I'm a High Fantasy Tax Collector, So What? A CKII Tax Collector Quest
Ah, Vinimrond, a land of myth made manifest. Underneath the sky sprinkled with crystalline shards, civilization flourishes once again. Works of the Precursors dot the land and sea, ranging from great temples of steel (for what other purpose could such an unfathomable amount of steel be used to point skyward in such neat patterns?) to the terrible Calamity Frames and the unspeakable Armors. No civilization can live without knowing that it resides in the ashes of a civilization far its superior.
And yet...life goes on. Civilization flourishes under the protection of the Divine Gathering, the place where all the Greater Spirits eventually find their way home to. Civilization flourishes under the protection of the land spirits, who do so bless the harvests so that the great teeming masses in the cities and the fields may eat. Civilization flourishes under the protection of the nobility - pft, that's a good joke.
Civilization doesn't really flourish under nobility. At least, not the kind you're used to dealing with.
After all, in life, there are two constants: death, and taxes. The first is so inviolate that even the Precursors succumbed to it. Though, you did hear that some Baron over in Transulinia tried to make himself an immortal undead ruler. You also heard that the Divine Gathering couldn't tolerate that kind of violation of the Compact of the Precursors, so a crusade's being called down. Somehow, people have to pay for the arming and gathering of all those warriors under arms, so that leads you to where you are now.
Doing this thankless job of wringing a cheating noble dry.
Fortunately...
[] [STAT] Martial
You have your trusty pistol, "Your", and your equally beloved sword, "Welcome". When combined in your hands, they make quite the statement.
Martial is guaranteed to be the PC's best stat, and tilts the game towards the western Blazing Swords and Shot.
[] [STAT] Diplomacy
You have a smile, a gesture, and a letter or seventeen to show to the right person. Or seventeen. You always know who the right person is.
Diplomacy is guaranteed to be the PC's best stat, and tilts the game towards the absolutely vicious Diplomacy, Knightmaker Edition.
[] [STAT] Intrigue
You keep finding ways to get coin into hands that your enemies would really like coin out of, and ways to get all these awfully incriminating documents right into the hands they least want - that is to say, yours.
Intrigue is guaranteed to be the PC's best stat, and tilts the game towards the stealthy Shadow Tactics: Quills of the Finance Ministry.
[-] [STAT] Learning
The Divine Gathering gently urges you away from this path. The Compact of the Precursors is the only way to maintain peace and stability in the long term, after all.
Learning is guaranteed to be the PC's best stat, but for various reasons this path is barred in this quest.
[] [STAT] Stewardship
If there's a book you can access, you've read it front, back, and sideways. The letters and numbers simply fall into place. Which is why it's so interesting that these numbers...do not fall into place.
Stewardship is guaranteed to be the PC's best stat, and tilts the game towards the puzzling Phoenix Wright, Ace Accountant.
[] [STAT] Piety
Your Divine Spirit is particularly accessible, and helps you solve cases. Sometimes with...bizarre results.
Piety is guaranteed to be the PC's best stat, and tilts the game towards the buddy-cop Divine Weapon.
Your case, though, is a little tricky.
[] [CASE] Brewing Suspicion
The province has a rich port city, feeding exotic spices and teas from the East and spreading it at a huge markup to the interior. The Luxury tax is supposed to apply to the buyers; every time someone buys a luxury like tea, the buyer is supposed to kick a fraction of the price over to the provincial lord, who kicks it up the chain. So why has their provincial tax revenue been falling, while their tea floods the market? Investigate.
[] [CASE] The Origins of Specie
Something strange is going on with the tax from one of the provinces. The province has been able to consistently provide its tax in their own specie; given their own silver and gold mines, their currency should be one of the most trustworthy holders of value. Taxes have thus been consistently paid in specie in a level amount - even as traders complain about specie not holding as much value as before. Dig into the issue.
[] [CASE] Grainy Resolution
One province has paid noticeably less taxes in grain than the previous years. Considering that neighboring provinces have been able to maintain their taxes in grain, something strange is going on in this province. Go check it out.
Well, best get to work.
[] [PARTY] Alone.
Don't want to kick up a fuss, not when this can be resolved all neat-like.
Significant bonus to stat rolls, but no party members outside of previous options.
[] [PARTY] With the team.
This group has your back, and you have theirs. You can't imagine working without them.
Neutral to stat rolls, gain party members with lower stats.
[] [PARTY] With the cavalry.
Knock knock, it's the army. With guns. And swords. Criminal scum will know not to mess with you while these guys are in town.
Malus to stat rolls, completely different background rolls, will have army backup.
