Hello,

couldn't find any references in the Tashal book: is there an entry toll at the gates of the city? I know that there is a 10 percent hawking toll for goods, but do people without anything to sell also have to pay? What about a large entourage like the one Earl Caldeth brings to Tashal? Is there a toll for every rider, waggon, cart, horse etc.?

Thanks,
R.

IIRC the only toll is to cross the Kald river via the Balasa Bridge.
There is a toll booth on the west side of the river for this purpose.
There is no toll to enter/exit the town gates, but entering after nightfall might require a "Gift" to one of the guards.

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Leave the gun, take the cannolli.

I was wondering about this myself. Tashal being a royal town (as opposed to a chartered freetown) might explain a lack of gate tolls - I'm not sure if medieval royal towns had much in the way of tolls. Freetowns were far more restrictive and made sure to keep people (especially poor people with no business to conduct) out; that why makeshift neighborhoods formed outside the walls and by the gates (which would get violently "deconstructed" at times, to reduce crime and the risk of disease).

Is there evidence of Free towns being more zealous re: tolls than Free towns?..and more restrictive? I can imagine tolls being a focus of freetowns; but am struggling to imagine of a Noble who passes over the chance to squeeze cash from his loyal subjects

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Plots and schemes are the same thing..

The Heart of every town is it's market, which absolutely requires traffic from the hinterland to thrive.
If someone has something of value to buy or sell, they'll already be paying a "toll" in their transaction per se.
I would imagine some town guards to be a surly bunch, and deny entry for a variety of reasons.
How much do you want to mess with a PC?

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Leave the gun, take the cannolli.

Thanks, the info came just in time for last night's game. The guards didn't charge any toll. But the players payed anyway to bypass the traffic jam and to get away from all those suspicious onlookers.
Regards,
R.