The Taxman's Clearing
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The Taxman's Clearing
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| Click to download a free PDF of the Taxman's Clearing! |
TO
RECREATE THIS MAP
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Random Seed: 1339751266
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Layout: Cavernous
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Size: Tiny
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Egress: Multiple
BASIC INFO
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One square is 5'x5'
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Tileset used to help make this map look more like
a forest clearing and less like a cave came from tekepon.net.
Twenty
years ago the clearing was just a forest. A young adventurer named Irwin
Sanders, with few scruples and a recently fattened coin purse, decided to
become a bandit and start his own gang. Knowing he would need some help, Irwin
enlisted a local bandit named Hollis Craig to help get things set up. Hollis
jumped at the chance and within a month a crew was cutting down trees to form, what
was then called, The Raven's Roost. From this clearing "The Ravens"
would sweep the nearby road, relieving any travelers of their valuables. An unfortunate
accident left Irwin dead on the road when attempting to rob two men. Hollis Craig
took over the gang, changed its name to The Taxmen, and increased profits
immediately.
As the
Taxman, Hollis hires only young thieves with little experience so he can train
them to steal his way. He spends as much time with his gang as possible, and
makes it a point to constantly lecture them on the finer points of thievery. He
will never raise their wages and openly encourages them to leave one day for
greener pastures. This level of transparency is appreciated by most, and Hollis
will often guide those leaving to contacts he had made over his years of taxing
the public. Anyone who doesn't appreciate the transparency, or the system, is
swiftly dispatched by one of Hollis' most trusted men, Jacob Crew.
1
- Western Entrance
Thick forest stands on either side of the path
hiding watchmen ready with bird calls to signal who is arriving in camp. A
thick layer of leaves atop overgrown grass show that this path isn't traveled
much, and a swinging log trap helps keep it that way. The woods on either
side of the path are also thick with shallow, covered pits containing spears.
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2 - MAIN
GREEN
The
scent of a farmers market hangs above a chaotically tended garden scattered
around numerous trees. The trees are all bear fruit of some sort and while
they're not the healthiest morsels they are a far sight better than
bread. Any vegetables that can be
grown in this region of the world can be found in a bed under these trees.
This area is tended by three brothers (Byron, Clayton and Horton) who see to
the grounds and food more than often than they engage in roadwork anymore.
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3 - CAMPS
Up to
three dozen bedrolls and smokeless
"Dakota" fire pits can be
scattered throughout this area. Some of the bandits leave their personal
effects out but most have little more than a pack and some weapons. A barrel
of arrows and a rack containing half a dozen bows stands near the southern
tip of the area.
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4 - HOLLIS'
CAMP
Hollis'
five senior bandits pitch their tents here in a loose circle. The Taxman does
not have a tent but resides at the northern most point of the circle, making
it easy to mistake his spot as a storage area. All of Hollis' chests are old
and dingy and one is more likely to find a old sack or worn satchel instead
of a crate. The lion's share of the Taxman's loot can be found in the sacks
and buried in the ground here. A weapon rack holding ten well made, valuable,
long swords stands on one side of the clearing.
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5 - THEATER
Many of
the trees that stood in this area have been cut down into stumps, and a small
stage stands against the eastern tree line.
Speeches, planning sessions, bards, and whores, are just some of the
fun that the gang gets up to here. Two to three people can be found milling
about in this area whenever no festivities are going on. This is also the
location that guests are permitted to sleep, though bedding is rarely
provided.
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6 - WELL
A
beautiful stone well stands amid a small grove of birch trees. No one knows
when the well was first dug, and water is found about two dozen feet deep
into the well. Should someone enter the well they will discover a number of
small cave entrances that will lead, after a good while, to an underground
river.
No traps
are set up in the woods around the well making it a preferred shitting spot.
Rules on burying ones "deposit" are ruthlessly enforced.
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7 - EASTERN
ENTRANCE
The
forest thins as it moves east but
multiple watchmen (1d4) and a smattering of shallow, covered, spear pits are
scattered through the trees.
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8 - TRADESMAN'S
CAMP
Most
Taxmen possessing a trade skill live here.
A leatherworker (Rufus), blacksmith (Smythwick Stickyfingers),
alchemist (Vigo Ferris), and fence (Branded George), are almost always on
hand. In addition to fencing goods, Branded George can forge minor documents
and order just about anything a berk needs, assuming he doesn't already have
it for sale.
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9 - GUARDED
STASH
This
small, flat, clearing is always clearly guarded by a few men (1d4). Members
of the Taxmen are certain that the majority of their loot is hidden here
under a false floor, though they've never seen anything dug up or added to
the pile. The pile of loot is just a ruse, but the rumor has stuck and Hollis
like to keep it going. The high turnover rate of Taxmen and the love thieves
have for stories helps keep the rumor spinning and the secret safe.
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10 - STABLE
Sturdy,
but ugly, fencing holds the few horses at the gangs disposal. Most, but not
all, belong to Hollis and they're watched day and night by Clemens and Carl,
a pair of red haired twins found running dirty and barefoot down the road a
few years ago.
When not
tending the horses, the boys are often found in the company of Byron, Clayton
and Horton (in 2) with whom they share a tent. The twins keep a few chickens
penned up near the horses, and when the opportunity allows, they've been
known to keep a cow or a couple of goats here too.
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11 - ARCHERY
RANGE
Numerous
archery targets stand along the northern tree line and wooden stands with
metal arms holding shields stand up against the southern tree line of this
area. When not in use the training equipment is stored in an old covered
wagon that's seen its fair share of being used as an archery target too.
Hollis
will occasionally bring a warrior from a local fighters guild or a traveling
mercenary here to give lessons to his gang. He also frequently holds
competitions among the men in this area to keep their morale and fighting
spirits up.
If a
guest isn't using the Archery Range, Jacob Crew maintains the area and acts
as default trainer. He has the most actual military training and his teaching
style makes it easy to pick up. Jacob has also buried a number of recruits
that have proven too weak to stay with the Taxmen, yet too dumb to let leave,
in shallow graves beneath the targets.
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12 - NORTHERN
ENTRANCE
This is
the most heavily used and heavily guarded entrance to the Taxman's Clearing.
The forest on either side of this entrance is so full of hidden pits
containing spears that the bandits will rarely tread far from the path.
A number
of tall trees right at the entrance to the camp proper have been rigged so
that they can be quickly knocked over to help block the path.
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HOLLIS CRAIG
Hollis
Craig was born to a soldiers young bride. His father never returned from the
battlefield and his mother, a woman of no discernible skills, was quick to find
his replacement. Not many men will take a woman with a young child, least of
all those with the means she was seeking, so when she married into a thieves
guild her family was not surprised. By the time Hollis turned 15 his mother had
worn out her welcome in the guild so Hollis decided to head out on his own.
He found
it was easiest to make money on the move, and for nearly a decade he wandered
the lands stealing as he liked. His favorite method was the roadside stickup,
but with little crew and no hideout, he could never do it as often as he'd
like. Working them solo did little more than raise the price on his head .
Acquiring a sizeable bounty had the unforeseen side effect of giving him better
pull with the "right people" and he soon fell in with a rather
ambitious young naerdowell named Irwin Sanders. Irwin had come into a sizeable
profit from some seafaring adventures and was seeking to start his own band of
highwaymen. Hollis was happy to be 2nd command to Irwin where he could both put
a knife in people's faces and skim off the top.
Good times
don't last long and fools die foolish deaths, so Hollis wasn't surprised when
he saw Irwin's head caved in as he came up on the wrong side of a donkey to rob
two men. Hollis and five of the gang
slew the two men and four other members of the gang that had been loyal to
Irwin. They then went straight to town to do more recruiting. Upon reaching
town Hollis learned that the local authorities had given him a bandit name!
Seemed his penchant for threatening victims with "Death or Taxes" had
done him some good, and a crudely drawn picture of his stoic face bore the
label "The Taxman". .
JACOB CREW
Jacob is
fond of killing with a hand crossbow or hatchet, this man has over a dozen
bounties for roadwork and half that for murder. Long ago he was on the wrong
side of a revolution, making some hunt him for honor over money, a much more
dangerous motive.
ULRICH TANNER
Ulrich was
an assassin before he turned to roadwork, and he's the best archer in the gang.
Although he has the fewest bounties on his head, they fetch the highest price.
He now prefers the life of a highway man as it carries far less risk and about
the same pay (once the cost of gear, travel and whoring is subtracted out) as a
paid killer.
BARLOW MCBRIDE
Barlow is
a giant of a man and nearly three feet across at the shoulder. He rarely runs,
and often stands in the middle of the
road to demand that travelers give up their coin. His bounties are further on
the nefarious side, violation and murder
of women and livestock, treason and arson taking the highlights. Though he
prefers to melee with his twin maces, Barlow can take a sparrow in flight with
his heavy crossbow.
VIGO FERRIS
Only
Hollis' core group know that Vigo is a sorcerer. His spells are used in secret
to help keep the area hidden, find incoming merchants, win negotiations with
other criminals and occasionally dispose of bodies. He can often be found in
the Tradesman camp selling alchemical items and poison when not out raiding
with the guys. He has no bounties on his head.
BROTHER HUDSON
They say
that Brother Hudson was once a cleric but abandoned by his god. He fights with
a mace, wears leather armor, and says mocking prayers over the fallen when
feeling frogy. His humor is vile, his temper is short, and his mouth runs with
nothing but cutting obscenities, making him the least liked man in camp.
Luckily he does not often find the need to speak up.
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