Bourse Seats

Name of Resource Method of Appointment Location Output Election
The Arratan Gamble Imperial Tassato, Enterio White Granite (25) Summer
The Brilliant Shore Imperial Skarsind, Gildermark White Granite (26) Summer
The Brilliant Star Imperial Redoubt, Tomari Mithril (24) Autumn
The Canterspire Circle Imperial Morrow, Operus Weirwood (22) Winter
The Cavabianca Dock National, The League, Businesses Sarvos, Cigno White Granite (Ministry) Summer
The Cinderpath Custodian National, Highguard, Congregations Casinea, Mareholm White Granite (Ministry) Summer
The Crawling Depths Imperial Ossium, Ghalath Fields Mithril (14) Autumn
The Concordium Dock Imperial Redoubt, Limus White Granite (Ministry) Summer
The Damatian Cliffs Imperial Kahraman, Damata White Granite (27) Summer
The Eternal Shafts of Time National, Varushka, Mines Karov, Wieliczka Mithril (27) Autumn
The Fortress of Salt Imperial Temeschwar, Metri Mithril (25) Autumn
The Gift of the Dwindling Star National, Varushka, Forests and Mines Volodmartz, Brez Ilium (4) Spring
The Gloaming Road National, Brass Coast, Ambassador to Faraden Faraden Mithril (Ministry) Any season
The Golden Trees of Seren Imperial Miaren, Serenael Weirwood (28) Winter
The Granites of Veltsgorsk National, Varushka, Forests Volodmartz, Brez White Granite (26) Summer
The Great Forest at Reikos Imperial Reikos, Broken Ride Weirwood (25) Winter
The Great Mine of Briante Imperial Kahraman, Briante Mithril (22) Autumn
The Great Pits of Ennerlund Imperial Holberg, Ennerlund Mithril (27) Autumn
The Heartwood of the Great Vale Imperial Hercynia, Summersend Weirwood (25) Winter
The Hunt of Alderei the Fair Imperial Volodmartz, Opascari Weirwood (26) Winter
The Master of the Imperial Mint National, The League, Bid Tassato, ??? Senate Spring
The Mines of Gulhule National, Imperial Orcs, Military Unit Skarsind, Gulhule Mithril & Ilium (Ministry) Spring
The Night Quarry Imperial Miekarova, Mieriada White Granite (27) Summer
The Pallas Docks Imperial Redoubt, Limus Weirwood (Ministry) Winter
The Regario Dossier National, The League, Bid Tassato, Tassato Regario Ilium (4) Spring
The Singing Caves National, The Marches, Farms Mournwold, Greensward Mithril (28) Autumn
The Steel Fist National, Imperial Orcs, Supporting Armies Necropolis, Hedrossan Ilium (8) Spring
The Sutton Stone Quarries Imperial Upwold, the Heath White Granite (23) Summer
Syrene's Wisdom Imperial Casinea, Syrwatch Ilium (7) Spring
The Thimble National, Navarr, Herb Gardens Therunin, Eastring Weirwood (20) Winter
The Vigilant Swan National, Highguard, Congregations Reikos, Riverwatch White Granite (25) Summer
The Weirwater Vales Imperial Weirwater, Wickmoor Weirwood (23) Winter
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