Inn's moderately busy although the bartender appears to have stepped out briefly, while the chapel's quiet. After a short period of time, a short elf with an official-looking brooch holding his cloak on walks into the bar and approaches Firaga
[imitating Firaga] Well met, that is true. I hope to take a warm shelter this evening, rather than the gullies that have been my bed these last nights.
The elf replies "Usually is, but you'd have to ask the bartender to be sure, I think she's in back rummaging through the storage." then sizes up Firaga a bit with sharp green eyes..."You look like you can handle yourself pretty well. Mind taking on a task for me? Can't do it myself because then nobody'd be home in town to deal with the usual constable's matters..."
"...said he had to spend some extra time in town to collect from the groves and covens...bit odd, since they've never had the collectors visit before. Haven't seen him since."
The gates are wide open, with the drawbridge down. They open into a foyer space, with a giant tarantula decked out in iridescent blue and tan on one side and an empty desk with a sword, shield, longbow, and quiver hanging on the other. The shield has a spider motif on it, and torches and skylights provide illumination.
There's also a machine off in the corner that has a pen and inkwell sitting next to it, and what looks to be a roll of parchment inside it
well since the tax collector was trying to collect tax from this place, I'm assuming thyre not THAT unfriendly, right?
so I go back to the doors, and knock loudly saying "Ayooohh," (an ancient dragonborn greeting for the exact situation of coming to a home or abode and no one greets you)
oh and it comes off as a bellowing roar with my vocal chords being half dragon
There isn't anything to knock on -- the portcullis has been set in the open position for a while. You do hear a bit of eight-legged stirring behind you though.
spiders! I whirl around, bringing my battleaxe out
but I dont have my shield on yet (dont want to disrespect anyone here if I wear it while knocking), so Im wearing it 2 handed... which with my fighting style is actually worse... haha
The spider seems to relax further, although it is a bit bristly by nature (as tarantulas are). You feel some sort of trigger underfoot and then hear a voice accompanied by a bit of machine-noise "Welcome to the Talespinners! Please sign the guest roll"
"Im not here for a quest... Well, I am. But I need to find the tax collector first." he tells the machine. Bahamut Im losing my mind, talking to machines
are there other exits? (Firaga is really single-minded)
You can see what looks like a glimpse of your...picture? scroll by on the machine...it seems to be wanting you to sign a blank spot below it. You can see that behind you is still wide open, and there are red running-stick-figures above doors on either side of the main area/was-a-courtyard in front of you
The spider itself doesn't move, but you do head in, seeing what looks to be a three-tiered structure emerge. The other seven sides of the upper tier have various doors on them (left middle and right middle have the two red-glowing-signed-doors)
The second tier below has ramps down from the first tier in front and back, as well as what look to be seats and lecterns in front of walls, and a few doors in back flanking the ramps. There is a third tier below that, that looks to be a pit occupied by a giant, funnel-shaped spiderweb. You can hear a yawn from down below...
The door has another sign on it, but doesn't respond to knocking. That other sign reads "FIRE EXIT -- PUSH UNTIL ALARM SOUNDS -- DOOR OPENS IN ONE MINUTE" in a bunch of languages
You hear an "Oh!" and a bunch of stirring, then a feminine "Sorry about that! Be right back!" as a simply dressed elven lass with a hatchet and scroll-cases at her belt emerges from the bottom pit "I didn't hear the doorbell in all that!"
"Ah, yes, I saw that device. It's brilliant but its intricacies are lost in me." he replies. "Did someone come here, a few days ago, collecting taxes?"
"Oh, yes...the tax collector! He's been here a week and a half now -- we've been arguing in circles all this time, but he just won't leave without what he believes is owed. Thing is, even the Headmistress and I disagree on how that part of the tax law is interpreted...those city-slickers weren't paying attention when they redid it last!"
"And yes...Tharvyrion's a zealous one for sure, but certainly a bit wet behind the ears as to how things work in the deep forests. Who do I have the pleasure of meeting today, by the way?"
Does she look nervous at all, I'm trying to tell if she's lying and hiding the tax collector in the basement half filled with water. "The name's Firaga. Firaga Sunplate. And you?"
She smiles disarmingly, her look mostly serene, albeit with hints of frustration at the mess showing through. "Name's Rethvara. I'm the coven's treasurer."
"Mind coming down and taking a seat?" She motions to the webbing in the center pit
"Certainly. He's a bit bleary-eyed right now, been a long day trying to explain to him that he'd need to have the treasury send land surveyors out if they wanted boundaries for our territory to put on the lease..."
"I'm certainly not qualified to do that!"
She hollers back "Tharvyrion! Our guest wishes to speak with you!" and shortly thereafter, he comes scrambling up out of the webbing himself
"Here's the rub...the High Court's interpretation of taxes on leases puts them underwater on tax liability alone, but at the same time...the Treasury said that their territory was converted to leasehold, but gave me this instead of something useful!" He holds up a parchment, shaking it in frustration.
Rethvara pipes up at his frustrations with a bit more explanation "It's basically a form-lease instead of something with metes and bounds on it, so it's void ab initio...how the heck are you supposed to lease an amorphous blob to somebody?"
"I'd have gone to the Treasury myself with this, but the witch-hunters in the cities would eat me alive!"
Firaga is really out of his element while they are arguing. But he seems surprised at the mention of witch hunters. "Do you want me to escort you, Rethvara?"
"Besides, Crown land has no tax rate by law, so improvements on it and fruits from it can't be taxed, even in a leasehold situation" Rethvara continues...but then looks over to Firaga "It wouldn't help...I can prepare some briefs and send them with you, but those witch hunters would probably try to push the judge around if they knew who was behind it. Those witch hunters are mean sorts, don't have any care for the rule of law whatsoever."
"That'd be most appreciated! Perhaps you can retain local counsel when you arrive in the city, too? I wouldn't wing it alone on an argument this critical. Groves, covens, and temples all over the land are riding on this..."
@daze413 we are still on the rails indeed :) but I need to sleep. we can pick this up next time :) and yes, we will get to the combat encounter then. what do you think of the overall dungeon so far?
not particularly. it'd annoy folks in the dungeon, and make your life a bit uphill...but nothing would break if you squished Ralphie (that's his name ;)
oh, and am not clear what to do next and how to help with the tax case. but i think thatll resolve itself
see ya!
@Shalvenay additional inputs, if you wanted to ramp up the ominous castle-thats-not-really-evil scene, you could maybe start it with the treasury sending the adventurers in there, thinking that Tharvyrion was captured by the witches (or something) because "why else would he have not returned, and sending us these ridiculous counter-claims? VOID AB INITIO?!" idk. just throwing around ideas