THE GRAVE TAX

The atrocities of the Hiway War and the rampaging stampedes of the Undead that laid waste to the Lone Star were made possible through an imbalance in the Gravemind that was exploited by the villain known as Hiway Rob. In order to prevent that calamity from happening again, the mystagogues of the Grave Council have undertaken the task of preserving that balance throughout the San Saba wasteland.

The one universal law in the wastes is the importance of the Grave Tax. Even the lowliest duster acknowledges the need to preserve the cycle of death through the Mortis Amaranthine.

When an individual dies in the San Saba wastes, they must emerge from one of the Morgues protected and maintained by the Grave Council. When the Groundskeepers help them emerge unscathed, the Grave Tax is assessed. This fee is assigned based on the nature of the death, and can also be deferred or transferred by the Justices of Sin.

If the death was unpreventable or accidental, the fee is negligible and normally absorbed by the Pauper’s Fund, a collection of Brass maintained by the Widows of the Lone Star. If the death was preventable or even intentional, the fine increases substantially, with the fine for murder being assessed to the killer and not the victim. Collection of the Tax is normally deferred until April every year during Collection Day, and failure to pay the Grave Tax is considered a heinous crime within the San Saba Territories.

[OOC Note: The Grave Tax is meant as an avenue for story, not punishment, and if you’re having trouble with it, please see a Groundskeeper or Gamerunner to discuss your story options.] 

Primary Themes of the GRAve TAx

  • Death has Consequences -  In a world where survivors can return from death, crimes like murder can run rampant unless some threat of punishment is enforced.  The Grave Tax is a method to prevent the needless deaths of shareholders, merchants, and Braves, and is assessed as a financial burden upon death.  Unnecessary death is frowned upon.

  • Death Comes for All, Pauper or Prince - The Grave Council does not care for the status placed upon a person in the times within the Mortis Amaranthine. They pursue their due from every being that walks the San Saba wastes. They also treat the death of a Pureblood from an ivory tower the same as they treat the death of a wandering Rover.

  • Story, not Punishment - The purpose of the Grave Tax is not to punish players for dying or to create an undue financial burden.  The Grave Tax provides a concrete way to involve yourself in the greater story of the Lone Star, interact with several powerful factions, and seek out assistance and roleplay with other characters in the game.  It is tied with the enforcement of law in the game and can be opted out if the player wishes to avoid a negative play experience.

The Role of the Groundskeepers and Graverobbers

The Groundskeepers of the Grave Council are responsible for the common task of helping guide an unfortunate soul through the Mortis Amaranthine and provide the support necessary to complete the transition in one piece.  The Groundskeepers interview the dead and assess the correct level of tax based on the manner of death, and provide a friendly face for those that have undergone the trauma of the Mortis Amaranthine. The Council once earned the right to charge a Grave Tax by promising a rebirth free of the Curse of the Unfinished, a wasting plague that infects those that return to the living without help.  The Curse of the Unfinished is thought to have been eliminated last year by the sacrifice of Takheeta Firstborn, but people still worry about the next strange malady from the Mortis.

The Sanctioned Graverobbers of the Council operate in a contrasting role to the Groundskeepers as fixers and specialists that deal with outbreaks of disease and issues with the Morgues of the Lone Star.  While they are also equally capable of the more rote tasks of the Groundskeeper if needed, their abilities are kept in reserve for the rite of Pallor Mortis and assessing outside threats to the Gravemind.

why is the grave tax necessary?

When a person emerges from a Morgue in the San Saba, there is a significant threat of a dangerous diseases or strange conditions from the egress of the Mortis Amaranthine, such as the Plague of the Unfinished. The Groundskeepers have developed a number of procedures to limit the spread of common diseases, and when they or a Sanctioned Graverobber is involved, the threat of this disease is minimal.

While the threat of the Plague of the Unfinished it not what it once was, there have been questions about the role that the Grave Council will play in the future and whether a Grave Tax is justified by what they offer. General Rampart and the Grave Council promise quick resolution to morgue crises, and so far they have delivered.

Implementing the Grave Tax

When a character dies in Bravado, this fee is assessed by the Groundskeepers (or STs) that run your death scene.  Depending on the nature of the death, the fee can be classified into one of several categories or brackets:

Class 1: Accidental or Unpreventable Death (25 Brass)

  • Death by Zed, Raider, or a Creature of the Wastes

  • Death from the Environment, or Natural Disasters

  • This is the standard and most common fee assessed for passage through the Mortis Amaranthine or a Sunless Garden.

  • If the death cannot be clearly identified as a Class 2 or 3 death, this is the minimum fee for the Grave Tax.

Class 2: Preventable Death (50 Brass)

  • Death that could have been avoided in some way.  Foolhardy, silly mistakes are normally classified in this manner.  Needlessly feeding the Gravemind is a threat to the delicate balance of the Mortis Amaranthine.

  • This includes Duels, Crimes of Passion, and Violations of the Laws.  If an action of the deceased could have been avoided by upholding the laws and contracts of the San Saba, this level of fine is normally assessed.

  • If a Law Dog is responsible for killing a target during apprehension, this is the normal fee assessed to the Law Dog instead of the deceased.

Class 3: Intentional Death, or Murder (100+ Brass)

  • Purposefully feeding the Gravemind is the most grievous crime, particularly through MURDER. This can include collateral damage and actions that lead to the death of others in addition to themselves, particularly in ways that can be proven by the recently deceased or other witnesses. This is the starting amount of a fee for this type of death but can escalate accordingly to the severity.  

  • NEW: Using Master Faithful Will to prevent Infection loss with life binding.

  • If a Law Dog can investigate and identify that the deceased was murdered by another, this fee is instead assessed to the Killer of the person that died.  Depending on the egregiousness of the murder, this fee will often be increased substantially.

  • A member of the Law Dogs known as a Hell Hound is almost never assessed a fee for Murder, provided the death occurs in the course of their duties.  Abuse of this privilege can cost the Hell Hound their title and protection of the Board.

  • Sanctioned targets of the Red Ledger do not incur a Grave Tax on the striker. 

How to resolve your Grave TAx

The recently deceased has several choices, after a Grave Tax is assessed by the Groundskeeper: 

  • Pay the debt, in full, immediately or by the end of the weekend event.  

    • If not paid to the Groundskeeper at the Morgue, the fee can be submitted to the Depot, through an Ops Guide.

  • Defer the payment until Collection Day

    • If the Tax is not paid by the end of the event, it is automatically deferred to Collection Day and is added to the Grave Ledger.

    • Using this method will offer the players a chance to have a scene later in the season during the Collection Day event.

  • Ask for Forbearance, or assistance, from the Pauper’s Fund

    • If the player wants to opt out of the Grave Tax, the fee is said to have been simply paid by the Fund so that a negative play experience does not happen.

    • If the player cannot afford the debt or does not want to defer until Collection Day, they can seek an alternate method of payment by taking a debt to the Widows instead.

    • Forbearance is not generally granted for deaths that occur on No Quarter mods or that occur in the Wasteland.

  • Use a Grave Council Voucher to pay the debt

    • This offers a way that another player can pay the debt, or earn an advantage for their influence in the faction for themselves.

    • You can acquire one of these Vouchers from the Proficient Society Membership (Grave Council) buy list.

The Pauper’s Fund

The Widows of the Lone Star maintain an account with the Grave Council that helps alleviate the debt of the unfortunate or those that cannot afford to pay.  This fund pays the Grave Taxes of those that ask for assistance and is collected by the various charitable works of the Widows.

  • The Grave Tax is meant as a way to create a cool story behind each death, not a burden or punishment.  The Pauper’s Fund can be used in the cases where a player wishes to opt out of this mechanic, within reason.  

  • Class 3 deaths cannot normally be paid from the Pauper’s Fund (as the player chose to be flagged for CvC).  There are rumors of powerful favors or vouchers from the Widows or other factions that might be an exception to this rule.

  • Using the Pauper’s Fund will normally require a “Widow’s Favor” completed on behalf of the Widows in exchange for their assistance, instead of a Brass payment.  Widow Clauthia normally hears requests to clear a debt to the Widows during her afternoon tea. 

  • Requests to pay off the debt should be submitted as Action Requests in between events.

Collection Day

A “holiday” of sorts, Collection Day is when the taxes come due, once a year, normally in the oldcestor month of April.  The forces of accountants and taxmen take to the towns and cities of the Lonestar to upkeep the ledgers of life and death, collect interest on the debts they are owed, and keep tabs on those who would irritate the balance of power in the Wastes. During this time, the fees for Groundskeepers can skyrocket in price, and people across the land strive to avoid an untimely death that could increase their debt, or else the Collectors could attempt to “close your account” for good.

During the Collection Day “festivities”, the fee for deaths normally doubles in price.  As the bulk of the Grave Council is concerned with upkeep on the ledgers and collection of debts, distractions to manage the morgues have an additional opportunity cost assessed.  

If the debt is deferred, the Grave Council normally applies interest to the debt until it is paid.  This is at a negligible rate but accounts for the cost of maintaining the morgues of the Lone Star.  At Collection Day, a debtor must pay at least a portion of their interest to the Grave Council or risk being held in breach of contract.

  • During Collection Day (which normally occurs in April), Tax Collectors will be available to provide a balance of a person’s account and to offer alternative methods of paying the interest.

  • This debt can be accessed by interacting with Grave Council characters or through mechanics at the Post Office with Society Membership.