[tinkthank]

Hey thanks for all these helpful comments and additional information.

PhilD asked whether I made a boo-boo in saying that a fortress is also useful for taxation purposes: not just raking in resources from surrounding neihbors but also in improving their taxation structure. Nobody commented on this. Just wondering: does that mean I spread nonsense or I got it right?

And on Phil's helpful comments on Empowerment: Yes, sorry, you are right. I was actually thinking of a different situation, one I hadnt spelled out: When you want to forge an item with TWO path requirements, say: water3 and earth3; you have a water3 mage, but no earth, and you dont see a chance of recruiting both somewhere else.