Tribute

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The world's economy revolves around providing tribute. It may be to a powerful local elite, or a colonizing offworld power, or a bizarre local custom of destruction. Whatever the specifics, society is designed to create large surpluses of necessary goods for the benefit of others. In the rare case that the tribute-collectors are offworlders, the tribute itself usually is in the form of some small, precious commodity that can be carried in limited interstellar cargo space. Local elites can be more widely rapacious, and whole nations can be set to slaving to produce the fantastic opulence enjoyed by a blessed few. Such tribute arrangements may have physical force to encourage the workers, but some degree of cultural acceptance is necessary for such a small minority to effectively commandeer the labor of so many. As such, the elites tend to be very sensitive about offworlders who question affairs.

Leaders:
^{Who might be encountered while conducting business}

• Dead-eyed tribute collector
• Official in charge of handling offworlder contributions
• Collector of "special orders" from the elite
• Local desperate to make his quota somehow

Enemies:
^{Who might be encountered who opposes the group}

Offworlder scheming to steal the tribute

Local elite unable to understand that they can't simply take everything

Deluded elite with impossible demands on far traders

Ruthless tribute collector snatching whatever he can

Complications:
^{How might the situation on the world be more complicated}

The tribute is demanded by implacable Mandate-era tax robots

The peasants are ground under as the elite fight over who is to control the tribute

Tribute production interferes with creation of a much more valuable good

The far traders incidentally fit the criteria for deserving a share of the tribute if they can collect it

Things:
^{What items might be found on the world}

Store of tribute material

Tech to vastly increase tribute production

Tech the elite use to help enforce the tribute

Precious byproduct of tribute creation unknown to the locals

Things:
^{What regulations might complicate things}

Locals don't trust offworlders until they fill a tribute quota

All property belongs to the elite and the tribute is just what they choose to take

Social status among commoners is based on quota fulfillment

Legal cases always go to the party who has contributed more tribute

Tags: Lopop,Trade