>>1122937
Some useful information!

Terms and general glossary (will be updated as needed)
>http://pastebin.com/yq407m9b

Basic mechanics and rules (a work in progress)
>http://pastebin.com/KAFyWkUd

>Anthony Kirk, a former soldier who refuses to lay down arms (Start with a local bolt-action rifle)

>>1122937
>Enzo Aloisi, a student with a long history of political activism (+1 Fellowship)

>>1122952
It might be worth noting that while a military-issued rifle is a MAJOR asset and hard to come by, your nation's stuff isn't even close to the weapons of the Federation. Want a basic comparison? It's not like you wouldn't know; you either were in the military/police or lived through a siege.

>>1122937
>Iwo Malinowski, a former police officer fighting for his country (+1 Combat Skill)

>>1122958
Not wrong so changes my vote for
>Enzo Aloisi, a student with a long history of political activism (+1 Fellowship)

>>1122937
>Iwo Malinowski, a former police officer fighting for his country (+1 Combat Skill)
Changed my mind and making a ton of baseless assumptions here. Dude might have some knowledge on where Paul's family is locked up and how to spring them out. Along with any other dissidents that could take up the cause.

>>1122937
>>Halina Sokolvich, a former ballet dancer who joined with a smile a rush at the dangerous thrill (+1 Agility)

>>1122937
>Halina Sokolvich, a former ballet dancer who joined with a smile a rush at the dangerous thrill (+1 Agility)

We RideBack now.

>>1122974
Valid possible points, but it's worth noting Iwo was a civilian policeman of a defeated nation. Dissidents and the like have been rounded up by the Federation and their military police; not you. You might have knowledge of secure places they could be held though, if they're not lumped in with the PoWs.

Calling the vote in a few minutes, but it looks pretty even so far. This is WAY more support than I expected!

>>1122989
Okay, calling the votes here! Far as I can tell it is a three-way tie between Iwo Malinowski, Enzo Aloisi and Halina Sokolvich!

All very good choices, but there can be only one winner, after all. How should we resolve this? I could always just roll a die, but that's a little unfulfilling... Why not explain why you voted the way you did? Maybe you'll sway someone else's choice.

Another few minutes allowed for discussion, but in the absence of a clear choice (or you all just being too shy to speak up) I'll throw the digital bones to choose your name.

>>1123040
Late comer here, I can break the tie.


>Iwo Malinowski, a former police officer fighting for his country (+1 Combat Skill)

>>1123040
Someone did just break the tie though. My reason for liking Iwo is fairly simple. As an aspiring police officer, the character sounds fun to play. Someone that still wants to protect country and kin, against all odds.

>>1123059
Not to mention the improved combat skill slightly levelling the odds against the better equipped, trained, numerically superior, organised and ever-present enemy.


So, all we need to do is get a decent rifle and some ammunition and we can get to inciting revolution by eliminating every patrol of their troops not inside a tank...then we start with the anti-tank mines...

>>1123059
>>1123044
Oh hey, that works! Okay, typing the next segment then!

Oh and be advised, this is the character creation section of the quest. No die rolls needed for actions and choices will influence what your stats end up like.

You'll know when you're done.

>>1123064
Keep in mind please that Combat Skill is ONLY for close quarters fighting! Your skill with guns is measured by your Ranged Skill. If you can reach out and clobber a guy, or stick a knife in his ribs, that's Combat Skill, but if you want to reach out and touch someone the Russian way, that's Ranged.

>>1123075
Close combat ability is pretty useful for a freedom fighter. Ammo is short I'm sure. Not much is stealthily than a knife to the heart.

>>1123083
Yeah, especially considering the only gun we would have gotten is apparently quite low quality. We will want to grab a pistol or something from the first enemy combatant we take down. Just so we can avoid getting taken down too easily, not to mention the fact that silencing a weapon isn't too hard...well to do it well is but we just need a few quiet shots to eliminate a patrol and suddenly we can equip a few good men and start really causing trouble.


Now a quick question to my fellow anon's; IRA, ISIS, Tamil tigers, french resistance or Cuban revolutionaries?

>>1123091
The Finnish resistance to Soviet incursion.

If I'm reading the pastes right, the gloves have always been off.

>>1123091
I'd go with a mix of the French and Cuban ones. I got a soft spot for people who fought Nazis and Castro, say what you want, did succeed. I would rather avoid anything ISIS.

>>1123091
Polish resistance.

>>1123075
"Iwo, let's go," your brother hisses to you, before sprinting across the street behind the backs of the vanishing soldiers. You hurry after your younger sibling, your hands gripping the revolver he handed you earlier perhaps a bit too tightly. You throw yourself into the shadows, your heart pounding from the worry that just one of the Federation's men would have turned around and shot you dead on the spot. Breaking curfew was bad enough, but carrying a weapon and headed straight for a restricted area would have you up against a wall and eating lead faster than you could blink! Karlo notices your white knuckles and shaking grip as you lean against the wall and lays his hand on yours.
"Relax, brother," he smiles thinly. "You'll throw off your aim if you keep trying to strangle it like that." Karlo used to hunt grouse before the war, selling them to butchers to make ends meet. You meanwhile, much like many of the police, have never touched a firearm! A nightstick was considered all you'd need and if not, then the special tasks unit could be called in. "Remember what I taught you. Finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire and relax your shoulders." To the rest of your group, his voice is calm, but you've known your little brother his entire life and you can detect the faint tremor of nerves in his voice. Despite being more at home with the weapon in your hands than you, his heart's jumping like a rabbit at the thought of what will happen to you if you're caught!

You argued against even being armed. It would have been easier on you all, if you were caught, but the others were having none of it. Triss's youngest wasn't even 10, but the shell that brought the house down on him didn't care. The ice-cold venom in her voice when she supported bringing the few firearms you've been able to scavenge, sent a chill down even your spine. You'd hate to be the soldier who met her five-gun or kitchen knife.

Your target is just ahead; during the winter the Federation had occupied the capitol, their officers had taken a particular liking to a certain brasserie overlooking the river. The owner had practically welcomed them and while you'd like to think it's out of survival instinct, your companions are less forgiving for the 'traitor'. So it was that you'd concocted your plan. Paul glances to Harken, as he hurries and nearly drops the bundle in his arms.
"Careful with that," the sweep hisses, "Kings and Queens, I don't want us to go up with it-!"
"Relax," Harken sighs. "It's fine. The timer's not even attached yet."

>>1123102
Fins were some hard motherfuckers man. They had Simo Haya, thw White Death.

>>1123119
The makeshift bomb was only blackpowder and nails, but it would do its job well. The occupiers had immediately secured anything like mining or military explosives, but fireworks had been slightly lower on their list. Harken had managed to steal away a few boxes, before the soldiers had got around to taking the rest. A pocket watch hooked up to a tinderbox served as the primitive detonator and once it's in position, the whole thing should be set to blow around lunch time, just as its targets arrived, looking for their smoked pork and beer.

The shop is, of course, boarded up tight for the evening. Your breath mists in the chill air rolling off the river, as Paul tugs at the locked gate preventing you from getting to the back.
"Come on you piece of- It's not moving."
"Let me try," you suggest. Anything to keep your fingers moving and you're feeling damn exposed out here on the street.

What do you do?
>Hop over the fence and try to open it from the far side (+1 Agility)
>Try and just break the lock with a swift shoulder barge (+1 Body)
>Tinker with the lock and see if you can pick it (+1 Wits)
>See if the owner's left a window open you can slip through (+1 Luck)

>>1123091
Well, I recently binged some Easter Rising related media. And it does look like we'll be mired in a localized, urban environment.

>>1123125
>>Try and just break the lock with a swift shoulder barge (+1 Body)

>>1123125
>Try and just break the lock with a swift shoulder barge (+1 Body)

>>1123102
>>1123106
Good so it seems we will be avoiding the...direct methods.


So the choices if anyone was wondering were; bombs, terrorism+, direct combat, sabotage and guerrilla combat. There is more to it than that but effectively it comes down to that.


So analysing your choices, we will be going for a indirect combat route; bombs, assassinations, ambushes and drive-by's. No direct combat unless we get caught / captured or we reach the late game / get the polish revolution levels of organisation and strength.


>>1123114
You have good taste but I doubt we can find the majority of the military and the weapons to arm them in order to make that work...

>>1123125
>Hop over the fence and try to open it from the far side (+1 Agility)

>>1123114
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJnVwAH-5K0
Fuck yeah polska. If the commies hadn't stabbed them in the back, they would have been one of the most effective resistance movements of the war. The French movements were crucial once the Allies moved in, true, but the Poles had a fully functioning underground government that could just assume duties as soon as they were liberated. They even had whole schools for resistance children!

Then the uprising happened and the Soviets just sat there and let them die.

>>1123102
The gloves are no more off than 1940 Paris, to be honest. The Federation has just won a stunning victory and honestly, most of your countrymen are still recovering from shock and awe at the perceived superiority of the Federation war machine.

>>1123125
>Try and just break the lock with a swift shoulder barge (+1 Body)


>>1123145
We will see how superior they are when every bell tower is a sniper tower, when every street is a kill zone and when every parked car outside a base is a potential bomb. When everything is a threat, they can't so much as take one step without shitting themselves.

>>1123145
That's fine. Let's see where this op goes, play the long game. End game can be like the Polish. We'll just have to see.

>>1123125
>Try and just break the lock with a swift shoulder barge (+1 Body)

>>1123142
The thing is, the French and the Polish actually had expectations for an outside military force to intervene at some point down the line.

We, as in the Republic of Awsbet, kinda don't. At least that's what I can gather from the QM's pastebin background anyway.

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>>1123147
You. I like you.

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>>1123145
>every bell tower a trapped sniper tower
>and if they see fit to occupy them, detonate their foundations
>every street a kill zone
>and if they see fit to patrol them, every step begs a curb bomb (explosives in drainage systems)
>pic related

I wonder how well guarded their munition supply lines are.

>>1123162
Yeah, the Republic of Awsbet (which I've been trying to avoid name-dropping in the quest proper until the biiig exposition dump is out of the way at the end of the tutorial) just got CREAMED. You don't really have any allies at this stage that you could expect to come to your rescue. You're less like 1940 France and more like 1939 Czechoslovakia.

>>1123179
You'll find out. Glad to see you guys are enthusiastic though! But ask yourselves... Do you want to LEAD a movement, or be part of the group that gets shit done? If you're not in charge, you may find those that are order things you may not be comfortable with.

Anyway, the vote seems fairly clear so far. I'm thinking of calling it in about 5 minutes.

>>1123162
Actually, we can see that they will eventually go for another nation, simply based off of their polices of military expansionism and the nationalist identity they have chosen / have. They have a German military (advanced and quite efficient) but a Italian national identity (want to be roman again, see all the former roman holdings as their rightful property). They will eventually piss off one of the two other superpower nations mentioned by Op's pastebins.

Still that is future, what is important right now is getting the people ready to revolt and building a formal base to do it with.


>>1123165
Thanks, I have my moments. Essentially I just channel Churchill's speeches and that shit writes itself...


>>1123185
I was going to say, we aren't France, we are clearly more like Austria at best.

As to if I want to lead, of course I do. it makes sense seeing as we will have to build this thing from the ground up...

>>1123185
Right now it seems we're still more of a doer than a leader, maybe we can grow into it? I'm all for getting shit done. It looks like we'll have a lot of work to do.

>>1123195
>it makes sense seeing as we will have to build this thing from the ground up...
Don't discount the agency of your fellow citizens~ They might surprise you!

Anyway, votes called for breaking stuff! Woo!

>>1123185
Hard choice. I would want to be a patriot to our country, but some patriots can't draw lines, and sometimes lines are just fancy words that just don't produce lasting results. Then there's whether to restore the old ways or not, and whether people we call allies and friends will sit well with that or not, but that's a discussion for way later. Also being the guy who decides where the lines are is pretty good, there's more control over bigger things, but only if we know who to count on. Hard to tell as of yet.

I think there's more opportunity for a leader, but a leader who can also execute operations themselves can gain a useful sort of cult of personality; because people will see that they CAN lead a fight when it counts.

Any starting resistance group shares their hats, so to speak, in regards to what they have to do, and if given the choice to lead I think that's better.

>>1123205
Yeah. Their agency is a concern... people can collaborate for more reasons than fear and desire for safety.

>>1123210
We will need to...make sure that they are loyal. The most effective method of doing so is to only go for those wronged by the conquerors but they are a extreme minority; since they will also be under observation in most cases it will be hard to get them in and out safely for operations.

>>1123216
That's the hard part. I can't think of an easy way to prove loyalty. An expansionist nation has the capability to give benefits to collaborators as a cost of war or just by redirecting resources from our own more well-off citizens, and it's only personal knowledge and our judgement of the people we involve that can protect against that on a case-by-case basis.

Which means we probably ought to do a very good job at protecting the people already with us as of now.

I have a question for other anons too. Although distant goals.

If we can, should we work towards a mobile command system of independent cells or a well positioned HQ?

>>1123224
Mobile command at the...cell level backed by a series of head quarters. Which will serve primarily as safe-houses, storehouses and medical centers.

>>1123205
You hustle Paul to one side and take a look at the gate.
It doesn't look too sturdy; more of a deterrence to homeless bums looking to dig through the eatery's trash than a determined housebreaker. You square your shoulder and remember what the instructor in police training told you about breaching doors, though this is the first time you've got to do it in person. Only a shame you can't yell 'Police, freeze!' One good barge later and the gate smashes open. "That did it. Okay, hustle."
"Could you have been any louder?" Harken grumbles. Granted, you have been more subtle...
Just as you predicted, the door to the kitchen is unlocked, allowing you easy access. Harken stealthily makes his way to the front of the shop and slips the bomb under the roller that houses the blinds covering the front of the shop. He has to stand on one of the tables to do it however and works the bulky package back and forth.
"Faster would be better," mutters Karlo, "What's the hold-up?"
"It's too big," your would-be bomb expert replies, "There's not enough of a gap to worm it in; the damn thing'll be sticking out if I leave it like this!"
"Well then make some room already," grits your brother, glancing around the blinds to watch for soldiers.
"I'm trying, I'm trying."
As Harken yanks at the shutter to try and shift it and gain some space for the bomb, you suddenly wander what's above the store front. Don't the owners typically live over a place like this? Oh and your entry probably woke someone up too...
"Harken, wait a-" you begin, but suddenly, you're all caught in the light of a lantern and freeze in shock.
"Hey! Who the hell are you? What are you at-?"

The owner is a fat, balding man currently in his night-shirt and little more, with an oil lamp in one hand and a large, knobbly stick in the other. For a moment, no-one knows what to say, but then, Karlo goes for him with a silent look of desperation in his eyes. The owner gives a shout and swings his club, battering your brother's head and sending him reeling drunkenly before you and Triss can leap to restrain him. As Karlo staggers back however, he trips over the corner of one of the tables and falls, grabbing at the blind and pulling it down behind him with a crash.

For a moment, none of you even notice... But then the feeble light of the dropped lamp is joined by the harsher glare from outside.
"Hey! You in there! Freeze!"
You glance back and your blood runs cold. Of all the times for a patrol to be passing-! The corporal holds the electric flashlight high, the bulb bathing you all white light, while the men beside him raise their rifles. Your eyes slide to Triss, but before you can even shout a warning, she raises her pistol. The shot rings out, deafening in the small space of the brasserie, shattering the glass of the window. The sound is lost however, as the soldiers return fire.

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>>1123257
Federation rifles can fire as fast as their wielder can pull the trigger and the soldiers are well-drilled. At the close range, Harken never stood a chance. Bullets rip through him, spraying blood across the polished tables and floor, just as the screaming starts. Paul bolts immediately, drawing more fire, as the owner tries to scramble out of the way. Karlo barks a single word.
"Run!"

You scramble up and bolt for the door, the pistol tucked into your pants forgotten as you sprint for freedom. You practically fall over Paul, who yells and curses as you stumble across him.
"My leg-! Sons of bitches, they got my leg!"
Karlo pushes you towards the fence, where the garbage cans make for a way over, before dashing after you.
"No! Don't-!"
You look back to see what your brother's shouting about, but it's too late. Your eyes widen as you see Triss stoop to help your fallen comrade, raising her pistol and snapping off a couple of shots as the soldiers kick open the gate. One falls, clutching at his stomach, before the embittered mother's head caves in, a heavy rifle round punching through her jaw and out the back of her neck.

Your stomach churns, as she dies with a choking scream, then your brother's hand meets your arse and pushes you over, before he follows, tumbling behind in an ungainly heap. You scramble on all fours for a moment before you find your footing, as you see a helmeted head and the barrel of a rifle appear over the fence. Karlo fires, but his shots go wide and you hear the patrol leader shouting to go around, as a piercing whistle splits the night.
"The river!" you spit, as Karlo struggles to re-load and swears violently as the rounds spill from his fingers. "The waterfront's our only chance! Move!" You've lost more marks in the strange light glancing off the water, amid the boats and ancient, secret smuggler tunnels that litter the waterfront than you care to admit.

The pair of you sprint for the river, hurrying down the steps to the small jetties where private row-boats are moored.
"They'll pick us off if we try to row for it!" you gasp, your blood pounding in your temples. "Just keep running-!"
You and Karlo sprint for your lives, but your brother suddenly grabs your shoulder and hauls you to a stop as a second flashlight glare dances in front of you, a second squad hurrying to cut off your escape.
"There's no-where else... Hold your breath, Iwo-!"
The water is bitterly freezing and you can feel your limbs going numb after mere seconds of splashing in. You and Karlo tread water beneath the boards, as the patrol draws closer. Their language is the same as yours; another lasting aspect of your shared Eortite heritage, albeit with an accent... You can tell they won't be fooled by your vanishing act for long and your sodden clothes are already starting to weigh on you.

>>1123257
>>1123268
oh fudge

>>1123268
Karlo's eyes meet yours and you know what he's planning to do. You open your mouth to object, but he presses a hand over it before you can speak. "Wait for them to chase me," he whispers, "Then get as far away as you can; out of the city if you have to. Try to get yourself and our parents out of the country." You want to shake your head, to deny what's happening, but you can't. Karlo's mind is set. "I love you, big brother."
He smiles sadly and swims away, vanishing into the dark. After a few moments of choking back the stinging hot tears in your eyes, you can hear the splash as he hauls himself out of the icy river. Shouting soldiers order him to halt, but he responds with a yell and the crack of a revolver. The soldiers aren't slow in giving their response, but your brother runs, leading them away from you.

Just as you're about to emerge from hiding, you hear the tread of feet and the creak of boards over your head. You look up and blink away a little dirt that falls in your eye, your stomach sinking. One of the soldiers is still sweeping the docks!

What do you do?
>Try and tough out the cold and fatigue until he leaves (+1 Body)
>Shoot him through the boards, relying on the rifles in the distance to mask your shot (+1 Ranged Skill)
>Try and slip out silently behind his back (+1 Agility)
>Try and mimic a fellow soldier calling for backup elsewhere. Maybe the odd echos around the waterfront will fool him? (+1 Fellowship)

>>1123275
>Try and tough out the cold and fatigue until he leaves (+1 Body)
Let that red hot anger sustain you.

>>1123275
>Try and mimic a fellow soldier calling for backup elsewhere. Maybe the odd echos around the waterfront will fool him? (+1 Fellowship)
Torn between this and agility, action points look damn important.

>>1123275
>Try and slip out silently behind his back (+1 Agility)
Pump stealth!

>>1123297
>>1123275
Changing my vote to agility. If that's allowed.

>>1123275
>Try and tough out the cold and fatigue until he leaves (+1 Body)

>>1123309
Completely allowed yeah, no worries.

>>1123297
Not gonna lie; they kinda are. The more action points you have, the more chance you have to kill a guy before he kills you, or the more things you can do in a single round of combat. Keep in mind, talking in this system is NOT a free action; it takes a point or more.

>>1123275
>>Shoot him through the boards, relying on the rifles in the distance to mask your shot (+1 Ranged Skill)
Vengeance for your comrades

Alright the votes have stopped coming in and it looks like we're going for agility, by a slim margin. Calling it here and posting!

>>1123374
You really don't want to risk shooting the man. You can already imagine the shock of the pistol; his body falling; his blood seeping through the cracks in the jetty and staining your face and hair... Would it even fire while it was wet? Would your fingers be able to grip it? But you can't just wait here, so... You only have one chance. Carefully, inch-by-inch and all too aware of every tiny ripple and splash your progress makes, you haul yourself along beneath the soldier. He keeps checking behind himself, infuriating your attempts to get behind him and escape, until eventually, you reach the end of the walkway. An iron ladder set into the stone riverbank leads up, shrouded in shadows. Your clothes are a sodden weight on your body as you cautiously haul yourself up, feeling like you're carrying a horse on your shoulders, before you scramble over the lip and collapse onto your back, panting and freezing. You lie, shivering on the cobbles, chest heaving for breath for as long as you dare, before you pull yourself up and wipe your eyes. You can't go yet- What if Karlo managed to get away? You heave yourself up and stumble in the direction he fled, following the voices. You manage to remain un-noticed, leaning behind a chimney in a dark alleyway, while you watch the small group in the street ahead. Poor Paul's there, leaning against a wall, struggling to remain upright with his hands on his head, while two soldiers menace him with rifles.

For a moment, you dare to hope that your brother got away - that you might find him back at your apartment, waiting for you with a smile and warm soup- But then your heart falls as you see him dragged between two burly men in Federation grey-blue coats and helmets. His eye is swollen and red and blood oozes from his forearm, but he's alive... For how much longer though?

"No papers on him, sir," you hear one of the soldiers report, "No identification of any kind."
"Were you part of a larger group?" the man in charge asks your brother directly, but Karlo just keeps a sullen silence. "It will go easier for you if you name your co-conspirators. I'll see to it you're well-treated if you help-"
"Go suck a dragon's cock in hell," Karlo scowls through broken teeth, "I'll die before I tell a Federal anything."
"Very well," nods the officer, not even missing a beat. "Up against the wall with the other."
You watch helplessly as your brother is placed against the wall and made to stand with his hands on his head. Only now does he let tears burn his cheeks. Paul is quietly praying.
"Take aim!" Half a dozen rifles swing up and you find yourself torn between horrid fascination and looking away. "Fire!"
Six shots bark out as one rippling crack and your brother and friend slump, their blood staining the bricks behind them. The soldiers take the corpse's coats and drape them over their faces, leaving the bodies to be picked up by an army coroner.

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>>1123459
In late October last year, the Eortite Federation had declared war on your home country of Awsbet. Less than eight hours later, mechanised Federation divisions were streaming across the border and crushing any resistance the Awsbet Republican Army could muster. Although everyone had known war was coming, no-one had expected it so soon, or so devastatingly. As every engagement went the Federation's way, it had almost seemed unreal as war swept through the country like a typhoon, striking down everything in its path. Few last stands by the scattered Awsbet brigades had lasted more than a matter of days and even dug into cities, the under-equipped and rapidly demoralised defenders had stood little chance. Even in the capitol, the enemy hadn't been held for more than long enough for the Premier and government to evacuate.

Winter had slowed the fighting, of course and allowed the few remaining soldiers outside of the occupied zone a chance to rally, but the situation was beyond dire. Within the capitol city, ammunition, fuel, food and warm clothes soon ran low and rather than draw out the suffering of the civilian population, the garrison had surrendered. You were part of the small crowd that watched fearfully from windows and sidewalks, as the victorious Federation shock troops had paraded through Constitution Square. A month later, just as the first green buds of spring were starting to show, word came that the Premier had surrendered. The war was officially over.

The Republican Army was immediately disarmed and the police replaced by martial law. The occupiers were ruthless and un-opposed, as the new military commissioner took charge of an interim government 'while the newly annexed territories acclimatised to their new role as Federation citizens'. That hadn't sat well with many and as the initial shock of the occupation wore off, you and your brother had been among the many scattered and disunited citizens that first began to dream of resistance.

Now, Karlo is dead. You have nothing left but the single revolver he pressed into your hands and enough bullets to maybe scare the scenery. Your group is dead, you are sick and shivering and have maybe enough food to last you a week, if the soldiers don't smash down your door in the meantime and drag you out to be shot like a dog in the streets.

You only hope your brother is in a better place now. Maybe the Kings and Queens of Old Eorten received him, or maybe there was nothing but the cold hard ground. Either way... The future of your resistance looks bleak.

But even as you sniffle and shake under your blankets and sob the last of your tears for everyone and everything you and your country has lost... A burning, bitter spark ignites in your chest. One way or another, your brother's death and the deaths of Harken, Triss and Paul will not be in vain. One way or another, they WILL mean something. Of that, there is no doubt in your feverish mind.

This is only the beginning.

>>1123459
I'm sad now.

>>1123482
They died free, many don't get a chance to find such a good death or such a quick one.


On the other hand...fuck these feds lets get to work.

>>1123512
You're tucked under your blankets for six days, alternately sneezing, shivering and hallucinating. At times, it seems like everything is normal; there's no foreign army outside and Karlo is laughing at your misfortune for falling in the river, joking and bringing you warm food. At other times, your head pounds as you see the freshly-dead figures of your comrades glaring accusingly at you, silently demanding to know why you didn't join them in death. When you squeeze your eyes shut and try to block them out, you hear the boom of distant artillery and the sporadic crackle of gunfire streets away; echoes left over from the siege. You have barely enough strength each day to crawl out of your bed and light the stove and your meager supply of soup tins and rapidly-going-stale bread soon dwindles to almost nothing.

Finally, you're well enough to stand, if not especially strong and you're able to take stock of your situation. Karlo's bed stands empty and cold; you didn't dream his execution. Lying on the table in front of you is your pistol; a local-made revolver, not as modern as that of other countries and certainly not a match for the Federation's weapons, but it's more than most of your disarmed countrymen have. You have 24 rounds and the chamber holds six. Knowing your marksmanship and the fact that practicing will not only eat into your limited ammo supply, but bring the military police down on your head, the pistol is probably only any good as a threat, or at point-blank range. Besides your weapon, you have maybe enough food for another week. Your little brother's death at least means that you can make use of his ration card and the food he'll no-longer eat. You'll say this much for the invaders; after the occupation, they weren't slow to set up rationing to make sure there was minimal disruption to the city's food supply. Besides that, you have only the few possessions of an out-of-work policeman, including your old badge (which you give a small polish with the corner of your shirt) and uniform, complete with stiff, shiny hat; and nightstick. That at least might come in handy. You heft it and narrow your eyes, imagining a Federation soldier's wrist or neck breaking under the force of your swing. You may be mildly gun-shy, but this thing you know how to use and have had cause to on occasion, even if your time with the force didn't feature a major strike.

>>1123546
It's time to make plans
>Try to lay low. The military police are probably still looking for you and you're in no state to be out and about. Instead, use the time to plan and grow stronger
>Find out what's going on. Talk to those students who didn't flee the city and put out feelers. Information is power, after all
>You're just one man and alone, you can't do much of anything. You need to find out if there's anyone left in the city who's got the balls and the guns to fight
>They took your brother and your friends. Someone is going to die for that
>Toe the line and see how close you can get to the occupiers. After all, keep your friends close and your enemies within knife-reach

>>1123546
I wonder if we could practice reloading. Even if it takes a while to get anywhere with that, it's a good mental distraction for the small moments...

>>1123552
>Find out what's going on. Talk to those students who didn't flee the city and put out feelers. Information is power, after all
>You're just one man and alone, you can't do much of anything. You need to find out if there's anyone left in the city who's got the balls and the guns to fight
Can we combine these?

>>1123552
>You're just one man and alone, you can't do much of anything. You need to find out if there's anyone left in the city who's got the balls and the guns to fight
Recruitment is essential

>>1123552
>Find out what's going on. Talk to those students who didn't flee the city and put out feelers. Information is power, after all

>>1123552
>Find out what's going on. Talk to those students who didn't flee the city and put out feelers. Information is power, after all
>You're just one man and alone, you can't do much of anything. You need to find out if there's anyone left in the city who's got the balls and the guns to fight

>>1123567
>Can we combine these?
Not especially. One is asking folks if they know anything and the other is encouraging them to stand up and fight. You can try both, but the same people who might talk about fears and worries are not the same who might agree to fight.

>>1123616
I see. I'll opt for finding out what's going on then.

Alright, I am calling the votes on going and seeing what intel you can pick up. Not necessarily from students, as that's a mistake from the old thread I'm re-mastering. You'll be asking citizens in general.

There will be a delay on the next major post however, due to my going to find some dinner! In recompense, if you have any questions about the world, go on and ask 'em and I'll answer before I get cracking on the next post.

>>1123684
What kind of armament level did our former military have on average? All I can think of atm.

>>1123684
How developed is the city we're in and what's the state of devastation after it was occupied?

>>1123684
How built up is the city?

What is the state of the criminal elements of the city? Are they still organised?

Are there any nations that hate the conquerors?

Do we know of any criminals we could recruit? Arsonists, forgers and all those sorts would be quite useful, if untrustworthy...

>>1123688
>Just before I scram for food
Awsbet's military was, sadly, hopelessly out-dated by the standards of the day. The average infantryman had to carry nearly all of his own kit and the uniform included a burgundy coat and beret, with white pants and shiny black boots. Think France at the start of WW1. The Awsbet Republican Army had an understanding of modern field tactics, such as small units, use of cover and better formations than "Stand in a line and fire and whoever dies last wins," but camouflage had yet to be introduced.

As for weapons, the average infantryman was equipped with a bolt-action rifle with a 4-round magazine that required the shooter to load the rounds individually. For contrast, the standard rifle of the federation is a gas-operated semi-automatic that holds eight rounds from two stripper clips or chargers. The Awsbet heavy machine gun was a hand-cranked Gatling and they had no light equivalent. An Awsbet grenade is the stick variety, with a friction primer (although these were being phased out for percussion primers) activated by pulling a cord at the bottom of the hollow handle. Officers and NCOs were issued both a 5-shot revolver as a sidearm (though many NCOs bought a 6-shot on their own money), as well as a cavalry-pattern sword.

Any more detail required there?

>>1123707
You're in the capitol city of Yetrizcy (Yet-ri-see), the cultural and economic heart of Awsbet, with a population of juuust about 1.1million before the war. With a over a quarter of the civilian population fleeing the city and more dying during the winter siege, the population now stands a little below 800,000.

The siege damaged large sections of the city, but it is far from fully devastated. Many portions hardly look different to before occupation, while others feature bombed, shelled or fire-gutted buildings or even whole streets. Where the fighting was thickest, there are still barricades, sandbags, trenches and even mines. These sections are cordoned off by the Federation troops and MPs.

>>1123740
>And back
You were a beat cop, not a detective, so the exact details of the criminal underbelly of Yetrizcy escape you, but last you heard, many of the major crime bosses had left the city ahead of the Federation army. Doubtless they're still watching and waiting to see how things play out. Their gangs are still around, but quiet. When their bosses return, it's possible some groups will refuse to just carry on as if nothing's happened.

One element of the underworld that's flourishing at least is the black market, especially in small luxuries, now the invaders have re-established supply lines for food and other essentials into the capitol.

The Eortite Federation has made plenty of enemies... And then promptly crushed must of them. Most nations now are watching it carefully, trying to see if they'll be next and trying to reach out to their neighbors to maybe make some alliances, but the Federation is very good at nipping such things in the bud before they have a chance to grow.

There are probably criminals out there who would rather kill Federals than you, but no names immediately spring to mind. You dealt mainly with street crime and petty thieves, not serious, bigtime criminals. Again, you were a beat cop, not a detective.

>>1124108
Hm, I suppose it was a bit much to hope to know some of the local lads with "a certain set of skills"...

>>1124116
Ahhh well I never said you didn't know where to find lads like that! Buuut they may object to your past occupation.

Anyway, that's for the future. Posting!

>>1124153
The remains of your influenza still haunt you as you shuffle through the streets. Next to how things were before the war, they're still largely deserted. Almost one in four people fled when it became clear the war would come to their doorstep and the siege took further lives as food and warmth dwindled. People are slowly trickling back now the fighting's over, but at the current rate, it'll be months or even years before the population recovers completely. Your own parents live in a small, unimportant village some miles from the capitol, who's only strategic value is a really good local lamb hotpot, so at least you know they're not likely to be harmed, even if you've not heard from them since the siege started. Your stomach growls just at the memory of the savory meat and vegetables, or the way your mother used to grate a little cheese over the top, so it'd melt and turn brown in the oven-

Okay, fuck your plans. You need food.

You pull your ration card from your pocket and sigh at the pitifully small amount it; enough to live on, but not well, by any means. Those found hoarding food or growing their own in small, backyard plots, were fined heavily, or even sent to the military internment camps, alongside the disarmed army. You scowl as you join the breadline at the corner shop, amid a throng of other, similarly-ravenous citizens. It's hard to gauge the mood, as everyone converses in a low voice and grows fearfully silent as a patrol swings past. You can understand why; if they were suspected of plotting against the Federation, it wouldn't take much evidence to have them hauled away to a cell or a firing squad. Still, as the soldiers move past, a few start to chatter and gossip again a little more quickly than the others. If you're friendly and careful, you might just be able to glean some information you can use.

>Roll 2d20+0 (Base+ Fellowship) to gather information from the whispers and snippets

Rolled 15, 17 = 32 (2d20)

>>1124277
WOO INFORMATIONS

Rolled 15, 1 = 16 (2d20)

>>1124277

Rolled 6, 18 = 24 (2d20)

>>1124277
Rolling in case it's best of three or something

>>1124347
it is indeed the highest score of three, but I don't think anyone is beating >>1124278

Unfortunately, the demands of a body still recovering from hospital mean I have to call it here for tonight. We'll be back soon as possible tomorrow, but I can't tell you exactly when that'll e. Probably during the day.

>>1124380
Thanks for running man. Be healthy.

>>1124380
Thanks for running.

Don't let the curse have its way with you.

>>1124409
uwotm8? Curse? What curse?

>>1126472
QM curse. It's real.

>>1126485
What like new QMs having car accidents or suddenly getting sick or something? That's just an internet legend! I mean surely, right? I just got OUT of hospital!

>>1126488
Broken bones. Gut infections. Exploding teeth. Ass cancer.

>>1124380
>Target of 18. Success!
The invasion and occupation is all that's on anyone's lips at the moment, but before you can dig for specifics, you have to listen and endure. Tales of sorrow and fear seem at first to be all you hear as you eavesdrop. The war has left no-one unscathed; if a family hasn't lost children, husbands, wives, brothers or elderly parents, then they've lost their homes; those with loved ones in the army don't know if they're dead or in a prisoner of war camp.No-one speaks of their own woes, or that of those present, but you can see the hurt and despair in the eyes and stoop of your countrymen and women. Then there are the rumors of the military police searching homes, or dragging people out in the dead of night for 'questioning'. The lucky ones come back shaking, while the unlucky ones never return at all, all on suspicion of 'subversive activities' or 'conspiracy to terrorism'.

As you reach the grocer's counter however and hand your ration card to a hollow-eyed man in a stained apron, you put together some more tantalising tidbits... Some citizens find the presence of soldiers comforting; a deterrent to the criminal element, when the city could otherwise be moments from anarchy. You bitterly stop yourself from reminding such people that Yetrizcy and Awsbet in general wouldn't be in such dire straits at all, if not for the Federation. Most however see the rifles and searching looks and the seemingly random questioning and shrink back in fear. Not all are among those two groups however... There's talk that the students of the university district are planning demonstrations and protests at the treatment of the faculty and potential attacks on the historical and philosophical courses. The Federation has a special interest in making sure the only topics covered in those particular subjects are those which fit their own agenda. There's even rumor that exhibits relating to the three Restoration monarchs will be removed from the city's Museum of Art and Civilization, for who knows what fate. Those relics are priceless and irreplaceable cultural treasures not just of Awsbet, but all Antaria!

Finally, just as you're leaving, you hear a handful of your neighbours talking grimly. One has a working radio and has apparently heard that the Federations Military Commissioner is planning to make a speech this evening, the main points of which will be posted around the city. Supposedly it's going to be the outline for the future governance and treatment of Awsbet now the fighting has died down? That might be worth investigating, but you have no radio of your own...

>>1126648
It's time to make plans.
>Seems like a day well done. Time to head home and prepare your next move. You've risked enough for today.
>You're going to need tools and weapons to oppose the Federation. Maybe some of your old friends from the force can point you in the right direction? (2d20+0)
>Head for the museum and see if you can find a way to do your part to save your cultural heritage. You'll need to act fast or you might lose the chance forever!
>Find the Democratic Society and look into their plans. At least some of them might be worth the conviction of their words and they certainly seem more organised and motivated than most on campus. Ready-made resistance fighters, perhaps?
>The Democratic Society is a danger not only to themselves, but everyone else in the university! They're harmless at the moment, but given time, they could bring hell down on the campus. Maybe if you reported them, you could bargain for leniency and nip the problem in the bud...
>Ask your neighbour if you can swing by later and get some of the details of that speech first-hand. The Commissioner may let something slip... (2d20+0)
>Other (write-in)

>>1126648

>>1126657
Um, I think you forgot to vote there...

Rolled 12, 8 = 20 (2d20)

>>1126687
That's strange, I clearly remeber pasting the vote.

>Ask your neighbour if you can swing by later and get some of the details of that speech first-hand. The Commissioner may let something slip... (2d20+0)

>>1126702
voting for this to expedite the voting process

>>1126702
I shall also vote for this.

>>1126702

Going with this too. Damn this is an intense start.

>>1126845
Votes called then! That seems pretty clear cut and unanimous.

And yeah, things are kind of a bit calmer now, but really at this point it's up to you to set the intensity.

>>1126648
>>Head for the museum and see if you can find a way to do your part to save your cultural heritage. You'll need to act fast or you might lose the chance forever!
"what point is surviving and fighting back for our freedom if our culture is distroyed
"

>>1126860
pls don't leave us like last time
I don't want to wait another year

I am so sorry for the delay. Full disclosure: I'm currently undergoing physical therapy and recovery after seven weeks in hospital, following an attack of gallstones, causing acute pancreatitis. For those that don't know, that means the pancreas, the part of the digestive system that helps digest fats, among other lesser functions, started digesting itself and necrotising. Couple that with a medical textbook of complications and it's safe to say I'm not at the top of my game.

Still, that's in the past. At the moment, I'm mostly recovered, but I'm in a phase where every little change to my diet or routine can cause abdominal pain that could be the herald of Very Bad Things. I apologise for the delay, but now we'll be getting back into the quest. I hope you understand.

>>1127137
As I said to you a fairly long time ago, take a break if you need it man and we'll understand.

>>1126860
You wrack your brain for a moment to remember your neighbour's name. You know the mailbox lists him as A. Fredrovich, but- Ah, now you recall. "Artur," you hail him, raising a hand, while you tuck the paper bag containing your groceries under your opposite arm. "Good to see you, my friend!"
The conversation he was having with the small group stops as he frowns, trying to recall you. For a moment, tension hangs in the air as the small gathering of four or five try to decide if you're an undercover informant or not.
"Malinowski?" Artur slowly nods, his expression clearing and a smile crossing his lips, "Iwo, right? It's good to see you too! You've not been around much lately."
"Caught an absolutely stinking cold," you reply with a laugh that turns into a bit of a cough. "It's been wretched."
The group relaxes some as Artur nods his understanding. If he knows you, they figure you're not a threat and you're included into their huddle.
"Ach that's a bastard, especially on rations," your friendly neighbour nods, scratching his bushy moustache. "At least you've got your brother to nurse-maid you though, eh?" His laugh dies on his lips as he catches the pain in your eyes. "Oh... I'm so sorry." There's not really any more that can be said. They may not know the details, but the whole group looks sympathetic.

Taking the chance to capitalise on their sympathy, you enquire about the commissioner's promised speech.
"Well, it's just a rumour," Artur shrugs. "There's been no official announcement or anything."
"Still, think I could swing by? I don't have a radio in my apartment. I'll bring dinner?"
"Bah, leave that for when you get back; we've all got little enough as it is," Artur assures you. "In fact, Pavel, you've not got a wireless either, do you? You want to come by too?"
"Sure," grunts another of the group, a squat man with a boxer's broken nose and hands like snow-shovels when he removes them from his coat pockets. "Thanks for the offer."
"We'll make a party of it," Artur grins. "I've got some vodka saved for a rainy day and Kings know it's not getting much rainier."
You all agree to meet at Artur's around five, before you make your excuses and wave goodbye, heading back in the direction of your apartment, before congratulating yourself on the harmless little deception and considering your further options.

An armoured car rolls past as you're thinking, soldiers clinging to the sides and the turret pointing resolutely forward; a rounded Federation helmet just visible over the low, protective shield.

>>1127245
What do you do?
>Head home and get a warm meal. You're stomach's grumbling.
>Find some of your old friends from the force and enquire after weapons. (2d20+0)
>Head for the museum and see if you can find a way to do your part to save your cultural heritage. You'll need to act fast or you might lose the chance forever!
>Look into finding and contacting the Democratic Society.
>Report the Democratic Society to the military police and try to bargain for leniency.
>Follow that car! Wherever it's going, it's clearly important to be carrying a squad and you need eyes-on!
>Other (Write in)

>>1127248
>>Look into finding and contacting the Democratic Society.

>>1127248
>Look into finding and contacting the Democratic Society.
The museum gig is too risky with no time to prepare.

>>1127248
>>Find some of your old friends from the force and enquire after weapons. (2d20+0)
Self defense first, besides Democratic society can only protest, we need concrete actions

Rolled 9, 7 = 16 (2d20)

>>1127248
>Follow that car! Wherever it's going, it's clearly important to be carrying a squad and you need eyes-on!
Just for a little bit, for the sake of curiosity. Then after that we can
>Find some of your old friends from the force and enquire after weapons.

Okay, I think I've given this plenty of time... Calling the vote in favour of finding the Democratic Society! Post coming soon (tm)!

>>1127862
The students of Awsbet are no strangers to political activity. Indeed, it was within the hallowed halls of learning that the nation was first conceived, as student groups and societies all agitated for the right of all men to vote, rich and poor alike. More universal sufferage was still a matter of hot debate, with the council leaning towards granting women the vote, before the war brought politics to a screeching halt. But even now, 80 years later and not even within one of the universities that birthed the Republican movement, the students of Awsbet see themselves as political beings and the Democratic Society is very much an aspect of this.

As an open society, it's not hard to ask for directions to the society's meeting room. You're a little older than your average student however and the 'policeman's walk' which has become second nature to you helps draw suspicious eyes from the young men currently lounging without classes to attend. The Society itself is not in session when you arrive, however the room seems occupied by the society's committee, if for no other reason than to fill empty hours with social activity.

You rap crisply on the door and to your mild surprise, find it answered by a young woman with her sleeves rolled back and her auburn hair tied back in a respectable bun. She's of average height, but you notice she wears her dress somewhat shorter than what most would consider respectable, revealing shiny walking boots around her feet and lower legs. Her dark eyes narrow slightly at the sight of you.
"Yes, can I help you?" she asks hesitantly.
"I was told this is where the Democratic Society meets?" you say, framing it as a question, "I hope I'm not intruding on anything, miss."
"I'm afraid we're kind of in the middle of something-" she begins, but she's cut off by a voice from inside the room.
"Who is it, Aneta?"
She sighs and opens the door a little, revealing a long table surrounded by male students and littered with ashtrays, playing cards and bottles of cheap beer, which they don't even make an effort to hide, confident you're not faculty. "Someone looking for the Society," she replies.
"Well he's found them. Let him in, why don't you?"
"Just a moment," she says, turning back to you, still suspicious, "I don't know you from campus. What did you say your name was again? And why are you looking for us?"

What do you say?
>Give your name and reason for looking for the society honestly - you came hoping to find fighters for freedom!
>Give your name, but lie about the reason you came. Outside parties are allowed to join university societies, if they pay a small stipend
>Give a false name and fabricate a story for why you've shown up. Perhaps you're looking for a relative or someone that owes you money
>Give your first name, but be intentionally vague about your reasons and oh hey, are they playing for money or just bragging rights?
>Other (write in)

>>1128196
Let's start out honestly. We can't go around spinning webs of lies if we want these people to trust us and (potentially) die for us.

I'll leave you folks to vote and discuss, as I need to sleep. The thread will resume (and hopefully have a more active QM) tomorrow, probably around lunchtime, GMT.

Thank you all for your continued support!

>>1128196
First
>Give your first name, but be intentionally vague about your reasons and oh hey, are they playing for money or just bragging rights?
then
>Give your name and reason for looking for the society honestly - you came hoping to find fighters for freedom!
We want to ease into the discussion, make them a little more comfortable with us as a person before delving into heavier matters

>>1128196

Hmm. With these guys it might not be good to be too forthright. 'HELLO I AM HERE TO JOIN THE RESISTANCE' is pretty suspicious if you are in the resistance.

So going for:
>Give your name, but lie about the reason you came. Outside parties are allowed to join university societies, if they pay a small stipend

We get the in first. Then we can be clearer.

Well this is a predicament... Three answers and four different options.

Uh- We really need a tiebreaker. I don't want to have to roll an die when it's literally choosing between almost every given option.

>>1128196
>>Give your first name, but be intentionally vague about your reasons and oh hey, are they playing for money or just bragging rights?

>>1131992
And there we go! Thanks pal!

Votes called for "Deal me in guys!"

>>1132004
Well this gives me time to catch up.

>>1132004
"Ah, sorry, rude I know," you reply with a laugh. "Iwo. Pleased to meet you." You crane your head up and raise your hand to the guys in the room. A couple wave back. "You playing for cash or just for the hell of it?" you ask, ignoring her other question.
"For the hell of it," one replies, taking a drag on a cheap paper cigarette and adding to the thin haze of smoke that hangs in the air. "Damn little else to do until the meeting, plus it keeps Pavel and Kasper from bickering... Quite so much anyway."
Despite Aneta's misgivings you manage to ingratiate yourself with the bored students and get yourself dealt in. The small group it seems are all part of the society's administrative committee. Pavel and Kasper are the president and vice-president respectively, while Aneta is the secretary. The final member of the group is Cesare, the treasurer and a foreign student from Ben Ressara, at least if his name, accent and curly black hair are anything to go by.

Over a couple of rounds of smalltalk and poker however, Aneta's suspicion starts to seep into the others, until Pavel clears his throat, "So Iwo, you never did say why you came here. I'm guessing it wasn't just for poker and free drinks?"
You sip at the crappy beer they passed you as you consider your answer. This stuff was probably made in someone's personal still, given its crappy taste, but it's better than nothing. The University must have a thriving black market if anyone has a lick of business sense.

How do you reply?
>Inform them of the rumours about the Society and say you just followed them
>Explain you're looking for people as sick of the Federation's boot on Awsbet's neck as you are
>Say you came to warn them that it won't be long before the Federation comes for their little club
>Say you were looking for a place to speak openly, without having to look over your shoulder
>Other (write in)

Regardless of choice, please roll 2d20+1 (I've accidentally been shorting you on previous rolls) to see if you can win the society's trust and if you made friends over cards.

Rolled 10, 6 + 1 = 17 (2d20 + 1)

>>1132138
>Say you were looking for a place to speak openly, without having to look over your shoulder

>>1132138
>Say you came to warn them that it won't be long before the Federation comes for their little club
>Overt actions and peaceful protests will only bring MPs on them.

Rolled 4, 11 = 15 (2d20)

>>1132138
>Explain you're looking for people as sick of the Federation's boot on Awsbet's neck as you are

Rolled 12, 14 = 26 (2d20)

>>1132138
>Say you were looking for a place to speak openly, without having to look over your shoulder

>>1132225
>Target of 20 vs 26. Success by one degree!
Votes called for saying you want a place to speak freely and openly! Post coming soonish then.

>'Soonish'
>>1132317
Your appeals to free speech find easy common ground with the committee, who accept it without much complaint. Of course, the fact that you easily managed to slip into the conversation during the card game helps somewhat. Even Aneta seems temporarily satisfied with your answer.
"Well, you came to the right place then," Pavel replies. "Normally I'd explain that non-students are expected to pay a fee for membership in a society, but given the faculty's not currently exactly making sure dues are paid, I think we can skip that. If you're interested, there's a meeting due later tonight."
The time he gives you is cutting it close to the federation's curfew, but if you attend, you might just be able to find out the truth behind the rumours of building resistance within the society.

What will you do?
>Apologise, but you don't want to risk the Federation's ire by being caught out after curfew
>Sorry, but you already have plans this evening. Maybe you can make the next?
>Say you'll be there. You didn't go to the trouble of setting this up for nothing after all!
>Other (write in)

>>1136613
>Say you'll be there. You didn't go to the trouble of setting this up for nothing after all!

>>1136613
>Say you'll be there. You didn't go to the trouble of setting this up for nothing after all!
>Ask if you can bunk here if you don't make the curfew

>>1136809
This

>>1136809
Agreed. Getting home would take a while considering where we live.

>>1136809
backing.

>>1136809
supporting this. If we can't stay here, we'll just have to hoof it back to the apartment, no prob

File: RV-AM119_bkrv_a_G_2013112(...).jpg (77 KB, 553x369)

77 KB JPG

Bumping for the glory of Awsbet

>>1143114
>For the Glory of Awsbet
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URf7eA_aajs
Sadly, we're past the bump limit. Threads on /qst/ auto-sage after 72 hours.

I do apologise for not posting, everyone. The last couple of days, I think the QM curse got to me. I've been leaning over a bucket ever since my last post. I'm about well enough to focus on something beyond my stomach exploding now, so I'm about ready to run, if you're still willing to play!

>>1145730
Get well, man. Don't overexert yourself.
That said, I won't protest if you run.

>>1145730
"I'll be there," you promise. Getting the society to accept you was a risk in and of itself, but squandering your chance now to see if the rumours were true would be a waste of your time and effort. "But... It's kind of close to curfew and I don't live near to the campus. If the Federation sees someone out on the streets, they don't tend to be understanding."
"That's an understatement if there ever was one," Kasper snorts, taking a drink from his bottle. "But you're right; I hate to say it, but maybe you're better staying home. Better than catching a bullet, right?"
"Kasper, we talked about this," Pavel growls, but you interrupt before it can become a full-fledged argument.
"Do you have anywhere I could crash maybe?" you ask, "It doesn't have to be much; just somewhere I can lay my head until morning, then I'll be out of your hair."
"Making you sleep on the society room floor seems a bit cruel, don't you think?" Cesare laughs. "Tell you what; you can bunk in my room overnight."
You offer your thanks to your new friend, but he waves it aside. You remember something about being charitable to strangers and guests being part of Ben Ressara's ancient customs or something, so maybe he's just following that.

Your agreement to attend the society's meeting means you'll be cutting it pretty fine and will have to excuse yourself early from Artur's little party, but you should still have the time, if you hurry. Speaking of which, you make your excuses and start to head back, your stomach growling for lack of food. You'll need an early dinner tonight as you'll have no opportunity to eat otherwise... Or you could just expect Cesare to feed you... To an Awsbetian, it might be rude, but he's not a native, so... You decide to just have something light, to keep you going until morning, but leave room in case your host decides to be generous, as if anyone can afford to be with this rationing.

>>1145900
After a small dinner, you head downstairs and knock on Artur's door, soon to be greeted by the man himself. By the sound of voices behind him, you're the last to arrive.
"Ah, Iwo! Come on in," he greets you with a smile. "We've already started. Come on, we're trying to find the station and the vodka's already half-gone!" It sounds like they were really looking for an excuse to let off some steam. You're invited in and someone pulls up a chair for you as Artur slowly turns the dials on his wireless. Apart from a few local stations still playing music and not really daring to comment much on the news, there's only really one broadcast to find and that's the Federation's propaganda station. Clearly, your neighbour doesn't have the frequency memorised. Come to think of it, a wireless is one thing, but if you could find yourself a more professional set, the Federation uses radio extensively to organise troop movements and pass along information... But then again, such sets take at least a little training to use.
"Aha! Found them," Artur announces, sitting back in his chair and pouring you a shot of clear alcohol, before seizing his again. "The Federation plays crappy music, eh?"
"And you can't believe a word they say," snorts one of the revellers. "If it's not a load of crap about 'national unity', it's about how Antaria is prospering under their 'benevolent stewardship'." He throws back his vodka with a disgusted noise. You're a little more conservative with your own drink, the potent alcohol burning your throat as the patriotic music fades and the presenter's voice returns to the airwaves.

"That was Purpose Reborn, from the Federal Orchestral Company, always a treat to the ears." Whoever they have announcing the music, his voice is cultured and educated, perfect for giving everyone listening a feeling that he's in calmly in control and worth listening to purely for that reason alone. "Up next, we have a special announcement, in place of our usual news segment. Lieutenant General Philipe Dufour, the honourable-" that remark prompts some jeering from around the table, "Commissioner of the region of Awsbet, has a few words to say to the Federation's most recently integrated citizens."
"Integrated citizens?" Artur sneers, "More like conquered subjects, but hey, who are we to nay-say the all-powerful military commissioner?"
You try to gauge the mood as there's a grumble of assent from Artur's friends, but for the most part, it seems like grumbling is all they're content to do. They might privately complain about the Federation, but these are soldiers or firebrands; just discontent men trying to live peaceful lives and avoid attracting too much attention from their new overlords.

>>1146025
"This coming to you live from the council chambers, Commissioner Philipe Dufour," another voice breaks in, followed by some polite applause. The Commissioner must be making this speech live, even as it's broadcast.
"Fellow citizens of the Federation and good men and women of Awsbet," the commissioner begins and even the at-least-mildly-drunk group you're seated with hushes to hear his words. "I am both humbled and honoured to assume this position, as the newest members of our great Federation adjust to the changing political climate."
After the expected speech accepting his position and the typical introductory statements, the more serious news starts. Dufour wraps it all in very safe language, but anyone listening closely enough can tell what he means. His tone is neither arrogant, nor especially sadistic, but rather adamant and certain. Cultural adjustment to Federal norms, work programs, new security measures; child-safe ways of saying purges of and potentially subversive material, labour camps and crackdowns. Not a single word of his announcements is good for Awsbet citizens and looking around, you can see its effect is not lost on the gathering. No-one is drinking or grumbling now; instead they sit in morose silence, cowed by the weight of the words and what defiance might mean.
You stand and make your excuses. You have somewhere to be.

The evening air is chill and you're already running late as you leave the apartment and turn up your collar, hastening for the university. You're not in danger of breaking curfew for at least another hour or so yet, but still, the fading light of an early spring morning and your hurried pace attracts exactly the attention you don't want. A beam of light illuminates you from the back as a flashlight catches you. "Hey! Stop where you are! What's the rush for, civilian?" The military police. Just perfect. It sounds like a two-man patrol, swiftly walking towards you.

What do you do?
>Make a break for it. You know the city better than them and can probably get clean away without them even seeing your face
>Wait until they're close and then make a fight of it. With a bit of luck and some dirtier tricks they don't teach in the force, you might be able to take them
>Stop and answer any questions truthfully. You have nothing to hide and aren't breaking curfew, so they have no reason to suspect or detain you.
>Stop for questioning but lie your ass off about where you're headed and what your business is. You don't want to drop the society in hot water.

>>1146093
>Stop for questioning but lie your ass off about where you're headed and what your business is. You don't want to drop the society in hot water.


"I just got a call from my brother, his wife is giving birth right now and he needs me to go and tell his children at the university. As she must go to the hospital for medical reasons and he wants them to know where to go. Surely you can understand I must hurry, right?"


Always go with emotional plea, never doubt it's effectiveness and take advantage of it getting you to places...

>>1146093
>Stop for questioning but lie your ass off about where you're headed and what your business is. You don't want to drop the society in hot water.
Nothing too outlandish, in case they try to follow or otherwise "escort" us.

>>1146093
>Stop for questioning but lie your ass off about where you're headed and what your business is. You don't want to drop the society in hot water.

"I've heard there's ration cards being distributed over there!"

I was hoping for a few more, but I guess this far down the board, that's a little much to hope for, for a fairly niche quest anyway.

Looks like we're going with lying our asses off! Time to either come up with some bullshit or go with one of your suggestions.