CH. 14 - A Good Deed

[HorizonsDream]

"The food thieves have been taken care of," Ladonna says. "But we had some difficulty with them, so much in fact that we lost our weapons in the process," she explains. "Without those, we can't really do anything. We'll have to go back to Hart, my group will have to buy new weapons, and I'll have to return again at another time to deal with the mansion and the cattle thieves," she explains. "But there is an issue with the taxes that have not been paid for the past year, and we need to have a discussion about it."

[Daos]

Ladonna
"Very well," Osbert says, patiently awaiting this discussion.

Lillian
The mood grows more morose as everyone just sulks and waits.

[HorizonsDream]

"How much were you paying in taxes before you stopped?" Ladonna asks.

[Daos]

Osbert appears momentarily stunned by the question.  His eyes dart back and forth, quickly thinking, as if he thought this was some kind of test.  Finally, he says, "The previous lord took 1/3 of all of our value.  Crops from the farmers, livestock from the ranches, and so forth.  The rest we consumed ourselves or sold at market for whatever coin we could get."

[HorizonsDream]

"Did that leave you all enough to live?" Ladonna says. "I'm willing to negotiate. The back taxes need to be paid."

[Daos]

"N...negotiate?  Ser Marche, we are your serfs, to do with as you please.  There is no need to negotiate," Osbert says.  "You are our lord, we are bound by law and Gonto to obey your wishes, whatever they may be, until our life debts are paid, that is.  But that won't be for many generations, of course, so it hardly adds into it.  But...that all being said...paying a year's worth of taxes right now would be...difficult to pull off.  The harvest is over, and the snows have set in.  There are no crops to give, and most of the ranch's livestock is missing.  There are our foodstores for the winter...I don't know if what is left is enough, but if that is what you require of us, we will, of course, hand it over."

[HorizonsDream]

"Very well, we will keep it the same as the previous Lord" Ladonna says. "As for the back taxes, it is obvious that you can't do anything right now, but you will have to have like double the harvest next year to pay it back."

[Daos]

"Of course, Ser Marche.  And any serf who objects, I shall see to it they are beaten within an inch of their life for it!" Osbert swears.

[HorizonsDream]

"No reason to beat them, but you can send them to me if it happens," Ladonna says. "I'll take my leave now, and hopefully I will be back soon to take care of the issues here," she says. She says her goodbyes, and joins her group again. "We can leave."

[Daos]

"Send them to you?  In Hart?" Osbert asks, puzzled by the request.  But he agrees to obey, regardless.

[HorizonsDream]

Ladonna explains to him that all he needs to do is send word of them, not the person themselves.

[Daos]

The party returns to Hart without incident.

[Daos]

XP is as follows:

Ladonna Marche (Enchantress 5)
Discussing her winter gown to Jonas - 50 XP
Discussing Viondre with Norris - 50 XP
Discussing danger with Liala - 50 XP
Discussing Relken with Liala - 50 XP
Meeting Osbert - 50 XP
Meeting Eadburh - 50 XP
Meeting Aethan - 50 XP
Meeting Dolores - 50 XP
Consulting with Norris - 50 XP
Rushing in blindly to save Liala - 50 XP
Casting Burning Hands - 50 XP
Defeating Shadows (x2) - 93 XP
Casting Hold Person on Victor - 150 XP
Casting Sleep on Orcs - 50 XP
Sub-Total: 843 XP (+10%)
TOTAL: 927 XP

Lillian (Bard 5)
Evading Panola's questions - 50 XP
Answering Panola's questions - 50 XP
Meeting Osbert - 50 XP
Meeting Eadburh - 50 XP
Meeting Aethan - 50 XP
Meeting Dolores - 50 XP
Discussing death with Unakite - 50 XP
Asking Unakite about her mysterious past - 50 XP
Casting Invisibility on herself - 50 XP
Defeating Shadows (x2) - 93 XP
Embracing her destiny - 200 XP
Ladonna's Bootlicker - 100 XP
Finding Unakite's trail - 50 XP
Arguing with Jonas - 50 XP
Sub-Total: 943 XP (+5%)
TOTAL: 990 XP

Lillian reaches level 6!
+1d6 HP
+1 cantrip
+1 level 2 spell slot
+15 thief skill points
*Rallying Song improves (60' radius and lasts 6 rounds)
*Legend Lore improves (30%)

Ingot Tenhammer (Fighter 2)
Defeating Shadows (x2) - 93 XP
Defeating 6 HD worth of enemies - 120 XP
Sub-Total: 213 XP (+10%)
TOTAL: 234 XP

Liala Lavallen (Transmuter 2)
Casting Burning Hands - 50 XP
Defeating Shadows (x2) - 93 XP
Sub-Total: 143 XP (+10%)
TOTAL: 157 XP

Finbul Padner (Druid 2)
N/A
Sub-Total: 0 XP (+10%)
TOTAL: 0 XP

Jonas Marche (Fighter 3)
Defeating Shadows (x2) - 93 XP
Defeating 6 HD worth of enemies - 180 XP
Sub-Total: 273 XP (+10%)
TOTAL: 300 XP