Treasure Bag - September 416

Cedric

Rogue
Marshal
Greeting fair citizens of Acarthia! While I have sent in a request from his and her excellency of Tiatar, I have not yet heard a response on whether they mind if we use the treasure bag system while in Sapphire Keep this weekend for the tourney. Until I hear otherwise I am assuming that it will not be a problem. Since I will be the only regular person attending that runs treasure bag, I have asked Goodman Panax and Dame Katherine to collect treasure over the weekend. I may end up asking others to help as well.

Here is the general overview on how treasure bag works.

What is treasure bag?

Treasure bag is a way of distributing treasure from our large field battles to the entire populous in a fair manner without being overly complex.


Who is in charge of treasure bag?

There is no one “in charge” per say but for now (normally, not this month) the team is comprised of Belswin, Faren, Adrian, Percy and Kendrick. We are looking for more volunteers to help out in the future. If interested, come talk to us. If you don’t know who they are, ask around, they will show you what the treasure bag looks like and who is carrying it. For this month so far it's Dame Katherine, Panax and myself.


Do I have to do treasure bag?
Nope, it’s completely optional. But on the other hand if you choose not to participate, no double dipping. Meaning, don’t decide to do it for one battle where you don’t personally loot anything good and then opt out the one time you loot a magic item. That’s just not nice. In or out, that’s our motto.


How does it work?

Basically everyone throws all the treasure into a bag from a large battle where we declare treasure bag is in place. If you are in the battle you put the name on a list after the battle. The treasure gets all changed out to coin and then everyone that was on the list gets a cut of the coin.

What is my responsibility in the treasure bag?
Your responsibility is to make sure that your name gets on the list after each big battle so you can get a share of the treasure. If you want, you can have one person on your team to write down your name, but if it doesn’t get on there because your friend forgot to write it down, please don’t come complaining to us. :) You then are responsible for picking up your share (or having your team pick it up) before we leave Sapphire Keep on Sunday.


If you are interested in buying out any battle magic scrolls, weapons, components, armor, potions, or alchemy, you need to come see the person doing the treasure split immediately after the fight.


If you are interested in bidding on any of the larger items (formal scrolls, catalysts, magic items), then you need to show up for the auction. The auction time and process is listed below. We will attempt to announce what dropped as soon as it is IDed. At any point you are welcome to come ask what dropped to anyone doing the treasure bag.


When will auctions happen?

Auctions for large items will happen at 9:45 am on Sunday in the tavern. If there is a fight on Sunday morning after the normal auction time, we will attempt to do those auctions immediately afterwards. If we absolutely do not have time on Sunday, we will move auctions to either the dreamrealm or to the next gather.


If you can’t be at the auction (you need to leave site), you can leave a max bid for the item with the treasure bag people. They will autobid you up to your max amount that you request. You will just need to insure that you leave the gold for that item with someone if you are leaving site. Or you can always have someone else bid for you.


What types of items will be auctioned off?

Battle magic scrolls, components, alchemy, non-magic weapons, armor, potions, and such will be changed to coin as soon after a big battle as possible. Just come buy them out for their base value or else we will have a merchant sell them for coin. Components we will just go around really quickly and do a quick bid on them after each battle.


Formal Scrolls, catalysts and magic items will be auctioned off on Sunday morning at 9:45 am. We will do an open bidding on them. If you are interested, please show up (or send someone to the auction) with the gold on you. We will announce what items dropped in what battle, please use the honor system and only bid on items that you were there for (unless you are bidding for another person that was there, that’s okay).


Sometimes special items will drop (artifacts). Those will be handled on a case by case basis and do not fit into the normal process. We will try and have full disclosure about these types of items.


When do I get paid?

We are going to try and just pay out everyone on Sunday to make it a little easier. We will see how that goes. If that doesn't work for you, come talk to us, we can make arrangements. If you have to leave early, we will hold over your split for one month, and if you still don’t come pick it up, we will put it back into the pot.


What if there is leftover change from treasure bag?

Sometimes we can’t split completely fairly, in that case if there is a bit of extra change, it will just go back in the treasure bag to help make change. Once we have a small reserve to make change, if we have any leftover (usually it is just a few spare copper because we can’t easily split between the copper remaining and the amount of people we have in the battle) we will find a way to donate it back to the town (the team will find a fair way to get back to help the town to help the populous).


Is this going to be perfect?
Nope, too many variables. We will try and be open and fair about the process but there may be times we have to make calls that change the process slightly. We will try and do our best job at announcing those changes and soliciting ideas. The best way you can keep informed is to ask questions and be involved in the process. This process is still changing and we are working trying out different things to see how it works.


Some might question whether this is the most fair way of handling treasure, and that is a very debatable question. It is still a work in progress and we welcome suggestions from all citizens of New Acarthia on how to make it better but also keep it simple.


I accidentally messed up and added one of my personal items / some of my treasure into the treasure bag, can I get it back?

We are reasonable people, and will give people the benefit of the doubt and help fix any issues you might have made.


If I have a problem with something regarding treasure bag, whom do I bring issues to?

Please bring it to any of the five people helping out with treasure bag. If you don’t feel comfortable bringing it to them, you are free to tell any noble your concern and they can come talk to us.
 
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An Open Letter to the Adventures of Acarthia:

I had the opportunity to observe in greater detail all the work that Kendrick Eisenhal put into the management of the treasure bag -- I understand that much of this is often done by Belshwin Torrid when he travels with us.

I had no idea how much work goes into this effort, and I want to make sure that others know what Kendrick and Belshwin are doing for us.

Before we even left our homes for the gathering, Kendrick used his free time to gather several cloth sacks to make sure we had extra treasure bags. He made extensive lists of the names of every individual whom he knows may travel with us. Kendrick put copies of these lists into each bag, along with a pen -- a thoughtful courtesy many would not think to add. Kendrick had 10 extra copies of the list of adventurers, and extra pens on hand for this purpose. (The list is for easy checking off of names in each battle, to save time in the field.) In the press of busy time on Friday night before the opening of court, he distributed these supplies and instructions to his helpers who would assist in collecting treasure later.

I personally observed Kendrick scrupulously performing his duties managing this treasure for all of us even in moments when there was something else he would rather be doing. I watched him delay opportunities for adventure, or conversations that seemed important. Kendrick even received criticism - however innocently intended - in the form of repeated questions, "Why are you bothering with money at a time like this?" There was no immediate threat of attack; the field was clear -- but there is always something pressing for the attention of an adventurer "at a time like this"! Kendrick promised us he would manage this service, and thus he carried out his duties in the right moment, before the moment was lost -- giving up his own chance for something perhaps more fun at any given time.

As we are courtsmen, I watched Kendrick wake early to address auction of more valuable items. I watched him in chance moments here or there evaluate the treasure bag's content, sell the small things, get small change in coins better to distribute the wealth among its contributors. It's astounding to me how much time, energy, and effort management of this system takes -- and Kendrick took all of this upon himself voluntarily, and just made it happen.

This is a prime example of chivalrous behavior! Chivalry's least significant moments are on the actual field of battle -- Kendrick respects and defends the interests of every individual by seeing to their fair cut of treasure from large fights. He does this simply out of love for the people of his sworn country, and Acarthia's collective reputation of honor. "The Enemy" against which we are taught not to recoil is rarely a set of red eyes in the darkness -- it could be social fear, or sloth, or even just the temptation to adventure and have fun instead of doing one's duty. That duty is one to which Kendrick very much performs in diligence and with an unmatched work ethic. Trust in those whom we allow to handle the treasure of the whole group is paramount, and even the mere suggestion of being unfaithful to one's word would unravel this whole system -- and Kendrick has earned, and holds the public trust. He is generous with his time and dedication to this effort in ways that previously very few knew (and thus I advertise to you now). He does all of this simply out of the goodness of his heart, and he does it all the time, no matter what else is going on -- as we saw during our dread recent adventures, against even the heartache of seeing his own oathsworn and true family in peril. There are few other such clear examples of the simple lesson of doing the right thing wherever you go, all the time.

We look to our leaders for guidance in times of uncertainly. It's behavior like Kendrick's here that identifies the persons to whom we look for that leadership. You don't need a white belt or a red belt around your waist to do good in the world. You don't need to be sworn to a code to see need around you and act in response to meet that need. That is the kind of action that we consider knightly in Acarthia. It's what we look for when we bestow the Agency of the Crown on an individual through the award of the white belt. Goodman Kendrick has provided me with a humbling inspiration of the opportunity to serve even in the small and unseen moments, and I thank him for the lesson. Whatever your tradition of affirmation and thanks that may be yours, I encourage you also to reach out to Kendrick and Belshwin with an expression of your gratitude for diligently handling this important duty for all of us.

Thank you, Kendrick. I admire you.



In service to Acarthia,

Dame Katherine Albright
First Knight of Rivervale
 
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Thank you Dame Katherine for the kind words. I very much appreciate yourself, Goodman Panax, Goodman Emaric, and Goodman Kirun for stepping up and helping out throughout the weekend. Also a special thanks goes to Andrew the Bard for even when visiting helping us on Sunday morning.

In conclusion to the weekend, I believe the only person still owed money is Alis from the final battle. If that is incorrect, please come see me. I'll have another message through the dreamrealm as we get close to the October gather.
 
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