Master Edric Vayne
Royal Collector of Revenues for the Crown of Valedorn
Master Edric Vayne is the King's appointed tax collector in Grayhaven, formally titled His Majesty's Collector of Revenues for the Grayhaven District. A mature bronze-scaled dragonborn with amber-gold eyes and swept-back horns, Vayne is an unmistakable figure around town. He dresses in well-tailored burgundy and dark clothing, usually carrying a leather document case or ledger and wearing the royal seal of King Aldric IV of Valedorn. Locals commonly call him "the King's Purse" or "Old Ledger," although most are wise enough not to use the former within earshot.
Vayne oversees the revenues Grayhaven owes to the Crown, including taxes and duties connected to merchants, guilds, property, trade, river traffic, and especially the nearby silver mines. He can frequently be seen inspecting warehouses, speaking with dock officials, reviewing cargo manifests, visiting merchants, or simply walking through the market district observing business. Most ordinary townsfolk have little reason to deal with him directly; his attention tends to fall upon merchants, landowners, guilds, mine operators, and anyone moving significant amounts of coin or valuable goods through Grayhaven.
Despite his profession, Vayne does not have a reputation for cruelty. He is unfailingly polite, methodical, patient, and possessed of a remarkably dry sense of humor. He rarely raises his voice and seems almost impossible to intimidate. More unnervingly, he has an extraordinary memory for numbers and transactions. Merchants occasionally joke that Vayne can remember what they paid in taxes three years ago more accurately than they can remember what they ate for breakfast.
Vayne works professionally with Baron Cedric Valmont III and Grayhaven's officials, although everyone understands that his authority ultimately comes from the King rather than the Baron. The townsfolk generally regard him as an irritating but honest fixture of Grayhaven's government. Children have even been known to shout, "Hide your pennies! Vayne's coming!" when they see him approaching. Vayne pretends this annoys him.
There is one piece of advice nearly everyone in Grayhaven agrees upon concerning Master Edric Vayne: if he approaches you carrying a ledger and already knows your name, tell him the truth. He probably knows the numbers already.
