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Following the State Councillor's decisions, the world around them would react to their far reaching commands. No matter how insignificant, small decisions could lead to major changes or unforeseen outcomes. The first one such predictable outcome would be the response of the locals of the Old Gods District, both in the renaming of the district to that of a controversial Supreme Reverend, and the demolition of the Old Gods Temple. Immediately upon the announced destruction of the temple, passive protest commenced in the district. Citizens would either barricade the ways in and out of the district, or obstruct the movement of government officials and workers around the site. This passive resistance was obviously met with an increase in Bluesteel presence, which only further aggravated the attitude of the locals, mostly Old Gods worshippers who found themselves protected under the confessions of Melennar, but also Empire conservatives who argued that the decaying temple remains a testament to the Empire's ability to supplant other things, and to subject and conquer. Their fear was that with the destruction of tangible monuments to the superiority of Unionism, the people would grow complacent and fall back into idolatry. With the conservative noises rumbling and the Old Gods citizens becoming aggravated, the social situation was heating up to a boiling point. Right now, all the disenfranchised were looking for was a champion to stand behind, a great house of old faiths or cultures to be their face and voice. Would they find such a champion, or would their cause extinguish and disappear in obscurity and forgottenness?
The Tenpenny Act for Banking had a similar disruptive response, largely to the economy. Entirely as expected, the bankers drew the ire of the lawmakers by simply compensating their losses by driving up the interest rates for loans. The unfortunate result of this was that many loans defaulted, even in the first few weeks after the implementation. The banks collectively shored up their losses while also enforcing a more rigorous security system through Plug-Loansharking, a new practice engaged in by thugs who use violence to enforce a bank's loans. The Regalian law enforcement experienced a sharp increase of almost 40% in violent encounters, an increase of 20% in arson and theft and a staggering increase of 30% in manslaughter cases over financial troubles. This rise in criminal conduct was severely concerning to the Empire's lawmakers, causing them to raise protests to the Bluesteel Order. The Bluesteel Order was now liable to decide who it would blame: The Banks for immorally raising the interest rates, the Plug-Loansharkers for their violent tactics, or the City Council for enforcing this tax.
The Ecclesiastical Tenpenny Act had an entirely different result. Perhaps it would come as no surprise to many, but the Sancella exposed several seething levels of corruption as soon as the central government tried to tax its income. The response was not uniform, rather, local Reverencies responded differently to the sudden taxation of church property, but the vast majority of it was not good. The primarily wealthy monasteries and Ecclesiatical lands changed their tax scheme by demanding un-taxable services. One particular Reverency for example charged the local forge guild in free man-hours to produce golden edifices, instead of the usual gold payments which would be taxable by the state. Other Reverencies started hiding profits from the state, appealing to Canon law that protects the financial ledgers of the church from civilian or military insight, while others yet declared that all their incomes were not incomes at all, but donations, and as such, could not be taxed. In the end, the bureaucracy estimated that less than five percent of the clergy actually complied with the Tenpenny Act, meaning the entire tax system for the clergy was gripe with corruption and graft. This presented further problems when the bureaucracy was made aware that it did not have the authority to hold the Sancella accountable for ill due payments of taxation, largely because the Sancella falls under the Imperial Seat, a sovereign state separate and superseding the Regalian Empire and City.
Finally, the Crown Prince announced that the Lawmaker of the Bluesteel Order could no longer continue his duties as both Grand Chancellor and Lawmaker, and as such, all Noble Families were called forth to vote for a replacement. The Proceedings were to be made fairly simple. Any Noble Family who owns at least one title of Count and above can opt-in to the voting procedure, and in two weeks time, cast their vote on their favored family to hold the office of Lawmaker. The Family with the highest number of votes would win, allowing them to pick a Lawmaker from among their members. The Crown Prince put no further restrictions on the election, bar from the fact that it should not be someone who is already on the State Council, or an Imperial Advisor. The official entry date for families to opt-in to voting commenced this very day. Any family that wishes to opt-in for voting should say so by sending a letter to the crown (on this thread) to sign up to the voting. Each family is entitled to one single vote after sign up, which will be cast on the 24th of March. Signing up to the vote will continue until the 17th of March. The Lawmaker has far reaching powers in the ability to make laws on the fly without oversight from either the State Council or the Bluesteel Order. This basically means that the Lawmaker has the full capacity to make anything legal or illegal simply by writing it into Law. As such, the Crown Prince urged the nobility who are going to vote, to vote conscientiously and with tact, and not just vote for their allies just because.
The Tenpenny Act for Banking had a similar disruptive response, largely to the economy. Entirely as expected, the bankers drew the ire of the lawmakers by simply compensating their losses by driving up the interest rates for loans. The unfortunate result of this was that many loans defaulted, even in the first few weeks after the implementation. The banks collectively shored up their losses while also enforcing a more rigorous security system through Plug-Loansharking, a new practice engaged in by thugs who use violence to enforce a bank's loans. The Regalian law enforcement experienced a sharp increase of almost 40% in violent encounters, an increase of 20% in arson and theft and a staggering increase of 30% in manslaughter cases over financial troubles. This rise in criminal conduct was severely concerning to the Empire's lawmakers, causing them to raise protests to the Bluesteel Order. The Bluesteel Order was now liable to decide who it would blame: The Banks for immorally raising the interest rates, the Plug-Loansharkers for their violent tactics, or the City Council for enforcing this tax.
The Ecclesiastical Tenpenny Act had an entirely different result. Perhaps it would come as no surprise to many, but the Sancella exposed several seething levels of corruption as soon as the central government tried to tax its income. The response was not uniform, rather, local Reverencies responded differently to the sudden taxation of church property, but the vast majority of it was not good. The primarily wealthy monasteries and Ecclesiatical lands changed their tax scheme by demanding un-taxable services. One particular Reverency for example charged the local forge guild in free man-hours to produce golden edifices, instead of the usual gold payments which would be taxable by the state. Other Reverencies started hiding profits from the state, appealing to Canon law that protects the financial ledgers of the church from civilian or military insight, while others yet declared that all their incomes were not incomes at all, but donations, and as such, could not be taxed. In the end, the bureaucracy estimated that less than five percent of the clergy actually complied with the Tenpenny Act, meaning the entire tax system for the clergy was gripe with corruption and graft. This presented further problems when the bureaucracy was made aware that it did not have the authority to hold the Sancella accountable for ill due payments of taxation, largely because the Sancella falls under the Imperial Seat, a sovereign state separate and superseding the Regalian Empire and City.
Finally, the Crown Prince announced that the Lawmaker of the Bluesteel Order could no longer continue his duties as both Grand Chancellor and Lawmaker, and as such, all Noble Families were called forth to vote for a replacement. The Proceedings were to be made fairly simple. Any Noble Family who owns at least one title of Count and above can opt-in to the voting procedure, and in two weeks time, cast their vote on their favored family to hold the office of Lawmaker. The Family with the highest number of votes would win, allowing them to pick a Lawmaker from among their members. The Crown Prince put no further restrictions on the election, bar from the fact that it should not be someone who is already on the State Council, or an Imperial Advisor. The official entry date for families to opt-in to voting commenced this very day. Any family that wishes to opt-in for voting should say so by sending a letter to the crown (on this thread) to sign up to the voting. Each family is entitled to one single vote after sign up, which will be cast on the 24th of March. Signing up to the vote will continue until the 17th of March. The Lawmaker has far reaching powers in the ability to make laws on the fly without oversight from either the State Council or the Bluesteel Order. This basically means that the Lawmaker has the full capacity to make anything legal or illegal simply by writing it into Law. As such, the Crown Prince urged the nobility who are going to vote, to vote conscientiously and with tact, and not just vote for their allies just because.
