[quote=@Click This]
<Snipped quote by Estylwen>

That does clear up a lot! To clarify though, the satellite settlements surrounding a city don't send their taxes to their respective cities, but right up to Hathforth, thereby depriving the dukes of a large part of their own taxes? 
[/quote]

You got a point there. Thinking about it, it's more practical for villages to go to their closest Duke/Duchess with their taxes. Sorry about that! Let's go with more dependence on the Duke/Duchess instead.

[quote=@ERode]
<Snipped quote>

Following up on this, would the anti-magic Seed just delete stuff like magical contracts and Dremona gates then?
[/quote]

Good question. Anti-magic seeds would be able to cancel out a magical contract that was in the process, but wouldn't be able to affect a magical contract already completed. Putting the aura of an anti-magic seed within would collapse a gateway into Dremora's Shade, however, the gateway could be reopened in another location.

Does that answer your question alright?