“In fact, the work experience is so valuable, they should probably be paying us! Actually…”

– The Baron, developing his internship program

So I’ve been drawing The Baron without really checking if I’m being consistent with how I originally drew him, but wow, the next 10 years are not kind to him. Have I confirmed the Origins arc takes place 10 years earlier yet? Ok, well, it does.

Anyway, some lore: Internship was originally devised as a penalty for under/unpaid taxes. But then, as noted in the quote above, The Baron realized he could charge for the privilege of internship experience itself. So he added an “internship tax” to any families with interned members. Luckily, for those who are unable to pay the new tax, The Baron also offers “internship loans,” which may be paid off at a later date by the intern after they have completed their internship.

– James