Factor

Factors were responsible for the economic development of settlements and regions within the Empire. Important cities might have several Factors with specific duties restricted to particular aspects of trade, whilst in less populous areas, a single supervisory Factor would administer large areas of land.

Initially, Factors were given a degree of control over the setting of local tax rates and had responsibility for collecting and reporting on all taxes. They worked in conjunction with military governors to impose Imperial rules. However, following the reforms of Emperor Paul II in 3671 BPC a separate centrally administered tax service took over, reducing the power and influence of the Factors, some of whom had become overly mighty and were exercising more influence over the Ecclesia than the Imperial Family thought appropriate. Some were accused and convicted of using the role to gain personal wealth and advantage.
  In later centuries, Factors concentrated on improving the wealth of their assigned area, liaising between businesses, lobbying central government for infrastructure improvements and co-ordinating the distribution of economic aid. They were vital to the proper functioning of trade but remained distrusted and always under suspicion of corruption, whether imagined or real.
  After the Fall of the Old Pale Empire the title vanished from the world everywhere, except in the town of Greld in western Tinturbean where the leader continued to hold it as an honorific, even thousands of years later. Whilst the function and status of the title no longer aligned with its ancient role, because there is a direct connection, a record of the modern Factors of Greld are also noted here, where they are significant, to respect this history.