DAY 5 – APRIL 22nd 2000
PRASZKA, POLAND – MORNING
The players have gathered on the street right outside Wanda Chotomska school and NASCAR has just returned with their backpacks, handing DONNA hers. ALEX turns towards the school gate, where one of the local soldiers is leaning on the fence, openly looking in their direction. “We’ve got eyes on us”
“What’s new?” says LED briefly looking over his shoulder.
“How’s the arm?” asks NASCAR looking at the bandaged arm of the LT.
“I’ll survive” says LED, who then turns to DONNA “right?”
“You’re gonna be fine, but you shouldn’t use the left arm for a while”
LED nods while looking at his arm “your shoulder?”
DONNA palms her shoulder “I’m fine, nothing serious”
LED takes a deep breath “okay, time to plan our next move”
“Really? Here?” asks NASCAR a bit incredulous “after what happened in the school? Can’t we just… breath?”
“Exactly because of what happened in there” says LED “we had a lot at stake in this last fight, all of us, and I’m still doubtful whatever reward we are hoping for is going to be worthy. So, I think it’s time to decide what is it that we want, what’s our goal in…” LED raises his hands looking around “… this”
“Kind of a broad question” comments ALEX.
“It is” nods LED “so let’s start working on it right now, because next time we might be called to help someone else and we need to know whether it’s a good idea or maybe, just maybe, we would be better off just walking. We need to know whether it’s good for us or not”
LED stops briefly before resuming “listen, this world has been torn inside out, and much of what used to make sense now doesn’t any more. I mean, billions have died in the past years and yet, we just witnessed a guy who killed an unarmed man while trying to figure out how to kill more. Something impalpable has been broken, and we might not be able to put it back together. If you ask me, now I’ve got you guys, and everything else comes second. I’m not saying we should be blind to our surroundings; I’m not saying we should discard empathy as a weakness, nor should we ignore the sufferings of others. I’m just saying… we need to be sure about what we’re willing to risk”
“Agreed“ says ALEX.
“Today was fucked up” intervenes NASCAR “but we’ve helped this people, we did everything we could and we should have no regrets about this morning, or last night. We helped them back at Garage Hotel, we helped them fighting in that apartment building, and now this: we put our asses on the line and that’s the whole nine yards if you ask me. So now they owe us, and big time”
“He’s right” says DONNA “and I don’t think we’re in the right mood or mind to discuss our future. It’s worth discussing, don’t get me wrong, but I say we put a pin in it for 24 hours”.
“DOC’s got a point there” says ALEX looking at LED “let’s see what this town has in store for us, then plan once we know our options”
LED ponders for a moment, his eyes up to the cloudy morning sky. “All right” he then says “we’ll start simple: what are our priorities?”
“Shelter, some sleep and something warm in our stomach. Also, medical supplies” starts DONNA.
“Weapons maintenance, getting some ammo and grenades. We’re out of AT and we might wanna check what the locals have in store we can bargain for” continues NASCAR.
“We need intel on the area and we still need to find an accommodation for our guests back at Garage Hotel” finishes ALEX.
LED raises his brows “I’m surprised nobody mentioned booze”
The others smile.
LED taps ALEX on the shoulder “okay, let’s go to CJA and get our tickets for the show”
YOU BETTER READ THE FINE PRINT FIRST
“Listen, we’re sorry about how things ended up in the school” says LED “but we needed to take action and we played the only card we had”
“Yes, yes” nods CJA “MARKO has told me what happened”
“What did he say?” asks ALEX.
CJA turns slightly to look at MARKO, who’s still alone by the school’s entrance, staring at the prisoner “he feels guilty I think. He was in charge and it should have been his decision, but he could not make up his mind so he went with your plan. He was tasked with saving his fellow citizens, and he passed the responsibility to outsiders”
“It’s not entirely his fault” comments LED “I had an idea and there was little time, so I pressured him”
CJA shakes his head “it’s not me you have to convince”
A brief silence follows, then ALEX asks “why do they call you CJA?”
“Well… you see, things fade over time”
“Are you telling us you don’t remember why?”
“No, I am telling you things fade” says CJA, who then turns and lowers his jacket uncovering the back of his police flak vest. There’s a rectangular Velcro stripe on the back with POLICJA written on it, but the first letters are barely visible, with only CJA still clearly readable.
“See, things fade” CJA turns and forces a smile. “That was a joke” he then adds.
ALEX and LED just move their lips slightly. “Got it” says the latter.
“Well, I am around a lot, so people read my back and call me that. I don’t mind”
“Listen CJA, I think we can agree we’ve done a lot for your town in the past few hours, there’s no need for a recap” says ALEX.
“But we’ll give you one if it becomes necessary” adds LED.
“Yes” says CJA calmly “the answer to your question is: yes, you can now enter our town. But in this moment, my duty is to warn you”
“About what?”
“We have laws in our town. Please note: laws, not rules. It may not mean much for people coming from the outside, but it means everything to us. Laws are how we make sure everyone does his part, laws are how we settle our problems, laws are how we maintain the violence of the world out of our town. Laws are how we survive. When you enter the town, laws apply to you as well, and if you break the law there will be a punishment. You have to understand this before we let you in. If you think there will be a problem with respecting our laws, then tell me now, and we will find a way to do business without you entering Praszka”
LED and ALEX briefly look at each other. “Okay” says LED “sounds reasonable. What laws do we need to abide by?”
“You cannot carry weapons inside Praszka, only local soldiers can”
LED has already raised his hand, but he’s interrupted by CJA “I know what you are about to say, so we have arranged a special accommodation for you”
“Go on”
“You will stay in a building at the edge of the inhabited area. In there you can keep your weapons. There will be two guards outside the building. If you want to get out, you leave your weapons inside and one of the guard escorts you. I can spare only two of my men watching you, so you can only split into two groups”
“What if we want to sell some weapons? We need to carry them to the market” says ALEX.
“You remove the ammo and put the weapons in a fruit crate, and you carry the crate using both hands. If you’re in doubt, just ask the guard. Even if you are not in doubt, please do ask the guard. It’s a good way to avoid stupid things like…”
“Breaking the law?” asks ALEX.
“Precisely”
“CJA, don’t get me wrong” says LED “but this building you’re assigning us, it’s not a wooden shack infested by rats, right?”
CJA smiles “it is brick made, two floors, the roof needs patching up, but it won’t be a problem I think. Windows are smashed up, so you will need to use your imagination if you want to close them. I have also arranged for some food to be brought to you. I guess you won’t mind if there is no tablecloth”
“I’m sure it’s going to be fine” says ALEX.
OUR GUESTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
LED gestures towards DONNA, telling her to come closer. “I’m sure you know we captured some prisoners last night, back at Garage Hotel” he then quickly adds “the garage area”
“I have been informed, yes” nods CJA.
“They were part of the enemy force, but they weren’t quite… they were pressed into service, so to speak”
CJA frowns his brows “I do not know that expression”
ALEX is quick to translate in Polish, then CJA nods “yes, that is what they are saying”
LED and ALEX quickly exchange a glance “you talked to them?”
“I have interrogated every prisoner from last night. They were my last ones. They were very… how do you say? Ahm… forthcoming”
DONNA joins the group, closely followed by NASCAR.
“I was hoping to gather some information that would be useful here at the school” continues CJA “but I found nothing that could be used to make them surrender. That’s why I ordered the assault”
“Our prisoners at Garage Hotel…” says LED before being interrupted.
“I am sorry” says CJA “but they’re not your prisoners, and they’re not at Garage Hotel”
“What do you mean?”
“We have moved them to our outpost with the other prisoners for questioning”
“And why are they not our prisoners?” asks ALEX.
“They were sent here to attack Praszka, so they now belong to the town. You were just in their path”
“Wait, you moved everyone?” intervenes DONNA “one of them was seriously wounded”
“Yes, we moved everyone. And one of them is still seriously wounded” nods CJA.
“Moving him was risky” comments DONNA.
“Not for my men” replies CJA calmly.
WITH the EYES of the REFEREE [click to expand]
For the sake of narration, I didn’t bother with a STAMINA roll for the enemy leader. I’m assuming he’s still alive and his condition unchanged, requiring a death save every shift.
“CJA, those men, the ones we captured at Garage Hotel, they’re not really part of the Flock. The joined because it was their only chance to survive. They don’t believe in their ideology, they didn’t want to murder your civilians. I…” ALEX briefly stops to look at his comrades “…we would like you to consider to have clemency with them”
CJA raises his braws “do you think we are just going to shoot them?”
“As you said” says LED “if you break the law, there’s going to be a punishment”
“But they did not come here to break the law. The Flock came here enslave us, and when we refused, they tried to destroy our town. And those men helped. Our laws are valid in our town, they came from the outside, where there is no law”
“Yes, but now they’re in your town, where there is the law, right?” asks LED.
“This is correct” nods CJA “and if the law says the have to die for what they did, it will be so” CJA pauses before adding “and we will not care about the opinion of outsiders. Also, this matter is not in my hands now”
“What do you mean?”
“I am responsible for the defense of Praszka, the prisoners are now in the hands of the Committee, of the people who run the… internal affairs of the town. They will decide what to do with them, and also with you”
“What to do with us?” asks ALEX.
“We will give you a place to stay, but you won’t be able to stay forever”
WITH the EYES of the REFEREE [click to expand]
Rather than proceeding with an opposed PERSUASION roll for the fate of the prisoners, I decided to set the stage for a future confrontation with the city’s authorities.
“What about the wounded man?” asks DONNA “he needs help right now”
“A lot of my men need help right now. It is my duty to take care of them”
“Then let me help. Let me help your men in any way I can, but then let me help him too”
CJA looks thoughtful “I would like you to help my men, but the prisoners…”
“I thought we were in your good graces” interrupts LED “you said it this morning, that helping here would be a way to enter not just your town, but your good graces as well. We did help; I would have liked a better outcome, yes, but we did help here. What’s the point in being in your good graces if we can’t ask for a favor?”
“You think we offer food and shelter to every stranger that comes by?” asks CJA.
“CJA, these guys, the prisoners, are Polish, just like you and me” says ALEX “there is still such a thing as Poland, I think. It’s our home, yes, but it’s also their home. Give them a place in your town, give them a home, and they will work to make it better. They will fight to protect it”
“Save their leader” intervenes DONNA “and they will be grateful as long as they live”
“Yeah, you could use some reinforcement after the losses of last night” says NASCAR “and these guys were in the Polish army”
CJA turns to LED “these men already compromised their beliefs once by joining the Flock”
“When they were desperate; when they had nothing. Give them something worth defending. They are still Polish soldiers, give them a purpose”
“You are asking me to trust people of questionable loyalty; what will happen the next time they have to choose between their life and the survival of Praszka? You say they will do the right thing, but you don’t know them. They joined the Flock when they were desperate, right? Well, they are desperate now too: their commander is dying and they want to save him, they would do whatever they can to help him. Whatever loyalty they still possess, is reserved to their leader, and maybe to one another; I am not sure Praszka can trump that”
“We’re just asking…” starts DONNA before being interrupted by a hand gesture from CJA.
“As I said, the prisoners are not my concern anymore. You are wasting your time trying to convince me. Now you can enter Praszka, or you can leave”
FINAL COMMENTS
No PERSUASION rolls were made, yet my narration clearly gave CJA the upper hand. The players are – finally – allowed into Praskza; whatever influence they thought they may have because of their actions was clearly overestimated.
This is my way of setting the stage for what is to come: the players should expect to find respite, but not much more. I’ll better articulate my personal vision for the TW2K version of Praszka in the next post. Suffice it to say: it is a town with limited resources and little tolerance for outsiders.
On the players’ side of things: the promise of food and shelter alone is very valuable. There will be no need to build a camp, hunt or forage, and that saves precious shifts for other activities.