In the game of placating Alley commoners, Dole plays with a riskier strategy than most. Unknown is a cruel and impatient baroness who is swift to punish habits in the populace that she deems unsavory. Taxes are harsh in the Dole barony, and reinvestment is a superficial afterthought to keep visiting lords from seeing the true nature of conditions in the lands beyond the Baroness’ home.
The capital of Dole is a gleaming city on a hill. Every stone in the street looks as if it were plucked from a river last week. Its laughing people wear colorful clothing, and they scrub the facade of every building spotless on the first of every month. On the hilltop, Lady Briere oversees the barony from the halls of Dole Manor. People in the city often say, “The Lady waits an extra day to dust the Manor, lest Her Majesty become envious of its glimmer.”