Cormyr and its War

[jimthayner]

I am asking about the inner situation of Cormyr. I was roleplaying in the server earlier today and was given some facts about the Cormyrian Govrernment that don't make sense to me.

-Cormyr's coffers are allegedy full of money.

Now, keep in mind, the person I was roleplaying with was a War Wizard and an officer of the crown. This statement may have been what the Crown wants people to hear, rather than actual fact.

However, after reading how devastated Cormyr was in the past 20 years, I am suprised that Cormyr would have its coffers be 'full of gold.' With Arabel, a major city, sacked I'm suprised that Cormyr's economy didn't take a major and severe hit. With orcs roaming free in the countryside, it is a wonder to me how trade caravans can pass throughout the land.

-Cormyr lacks young men to fight.
Without young men, how is Cormyr's coffers allgedly 'Full of Gold' without young men to provide for the industrial backbone of the nation? Without miners, farmers, and general laborers, I don't see how the Cormyrian monarchy could have such fantastic resources. According to the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, Cormyr produces Wood, Weapons, Coal and Grain. It exports Armor and Cloth. It does not import Iron, therefore meaning that Iron must be mined domestically. Mining Iron, mining Coal and foresting for wood all require strong young men.

These are merely observations that do not make a lot of sense. However, I am keeping in mind that the character I was roelplaying with could hve just been 'feeding me the Crown's line' as it would, and merely telling me what the Crown wants me to think. Even enlightened monarchy's still need to use propaganda from time to time.

[moulinous]

Now it came to pass in the Year of the Unstrung Harp, when the shadow of the so-called "Devil Dragon" fell upon the land of Cormyr, that there was much fear in Suzail. After a brief flurry of war-related importations of armor and weaponry, trade in the city fell sharply. Many foreign traders relocated to Sembia and the independent ports of the Dragon Coast -- Westgate in particular. News from the wider world and colorful, interesting trade goods became scarce, and rumors of treason among nobles and courtiers, and strife in many households of the realm, raced through the streets daily, leaving folk muttering and dark-minded.

As the armies clashing in the northern reaches of the realm drew nearer to the capital of the Forest Kingdom, fear rose higher. Dread monsters were said to be on the verge of overwhelming the city. Food (already highly priced in the wake of the ghazneth depredations and associated harvest yield troubles) grew scarcer and more expensive. After the city of Arabel fell and its citizenry streamed into Suzail, journeying from one city to the other in but a few strides by means of mighty war wizard spells, both fear and food shortages increased sharply. Many citizens of Suzail having sufficient portable wealth (or weak loyalties to the city) deemed it wisest to flee both city and realm for a time, and did so -- taking their coin and daily purchases with them. Notable among these departures were many of the freely spending younger members of many noble families of Cormyr, who were "sent away for safety" by their kin. In some cases, their kin promptly followed them, citing variations upon the theme of "urgent business, too long neglected, abroad."

Less fortunate folk left behind in Suzail soon found casual workers (save for unfamiliar ruffians of suspicious looks, who arrived in the city to offer services to one and all as short-hire bodyguards) hard to find. Traditional short-hire tasks such as loading, unloading, and refuse removal grew increasingly difficult, and rats and pets abandoned by those who'd fled roamed the city hungrily, infesting alleys in increasing numbers. Certain nobles took to traveling the streets (when they emerged from their walled and gated mansions at all) with large bodyguards who seized property and dealt harshly with anyone who disputed with them, except when under the eye of Watch patrols or uniformed Purple Dragons. Food became even scarcer and more expensive.

Conditions in the Palace and the sprawling Royal Court echoed those of Suzail's streets, though few courtiers knew true hunger or need. Court officials observed the increasing local filth, lawlessness, and desperation, and determined that something must be done. Highknights were called away from shadowing suspect nobles to "lurk" in Suzail (to lead Purple Dragon strike forces against smugglers, slavers, and the increasing numbers of snatch-and-grab street gangs). Among other measures enacted to "set things to rights" was a curious folly: the window tax.

It was first proposed by a minor clerk of the Royal Vaults, Underscribe Lhultan Culthorp (a wasp-tongued LN male human Exp1 of "superior" manner) as a means of deriving revenue for common food purchases and rat-hunting. His "Coincall Upon Skylights and Viewing-Panes" was to be a levy of 1 silver falcon monthly for every window or skylight in non-Crown-owned buildings within the walls of Suzail (unless said features had been permanently shuttered and boarded up, with all glass removed and "tool work made necessary for their re-opening").

Building owners were to pay the tax to the Coin-Clerks of the Court at the usual offices just inside the Lions Door entrance of the Royal Court. Levies were due on the last day of each month following proclamation of the levy-law. Citizens failing to pay within six sunsets after the due time, according to Culthorp's draft proclamation, would forfeit goods (by Watch seizure) equal in market value to the levy owed (value appraisals to be made by Court officials only, and not subject to challenge or appeal).

The Coincall was proclaimed in Suzail on a single day, in the same manner as all laws of Cormyr. Written notices were posted on signboards along the Promenade, within every city gate, in the Market, at Market Hall, and at all Royal Court entrances. At the same time, the new law was "cried out" (read aloud) by Court officials, ringed by bodyguards, in all city taverns.

It was not well received.



//this one way it could get moolah, tax the merchants.

[moulinous]

(of course here is the rest though.)



Culthorp's original draft Coincall was modified slightly by his superior, Master Clerk of Levies Asmarla Sundtree (a grim and cold-tongued LN female human Exp3, whose cutting remarks earned her the nickname "Old Iceknife"). She deemed "go-forth" collections of levy monies from nonpaying citizens shouldn't be a duty of the overburdened City Watch, but it should become the work of a new force of armed and uniformed levy collectors, "the Hands of the Crown" (promptly rechristened "the Houndhands" by Suzailans). The new levy was quickly dubbed "the window tax" by disgusted and incredulous citizens -- as the furor began.

Wealthy society matron Chesra Harrowhand, known as "the Roaring Lady" for her blistering criticisms of every administrative act, passing fashion, and what she viewed as the steadily worsening state of society throughout Azoun's reign, wrote a letter to Court officials referring to the new levy as "A blade thrust into the backsides of all loyal Cormyreans, even as the Crown expects them to fend off the blades and fangs of attacking beasts" and calling for the "official who thought up this robbery" to be horsewhipped through the streets and jailed for "blatant theft," with his own belongings seized to pay the first month levy for all citizens. She also called on "Azoun to return from riding the backlands with drawn sword to rush to the defense of his people by repealing this tax" and took the unusual step of hiring children to post copies of her letter beside the tax proclamation on all signboards. When one Purple Dragon gate guard laid hands on a youth trying to tack up Harrowhand's plea at his post, he was set upon by citizens and beaten senseless. When other copies of the plea were torn down by Watch officers, badly-lettered copies (obviously the work of folk reading a posted plea rather than any hired scribe) were put in their places by night. On one signboard, this happened at least four times.

Court officials arriving at the Royal Court for work the morning after the levy proclamation were hounded by chants of "Greed! Thieves! Greed! Thieves!" on the Promenade. This fashion grew until spontaneous chants of those two repeated words accompanied Watch officers, Purple Dragons, and known Court officials everywhere they went in the streets. Whenever Court officials were seen unprotected by armed authorities, rotten fruit, buckets of refuse, or flung chamberpot contents were apt to accompany the cries.

A popular local retired Purple Dragon veteran, Thamadar of the Six Swords (hero of Hullack Forest monster hunts and Sembian border brigand skirmishes), made a speech in the Market in which he howled that Court officials were "leeches and rats, sucking our blood while the Obarskyrs sleep or ride to war unawares" and that the Houndhands were "unlawful invaders who should be fought with blades, buckets, mops, and chairs until not a one of them is left standing!"

When Court officials got word of the speech and sent a large Watch force to arrest the one-legged Thamadar at his lodgings, local citizens rushed to defend him. Battle raged in the streets (featuring improvised barricades, the loosing and goading of draft horses through the Watch ranks, and beds flung down from balconies onto officers' heads). The fray lasted long enough for retired veterans (once part of Thamadar's command) to fetch arms and arrive to hurl back the Watch.

The Watch fled to the city barracks and called forth Purple Dragons to restore order. The old soldiers and the new clashed at swordpoint in the streets until someone set a fire and Thamadar roared orders that all "lay down steel" and fight the flames. This was done, and the fire put out by dusk -- whereupon Thamadar and his defenders went to the Promenade, and the veteran repeated his speech before the Gate of the Dragon (the main entrance of the Royal Court). His larger audience, this time, included many Watch and Purple Dragon officers who made no move to stop him.

The next day, a simple proclamation signed by the sage Alaphonar appeared on all signboards: "Her Majesty Queen Filfaeril, having just learned of a mistaken law passed in error, hereby repeals the Window Tax forever."

The populace roared approval of the last word of the royal proclamation, gleefully indulged in lurid speculations as to the fates of the Court officials involved, and continued to regard the Royal Court as they've always done: with deep suspicion.

(Underscribe Lhultan Culthorp has drafted no laws since the repeal and is permanently reassigned to recopying Court records