Using Silverlode - Spoiler

Hi SYED,

It's a clever idea for causing the Go4 and their lackeys trouble, and I wonder if RFC ever considered it at some point, though I'm sure Silverlode was there from the beginning of his planning the series out.

Unfortunately, tracing gold or precious metals requires a very careful chemical analysis, including assays of the tailings themselves if I'm not mistaken [which would be very unlikely for Langhorne&co to spotlight since it would likely lead to a lot of chemical research], which presupposes an understanding of chemistry that Safehold, especially the church, doesn't have [and doesn't want]; so they might notice more gold if it were used where they could see it, but since that gold etc would be used almost entirely in the EoC and the alliance, that's a rather remote result.

Resorting to further refining Go4 gold and other precious metals might have been a emergency resort for Merlin and OWL on behalf of the EoC and the alliance if Silverlode's true nature hadn't been discovered, yet given that mining operations are 26.516666 hours/5days a 5day, trying to grab or refine the leftovers from the spoil without being observed would take some considerable time and effort on the part of OWL's remotes and his concentration even with Nahrmahn as a consultant for really very little return compared to the intelligence work they should be doing.

It would be far better, NTM easier for OWL and his processing time, to simply search out remote finds and mine them unseen like Merlin's steam power test, which is probably what Nahrmahn had in mind when he had
OWL search the data base for the best places to start, only to discover Shan-wei had quite a sense of humor.

L

SYED wrote:I just had an idea, merlin could send his bots to collect the tailings from working and worked mines. His tech should be able to salvage the valuable materials that would have been lost. Gold can be tracked to where it was mined by it's composition, I think that this could be within the church's capabilities. Imagine their reaction, if charis suddenly has alot of desnair gold or it is appearing where it should not be. They will think someone is cooking the books, so cause them trouble.

Hi Alistair,

Given the first Silverlode 'lode' is worth something like C$10 Trillion [from ~2.5 million tons of gold and 4+ million tons of silver], which would be hard to spend even over a hundred years at an extra hundred billion Charisian dollars a year, I think the rest of the empire can indeed expect tidy sums [C$5-10B/yr] to be spent on their infrastructure etc, once the mine(s) are in operation.

Nitpick; the empire isn't made up of subordinate provinces; but two princedoms, a kingdom and a grand dukedom that rule in their own right; quite a distinction as far as Corisande, Emerald, NTM Tarot are concerned.

L

Alistair wrote:Silverlode money

Help Siddarmarks economy industrialise during the war
Marshall plan for Siddarmark after the war
Cash gifts to the different Provinces of EoC- (imagine being in the parliament of Tarot or Corisande and receiving around a billions marks in silver or Gold!

More like the the original intent of the United States. The Individual States were sovereign but were constrained in their legislation by the Constitution. The individual Charisian States although not sovereign have been granted a great deal of autonomy. Their actions are limited by the Imperial Throne.

lyonheart wrote:Hi Alistair,

Given the first Silverlode 'lode' is worth something like C$10 Trillion [from ~2.5 million tons of gold and 4+ million tons of silver], which would be hard to spend even over a hundred years at an extra hundred billion Charisian dollars a year, I think the rest of the empire can indeed expect tidy sums [C$5-10B/yr] to be spent on their infrastructure etc, once the mine(s) are in operation.

Nitpick; the empire isn't made up of subordinate provinces; but two princedoms, a kingdom and a grand dukedom that rule in their own right; quite a distinction as far as Corisande, Emerald, NTM Tarot are concerned.

L

Alistair wrote:Silverlode money

Help Siddarmarks economy industrialise during the war
Marshall plan for Siddarmark after the war
Cash gifts to the different Provinces of EoC- (imagine being in the parliament of Tarot or Corisande and receiving around a billions marks in silver or Gold!

Yes we haven't seen quite how local autonomy works except that the Emperor and Empress can dictate decrees to the local regions.

See the comments BSRA re: Emeralds "negotiations" with Eoc

Something about the Emperor/Empress being able to dictate whatever they like.

(I suspect in reality that the Emperor/Empress allow alot of local autonomy)

Alistair wrote:Yes we haven't seen quite how local autonomy works except that the Emperor and Empress can dictate decrees to the local regions.

See the comments BSRA re: Emeralds "negotiations" with Eoc

Something about the Emperor/Empress being able to dictate whatever they like.

(I suspect in reality that the Emperor/Empress allow alot of local autonomy)

Isn't the deal that they can manage their own affairs as long as it is in conformity with imperial law? As I recall since Emperor/Empress have pledged to abide by the law, they are binding themselves to the limits imposed by the law in terms of what they can do arbitrarily.

Don

n7axw wrote:

Alistair wrote:Yes we haven't seen quite how local autonomy works except that the Emperor and Empress can dictate decrees to the local regions.

See the comments BSRA re: Emeralds "negotiations" with Eoc

Something about the Emperor/Empress being able to dictate whatever they like.

(I suspect in reality that the Emperor/Empress allow alot of local autonomy)

Isn't the deal that they can manage their own affairs as long as it is in conformity with imperial law? As I recall since Emperor/Empress have pledged to abide by the law, they are binding themselves to the limits imposed by the law in terms of what they can do arbitrarily.

Don

Don, the Imperial Crown can rule by decree. Sure there are areas where parliment can act, but those areas are limited. I get the impression that Parliment is more a mechanism for sounding out the general popularity potential laws. If Parliment doesn't pass the law, it does not have general support and would be a difficult law to enforce. If it does pass a law, the law is generally acceptable.

I've viewed Safehold's Parliments as sources of advice and consent but not a true legeslative body as we understand it today.

Hi Peter,

You are right; they can. And they do. But the point is that particularly in judicial matters, they honor existing law. Think of how the Northern conspiracy was handled in Corisande or how Harahld had a reputation for not accusing or arresting without evidence.

My point is that they volumtarily honor the law, not that they can't rule by decree.

Don

n7axw wrote:Hi Peter,

You are right; they can. And they do. But the point is that particularly in judicial matters, they honor existing law. Think of how the Northern conspiracy was handled in Corisande or how Harahld had a reputation for not accusing or arresting without evidence.

My point is that they volumtarily honor the law, not that they can't rule by decree.

Don

I agree that voluntarily following the laws they don't have to is a powerful tool in developing loyalty in the newer territories. My point is that the Emperor and Empress effectively make the laws they willingly follow. That's hardly being subject to others that make the laws, since all the laws they disagree with must be changed in favor of those they do agree with.

PeterZ wrote:

n7axw wrote:Hi Peter,

You are right; they can. And they do. But the point is that particularly in judicial matters, they honor existing law. Think of how the Northern conspiracy was handled in Corisande or how Harahld had a reputation for not accusing or arresting without evidence.

My point is that they volumtarily honor the law, not that they can't rule by decree.

Don

I agree that voluntarily following the laws they don't have to is a powerful tool in developing loyalty in the newer territories. My point is that the Emperor and Empress effectively make the laws they willingly follow. That's hardly being subject to others that make the laws, since all the laws they disagree with must be changed in favor of those they do agree with.

Let's agree that they are not subject to a legislative body in the sense that we would understand that. That was never my point. Let's go further and agree that they could overturn a law they disliked. No issue there either. The point is that they do not act arbitrarily against laws currently in force at the time when circumstances bring them into a situation where a given law applies. That makes them trustworthy and gives their subjects confidence that governance will be predictable and allow them to live their own lives within the law without fear that their rulers will begin acting arbitrarily whenever it suits them.

Don

There has been talk about the wealth being use to build the empire, but what about else where. I can see some of it used to build up the republic, into something that terrifiies the church. WHile they stomp on threats in haven, haris can create a superior canal/waterway built between haven and howard.

Also, i see the imperium being biginvestors anywhere not on have n of howard, to giving them influence on areas, so that eventually they can be folded into the empire. THey are going to need bases and out posts on islands, even just for coalling stations. the lands of the ravenlords, I can see moneyy flowing in helping the people and the lords, till one day they would willing join as there would be no difference to the change.