Session 8 (10/11/09) - "Tax Man Cometh"

Log of game on Sunday October 11th as logged by Harper (Thomas Blackstone).

CHAPTER 1: Gimme Gimme Gimme
<~parasitologist> The past month has been quiet. Which is probably a good thing. Aside from rebuilding, the focus of this month's labor has been the harvesting of various fields. It seems that the town will have enough food to cover taxes and feed everyone, though it certainly has not been a good harvest at all. The harvest festival comes and goes...with much of the festivities being rather...subdued this year.

<~parasitologist> Perhaps that's a good thing, considering how eventful things have been. But on the last day of the month, when you expect tax collection, instead of the usual cart and taxman, and maybe a guard or porter or two...ten men on horseback, and a small caravan of carts, already laden with goods approaches from the eastern road.


 * Amy_Morrison looks up from working with some firewood for Dad and watches the heavily laden cart...maybe they'd get a tax cut this year?


 * Thomas_Blackstone wonders if this has anything to do with Nyssa's "discussion" with her father...


 * Nyssa_Pritchart has no idea, honestly.


 * Fen_McRoth is kinda worried, he went to his father room, asking if he know something about this.

<~parasitologist> Whether anyone is interested or not in the unusual circumstances is up in the air. But the man who leads the group, a short man wearing rather ornate, decorated plate becomes engaged in a heated discussion with the mayor, Robert, who also leads woodcutting teams. He's a large, round man, and he's obviously angry at the armored man, as his face is turning red. The armored man places a hand upon

<~parasitologist> his sword, and Robert relents. He takes a step back. The armored man seems satisfied with this, gives some orders, and the ten subordinates will dismount, and start marching to houses. The armored men seem polite enough for now. They're going door by door and are surveying people on how much they own, and looking around.

 At this very moment, Nyssa's currently at her house's back yard, practicing her standard techniques with drawing and sheathing daggers mixed with a little magic.


 * Amy_Morrison is a bit scared, now. Mayor Robert isn't one that's afraid of much, but...this didn't look good. Amy has a bad feeling about this and looks for Nyssa.


 * Nyssa_Pritchart sticks her head out, though, at the sound of all that armor clinking and horses walking about.


 * Thomas_Blackstone is going to rush back home before these guys reach his house...

 "hey nyssa!" Amy says, spotting her friend. "What's up with the buckethead squad?" as if she'd know...

 "Hm?" Nyssa sheathes her dagger before approaching her friend. "...No idea, really."

 "Me either...what have you been douing, though?

<~parasitologist> Fen's father is about as clueless about this as the others. All he can suggest is that it looks like things may get ugly. Meanwhile, one of the armored men seems to be having a hard time about things at the Pritchart residence. Same with the Morrison residence. There's little reason for a woodworker to keep extensive records when little trading is done, and well, Mr. Pritchart simply doesn't

<~parasitologist> -want- to give up the info.

 "Just practining my magic...I got kinda jealous you had some talent," Nyssa admits. She makes a gesture with her hand, revealing sparks. "...but enough of that, what's going on?"

 "I wish I knew..." Amy said, noting the sparks. She had an idea to show off but thought better of it. "Hey, what's goin-HEY!"

 Amy sees her parents being given the whole thing and rushes away to figure out what the hell these people are going on about...it's never been this hard.


 * Thomas_Blackstone is going to ask his Ms. Blackstone if these guys have anything to do with the *other* guys...


 * Nyssa_Pritchart sighs as she heads off to see why her father is being heckled as well.

<~parasitologist> You're right. It never has been this hard. This is extremely unusual. The man interrogating her father seems frustrated. "No records of this year's production. Right, fine. Then we'll levy the standard operating taxes upon you, as well as land-usage taxes. Rates have increased since last year. Also, you owe back taxes, since the taxman we left in our place when we left denied Sir Belrose's

<~parasitologist> orders on how much was to be levied...", Amy's father looks to be in disbelief at the ridiculous amount of back taxes quoted. It's...a lot. Enough to make her family all but homeless. They wouldn't be able to feed themselves.


 * Fen_McRoth is staying at home, he don't want anyone to mess with his Grandfather or Father, he is way too worried about his friends tho

<~parasitologist> Inside the Pritchart household, there's a shouting war going on, with an armored man attempting to get past Mr. Pritchart into the study, where he's GOING TO GET THOSE DAMN RECORDS. No blows have been thrown yet, but this can't be good....

 "Hey hey wait!" Amy chimes up "What the heck are yougoing on about with records? you all know how the operation works!"

<~parasitologist> Tom's household is taxed in grain...it's painful, but with the off-the-books money that Rachel has been sending occasionally...you're doing well-off. As for Fen's household...his father has a short talk with the armored man, goes to talk to the leader of the group here, and...it seems that's it. Unusual, huh?

 "old man..." -Fen is surpsisly worried about this, when he was a child, he knew that "Dad talking with another armored man means trouble"


 * Nyssa_Pritchart is going to be pretty damn irritated with this guy breaking in, but she knows better to stand in his way...but she's going to stil lbe near her father and backing him up. "HEY!"

 "If taxes went up, you can't tax us for the previous years because it was lower back then! that's just wrong!"

<~parasitologist> "We're within our rights to do so. The tax collector Sir Belrose installed defied his orders. Look, I'm not happy about this, either. Just...comply. Sir Belrose isn't the kind of man who lets these kinds of things go.", he looks a bit apologetic. Meanwhile, in the Pritchart house, the armored man has finally managed to muster up the momentum to pile both him and Nyssa's father through the

<~parasitologist> door. Record books are pretty obviously open and on the study desk. Nyssa's father looks a bit...defeated. The armored man dusts himself off. "Time to look through these records now.", well, he tried...right? Fen's dad doesn't seem to be in a speaking mood. Nonetheless, he assures Fen that at least they'll be alright. They're exempt, for some reason.

 "Old man, what about Tom? and Nyss, heck even Amy or Sammy, you used to be pals with Tom's dad, what it's happening?" -Fen loses a good time asking this kind of stuff to his father-

 "Look around, buckethead!" Amy is pissed and shows it, despite her mother trying to hold her back. "You see any of us who are well off enough to be rolling around in money? there's barely enough to cover what we need!"


 * Nyssa_Pritchart is currently frowning her hardest at this...geez, this can't be good at all...they wouldn't get in trouble for funding mercenary companies, would they?

<~parasitologist> Fen wants an answer to this? "I don't really want to talk about it.", because this is depressing. And well, considering that Fen's family is from Lombard, one might feel that this kind of tax collection might strike a few nerves about what one might leave that country for.

 "What the heck do you need those records for?"

 "You guys should be taxing the people in the lavish castles so the rest of us can survive the winter!"


 * Fen_McRoth leaves his house, kinda sad and worried,he starts to trowh some false punches to the air, next to a tree

<~parasitologist> "Taxes.", Nyssa gets a curt reply as the armored man begins poring over records. "Dear god, I'm going to have to get five more men in here if I'm going to get this done...", he'll get up and leave, ignoring Nyssa's family. Amy seems mad. Her father gives a resigned sigh. The armored man looks at Amy's staff. "That's some unusual crafstmanship right there...I think I'm going to have to

<~parasitologist> levy a magical item creation tax....how many of those have you created?"

 "WHAT!?! I haven't made anything like that, and this is the only one anyway!" Amy seems very ready to show exactly what she can do with said staff.

 "TYou made that up!"

<Nyssa_Pritchart> "Father...what the hell is going on?" Nyssa asks as she frowns at him. "This isn't thier standard operating procedure and you know it!"


 * Thomas_Blackstone wanders off into town, trying to work up the nerve to approach Belrose himself... he's got some questions to ask...

<~parasitologist> "Sir Belrose is the only one who can appraise magical items here....I'll have to call him over. Please wait here.", the man will turn away. Amy's father looks down at his daughter, saddened. "Amy...these things happen sometimes. We'll deal with it.  It's better like this, than to make them angry.  They might run us off these lands...and where will we go then?"


 * Amy_Morrison is literally fuming and wills the staff "off" so it just looks like an ornate walking stick.


 * Fen is now known as Fen_McRoth

<~parasitologist> Amy's family is greeted by Sir Belrose a short while later. He's fairly short, but still has an authoritative air about him. He looks to be in his late forties, and seems to be locked into a look of disdain. He approaches the Morrison household. "Now, where is this magical item?"


 * Amy_Morrison looks around, attempting to feign ignorance.


 * Thomas_Blackstone nonchalantly wanders over to the Morrison houshold, pretending to be interested in other things... trying to keep him where he can see him.

<~parasitologist> The ignorance doesn't last long. The man's eyes take on a dim glow, and he scowls even more deeply. "Hand me your staff, child. Are you a registered mage?  You look a little young.", this is highly suspicious!

<Amy_Morrison> "I'm in training, and this is just a walking stick." Amy matches the scowl.

<~parasitologist> "It doesn't look that way to me. Now fess up, who's staff is that?  If you don't give an answer now, I will have you imprisoned for stealing from a state agent."

<Amy_Morrison> "I made it, to help out with the town healer. Ask her if you don't beleive me." Amy's parents *are* woodworkers, it's not that big a stretch of logic.


 * Amy_Morrison isn't letting the man take her staff outright, at least without a damn good reason.

<~parasitologist> "Well, then she's in trouble for improper sanctioning....or...", it seems if he stares hard enough, he can detect a little more about magic items. Amy might also note that her father is completely useless and silent in this situation. Bears? Sure. Soldiers? Pretty scary. "I don't believe there is a category for what you have made here. You will make another one of these for me personally,

<~parasitologist> and that will cover back taxes, though not this year's taxes.", if Amy looks at her father, he'll make a pretty obvious gesture of mouthing SAY YES to her.


 * Thomas_Blackstone looks on, still trying to work up the nerve to approach. His father works/ed for this guy...

<~parasitologist> Nyssa's home is now filled with five men, all of whom are poring through books, and complaining quite loudly about the tedium whilst Nyssa's father fumes.

<Amy_Morrison> "Well, I'll see what I can do but...you act like I'm a master at this sort of thing." Amy sighes, resignedly. "It's not like I have blueprints or anything, I just tinkered it up. Not to metnion I can't make it in just a day."

<Amy_Morrison> "This one took me the better part of a month."


 * Nyssa_Pritchart is staying WELL out of arms reach of those men but she's going to maing enough to to make their job unplestant at the very least.

<~parasitologist> "I'll expect it by the year's end. You've been granted a reprieve until then.", and he stalks away, moving towards and past Tom.


 * Amy_Morrison is fuming but can't really complain, she might be able to save her parents some big money.


 * Thomas_Blackstone opens his mouth to say something as he walks by, chokes, then goes up to see Amy... "Hey, you alright?"

<~parasitologist> A few minutes later, the men come to an agreement. Nyssa's household also has a reprieve until the year's end! But they're taking all these record-books! Meanwhile, a group of farmers is throwing rocks t one armored man. They're shouting at him. "We'll starve without this food!", is the general theme of their shouts. And Fen, who's been watching things from a distance, is pretty sure of that,

<~parasitologist> too. From the meager amount the town harvested...there's no way that the town's gonig to be able to feed itself for the next year.

<Amy_Morrison> "I have to make a staff for Lord Buckethead, but yeah, we're fine I think..."

<Fen_McRoth> "Damn.. i i just can't leave all of this people suffering.."


 * Fen_McRoth rushes into his father's room, almost kicking the door, yelling at him "OldMan! what the heck did you do?! i don't care if this makes you sad, all the town is suffering! weren't you the one who said that the McRoths where the protectors of the weak!?"

<Nyssa_Pritchart> "H-hey! Those are OUR books!" Nyssa protests, following the men.

<~parasitologist> "No, they're on the state's property, and thus, they are ours to take. You'll get them back when we come to collect, anyway.", they'll ignore her as long as she doesn't do anything other than follow and protest. Fen barges into his father's room, where he's looking over a letter. He folds it up and sets it aside in a shelf. "What the hell do you expect me to do, Fen? Challenge a group of

<~parasitologist> soldiers, one of whom controls an entire quarter of this country? Think about the consequences.", there are consequences for many things, after all. One of those things is messing with the throne, of which messing with tax collections or important military figures falls under.

<Fen_McRoth> "Heck at least you can tell me!, we can make some kind of barge or something to protect the people!, i..i know you will do anything in your reach to protect them, Old man, if there is anything we could do, let's just do it!"

<~parasitologist> "There's nothing, Fen. It's better to have a chance at not starving to death, rather than have these men imprison everyone, or start killing people."


 * Nyssa_Pritchart is at least staying out of their reach. She's smarter than that to walk in front of them and physically bar them, ESPECIALLY since they were here on official buisness...


 * Thomas_Blackstone tries to catch up to Belrose when he isnt speaking to anyone... He has to do this.


 * Amy_Morrison goes into her room and broods, wondering if she can figure out a good way to make Lord Buckethead pay.


 * Fen_McRoth stays silent, cletching his fist angry. "Then let's figure how we can get more food for the people, or anyway to help them"

<~parasitologist> And well, Nyssa will see the scene of general anger, desperation, but cowed fear that ten armored knights inspire. Tom follows Belrose. The man will hear him, and turn. He stares at Tom, an angry, distrusting look in his eyes. "You. Why are you following me?", his hand goes to rest on his sword's pommel.

<~parasitologist> Fen's father shakes his head. "We'll do that. But today's not the time.  Got it?"

<Fen_McRoth> "Yes father...sorry about my reaction" -Fen comes close to his father, hugging him-

<Thomas_Blackstone> "I Heard from someone that a Stewart Blackstone is one of your generals."


 * Nyssa_Pritchart sighs as she keeps following them anyways...at the very least, she might be able to see someone else.

<~parasitologist> The name Blackstone rings a bell. The man will respond. "-was- one of my generals.", and he'll then turn, and try walking away again.


 * Thomas_Blackstone audibly chokes again, keeping pace. "What happened to him?" he says, his voice heavy.

<~parasitologist> "I have no idea, and frankly, according to what I've heard about his men and their behavior, I don't care. Good riddance."


 * Thomas_Blackstone is putting pieces together in his head. "When was the last time you heard from him?... Im sorry (It's hard for him to actually say this...) But Ive gotten stabbed enough times over this man for him to just dissapear..."


 * Fen_McRoth is feeling bad, he starts towander the streets looking for his friends, until he saw Tom actually talking with the same guy that talked with his old man, he rushed a bit into it,just to see what was happening, he stayed some steps behind Tom, patting his shoulder-


 * Thomas_Blackstone shrugs his hand off his shoulder, looking just a little intense...

<~parasitologist> An exasperated sigh can be heard coming from the man. He doesn't even turn around. "Look. I don't care if he's your father or uncle, or childhood idol or whatever. All I know is that one of my generals decided to turn his forces...and terribly disciplined and trained forces upon the rest of us, and then disappear into the Yoruban Wastes. Next time I appoint a general, I'm going to sidestep

<~parasitologist> lineages obligations and simply appoint someone I can trust.."


 * Nyssa_Pritchart finally arrives on the scene as she spots Tommy. "Hey, Tommy..."

<Thomas_Blackstone> "Yoruban Wastes..."

<~parasitologist>, The man seems to be finished talking. He continues to stalk away.


 * Fen_McRoth just stares into the man's eyes, feeling a deep rage against him, and wondering why does he have to do with his father, he resolvs to talk- "SIR!!! What Business do you have with the McRoth Family!?"


 * Thomas_Blackstone is just sorta standing there, rubbing his chin, thinking...

<~parasitologist> Oh, look. By this one's look...he's McRoth's son. Belrose will speak to fen, who is taller than him, and thus, somewhat intimidating. "Nothing. The state of Alsace recognizes you as Lombard nobility and thus, you are exempt from having taxes levied against you.", he continues walking.


 * Fen_McRoth is kinda shocked, looking at his friend's eyes.


 * Thomas_Blackstone on the other hand, is just about as tall as Belrose

<Thomas_Blackstone> ... "Nobility? What the hell?"

<Fen_McRoth> "i.. i don't know Tom"

<~parasitologist> Belrose speaks up. "Now, please stop following me. I've business to attend to, and I've given quite enough charity today.", yes, charity. Answering the questions of some commoner child is charity in his eyes.

<Nyssa_Pritchart> "...nobility?" Nyssa looks indredulously at him. "...what the hell?"

<Fen_McRoth> "But...But old man is only a retired Knight""


 * Fen_McRoth looks at his friends eyes, speechless.

<Thomas_Blackstone> "Well, Knights are nobility by default, right? ((Mental thoughts... Yoruban Wastes? Where is that? Yoruban Wastes... huh... sounds desolate. Ill probably need a canteen. And a camel. Where do I find a Camel? Is it anywhere near the capitol?))

<Nyssa_Pritchart> "...well, at least you're tax exempt." Nyssa remarks. "In any case...they stole my father's books."

<Fen_McRoth> "I'd rather pay for me and forr all the town..."


 * Amy_Morrison is still sulking and not in the scene currently

<Fen_McRoth> "Tom, I have to ask you something"

<Thomas_Blackstone> "Whats that?


 * Thomas_Blackstone is lost in space...

<Fen_McRoth> Did your mother knowed my old man from before i was born? i mean, when he adventured with your old man

<Nyssa_Pritchart> "...hm?"

<Thomas_Blackstone> "I have absolutely no clue man. Know why my dad would take an army crusading off towards god(gods?) know where?

<Fen_McRoth> "Well, then we have 2 current mission, ask my old man about your old man, and try to get why i'm "nobility"


 * Thomas_Blackstone seems to actually notice Nyssa... "Oh hey, howd it go at your place?"

<Fen_McRoth> "Oh yah Nyss·

<Nyssa_Pritchart> "They stole my father's books..." Nyssa said with a frown. "...I got a little better at magic, though."

<Thomas_Blackstone> "Uh... by them taking your father's books?" *It doesnt seem like he's paying attention...*

<Fen_McRoth> "Tom, are you ok?"

<Thomas_Blackstone> "Uh, yeah..."

<Nyssa_Pritchart> "Not that...Tommy, are you okay?" Nyssa asks.


 * Amy_Morrison wanders out, having sulked for long enough. She'll put off makign the staff for a while, since she really doesn't want to do it anyway.

<Fen_McRoth> "Hey Amy" -Fen waves his hand, not too happy about all of this-

<Thomas_Blackstone> "Yeah... Im really starting to hate these rich noble jerks..."

<Fen_McRoth> "Heh" -Fen laughs a bit, knowing that now he is one of those jerks"

<~parasitologist> And....after much protestation, but thankfully no violence...the village is left with very little to eat or sustain itself with once the tax collectors leave. It's going to be a hard winter. A very hard winter.