Zax sneered at tax collector Collin. Although for the last year, he had pretended to be a hero, the tiefling was justifiably confident when dealing with the Tax Auditors of Grom. Famous knights and wizards have been known to be reduced to quivering wrecks when faced by the Royal Tax Collectors, but Zax stood his ground. This wasn't his first tax audit, and he was sure it wasn't going to be the last.
Collin blinked at the tiefling," Zax the owner of Royal Carriages?"
Zax nodded, "That's me. You were expecting someone older I bet, but due to my mix heritage I appear a lot younger then my real age."
"I see..", the auditor replied while making notes.
"2 am is pretty late for a tax audit don't you think?", asked Zax annoyed at being dragged from the bar. Even more annoying was the Auditor's goons scaring off Nymk , his chances with her were definitely runined.
"Taxes stop for no man", replied the dark robed man.
"You're new here , aren't you?", asked the orange tiefling as he examined the spartan office.
The thin man paused as he considered Zax. The tiefling did not seem that remarkable to him. After a moment of consideration the gaunt faced man in the black robes nodded, "Quite correct, I've been transferred from Grom City a few weeks ago. Your file has apparently been flagged for quite awhile now. When I examined it I was shocked. Over 10,000 gold in declared income, a business, mounts, employees...and you paid , lets see here, under 100 gold in taxes."
Zax shrugged, "The government shouldn't put tax exemptions in place , if they didn't want people to use them. Everything's in order I assure you."
Collin chuckled at the comment as he readied a pile of papers, "The issue at hand here is the validity of those exemptions. To begin with, lets deal with your milit..."
Zax stood up and pointed to his pack, "May I?", he said slowly. The tax collectors in Grom were mostly seasoned battle veterans. Those that weren't normally found themselves overwhelmed by the victims they antagonized. Zax was pretty sure this Collin fellow could smite him with a spell or shoot him with a crossbow, so he made sure he didn't make sudden moves.
Collin was curious to what sort of games Zax wanted to play. He nodded his head to indicate to him to proceed.
Zax breathed a sigh of relief and retrieved several ledgers and folders from his pack. They were several volumes of the papers, and Collin surmised it was some sort of magical carrying device.
"Don't worry I have a receipt for this. ", said Zax as he organized his papers,"You see, after my 4th audit. I decided to be prepared. Here are copies of my ledgers, and documentation on the legitimacy of my tax exemptions. May I?"
Collin was both impressed and annoyed at the tiefling's preparations. Most men were begging for mercy at this point of the audit, especially after his goons drag them here in the middle of the night.
"To begin with, as you can plainly see I am of mixed heritage. A tiefling as most people call it. We all know that the Royal Auditors provide no exemptions for my lowly people...however it has been established in the past, that people of mixed racial heritage can claim benefits from either blood line. See Mighty Zug vs the people of BarkWark. I have here , a sworn statement from the Sheriff of Halfhaven that I have sufficient halfling blood in me to qualify for the hobbit sustenance tax deduction. ", Zax stated wincing at the difficulty in convincing the Sherrif. The tiefling remembered the grueling test of competing in the fall pie eating competition. It took him several tries but he finally placed second , and convinced the sheriff he was part halfling.
"In the second folder, you'll find I have membership to the Devil's wood druid society. This qualifies me for the animal and mount tax rebate. This allows me to run my carriage business efficiently and profitably. I assure you its quite legit. Even Lord Kerr honors me with his patronage .", continued the tiefling. Zax remembered how he convinced the high druid of the woods to join his circle. It was easy enough if a bit embarrassing. Zax recalled the many days he had to run naked in the woods, smearing himself with mud and leaves.
"On a more mundane note, everyone knows I am a lieutenant in the Grommish Army. Even though I mustered out years ago, I still am an active member of the reserves. This qualifies me for the veteran deduction as well as the active service man reduction. Thus exempting my weapons and armor, as well as a hefty reduction of my taxable income.", boasted Zax proudly.
Collin interrupted, "Your military service is unremarkable, you served in the quarter masters corp and mustered out voluntarily after the defeat of Lord Lueders. I'm curious , to my knowledge they don't allow tieflings in the army. Forgive my rudeness, but they are considered untrustworthy and unreliable. How did they let you in? Let alone make you an officer?"
Zax feigned shock at the tax collector's statement. "It's true that tieflings aren't allowed in the army. However my desire to defend my home land allowed the local recruiter to draft me under the heading halfling. Since halflings are naturally adept at organization , they placed me in the support service branch. As for the reasons that they prompted me to an officer, my commanders must have noticed my zeal and dedication to my duty."
As well as the big fat bribes I gave, them thought Zax with a chuckle.
"Although the military exemptions are large, you can see they are not sufficient to cover my total taxes. Fortunately for me , I am also a member of the northern knights. Everyone knows that after the knights defeated Grom around 200 AD (after the Duke) the Grommers gave them much treasures and future tax reductions to intice them to leave. Over the centuries our peoples have become much more amicable, even allies sometimes, but they still demand the right to those deductions. ", boasted Zax. He could see the tax collector was reeling already , so he decided to close in for the kill.
"A knight of the north? That seems very unlikely.", said Collin suddenly recovering. The tax collector sensed an opening in the tieflings defenses and decided to seize it." To my knowledge, Tieflings are sworn enemies to the knights. Like Kobolds and Gnomes, or elves and orcs. I find it quite unlikely that you are a member of one of the knightly orders."
Zax saw his trap was set, and the bait taken. He moved in for the kill, " On the contrary. The knights have battled my people for millennium, but they are not a hateful people. A Sir Vasa of the Husky heard of my heroic deeds, and recruited me into his order. If you look up page 57 Volume One of the master list of legal orders, organizations and religions , under the heading of Silver Champion, the Order of Husky is a prominent and prestigious group. My heroic deeds did not just impress Sir Vasa to knight me, but he also made me knight commander of the order. He even gave me a scroll with his seal on it to prove this."
"Wait..wait...I am familiar with these backward orders, a scroll with a seal doesn't mean anything. They have no supporting documentation ro archives to reference this. How do you know this Sir Vasa can legitimately knight someone in the first place?", scrambled Collin.
Zax appeared confused, but he really wasn't. He wanted to let Collin think he was winning, but in reality he already lost. The tiefling did his infernal ancestors proud , by the devilish delight he took in humbling bureaucrats. "Do you think I would be proclaiming myself as a Knight Commander of the Husky if the legitimacy of my claim could be challenged? If a lowly tiefling claimed such a title , every Knight in the order with any sense of pride would come seeking my head. As you can see on page 57 , the Husky is one of the most prestigious of the lesser orders, we rank right up there with the Bat, Crab, and Walrus. "
Collin considered the statement, and Zax was correct. From all his dealings with the Knights of the North, he knew that if the tiefling wasn't who he stated he was, vengeance would be sought. The auditor sank in his chair, and wondered how he would save face from such a terrible defeat.
Zax appeared impassive, but he was doing a mental victory dance at the moment. No Husky knights would be seeking head, because there were hardly any he failed to mention to Collin was that Sir Vasa was the last surviving Knight of the Order of the Husky. He came south to recruit more heroes but found little luck. After a bottle of wine, some of Zax's inflated tales of heroics, and a "suitable" donation, Zax was made a knight commander of the depleted order. Considered the fortune he had saved it was the "Best 20 gold I ever spent.", thought the tiefling proudly.
"Is that everything sir?", asked Zax humbly. The dejected look on Collins face burned into his memory. He would savor it for sometime.
Before Zax could answer, the door to the auditors room opened.
"Lady Nayra!", said Collin in surprise. Suddenly Zax's spirits fell.
"That will be enough Collin. ", said the head Tax collector dismissively, "I'll take over from here."
Lady Nayra waited for Collin to leave the room. She then smiled at Zax, sending a chill down his spine. She was a tiefling like Zax, but while Zax had only orange skin, Lady Nayra was more visibly marked. Zax thought she had a very fit and almost shapely body. Her face however was something to be desired. Although the lower half of her face , was enough to make a courtesan jealous, the upper half was "unique" . She had an almost beaked nose, scarred by dark veins. Her eyes were similar to those of blind cave fish. They were over sized and milky , devoid of pupils. Her hair was a mix of white feathers and ropey strands. Zax wondered what type of strange outsider the tax collector had descended from.
Discounting her appearance, Lady Nayra was the most feared person in Lower Lueders, possibly all of Northern Grom. It was said that although Lord Governor Kerr could kill you with a gaze, or General Olive can destroy you with her armies, Lady Nayra could tax you to death, and then tax your children, and their children, and even animate your corpse to work till your debts were paid off. Besides the frightening powers of her office, Lady Nayra could call forth giants, and monsters from the Aether to do her bidding.
"Its been a while Zax.", said the head Tax Collector.
Zax remained silent, waiting for the axe to drop. Zax had dealt with her in the past, she wouldn't be here if she didn't have an ace in the hole. Although the tiefling community in Lower Lueders was quite closely knit, there was no love lost between the two.
Nayra walked behind Zax, and passively flipped through his papers. " Military service papers, boring, membership to a druid order, ...oh come now? You a halfling? ...". She then stopped and picked up a scroll with a seal.
"Now this is interesting...Knight of the Husky ? Oh..I'm sorry Knight Commander of the Husky. This is very convenient for you.", said Nayra in a mocking voice.
"Everything is in order. Collin already checked it out. We're not going to have to do another audit are we? I thought there was a limit on how many you people can do before its considered harassment . ", said Zax finally. He would have preferred to stay quiet but Nayra's dismissive tone was drawing his ire.
Nayra ignored his comment , and sat in Collins chair while examining the scroll," This looks legitimate. Everything seems on the up and up."
Zax breathed a sigh of relief. Although he survived many audits before , any encounter of Nayra always filled him with dread. Perhaps the gods were smiling and the spiteful woman was only paying him a social visit.
"However...", Nayra said while Fetch's heart stopped.
"...its come to my attention, that although The Order of the Husky is a prestigious organization, they haven't been fulfilling their knightly obligations. From my understanding, to qualify as a Knight Order under Grom's tax codex, someone...anyone...in the order must perform at least one major quest or crusade every 3 years. Normally, that isn't a problem. Knights are always crusading or questing. Even if half the knights of an order were meditating in a monastery , someone would be out questing. However, that's not the case for your order is it?"
Zax felt a chill run down his spine. Even his ability to slowly heat his skin up did not seem to help with the bitter cold he was feeling.
"Lets get straight to the point here, if your Order does not meet its quest obligations, I will be forced to revoke their status as a Knightly Organization. This will cause you a substantial monetary penalty. As well , it gives me the right to call into question some or all of your other claims. It might takes months to verify them, but in the mean time you will be charged for them. If the tax courts rule in your favor then your money is returned , minus a holding fee of course, if they rule against you, then you will be forced to pay not only this years deductions but the previous years as well.", said the tax collector cruelly . Zax felt the cold bitch twisting a knife twist in his heart.
"By my guess, this will cause your business to fold, and depending on your savings, might put you in debtors prison.", said Nayra with a smirk.
"Enough already...what do you want? Lets stop playing these games.", said Zax angrily. He deduced Nayra was being a bit too theatrical just to tax him. Even if what Nayra said was true, Zax knew he could easily raise the funds needed to maintain his business till the courts decided his case. A few well placed bribes and he would be back in business.
"As you know, the last few months we've seen raids from the giants of Frost haven. Giant raids are not rare, but the amount seen in the past few weeks have been unsettling . There has been reports that a vast giant army is about to the invade. There exact target is unknown, but we can be assured that the devastation they cause will be extensive. ", said Nayra sighing. She seemed to have been enjoying the sight of Zax squirming , now that her fun was done, she seemed reluctant to get back to business.
"Even a small raiding party of giants is difficult to counter, an army of giants requires an army of our own. The 3rd army , the various knightly orders, and even the Halfling Imperial Guard are mobilizing to deal with this threat. As you know, when this many knights gather, they convene a champions meeting. They take the opportunity of these gatherings to settle old scores, fill empty positions, create political alliances, write laws, and draft economic and foreign policies. ", Nayra said with a slight bored tone to her voice.
"Although the legitimacy of your order is in question in Grom, its still considered an important group in the north. So important, that its considered an elector post. An elector knight is someone that gets to vote on new champions and policies... ", said the tax collector before being interrupted.
"Stop..stop right there!", demanded Zax."I see where this is going. You want to send me up north to their barbarian pow wow, and vote in favor of polices that benefit Grom. Well I know something about knights as well. They are a violent and impulsive people . I'm a tiefling for Alphonso's sake. If they see me acting like a knight, someone's gonna challenge me and duel me , most likely to the death. Also , last I heard,to get to the land of Knights you will need a boat. Well no way I'm getting on a boat, while an army giant raiders is ready to invade. No thanks! I'll find my own way to get out of these stupid taxes. "
Zax gathered his papers angrily and stuffed them in his pack. Although his actions might cause him to lose everything, it was better then losing his life. It was hard enough to be a tiefling in Lower Lueders, the second class citizen treatment, the visible stigma, and the slim employments opportunities. Being a tiefling in the northern waste was a different matter, only certain death awaited him there. His people had been beaten and defeated countless times in the past by the knights. Recently the tiefling army of Lord Ari was defeated by a grommer and knight army led by the Famous Sir Frank of the Crab. The death of his people by those barbarians still resonated strongly with Zax.
"You have made a poor decision Zax. I hope you will have your papers ready the next time we meet.", said Nayra as the carriage driver stormed out of the room.
Zax left the Revenue building angrily. They didn't try to stop him , which was a good sign. He half expected a dozen armed Grommish thugs to set upon him as soon as he left the room. The fact he wasn't beaten, meant that he was valuable to them. Maybe they thought he would still come around to their way of thinking. Whatever the reason , Zax had to think fast. He either had to borrow a lot of money or prevent the order of the Husky from falling out of favor. He would have to contact Sir Vasa, convince the old drunk to do a quest or something. It didn't matter if he succeeded or not, from what Zax could understand, he had to attempt a quest not necessarily succeed in it.
Unfortunately for Zax, he had no idea where Vasa had gone to. He hadn't seen him in over a year now. He stayed in town a few weeks after he knighted Zax, but afterwards he went recruiting to the south. After all this time, Zax had no idea where to begin his search. Maybe a wizard or something could help him.
"Look what we have here boys. ", said a gruff voice.
Zax blinked, and realized while deep in thought, he was inadvertently surrounded by a half dozen large men. Zax grew up in the streets, and figured he could give them the slip, but these men looked different from the common thug. They looked way too big to be common criminals.
"Let's teach this fraud a lesson , he won't be getting up from.", said the lead thug as he raised his heavy mace to strike the tiefling.