Winter Is Coming

You catch up with Derik just as he approaches a large barn, which is the biggest building in the town and it also acts as a warehouse for the entire village's crops. You see a small crowd of peasants gathered near its door, including a fat priest and the eldest farmer. The priest's name is Pietro and the elderly farmer is Francois.

Francois bows before you and says: "M'lord, welcome."

Though your not strictly speaking the town's lord, as that honor belongs to your father, you still like the sound of it. You nod at the farmer. "I am here to collect my family's share of the crops."

Francois hesitates and looks at the priest Pietro, who steps forward. As a priest he's better educated than the peasants and he speaks eloquently with a thick Italian accent. "Sire the crop yields were not very good, which should be understandable considering the recent famine and pestilence. There is barely enough to feed all the town's families. We beseach you, by all that is good, to take less of the crops than is owed to you and your magnanimous family...or many may starve in the coming winter."

You hesitate, wondering what you should do. Your father has entrusted you with this, and you know he will heed your decision. These peasants owe your family some of the crops in exchange for protection. Basically its their rent for living on your family's property. Besides, your family might starve if you don't receive your yearly quota. But are you and yours more important than these peasants?

Before you can say anything Derik spurs his horse forward and glares at the priest, then he casts his hate filled eyes around the gathered peasants. "You all live by the nobles pleasure! You owe them your obedience! If they wish they could take all the crops and let you starve!"

You take a deep breath, knowing this decision is one of the utmost importance. What do you do? Take hardly any of the crops, allowing the peasants a comfortable winter but quite possibly kill your own family? Take a little less than your family's quota, thereby probably saving many of the peasants, but possibly making your own family suffer in the process? Do you just take your quota, knowing your family will get by but also knowing the peasants might suffer? Or do you show these foolish peasants that the nobles rule by taking more than your share of the crops?