The Palace of Taxes

"I have been saving for it the whole year, I have the money, but I can't buy it"
"Why not?"
"The Palace of Two is watching"
"Ah, aye"

— Conversation between two citizens of Red Crest

The Palace of Taxes is a big building in the centre of the City of Vythlan, the capital of the Principality of Red Crest. Raised around 2810 E.Alz alongside most of the most important governmental buildings of Red Crest, it has an imposing, faded-yellow facade filled with bas-reliefs portraying different professional activities.
Originally, and during Red Crest's time as a colony of the Kingdom of Merthiorn, the building was known as the Palace of Incomes. Once Red Crest was granted independency by the Queen Tesel of Merthiorn, the newly crowned Prince Virgilim started tightening the levy system and imposing stricter, harder laws around taxation, for which he renamed the building with its current official name.

The Palace of Two

"You go into The Palace of One, you tell everyone inside to piss off. You get into The Palace of Two, you are into some deep shit"

— Popular Red Crest saying

Virgilim by Naelin

One of the most important changes Virgilim made to the Palace of Taxes was adding an entire section for summoning the citizens that were past their dues on their taxes, or that were found avoiding them, to judge and condemn them in the moment, usually with very harsh economical punishments.

People that were summoned to the Palace of Taxes were known to get out of it having lost almost everything to the state, and as such the nation grew a big hatred and an extreme fear for the building and institution, considering the very building to bring bad luck and ruin.

People that walked past it started avoiding looking at it, and, since the only other palace in the city was the Prince's palace, they started calling the Prince's one "The Palace of One" and the Taxes one "The Palace of Two" as a euphemism that got turned into a derogatory joke about both institutions.

Effects of the High Rust

The Palace of Taxes had its facade's beauty promptly ruined by the High Rust, as it was decorated with tall spires on a triangular pattern to the centre, of which most corroded to their core, with several of them collapsing into the streets. The ones that survived structurally were still tainted the characteristic brown-orange colour of the rust. The main functioning areas of the palace survived, as they were at base floor level.
More importantly, the High Rust was the turning point for the citizens of Red Crest to act against the ever more strict rules that were drowning them in debt and social misery. Protests became frequent and increasing in intensity and violence, and the Palace of Taxes was raided and looted several times. As the revolution continues, the destiny of the ominous building is uncertain.

Shield of the Palace of Taxes by Naelin through Azgaar Armoria

Founding Date

~2010 E.Alz

Alternative Names

Palace of Incomes (former), Palace of Two (informal)

Type

Government complex

Parent Location

City of Vythlan

Owning Organization

Principality of Red Crest

Related Historical Events

• Circa 2810 E.Alz
  The palace of taxes is built

The Haan Archipelago

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Danae by Naelin

The cartographer Danae from the City of Birdland in Thaur was commissioned to draw a map of the Haan Archipelago for the second edition of The Book of the Habits and Beasts, published in the 3rd of Birthing, 3 E.Ru.
Danae took advantage of the enclyclopaedia's team of researchers to gather precise information and went himself into research expeditions to survey remote areas. His work resulted in what is considered the most accurate and widespread map of the Archipelago to this day, which details even most of the coasts of the Savage Isles.