Another died of the 'plague' that leaves the body rake thin. Always recorded as an illness. The red king, the tax-collectors told them, demanded this tribute. She fled to stop the plague, stop the red king, if the lord wouldn't do it, she would.
https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04754-m005-the-better-decision -- Anon Guest
Famines were generally the product of administrative mismanagement. It was very rare for a famine to be the direct result of consecutive disasters. The lands of the Red King were fertile and fruitful, but all of the crops and cattle went first to the lords, then the Red King. If the tribute was found worthy, then the serfs of the fields would be given their bread.
Which was, the Lutemen had to note, full of weevils and worms.
On one hand - it was protein. On the other... not the kind of protein anyone wanted. The one food crop the people were allowed to keep for themselves had suffered the fate of every monoculture everywhere - rampant disease that corrupted the harvest before it could ripen. Of course the Lords, who never looked down their noses at the truth, called the serfs lazy and undeserving.
Nobody died of starvation in the lands of the Red King. They died of a mysterious ailment the documents called 'plague', but never mentioned which plague it was.
The Red King claimed to be part of Pax Infernus, and also claimed to pay a danegeld to it. Which helpfully turned the blame onto a real devil. Or... real enough for his purposes. The truth, of course, was that the Red King and his Lords were growing fat off their trade while the people starved.
"Typical fucking Olikents," Dex muttered, looking over the reports. He'd read them aloud to Rin, his former attempted assassin.
"Are you going to kill them?" said Rin, optimistically. She'd reacted to regular meals by shooting up half a foot in height, so she was still rake thin, but at least had a healthier glow about her.
"Tempting," allowed Dex. "My father would love to, but he's retired and making cheese. Alas, I have to be a responsible adult and bring the complaint to the Council. Then we give him a warning before we attack. Officially."
Rin had been around long enough to notice that 'officially'. "And unofficially?"
"Unofficially, I've already sent a crew to turn up and cause chaos. One of the Lutemen, one martialist of the Shadow Arts, and two of their best chaotic friends. It's always a specific kind of interesting when a pack of Adventurers goes gallivanting through your territory. Especially when they're aligned towards kharmic justice."
"And you'll read the reports to me when they come in, right?"
"Better," said Dex. "I'll teach you how to read them."
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