Charon instituted the Tithe of the Dead as a means for providing supplies for the nascent Stygian empire, a contract between the living and the dead that would have unforeseen consequences.
Under ideal circumstances, the tithe of the dead consisted of two coins pressed in the eyes of a freshly deceased wraith; these relic coins would be given to Nhudri who would in turn use them to manufacture goods for the Stygian Republic. Among the initial artifacts manufactured in this fashion were the masks of the Deathlords, Charon's mask, Siklos and Lumen.
To ensure that the tithe was paid, Charon demanded a tithe from all freshly dead. Those who had no coin were required to give up either their eyes or hands. This practice repulsed the Ferrymen, who saw the tithe as a brutal parody of their own tradition of payment. However, the consequences went further than this. Many of the tithe-dead disappeared after paying; blind and mutilated they arrived in the Labyrinth and begged Oblivion for justice - the response was the First Great Maelstrom.