The First and Last Tax Man in Thimblecross, Part 1

When the crown gave the black castle by Thimblecross to the first Lord Harrow, it also exempted the castle and the village from Woldish taxes. It was hardly a concession. The borders had moved on beyond the Oggerspire Mountains, so the black castle lost its strategic value. The rocky, mountainous area was hardly prosperous. If anything, the Harrows were doing the crown a favor by taking an unproductive backwater off its hands.

At the height of the Harrows' influence, when they threw grand balls and made or broke fortunes throughout the Oggish regions, the nobles resented their tax-free status. No one dared move against them. Nobles nurse resentments for generations, however.

Then the Harrow line vanished. Decades later, a high-ranking official embarrassed a noble, one held many favors in the labyrinthine bureaucracies that ran the capital. You know, gentle reader, what they say about birds and stones. It was decided that the offending official would be sent to collect back taxes in Thimblecross.

Sadly, dear reader, this is not my story to tell. There is another chomping at the bit to tell this story. With no further ado, I leave you in the worrisome hands of Jolly.