====== Shadows of Aethro – War, Taxes, and Tribute ======

===== Core Systems =====
  * Colonies earn **Cogs** through building taxes. Maintenance costs auto-deduct.
  * Tax income stops once you hit the cap. Spend, raid, or collect tribute to keep growth flowing.
  * Staff can freeze a colony’s taxes as a penalty or war outcome.

===== War and Raids =====
  * **Team size rule:** sides can differ by at most one player when war begins.
  * **Lives:** each fighter starts with a set number of lives. Lose them all = spectator until war ends.
  * **Guards:** count as lives in scoring.
  * **Disconnects:** you keep your slot, war keeps going.
  * **War:** block breaking/placing allowed in enemy colonies.
  * **Raid:** only combat, blocks stay protected.
  * Raids steal tax revenue for a limited time. Cooldowns prevent spam.

===== How to Start =====
  * Declare war: ''/wnt wagewar "<colonyName>"''
  * Join prompt: ''/wnt joinwar'' or opt out.
  * If in both teams:  
    ''/wnt choosewarside attacker'' or ''/wnt choosewarside defender''
  * Sue for peace:
    * White peace: ''/wnt peace whitepeace''
    * Reparations: ''/wnt peace reparations <amount>''
  * Claim stolen/defense rewards: ''/wnt claimtax''

===== War Outcomes =====
  * **Total Victory:** enemies lose all lives.
  * **Strategic Victory:** time runs out, score decided by lives + guards.
  * **Stalemate:** near tie, with light penalties.
  * **Vassalization:** losers can be forced into tribute.

===== Vassals and Tribute =====
  * Vassals pay part of their tax income to the overlord colony.
  * Commands:
    * Offer: ''/wnt vassalize <percent> "<colony>"''
    * Accept: ''/wnt vassalaccept <colonyId>''
    * Decline: ''/wnt vassaldecline <colonyId>''
    * Revoke: ''/wnt revoke <player>''
    * List: ''/wnt vassals''
  * Tribute shows up in your tax report.

===== Taxes & Happiness =====
  * Reports show:
    * Green = revenue
    * Red = maintenance
    * Blue = bonuses
    * Yellow = warnings
  * Happiness affects taxes: happy colonies earn more, unhappy colonies earn less.
  * Inactive leaders = taxes pause automatically.

===== Entity Raids =====
  * Too many hostile mobs inside borders can trigger a raid.
  * Walls, patrols, and recruits reduce the risk.

===== Guard Perks =====
  * Guards gain Resistance during raids/wars. Buff ends afterward.

===== Quick FAQ =====
  * **What do I gain from raiding?**  
    Cogs from enemy tax pools, and you stall their income.

  * **Do I lose gear?**  
    War: your last life inventory is safe.

  * **How do I earn from defending?**  
    Kill attackers to earn a cut, then run ''/wnt claimtax''.