Uldien Economics

Although Uldien lies along the Silver Way, most of the caravan trade bypasses the town. Of late it has become custom to load the caravan goods onto barges at Naniom Bridge and ship them downriver, bypassing the keeps on the river (Uldien, Fisen and Shebra), and proceeding directly to the superior market at Kiban.
The usual route is to start from the Bridge at sunrise and not stop until Uldien, a bit after sunset. Although there is not a formal market at Uldien because goods are not unloaded, it is common enough for people to climb aboard the barges and conduct business anyhow, circumventing the hawking tax and leaving the Baron's coffers empty of this lucrative income.
Forcing the barges to dock at Uldien, unloading their wares and thus paying the taxes has not been an option (the Baron has no royal privilge to hold a fair and no means to force the merchants)and if Uldien became unfriendly, the barges would simply continue straight to Kiban.
The Baron has already lowered his bonding and hawking taxes as far has possible, hoping to attract trade away from the stronger markets downriver, but he has to be careful not to anger his liege the Earl of Balim.
Uldien is an important center in the fur trade. Along the banks of the Nephen and Selene rivers and from there further inland to the east, lie rich hunting and trapping grounds. Numerous hunters and trappers are after foxes, beavers, ermine, mink, otters, and bears here. Each spring they converge in Uldien's Mangai hall for the mercantylers' fur fair to sell off the winter pelts and each autumn the summer pelts find their way into the merchants hands at the fall fair.
The most important local economic factor in Uldien is the abbey. A small stream of pilgrims to the shrine of St. Uldine spends time here, frequenting the inns, shopping in the market and buying pilgrim's badges and religious trinkets.
The Baron hopes that Uldine will finally be officially canonized by the pontiff, which would increase the importance of Uldien as a pilgrimage site manyfold.
The Serolan of Uldien Abbey, Kolas Ubael (the Baron's 2nddegree- cousin), has started a new attempt to have her recognized last year, giving the Baron new hope for an economic upswing, but also conjuring up the spectre of a renewed feud with Clan Londel of Yeged Keep.

Taxes

Property: 5% per annum (residential)
Property: 2% per annum (business)
Hawking: 7% of goods value
Bonding: 1% of goods value per month