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While New Kavlin is 13 years old, the logistics problems of shipping colonists and supplies across a broad expanse of ocean have produced slow colony growth. The initial settlement was ravaged by disease in 1016, and some expected the entire effort to be abandoned by the crown. The arrival of the Red Horde changed that.
Initially, land near the colony's capital was allocated by royal land grants issued to four noble families, Finash, Vine, Verdu, and Luko, that had made significant financial investments in the project. These grants are still in force, although sub-grants and land sales have divided and expanded the initial holdings, and the Verdu family sold its holdings (rumor says under duress) to the Karst in 1019.
Property within the walls of New Kavlin is leased from the government on a long-term basis (100-year leases are common) at very low rates (1 GP per year). The leasee must build and maintain structures appropriate to the property's zoning -- business, home(s), warehouses, shops, etc. Leasees also pay a property tax on the land based on the appraised value of the property as a whole. The colony land office maintains property records, performs appraisals, establishes leases, and collects property taxes.
Outside New Kavlin, land is allocated in one of three ways:
Royal land grants, given to specific individuals (families with ties to the royal court), make up about 80 percent of the colonized area outside the walls. Grants are hereditary and perpetual, barring major disgrace. Grant holders are responsible for an annual tax to the colony government, and may do as they please with their property, so long as taxes are paid. Most colony farmland is leased to tenant farmers, who pay their lease with produce or cash.
Small holdings are land grants purchased at government land sales. Most are, as the name implies, much smaller than royal grants. They make up about 15 percent of the colony lands. Small holders are responsible for annual taxes but do not have the right to lease their land. In most cases, small holdings are family farms, but some property in villages like Vinehold are small holdings too. Small holdings are also hereditary and perpetual.
Freeholds are the final type of land allocation. A freeholder stakes a claim on unallocated land and registers it with the land use office. If they still hold the land after one year and have built a structure with a certain minimum value, their claim becomes a freehold. Claims have no tax burden, but freeholds are taxed at the usual rate. Unlike royal grants and small holdings, freeholds revert to the government if the claimant dies, although heirs can petition the land use office for ownership. Freeholders may buy small holding status, but that is quite costly.
Most New Kavlin businesses fall under the jurisdiction of one of the many guilds in the city. For the most part, production capabilities lie within the city walls, aside from a few local crafters in the outlying villages. The guilds wield considerable political and economic power and many high-ranking members are also major landholders.
Inns catering to travelers are surprisingly rare in New Kavlin. There just aren't that many people traveling to the city and staying overnight. Hostels catering to new arrivals are fairly common. Most offer private or shared rooms and generally include one meal a day in their rent (usually breakfast). Taverns, which double as restaurants in many cases, are common. As with all things these businesses vary in quality.
There are four main villages outside the walls, each corresponding to one of the four original land grants issued by the crown. A large manor serves as a local governing body and home to the land grant holder.