Location The Customs Office

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Center of scholarly knowledge and shipwrighting, Zeltiva is a port city unlike any other in Mizahar. [Lore]

The Customs Office

Postby Neologism on June 14th, 2019, 10:57 pm


The Customs Office
ImageFound on the edge of the docks in the Sailor’s Quarter, the Customs Office is a tower-like building that is one of the dominating structures on the Zeltivan skyline. This was intentional, as it is the first stop for many who enter the city. Anyone who wishes to do business in or with Zeltiva must come here and pay their dues. The actual building is merely two stories. The first is a grand lobby where one can go to wait in line to pay the Customs Office’s fees. The second is a room of desks and safes where the Custom Office’s reaping are cataloged and stored. The top four levels of the tower are completely empty. They are hollow reconstructions of the old bell tower that no longer holds a bell, and hasn’t in over five hundred years. Although the structure looks as it once did before the Valterrian, only the foundations of the building are true, and the rest of the building is reconstructed from old Zeltivan drawings to mimic what it once was.

The Customs Office is another branch of the Sailor's Guild, overseeing the vast quantities of goods coming in and out of the city, and working alongside the Wave Guard to combat smuggling in the Mathews Bay area. At the custom’s office’s inception, it was assumed the Lord of Council would take over the duties, as it is technically a government job. However it was put in place by the Sailor’s Guild and then the Councilors collectively blocked the Lord Councilor of acquiring the asset. As a result the Customs Office has made the Sailor’s Guild one of the most powerful factions in Zeltiva, funding them nearly completely and providing a reason for them to keep the Lord Councilor as a puppet, or give up their main source of profit.

All merchants bringing goods into the city must report to the Customs Office to pay their fees. Due to the nature and scale of trade in Zeltiva, the city makes a small profit from charging customs fees on all imports. The Customs Office is also a large reason why the city does not require a visa or citizenship to have business in Zeltiva, because they can charge fees to merchants from all over who enter Zeltiva’s port, regardless of intention to stay.

The Customs Office employs Searcher whose responsibility is to search inbound and outgoing ships and catalog their items. Although corruption is rampant in Zeltiva, the Searchers are strict with smuggling, and will not accept bribes. Because Zeltiva makes most of its money through import and transfer fees to merchants, it is in the Sailor’s Guild’s interest to ensure the fairest possible Customs Office in order to keep the economy, especially in the Sailor’s Quarter, stable. As a result Searchers are paid exceptionally well and tied into contracts to resist bribes.

The Customs Office also employs Tide Waitors, who are not apart of the Wave Guard, but are stationed on the edges of the harbor. They accompany merchant vessels into and out of the city to ensure no nefarious activity is taking place. Suspicious persons are returned to the Customs Office to either pay off their crimes or be transferred into the custody of the Wave Guard. It is well known not to try and slip anything past the Customs Office, because it is easier to pay their fees than to pay the fines for smuggling or face the Wave Guard if one is unable to bribe the Customs Officer away from turning them in. Smuggling is a serious crime in Zeltiva, and the Sailor’s Guild takes it very seriously.

 
Lidun Grimtook
ImageRace: Human
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth: Zeltiva
Title: Customs Officer
Skills: Mathematics (65), Interrogation (55), Law (50), Intimidation (45), Copying (40), Sailing (30), Boxing (25)
Language: Common (Fluent), Fratava (Fluent), Kontinese (Basic), Tukant (Poor), Arumenic (Poor)
Concept: The Customs Officer is the highest position in the Customs Office. While not considered an administrator in the Sailor’s Guild, the Customs Offer holds as much influence as the Wave Guard Admiral in the Sailor’s Guild. It is common to see the Council act in his favor, and when it comes to dealing with merchants, he wields the most power.

Lidun Grimtook is an imposing, sharp-witted man, and he takes no prisoners. He holds close ties with the Sailor's Guild and is otherwise aloof, however he is good at his job and so he remains in his seat. Years of experience have trained him in spotting the shiftiest of characters, and he is more than happy to pass smugglers on to the Wave Guard. It is said that Grimtook is so intimidating, he can get answers from a dead man.
Other:


 
Employment
⥼ Searcher: For those who enjoy math and tedious cataloging, or at least those who possess skill in it, the Custom’s Office hires accountants named Searchers whose job is to search incoming and catalog their inventory to calculate how much they owe the Custom’s Office. The Searchers also do the same for outgoing merchant ships to ensure the ships inventory matches what they paid upon their exit. Base pay is 3 Mizas/day, must possess the Mathematics skill.
⥼ Tide Waitors: Tide Waitors are the Custom’s Office’s personal guards. They are in charge of escorting merchant ships in and out of the bay to ensure they pay their fees. Although since they are not considered Wave Guard, Tide Waitors cannot apprehend smugglers, they can however hold the ship until the Wave Guard arrives, which is their main job. Base pay of 5 gm/day, must possess the Sailing and Intimidation skill, income leveling is dependent on the sailing skill.

Original location credit goes to Paragon.

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Neologism
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