cplmac
08-26-2008, 11:24 AM
Azebo is primarily a large farming community in the Kingdom of Endebar. For as long as anyone can remember, there has been peace and prosperity for the citizens of Azebo. Unfortunately, this has not been true as of lately. Circumstnaces have been growing progressively worse that now the entire town citizenry are in serious trouble.
It all started a little more than a year ago. At first, the bandits were only hitting the farms that bordered the forest. They wouldn't take just money, but food and other supplies also. Eventually, those farms didn't have much left to take, so in an effort to show their superiority, the bandits set the crops of one of the farms on fire. While the community rallied together to fight the fire and saved the farm house and barn, the bandits hit some of the farms that were a little farther from the forest. Over time, this progressed to the point where the bandits had all the farms paying them for "protection". A few farmers decided to try and resist, but they then awoke that night to their crops being set ablaze. At the same time, they were hitting the merchants that would come to Azebo to sell their merchandise and aquire other items to take back to their own shops in other towns and cities.
As time went on, the farmers had to start charging more for their items because of the high price of paying for the "protection". Eventually, the bandits started shaking down the town merchants for protection too. Now everyone was being affected and this grew to the point where it caused far reaching problems for Azebo. The crop yields grew smaller, merchant prices rose and all to soon, everyone was just barely able to provide for their family after paying the protection fee. Finally the day came that there was no food to sell to the merchants to take back to their stores in the capital city of Luzien. Without the income from this, the people of Azebo got to the point where they were unable to pay their taxes to the kingdom.
One day a large group of fighters, led by a knight, arrived and arrested both the mayor and treasurer. Before they left, the knight pulled a dagger from its sheaf and stuck a piece of parchment to the door of the Town Hall. To the people who were watching he said, "If I were you folks, I would do as this says. You will not like the consequences if I have to return here." He then mounted his heavy war horse and gave the command to leave. Nobody dared to say a word as they watched the two captives be taken away in what looked to be an iron barred cell built onto a flat wagon.
Once the sound of the horse's hooves could no longer be heard, Drexel, the town's farrier, approached the door and took the piece of parchment off. Amar, owner of the General Store, and Milo, proprietor of the Inn of the Wispering Wind, go up too and read the note.
By decree of his Royal Highness, King Edmond, the farming district that includes the town of Azebo has been granted the ability to pay the sum of 10,000 gp to account for back taxes owed and taxes to be assessed for the next 6 months, which includes the current month. Payment will be collected on the last day of the sixth month. The remaining town leaders can determine how to divide up how much each family owes. If only partial payment is made, then the senior most person of each family not paid in full shall be arrested and jailed along with the mayor and treasurer. This will continue every month thereafter until all families are paid current or everyone is in jail.
It is signed with King Edmond's signature and has the seal of Endebar stamped on it.
The three men then entered the Town Hall and found the scribe sitting at her desk trembling. After making sure that she is alright, the four of them agree to have everyone gathered together for an emergency town meeting. Once everyone has arrived, they are all agreed that the only option is to be able to have the whole 10,000 gp by the deadline. This way there will be no more arrests and the mayor and treasurer will be released. Obviously, for this to happen, the bandits had to be stopped. It was decided that in two days the group that would seek to stop the bandits should present themselves at midday in the Town Hall. Amar and Milo agreed to help Cere, the scribe, keep the town operating until the mayor, Karl, and the treasurer, Johnathon, are released.
It is now two days later and your group stands outside of Town Hall. Having never done anything like this before, you all wonder what lies ahead. Will you be able to find all of the bandits and stop them? Will there be enough money found to be able to pay the taxes? And can this all be done in the time between now and when the payment is due?
It all started a little more than a year ago. At first, the bandits were only hitting the farms that bordered the forest. They wouldn't take just money, but food and other supplies also. Eventually, those farms didn't have much left to take, so in an effort to show their superiority, the bandits set the crops of one of the farms on fire. While the community rallied together to fight the fire and saved the farm house and barn, the bandits hit some of the farms that were a little farther from the forest. Over time, this progressed to the point where the bandits had all the farms paying them for "protection". A few farmers decided to try and resist, but they then awoke that night to their crops being set ablaze. At the same time, they were hitting the merchants that would come to Azebo to sell their merchandise and aquire other items to take back to their own shops in other towns and cities.
As time went on, the farmers had to start charging more for their items because of the high price of paying for the "protection". Eventually, the bandits started shaking down the town merchants for protection too. Now everyone was being affected and this grew to the point where it caused far reaching problems for Azebo. The crop yields grew smaller, merchant prices rose and all to soon, everyone was just barely able to provide for their family after paying the protection fee. Finally the day came that there was no food to sell to the merchants to take back to their stores in the capital city of Luzien. Without the income from this, the people of Azebo got to the point where they were unable to pay their taxes to the kingdom.
One day a large group of fighters, led by a knight, arrived and arrested both the mayor and treasurer. Before they left, the knight pulled a dagger from its sheaf and stuck a piece of parchment to the door of the Town Hall. To the people who were watching he said, "If I were you folks, I would do as this says. You will not like the consequences if I have to return here." He then mounted his heavy war horse and gave the command to leave. Nobody dared to say a word as they watched the two captives be taken away in what looked to be an iron barred cell built onto a flat wagon.
Once the sound of the horse's hooves could no longer be heard, Drexel, the town's farrier, approached the door and took the piece of parchment off. Amar, owner of the General Store, and Milo, proprietor of the Inn of the Wispering Wind, go up too and read the note.
By decree of his Royal Highness, King Edmond, the farming district that includes the town of Azebo has been granted the ability to pay the sum of 10,000 gp to account for back taxes owed and taxes to be assessed for the next 6 months, which includes the current month. Payment will be collected on the last day of the sixth month. The remaining town leaders can determine how to divide up how much each family owes. If only partial payment is made, then the senior most person of each family not paid in full shall be arrested and jailed along with the mayor and treasurer. This will continue every month thereafter until all families are paid current or everyone is in jail.
It is signed with King Edmond's signature and has the seal of Endebar stamped on it.
The three men then entered the Town Hall and found the scribe sitting at her desk trembling. After making sure that she is alright, the four of them agree to have everyone gathered together for an emergency town meeting. Once everyone has arrived, they are all agreed that the only option is to be able to have the whole 10,000 gp by the deadline. This way there will be no more arrests and the mayor and treasurer will be released. Obviously, for this to happen, the bandits had to be stopped. It was decided that in two days the group that would seek to stop the bandits should present themselves at midday in the Town Hall. Amar and Milo agreed to help Cere, the scribe, keep the town operating until the mayor, Karl, and the treasurer, Johnathon, are released.
It is now two days later and your group stands outside of Town Hall. Having never done anything like this before, you all wonder what lies ahead. Will you be able to find all of the bandits and stop them? Will there be enough money found to be able to pay the taxes? And can this all be done in the time between now and when the payment is due?