> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ashenmarch.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The Treasury

> Gold, tribute, House Subjects, looting, and what Gold can (and can't) buy.

## Gold & the Treasury

**Gold (◉)** is the realm's coin. Your house earns it as **tribute** from the land you hold and banks it in your **Treasury** (your coffers). Gold is **earned only** — there is no way to buy it with real money; the only purchase in Ashenmarch is your membership.

## How holdings earn tribute

Each protected holding pays tribute over time, driven by its **House Subjects** — the populace of the land. A holding earns more when it covers **denser, more-populated ground**, and it scales with the holding's **area** and **tier**. Only **protected** land pays: a holding that has decayed to Unprotected, or one currently under siege, produces **nothing** until you restore it.

**Why is my dense, city-centre holding worth more than a big rural one?** Because tribute follows **people, not just acreage**. A compact holding over a busy district has more House Subjects than a sprawling one over open country — so it pays more. Valuable land is also more **contested**, which is rather the point: the richest ground is worth fighting over.

**House Subjects vs. a Vassal:** House Subjects are the populace of a holding — they generate *your house's* income. A **Vassal** is a real player who has sworn to your **court**.

## If a rival takes my holding, do I lose my Gold?

Your **banked coffers are always safe** — a conqueror can never touch the Gold already in your Treasury. When a holding is captured, the attacker only **loots the uncollected tribute** that had piled up on *that* territory since it was last collected (up to a cap), and its future tribute then flows to them. A **cooldown** stops a territory being looted back and forth. So collect often if a holding is at risk — but nothing in your vault is ever at stake.

## Collecting

Tribute **accrues automatically** on your holdings; you gather it into your Treasury. Uncollected tribute builds **up to a cap** and then simply pauses — nothing is ever wasted, but collecting frees a holding to keep earning and moves that Gold to safety in your coffers.

<Note>
  **Worked example:** you hold a compact Keep over a dense city district and a sprawling rural Village. The Keep out-earns the Village despite being a fraction of the size — its House Subjects (population) drive the rate, multiplied by tier. If the Keep comes under siege, its tribute stops entirely until you break the siege — and whatever sat uncollected on it is what an attacker could loot on capture.
</Note>

<Tip>
  Collect before you expect trouble. Banked Gold is untouchable; uncollected tribute on a holding is the only Gold ever at risk.
</Tip>

## What can Gold buy?

**Cosmetics and convenience** — heraldic finery and quality-of-life, not power you can buy. Gold does **not** purchase strength in battle (that protects fair play). Holding the highest tiers also carries a small **upkeep**; leave it unpaid and the land simply decays faster — never a second penalty.

**Is Gold real money? Can I buy more?** No. Gold is earned by playing and can't be purchased. Your **membership** is the only real-money purchase in Ashenmarch.