The Vein Tithe

The Vein Tithe is paid in ore, coin, gems, finished craft, furnace labour, relief stores, armory work, and commissions meant to beautify what war has scarred. It funds repairs and defences, but also exposes who prospered quietly while others bled openly. Maela Stonevein's predecessors learned generations ago that hidden wealth can kill as surely as a breached gate. The tithe records smell of wax, soot, vellum, warm metal, and resentment. It is beautiful because wealth returns to the halls. It is dreadful because counting can turn honour into evidence.