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.

>>1997553
reading archive now

>>1997566
If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I'm more than happy to expound upon things Iwo should know, or that you're curious about the world.

>>1997553
>>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.
Wow, can't say I expected you to pick this up again, much less on /qst/.

>>1997581
Yeah, it kind of loses some of the meaning when it's not on /tg/ protesting us all being herded into this gulag, but people seemed to like it so I thought I'd re-start!

I tried in February, but I was still recovering from almost dying in hospital, so it slipped and I admit to kind of forgetting about it for a while... Regardless, we're back now!

>>1997553
>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

>>1997553
Actually, fuck that compliance to authority noise. It's gonna involve questions, then a pat-down, and then we'll be in real trouble if our gun is found.

Deleted my previous vote >>1997587

>>Make a break for it. You know the city better than them and can probably get clean away without them even seeing your face
Get those Federation pigs sweating from the chase.

>>1997603
How about we join forces?
We run, and look for a good point to ambush the pigs. If we don't find one, we just fuck right off.

>>1997614
Eh, fuck it, why not? Lure one of them in a dark alley, gank and leave him in the gutter, other guy will be too busy checking the scene so we can make our getaway.

>>1997619
Good!
Resistance is fertilized with the blood of the oppressors

>>1997631
Alright, it's currently two votes for lying your ass off to the cops and two votes for luring them up a dark alley and putting a bullet in one of them. The next vote decides it!

I guess we might be about to see if my rudimentary combat system actually stands up to use, huh?

>>1997635
one and two i think.
anon changed his vote?

>>1997635
Refresh the page OP. Did a vote change and even deleted the previous one.

Ah well that changes matters! Vote's decided, writing. Again, any questions, feel free to ask.

>>1997661
So is the city basically under martial law? As a former cop, I reckon Iwo would be vaguely familiar regarding arrests and detainment under the flimsiest excuses.

>>1997670
>City
The whole COUNTRY is under martial law. The Awsbet Republican Army has been disarmed and placed in internment camps and civil policemen like Iwo have been disbanded until the new government has taken stock of the situation.

That said, while Iwo was a good cop, as far as they went, he was still a good cop in a country stuck in the 1900s or earlier. Though he's never been involved in breaking a strike, standard practice in those days was to apply a truncheon to the rabble until they dispersed.

File: Resistance man 1.jpg (35 KB, 600x420)

35 KB JPG

>>1997553
You slow your pace, your mind racing. For a moment, you consider stopping and just lying about your purpose, but the heavy metal of the revolver in your inner pocket feels like it's burrowing into your skin. If they search you and find it (not unlikely; you've done more than one pat-down in the past), then the best you can hope for is an internment camp. At worst, you'll be facing a firing squad before this time tomorrow. Your eyes flick to the alleyway ahead and you try to remember your patrol routes through the city; the stories your fellow officers told of chasing a perp down an alley only to have them vanish, or for half a dozen of their friends to appear. They said you could be a fast cop, or an old cop, but you couldn't be a fast old cop... Well you're not a cop anymore.

You take off like a rocket, sprinting for the alleyway as shouts raise behind you and the military police's boots start pounding the cobbles, racing after you! You duck into the narrow space between a cobbler's and a shop selling fancy lady's hats, leaping over an overflowing trash can and sending a trio of alley cats scattering with angry yowls. You need to separate the two of them, but they're frustratingly well-drilled, keeping pace with one another almost exactly. Street by twisting street however, you keep glancing over your shoulder, always staying just ahead of your pursuers. They might be military men, but you're used to long chases after a fleeing suspect. Bit-by-bit, one starts to pull ahead of the other and you duck around a corner into a blind alley, blocked by a wall you can scramble over to make your getaway. Pulling the revolver from your coat and thumbing the polished steel hammer back with a click, the chamber rotates into place. The bark of the rifles and Karlo's tear-streaked face burn in your memory as bloodlust and revenge scream to be unleashed, tearing at your heart like caged, rabid animals!

The Federal turns the corner, truncheon in hand and his eyes widen as he sees you, ready and waiting with the muzzle of the pistol aimed at his chest. Anger turns to shock and then to fear in the blink of an eye as ice clutches at his insides, but your finger is already tightening on the trigger...

>Roll 2d10+1 (ranged skill)

Rolled 6, 10 + 1 = 17 (2d10 + 1)

>>1997716

Rolled 1, 6 + 1 = 8 (2d10 + 1)

>>1997716
Decided to change from d20?

>>1997723
ssshhh! i rolled gud

>>1997721
>>1997723
I'm a complete idiot. 2d20 in future! Damn typo...

I'll adjust the target number for this test alone, just so it's not unfair.

File: revolver_firing.jpg (25 KB, 620x343)

25 KB JPG

I really need to work on this system; it's terrible... Would help if I wasn't copying it from memory from someone far more talented.

The revolver leaps in your hands. Your grip is firm, but relaxed, your finger squeezing rather than jerking the trigger. You can almost feel Karlo's hands on yours, teaching you all over again how to fire properly. The bullet smashes into the Federal's ribcage just above his heart, the soft-pointed bullet ripping the top of the organ off and staining the front of his uniform a red so dark it's black in the gloom. You catch a glimpse of his face, limp, shocked, afraid, as he stumbles, falling against the wall, tumbling and landing on his back, choking on his blood and limply reaching for his chest. You have no time to wait, no time to waste sympathy or regret, or finish him off. Instead you simply turn, clamber up the trash cans and hurl yourself over the fence as his partner rounds the corner, blowing a shrill whistle which is about to bring every military policeman in hearing down on the location and you with a smoking gun in your hand.

You make a break for it, feet pounding the ground as you head for the main streets that will take you to the university. You manage to slip the pistol back inside your coat, but even after firing a single around, the metal feels like it burns. You've plotted, thought about it, even attempted it before in your raid with Karlo and the others, but this is the first time you've taken a human life. Your hands shake, but with what? Fear? Vindication? Shame? You still haven't decided by the time you reach the street and slow yourself down, walking briskly but not hurriedly to the university.

You're still out of breath by the time you knock on the door to the society's room. The young man with flat, square face greets you; Kasper, as you recall, the society's vice-president. "There you are!" he smiles, nodding you inside. "I was wondering what kept you. The others are already down at the meeting room- Are you okay? You look exhausted." He frowns, concerned at your flushed face, messy hair and sweaty skin.
"Ju-just the after-effects of pneumonia," you answer, waving his concerns aside. You dread to glimpse yourself in a mirror and you can't shake the paranoid feeling that you reek of gunsmoke.
"You should still be in bed if it's that bad," Kasper tuts, sounding for a moment like someone's fussy mother. "Well whatever; you're here now and I don't tell you how to live your life. Come on."

Holy crap, it's alive! I remember reading the first thread; definitely looking forward to this. Vive la résistance!

>>1998002
And we've drawn first blood. A brother-in-arms for a brother in blood.

>>1997967
As you walk together to the meeting room, Kasper sighs, flicking through a sheaf of notes in his hand. "I hope you're not expecting much," he grunts, "Unfortunately, everyone's more than a little divided on how the occupation's going to effect everything. Most people want to keep their heads down and stay quiet until things blow over. Idiots. The smarter ones are hoping that marches and student rallies will show the Federation that we won't be trampled all over. Bad news is, Pavel's part of the first group." You don't have to ask which Kasper falls into. The news is promising, but still slightly disappointing. Marches and protests are only likely to bring the Federation's boot down harder on the university and from the sound of things, the Democratic Society doesn't seem too eager to actually take the kind of actions against the occupiers that you are hoping for. Still, maybe there will be some firebrands at the meeting who aren't happy with nonviolent resistance.

When you reach the meeting room, you're struck by how raucous the Democratic Society is. Raised voices are the norm as a large group of young men cluster in front of a speaking platform, where Pavel sits to one side, head in his hands behind a desk, trying and failing to arbitrate an argument between two other members behind podiums, who are all but screaming at each other to make themselves heard over the loudly voiced opinions of the floor. Kasper nods towards them. "That's Lubo on the left; he was the first one to start speaking sense about actually speaking out, rather than just rolling over like a dog for the Federation. Listen, I have to go stop Pavel from killing himself trying to get everyone to behave civilly. Don't be a stranger, alright? Everyone's voice is welcome here." He gives you a friendly wave and heads off to take his place beside the society's president, leaving you alone at the door to the room. You notice Aneta off to one side with the tiny group of young women attending the meeting, but there's no sign of Cesare, but he's probably lost in the mob. You're the oldest one present by a good couple of years, but it doesn't stand out too much at least. You can probably blend right into the crowd without anyone noticing.

What do you do?
>Listen to the 'debate' if it can be called that and get a better view of the two points the speakers are trying to make and how the crowd reacts
>Mingle with the floor, trying to pick out the most impassioned and therefore, most likely to cause trouble, to see if they're interested in more than talk
>Head for the stage and see if you can speak, addressing the group directly with a third alternative to obedience or protest; resistance
>Head over to Aneta. She's the only one you know by name who doesn't look too busy at the moment... Wasn't she supposed to be the secretary?
>Leave. Fuck this shouting crowd of children; you wanted soldiers or at least fighters, not a mob with more bark than a forest and no bite

>>1998032
>>Mingle with the floor, trying to pick out the most impassioned and therefore, most likely to cause trouble, to see if they're interested in more than talk
Get a feel for the sentiment around here.

>>Head for the stage and see if you can speak, addressing the group directly with a third alternative to obedience or protest; resistance
Can be done after we get a measure of who's willing to join, if there's a reasonable number of course.

Lead off with a question for those siding with pursuing protest: Is there anyone outside our country willing to lend support after seeing their protest?

>>1998002
Yeah, I finally stopped dying long enough to remember I have a quest and I should probably try running it.

>>1998060
backing

>>1998060
>>1998120
I'm disappointed there's only two votes, but somehow, not surprised. I guess I'll keep going until someone else joins in.

You may as well get right into the thick of things. You can't help but feel like one of the detectives who's job it was to infiltrate strikes to identify ringleaders for arrest. At least you're not here looking for a fight. To your disappointment however, the impression you get after ten minutes of trying to question people and just listening to the general outcry, is that the society is mostly divided against itself. These students have for so long been used to arguing internal matters, that even an external threat becomes yet another reason for internal division. With the university district being spared much of the fighting during the siege, few seem to realise the gravity of what is happening outside the walls of their institution. Little-by-little however, over the course of almost a half hour, you find that those that do, tend to be the most polarised of both groups; either they have shrunk completely from any sort of opposition (and you are informed that many have chosen to distance themselves from the group entirely), or they are exactly the type you are looking for. The few who are shouted down every time they try to raise a point to the group are scared, yes, but you recognise the hatred in their eyes. These are men who have lost someone to the invaders, or who have seen the destruction they bring first-hand, or simply those who have relatives outside the country, who have seen what the Federation has done within its territory and collection of annexed and satellite states. Out of the ninety regulars and thirty-something external members present at the meeting, they number only eight in a tight group to one side.
"We've tried to make our point before," one informs you; a man so skinny and in such ill-fitting clothes, he clearly suffered a great deal during the winter, simply due to lack of food. "Pavel tries to keep us off the stage, saying we'll put everyone at risk. Even Kasper supports him; for all he wants to do something, he's afraid we'll start calling for violence and attacking the Federals."
"He's not wrong," notes another, earning a round of nods and assent from the group.

Pavel and Kasper don't know your true intentions, so you might be able to get up on stage and speak for those who's voice (despite Kasper's assurances that 'all' voices are welcome) has been drowned out. But there's so few...
>Take the stage for the next round of debates. These students need to know the truth; that you resist, or die a slave
>Look for more allies, see if you can't win people over one at a time
>Keep a watch on the debates; maybe the society isn't quite as limp-wristed as you've been lead to believe
>Find Aneta and her group. Besides the discontents, they were the only other group separate from the mob

>>1998060
Supporting this. We can't be sure there are no narcs so we should quietly canvas ppl to start with

>>1998534
>Look for more allies, see if you can't win people over one at a time
people on stages get noticed, let us not draw to much attention

>>1998534
>>Look for more allies, see if you can't win people over one at a time

>>Find Aneta and her group. Besides the discontents, they were the only other group separate from the mob
Equal opportunity to fill the ranks.

>>1998582
Agreed

That seems conclusive then. Writing the results...

You head into the crowd once again. Tempers are running high and it won't be too much more than an hour more, before the curfew forces everyone back to their dorm rooms, but you do what you can to pick out the most hot-headed of the bunch. The room is too loud for you to really make your point among the group, but you feel like you might have started to make an impression as little by little, the crowd gets just a bit quieter. Those you spoke to, about hunger, about seeing loved ones killed by the firing squads, about the Commissioner's own words about 'Federation cultural adjustment'... It doesn't take much for these educated young men to start putting two and two together and realising that the university, far from being a bastion of intellect and learning, is going to be one of the Federation's first targets.

You feel a hand on your shoulder as the debate goes on on stage and the groups continue to argue, then you hear Aneta's voice close to your ear. "Don't make any sudden movements, Federal. You're going to walk to the side of the room and head towards the back, then you're going to slowly open the door and slip out into the corridor with me."
You feel something press into your back. Through your coat you can't tell exactly what it is, but it certainly feels dangerous. Aneta thinks you're a Federation spy-? The girl really is paranoid, though you can't exactly blame her...

>Roll 2d20-2 (Fellowship-circumstances) to see what kind of impact you had on the members of the Democratic Society
What do you do?
>Twist around and try to grab whatever she's threatening you with. You won't be taken hostage like this-! 2d20+2 (Combat Skill)
>Shout for help in the crowd. You really doubt that threats like this are part of normal affairs for the Society
>Follow her orders and slip out of the room
>Other (write in)

>>1998538
>We can't be sure there are no narcs
Now that you mention it, the absence of Cesare is rather suspect. And he's a foreign student too. Passable enough front for an insider.

>>1998930
Rolling and voting.

>>Follow her orders and slip out of the room

Rolled 5, 3 - 2 = 6 (2d20 - 2)

>>1998930
>>1998947
Messed that up...

Rolled 14, 2 + 2 = 18 (2d20 + 2)

>>1998930
Follow her orders and slip out of the room

Rolled 7, 17 + 2 = 26 (2d20 + 2)

>>1998930
>Roll 2d20-2 (Fellowship-circumstances) to see what kind of impact you had on the members of the Democratic Society

>>1999035
Thank you for your roll, but do you have a vote? If not, I'll go ahead and call it.

>>1999053
>Follow her orders and slip out of the room

>Success! But no bonus degrees. That was a minus, people. Please read the roll carefully.

You decide to go along with Aneta, maybe you can clear up this mistake and if you tried to struggle in the middle of this crowd, someone was going to get hurt anyway. You carefully make your way to the side, then out of the room, Aneta following you every step of the way. Once you're in the hallway, you hear the door close behind you and Aneta barks and instruction. "Stop. Now, what the hell were you doing in there? What were you sent to find out?"
"I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding here-" you begin, but Aneta cuts you off by pushing the whatever-it-is into you harder. You feel the prick of cold steel pressing up against your ribs, forcing you to stand on tip-toe.
"Don't try that bullshit with me. I know police tactics when I see them. I had a feeling you were bad news when you came looking for us-!"
"That's because I am a policeman, you idiot!" you snap, "Iwo Malinowski, badge number 151-7. I'm Awsbet born and raised!"
Aneta hesitates, the pressure from her weapon relenting a little. "Wait- The police were disbanded by the Federation; why are you here if you're not a spy?"
"Why do you think? Look, can you move that thing? It's really not comfortable having a knife in my back."

Aneta waits for a moment, then slowly removes the pressure, letting you step away and turn to face her. In her hand is a leatherworker's awl; a short, sharp spike with a handle. "If you try anything," she frowns, a hand on the doorhandle, "I scream."
"Fair enough," you nod, rubbing your back. It doesn't feel like she drew blood and the hole in your coat is rather small.
"Now why did you come here? Let's assume for the moment I believe you about not being a Federation spy."
"Why are you so worried about spies anyhow?" you ask, trying not to let your irritation at being threatened show; you're used to beating people who threaten an officer insensible and hurling them in a cell for a while, not chatting with them.
"Because I'm not so naive everyone in there," she says, nodding towards the meeting room. "A 'Democratic Society'? It's only a matter of time before the Federation breaks us up and if they suspect any of us of being a threat, or even inconvenience to their occupation..." She lets the ominous thought hang in the air.
"...And you decided the best way to avoid bringing the Federation's boot down was to threaten one of their suspected spies with a shiv?"
"Sh-shut up! I panicked, alright?" she retorts with a flush rising to her cheeks. "So anyway, you haven't answered: Why are you here?"

>>1999356
What do you want to tell her?
>Everything. Tell her your whole story about losing your brother trying to fight back and that you came here looking for people to fight with you
>Be honest, but vague. Tell her you came looking for allies, people who aren't content to roll over for the Federation; don't explicitly mention fighting
>Tell her you came looking for companionship and people who might be able to help shelter you. Make it seem more like you want protection than to strike back
>Refuse to answer. If she's right about spies, then anything she knows could be used against you later
>Other (write in)

>>1999365
>Be honest, but vague. Tell her you came looking for allies, people who aren't content to roll over for the Federation; don't explicitly mention fighting

>>1999365
>everything

She seems to have our perspective on federal responses to the democratic society

>>1999365
>Everything.

>>1999365
>Everything
Why didn't we loot that cop we shot

>>1999365
>Everything

>>2000041
Well, his buddy was right there too...

>>2000041
>Instead you simply turn, clamber up the trash cans and hurl yourself over the fence as his partner rounds the corner, blowing a shrill whistle which is about to bring every military policeman in hearing down on the location and you with a smoking gun in your hand.

Probably because of that guy.

Spilling everything it is! Writing. Probably this and maybe one more before I sleep and pick up in the morning.

"I'm here to find anyone willing to do more than talk," you tell her, your face frozen in a grim mask. "My brother and others tried to fight back. The Federation killed them all; I watched as they put my brother against a wall and shot him after he lead them away to save my life."
Colour drains from Aneta's face, but she still holds your gaze. "I came here to find anyone willing to fight, to kill and die and see our country free. Does that answer your question, miss?"

Aneta nods, slipping the awl into a thick leather sleeve and into her pocket. "I'm sorry," she says, quietly, unable to look you in the eye any longer and dropping her gaze. "My father, he- He was a leatherworker. He'd have hated you, by the way; he was a union man... He died of the cold during the siege. I don't if- How much we can- Look, I want to help. If you're going to fight, I will too, just as soon as I know how." She looks down at her hands and balls them into fists. "I've wanted to hurt the Federation for weeks, months- But I have no idea how, so I just sat with the society and kept thinking that any second, a Federation spy would show up and then maybe I could do something."

"It's not like I have many concrete ideas myself," you confess. "Karlo's big plan was to plant a bomb where a bunch of their officer were going to have lunch."

Aneta's eyes light up at the idea and she nods, "I'm in-!"

"Seriously?" you ask incredulously, your eyebrows raised, "Weren't you listening when I said it failed miserably? I was the only one not to be killed!"

"It's better than sitting around here doing nothing," she contends. Aneta hugs herself, shivering. "I can't stand it anymore, all the waiting like I'm on death row and have no idea when I'm going to hang. Whatever the hell plan you have or make, I'm in, just so long as we're doing something and doing it soon!"

>>2000444
With Aneta thoroughly convinced, you head back inside and finally you catch sight of Cesare, who sees you entering and smirks. You shake your head, but he just holds his hands up in a, 'Hey, what you two do is your own business' gesture. Great, well that's the rumour mill started and no mistake.

The remaining debates don't last too much longer, until Pavel checks his stopwatch and rings a hand-bell to bring the meeting to order. With no decision reached that night on what direction the society will take, the meeting is adjourned and everyone starts to drift away, hurrying back to their apartments and dorms before curfew starts. A few of the outcasts nod to you as they pass, wishing you a good night. Aneta shakes your hand too, before leaving.

"You know where to find me when something starts."

Cesare strolls over, smirking and you just raise a finger before he can begin. "Don't you start. Aneta was worried I was working for the Federation, looking to inform on the Democratic Society. We talked, everything's fine now. That's all that happened." As he's on the committee with her, you reason Cesare probably is well aware of her paranoia.

"Aaah, that explains a lot," he nods. "I thought she gave you a rather frosty reception. Sorry I missed you before; I was watching the debates. So much noise, so little progress." He shrugs and walks with you towards his apartment, where he'd offered to let you stay the night and avoid getting caught breaking curfew. "I had hoped I might learn something here to bring back home," he explains, making casual conversation as you walk, "But honestly, if the Democratic Society is anything like your government, I have no idea how you even managed to form a republic in the first place!"

"You've got me," you shrug. "Most of the council are- Were old nobility, I suppose now. Sure the impetus came from university students, but it was another time."

"Not so long ago?" Cesare shrugs, "I mean it was your grandparents, no? There's been talk of a constitution and parliament in Ben Ressara for years now, but the royalists keep squashing any talk of it. It's even less likely now, with the Federation building a high seas navy. No-one wants to take a risk when the Federation might take advantage of the chaos."

>>2000450
Cesare's apartment is small and poorly-furnished, but you expected as much from a student. Apart from a small bathroom with only space for a toilet and wash basin, there are only two rooms; the bedroom and the combination kitchen and living room. The only really eyecatching thing is the well cared-for violin standing in a corner of the room. Not minutes after you step inside and hang up your coat, you glance out the window to see the a military patrol marching past in the street outside. The military police have left the streets; anyone found breaking curfew faces immediate incarceration, or execution.

Cesare seems unconcerned. "You take the bed," he insists. "I'll sleep on the floor. One night won't kill me and it's not like we have classes these days." You try to protest, but he won't hear of it. "A guest gets the best of everything! That's just courtesy!" he says, with the air of finality that only comes from having grown up in a culture where such things were expected. "Now, are you hungry?"

"I ate before I left," you shake your head.

"Some conversation then? I could barely hear myself think in that room, much less talk." He throws some kindling into the kitchen's pot-bellied stove, using precious fuel to heat the small room.

How do you reply?
>Stay up a little longer and talk to Cesare about something (write-in)
>Your body's not fully recovered from the pneumonia. An early night might do you good

>>2000518
>Your body's not fully recovered from the pneumonia. An early night might do you good

Need to hit the sack. I'll be back when I wake up. Keep voting and asking any questions you have; I'll tally them and answer when I'm awake.

>>2000518
>>Stay up a little longer and talk to Cesare about something (write-in)
>"You're a foreign student, right? Why not return to your motherland? Surely it's safer than here."

If he can be trusted down the line (big IF), he could be our guy for getting info out to the rest of the world, assuming a media blockade is in place. Maybe a possible source of outside support too. Who knows.

>>2000518
>>2001074
Supporting

"I don't mind staying up a little longer," you nod, stretching yourself out and sitting at the small table. Cesare immediately finds some clear alcohol and pours you a small glass. You've already had vodka earlier with your neighbours, but sip politely and thank your host, hoping it won't come back to haunt you in the morning.
"If you're from Ben Ressara," you ask, swirling your drink as he sits opposite you. "Why not return to your motherland? It's got to be safer there than here."

"Believe me, I've thought about it," he sighs, shoulders slumping. "Why'd you have to pick such a depressing topic? There are a few reasons I don't want to go home; for starters, my family aren't exactly understanding types... It took a lot to convince them to finance me studying abroad in the first place. I really don't want to go back to living under their thumb. Back home, you're not really considered your own person until you've married and I'm not interested in that yet, so I'm afforded roughly the same freedom you'd give a ten-year-old. On top of that, leaving at all is difficult. There's no ships leaving and the Federation has every train station commandeered to move soldiers and weapons. I'd have to get a horse, which I can't ride, or a motorcar, which I honestly don't trust and then I'd have to go through getting the right papers, proving I'm not an Awsbet citizen... No thanks."

"Still better than risking saying the wrong thing, or being in the wrong place and getting arrested though, isn't it?" you ask, but Cesare waves your concern aside.

"Maybe the Democratic Society isn't the safest place to be, but other than that, you're exaggerating. The off-limits areas are clearly marked, so I won't stumble in accidentally and it's not like they're just hauling people away at random. The Federation wants Awsbet's land, industry and ports; they aren't dragons out of the scriptures come to scourge the land and people!"

"Speaking of the scriptures," you nod, "I'm more worried about them just deciding we're the 'wrong culture'. You've heard about the stories of them destroying Restorationist churches and imprisoning people for failing to follow 'Eortite cultural values', haven't you? That just means anything that goes against their right to rule all of Antaria."

"That... Has to be an exaggeration," Cesare says, but he looks uneasy, worried even. "No-one would commit the crimes they're accused of just because someone was-" He blinks, looking at you and covering his mouth. "Oh... Iwo, are you Restorationist?"

>>2001862
How do you reply?
>No, you're Royal Orthodox, believing in the divinity of the original Kings and Queens of Eortan, but that the successors who restored the kingdom were either pretenders, or not of the same quality. This is the official state religion of the Federation.
>Yes, you believe that the bloodline of the ancient Kings and Queens ran strong in their successors who restored the holy kingdom. One only has to look at their longevity to see that! This religion is suppressed and persecuted by the Federation.
>You're agnostic. There's certainly no denying that the Kingdom of Eortan existed and was a golden age for the entire continent; its remains are evidence of that, but considering its rulers gods is a bit much...
>You're a Totemist, believing in the pantheon of spirits that rule and direct all things in the world, from the natural to human actions. This is a very fringe belief on your continent, being native to the Elven nations of Tirna. Most people who hear your beliefs think you're a bit odd at best.
Furthermore...
>What you tell Cesare is the truth; you will not hide your faith.
>What you tell Cesare is a lie; you risk too much showing your true beliefs

>>2001865
Dang, that's a lot of hoops for Cesare to jump through. You'd think his country would at least extend their diplomatic services to ensure the safety of their citizens during a conflict, but I guess that's just how it is, eh?

>>No, you're Royal Orthodox, believing in the divinity of the original Kings and Queens of Eortan, but that the successors who restored the kingdom were either pretenders, or not of the same quality. This is the official state religion of the Federation.
>>What you tell Cesare is a lie; you risk too much showing your true beliefs

Kinda wary about his devil's advocate stance for the Federation at the moment. Until he can see the actions taken by the Federation and judge it for himself, I'd rather Iwo be playing his cards close to his chest.

I mean, would it really matter much if Iwo's truly agnostic (or totemist)? Those seem to get a pass, but I don't want to assume too much on how the Federation Royal Orthodoxy deals with fringe beliefs.

>>2001877
Agnosticism literally prevents you from holding any public office in the Federation, from the most menial task, up to the highest levels of government. To renounce the divinity of the rulers of the Kingdom of Eortan is to literally say the Federation hasn't even the faintest right to claim to be their successor state. While being agnostic is not a crime in itself, if you're public about your beliefs, you'll basically be jumped on for the most minor infractions.

Restorationism is seen in a mildly more positive light... While you have to pay a heavy tax to publicly practice your faith, you do still acknowledge the divinity of the royal line, so if you're useful enough, you're allowed to hold high office, kind of the same way the Nazis allowed some Jews an exemption to persecution, due to exceptional skills.

Totemism is, oddly enough, tolerated for the most part, as it's a fringe belief that very few humans (or dragonbreed) practice. So long as you don't deny the divinity of the Eortite Kings and Queens, you're tolerated, though you still have to pay a tax to practice publicly.

There is actually a doctrinal split within Orthodoxy itself. Some simply consider the successor queen and the two kings to be simply 'not of the same quality' as their predecessors and therefore, not divine; others consider them to have not been of the bloodline at all and that they were mere impostors. While the Federation officially takes the former view, they certainly don't discourage the latter... But that's getting into spoiler territory.

>>2001865
>No, you're Royal Orthodox, believing in the divinity of the original Kings and Queens of Eortan, but that the successors who restored the kingdom were either pretenders, or not of the same quality. This is the official state religion of the Federation.
>>Yes, you believe that the bloodline of the ancient Kings and Queens ran strong in their successors who restored the holy kingdom. One only has to look at their longevity to see that! This religion is suppressed and persecuted by the Federation.
>What you tell Cesare is the truth; you will not hide your faith.

>>2001865
>>You're agnostic. There's certainly no denying that the Kingdom of Eortan existed and was a golden age for the entire continent; its remains are evidence of that, but considering its rulers gods is a bit much...

>What you tell Cesare is a lie; you risk too much showing your true beliefs which are
>You're a Totemist, believing in the pantheon of spirits that rule and direct all things in the world, from the natural to human actions. This is a very fringe belief on your continent, being native to the Elven nations of Tirna. Most people who hear your beliefs think you're a bit odd at best.

>>2001975
It's kind of a binary option; either you are Royal Orthodox, who believe the successors were NOT divine, or you are Royal Restorationist, who believe the successors WERE divine. You can't really pick both I'm afraid...

>>2001865
>>No, you're Royal Orthodox, believing in the divinity of the original Kings and Queens of Eortan, but that the successors who restored the kingdom were either pretenders, or not of the same quality. This is the official state religion of the Federation.

>What you tell Cesare is the truth; you will not hide your faith.

Okay, as far as I can tell, the votes are leaning for telling Cesare you're Orthodox, but lying about it; you're actually Restorationist? Or are you secretly Totemist, which I need to remind you, is really, REALLY freaking weird by the local cultural standards?

"I'm Orthodox," you shake your head, "But that doesn't make it right. Awsbet allows everyone freedom of religion; I don't want to see my neighbors having their door kicked down and dragged off to a camp just because they didn't want to pay to give praise to the Successors, the same way they have done since they were children!"

You're lying through your teeth of course. Even as you try to argue your point from a humanist perspective, you offer a prayer to Queen Illyanne, King Addite and King Vidros; the three successors who for a brief century and a half, quieted the warring continent and once again allowed peace, education, prosperity and the arts to flourish. You're sure they'd forgive your facade of apostasy, but it still feels wrong to not at least ask them to understand.

As it turns out, Cesare is Orthodox himself and agrees with you on a theoretical level, but has some trouble believing it's honestly as bad as the rumours make it out to be, pointing out exceptions like the army major who invented the Federation's battle tanks being Restorationist. He doesn't really have a response when you point out that one exception doesn't prove general treatment.

"Are you sure you're not a student?" he jokes, "You certainly argue like you're studying political science!"

"I'm just repeating what's been in the papers," you snort, "If I actually had to get up on that stage tonight pretty much anyone in the society would talk rings around me."

The night wares on the alcohol soon has you both tipsy and sleepy all at once. Cesare fetches some blankets from under bed for himself to sleep on, still insisting that you take the bed, before wishing you good night and curling up on the floor.

Throughout the night, your sleep is troubled by the same familiar night mares of your brother and friends dying, re-living that night a week ago once again. This time however, there's someone new standing against that wall, hands behind her head and glaring at you, even as the bullets punch gaping, dark holes in her body. Aneta's brown eyes cloud with blood, turning a red that burns into your mind even as you wake up with a silent start.

Cesare provides you with breakfast, even though you protest he doesn't have to; a single ration card isn't really suited for having to feed more than one person, but he again insists and waves you farewell as you leave.

>>2002294
It's a new day. Aneta is expecting you to have plans to strike soon, but you're still alone, all but un-armed and have little clue how best to oppose the Federation's occupation. It's time to decide your day's priorities.
>See if you can look up your old friends from the police force. They might be interested in joining your resistance, or at least be able to help you secure some kind of weapons
>Head for the museum and see if you can find a way to do your part to save your cultural heritage. Time is rapidly running out!
>Find Aneta and start making plans for a strike immediately
>Start looking for information and see if you can preempt the Federation's next move
>Look in on Artur. He seems to have his ear to the ground in this city
>Other (Write in)

>>2002334
>Find Aneta and start making plans for a strike immediately

>>2002334
>Look in on Artur. He seems to have his ear to the ground in this city

I think we should look at this as a protracted people's war. Since we're in the city, where armed conflict is going to be basically impossible while the occupiers have the upper hand, this should mean gaining the support of the people by trying to provide for their needs as best they can. If they're hungry, we can rob collaborators, if they need medicine, we can rob military hospitals.

The goal is to become popular enough with the people than we can be reasonably sure no informants will hand us over to the occupier. Until that happens, any strike or mass action will end with the ringleaders shot and the movement crushed.

If we can root out informants and establish safe houses, we'll have a lot more freedom of action. Artur can point us in the right direction.

>>2002334
>Start looking for information and see if you can preempt the Federation's next move

>>2002334
>See if you can look up your old friends from the police force. They might be interested in joining your resistance, or at least be able to help you secure some kind of weapons

Four votes for four different options... Oh dear. Who wants to try and persuade others?

>Artur

We need allies and weapons before we can do anything. Police are likely to go along with the occupation, so that leaves Artur

>>2002961
Keep in mind, you were a police officer too and the civil police were officially disbanded when the occupiers moved in, but I'll take it. Vote called. Here comes the next part.

Sorry for the huge delay; I'm making a map and holy shit I want to kill myself.

>>2003213
A map of the city or of the overall country?

Either way, good shit, it'll make planning things way more concrete.

>>2003269
At this stage? Continent, then region, then country, then city. To give you some idea, the whole territorial region Awsbet is located in is some 1500 square kilometers across. Awsbet itself is much, much smaller, but still, the continent of Antaria is about 5800km east to west. San Francisco to New York is about 4131 as the crow flies, so the continent is a bit large...

You decide to head back to your apartment building and check in on Artur. It's strange to think that, before this occupation, you never really considered yourself to have much in common with your neighbors. Your friends mostly consisted of your comrades on the force and some acquaintances you knew through your brother. The others in your building never really concerned you and even during the siege, your little brother and you watched out for one another. Now however, with everyone else stripped away from you, you're having to expand your social circle. So that's exactly one thing you can thank the Federation for after you're done stoving their head in with your night sti-

You're lost in your thoughts, not looking as you step out into the street. There's a yell and someone roughly grabs the back of your coat, hauling you back onto the sidewalk as a truck rolls by, the uniformed Federal driving it leaning out of the window to yell at you as he speeds on.

"Are you blind?! Stay out of the road, idiot!"

"Lot on your mind?" your savior asks as you grab your chest, your heart hammering like you've just run a marathon (you also take the chance to make sure your pistol hasn't come loose; a proper holster would be a godsend). When you turn to look, you're greeted by a smiling blonde mountain of a man with a chin full of carefully-manicured stubble, who claps you on your shoulder and helps you straighten your coat. He's smartly dressed, like one of the upper crust, but his manner is as down-to-earth as anyone you've met.
"Don't let things get to you, my friend," he assures you. "Things are tough at the moment, I'll admit, but it's not like clouds will stay forever! The sun always comes out again eventually, my ma always told me." He shakes your hand with a firm grip and waves as he gets on his way, leaving you slightly stunned. Whoever he was, he stuck out like a sore thumb in a city full of the morose and mourning.

That little adventure aside, you arrive back at your apartment none the worse for wear and knock on Artur's door. After a brief wait, it opens to reveal your neighbor frowning in concern before he registers your face. "...Malinowski? Good to see you again. What's up?"

"Social call," you nod, "Glad to see the vodka didn't leave you any worse for wear."

"Pah, never had a hangover since I was thirteen," he snorts, "What about you? You ducked out early to go to that... What did you say again? Ah nevermind. Come on in; I'm bored out of my skull anyway."

>>2003798
With you seated and the wireless playing the brassy tones of a blues saxophone, Artur grumbles briefly about not having had a cigarette in weeks, before you have a chance to get down to business.
>Smalltalk, build your friendship with your neighbor but don't go pressing him for anything just yet. Artur likes to share a grumble, so you can pass the time complaining about the world for a while
>Try to find out more about him. All you really know about Artur comes from the past couple of days. If you find out what circles he moves it, it might open doors for you
>Ask what he knows. Artur seems like a man with his ear to the ground, so the odds are he knows a fair deal about the city's locals and maybe other areas of interest
>Try and convince Artur to actively keep an ear out for you. Even if he's not willing to directly fight, a warning of danger and opportunities could be invaluable!
>Poke that resentful spark of his until it burns properly. A hardy, tough and ornery mule of a man like Artur is perfect to join the fight!

Pick up to TWO options, no more. Picking more than ONE option will make any necessary rolls harder.

>>2003812
>>Ask what he knows. Artur seems like a man with his ear to the ground, so the odds are he knows a fair deal about the city's locals and maybe other areas of interest

Kinda interested on whether the Fed we killed resulted in reprisals in the neighborhood, but directly asking about it is about as subtle as a sledgehammer. Conditions around the city is a good start, like "Is it just the cigarettes that are lacking these days?" among other things.

>>2003812
>>Ask what he knows. Artur seems like a man with his ear to the ground, so the odds are he knows a fair deal about the city's locals and maybe other areas of interest

>>2001991
Oops, that vote was for Royal Orthodox only
>>2003812
>Ask what he knows. Artur seems like a man with his ear to the ground, so the odds are he knows a fair deal about the city's locals and maybe other areas of interest

>>2004003
>that vote was for Royal Orthodox only
Ooops. Well damn. Can't be helped I suppose.

Actually, the choice of religion is an interesting topic while I write up the next segment; can anyone tell me why they wanted to go a certain way or another?

Calling the vote as the faster the thread moves, the more people should want to play. ...I think I am tapping heretofore un-known levels of irony with that statement.

"So is it just cigarettes that are lacking these days?" you ask, earning a scoff from Artur.

"What ISN'T on ration would be a shorter list. I'll grant you there's more to eat than there was over winter, but that's hardly saying much. I don't see the point in keeping us lean if I'm honest with you. Not like the war lasted long enough to eat into supplies, but maybe the feds know something we don't?"

"That or they think they can keep us docile if they control the source of food," you suggest, prompting another scowl.

"Wouldn't put it past them," Artur growls. "Or maybe they're keeping it back and those that help out like good little lapdogs get extra?"

His tone sparks some recognition in you. You should have been a detective if it was all this easy! "You've heard something then?"

"Only rumours," he shrugs. "Some people have seen the writing on the wall and are signing up to help out. There's even talk of a militia, specially to help out the Federal bastards. Not even got a name yet but they've bought the propaganda about them being successors to Old Eortan hook, line and sinker. Think they're here to usher in a new golden age. We were doing just fine without a yoke around our necks!"

"At least they're keeping a light touch for now?" you sigh, leaning back in your chair and your eyes flicking to the window, even though you're too high to see the street.

"Don't let it fool you," Artur scowls. "Did you hear? Cultural Commission's rolling into town tomorrow."

Your blood seems to run thick for a moment as that sinks in. "So it wasn't just stories then. Aebrith's bones, what'll happen to the churches-? The worshippers?!"

"If they have any sense they'll stay well clear and hide any images of the Successors," your neighbor replies grimly. "Kings damn it though, Awsbet's only got less than a century of history as one country. Won't take them long to tear that apart and re-write the books."

"I still don't get why us though," you growl, your hands knotting into fists. "Why Awsbet? We're barely worth the notice next to the Federation!"

"Wish I could tell you," he tuts, "Though I doubt it was for the rustic charm."


Your conversation touches on various points, but of most interest to you is the prospect of soon having to return to work. Now the Cultural Commission is on its way, there'll soon be enough oversight in place for the Federation to re-instate the civil police.

"Now you didn't hear this from me, understand," Artur tells you, glancing around as if he expects an informer to be peeking in the window, "But from what I hear, more than half the force is saying they won't do it! Hell of a time for it too, because you know as soon as business starts getting back to normal..."

>>2004315

"The gangs will be coming back as well," you say, finishing his thought for him. "And won't that put the Federation in a bind if there's no police to keep order." It goes against every instinct you have as a policeman, but you almost want to raise a glass to the city's various lowlifes. More to the point, they're intimately familiar with dodging authority, breaking property, theft and violence. Well, it certainly wouldn't be the oddest alliance in history.

Your conversation seems to be winding down as you run out of recent events. The Cultural Commission notwithstanding, the city seems mostly quiet at the moment; it's as if the whole country is ready to just roll over and accept the Federation's boot on its neck; honestly, it's almost depressing, but maybe people are just waiting to see how bad things truly become.

What will you do now?
>Keep talking with Artur. The man's a goldmine, but there's a limit to how much you can get out of him without being obvious about your motives
>Look into the criminal gangs and see if you can't find a way to use them, or at least ingratiate yourself to them. Just don't let them find out you've ever worn a badge
>More than half the police force wants nothing to do with the Federation. Your friends there are looking more and more like a ready-made army by the day. See if you can find some of them
>With the Cultural Commission on its way, every Restorationist in the city in in jeopardy! Find your local priest and get him out of harm's way!
>Religious institutions won't be the Commission's only target. This might be your last chance to save some of the relics at the museum
>Your actions last night don't seem to have brought too much attention down on you. Find Aneta and plan a blow against the occupiers
>Hit the streets. Artur's good, but there's no substitute to information gathering first-hand.
>Other (write in)

>>2004357
>Your actions last night don't seem to have brought too much attention down on you. Find Aneta and plan a blow against the occupiers

>>2004357
>More than half the police force wants nothing to do with the Federation. Your friends there are looking more and more like a ready-made army by the day. See if you can find some of them

>>2004357
>>Your actions last night don't seem to have brought too much attention down on you. Find Aneta and plan a blow against the occupiers
This Cultural Commission bunch seem like a juicy target. Need to get some explosives and decent weapons though.

>>More than half the police force wants nothing to do with the Federation. Your friends there are looking more and more like a ready-made army by the day. See if you can find some of them
Want to see if something can be procured on their end first. If things are desperate, I reckon it's the criminal gangs we're gonna have to turn to.

Hitting the sack now everyone. Keep voting and ask any questions you like and I'll respond as soon as I'm awake. Hope you're all having fun!

Sorry today was so slow. Hopefully the eventual map will make up for it. Now I just need to learn how the hell to use an art program more complex than MSPaint...

>>2004484
>eventual map
Quest Thread General (>>1965815) has a couple of links regarding that. For example, this: http://www.hexographer.com/free-version/

>>2004357
>Your actions last night don't seem to have brought too much attention down on you. Find Aneta and plan a blow against the occupiers

>>2004357
>More than half the police force wants nothing to do with the Federation. Your friends there are looking more and more like a ready-made army by the day. See if you can find some of them

We also should think about the possibility of joining the new police force, as a mole

I'm awake and at least 40% alive, so let's get to thi- Oh... A perfect 1:1 split between finding the cops or going to find Aneta and plotting an attack. Well that's no good.

Since the two options are mutually exclusive, taking up time and pulling you to different parts of the city, should I flip a coin or wait for a tiebreaker?

>find Anita.

>>2005037
Voted for both here >>2004482, but I'll give priority to looking for friends in the force then.

Can't really plan if we know very little about the Fed's movements, and we're lacking in gear and manpower at the moment.

>>2005039
Aneta, filthy auto-correct.

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>2005039
>>2005040
...Why are you two like this?

Fuckit, I'm flipping a coin, or in this case, rolling a die. Odds you find Aneta, evens you look for the former cops.

>>2005046
QMing is suffering. It is known.

With the Federation tightening its grip on your nation, you need to strike back; you need to show the world and your countrymen that Awsbet is not dead, that the fire has not gone out of your nation! Bidding Artur farewell, you grab your coat and storm up to your room. If you're going to move, you need to be prepared. Your uniform still hangs in the wardrobe, neat and clean. The nightstick will come in useful, so that goes up your sleeve. As for the badge and uniform... Too easy to identify you, much as you wish you could don it again; you remember the pride at your official enrollment after training, the feeling of giving something back to the nation that had raised you. With the army disarmed and imprisoned, you and officers like you are probably the last free men who could have any claim to being Awsbet's protectors, a thin blue line like something out of the last century; all you're missing is a musket.

You close the closet with a decisive gesture. That time will come, but for now, you have to fight in secrecy, a criminal in your own city.


You leave in a hurry, heading back to the university, staying off the main streets to avoid another run-in with the military police. The Democratic Society isn't in session, so you have to ask around to find her and eventually you are told she is out shopping with a group of her friends.

Finding Aneta isn't difficult; she stands out in that all-but scandalously short shirt (barely past her knees-!). She notices you right away from across the street and excuses herself from the knot of her friends who are standing around and chattering. It seems 'shopping' was simply an excuse to meet up and talk. She rounds the street corner and ducks into an alleyway, getting out of sight. You give it a few moments before following her. Seriously, why weren't you a detective? This undercover stuff is fun!

"Over here," Aneta hisses from a doorway, but you shake your head, walking past.

"Keep moving. Hanging around somewhere just looks suspicious."

Aneta nods and hurries to catch up with you, her boots clicking on the cobbles. "So what're we hitting? When?" she asks with a tense eagerness to her voice and her eyes wide.

"Still working that out," you reply, "But we need to act fairly soon. The city's starting to think it might be better to just roll over and let the Federation win, but we can't let that happen. We need to let them know they've not won yet."

Aneta's hand slips into the pocket where she keeps her awl. "You just say the word, I'm ready. If you need ideas, I've got a few too, but first we really need a hideout, somewhere we can actually make plans and organise, especially if there's ever more of us. Just two people can't do much."

>>2005096
What's the plan?
>Find a hideout first, somewhere secure and secret. Acting without a secure base of operations is asking for disaster
>Your apartment will do for now; no-one is actively looking for you and you can always move later
>Don't bother. There's just two of you and what you can carry; a hideout is superfluous at this point and is just a place the Federation can raid

>>2005099
>>Your apartment will do for now; no-one is actively looking for you and you can always move later
Let's hope we don't get potential waifu killed in our first mission.

>>2005099
>>Your apartment will do for now; no-one is actively looking for you and you can always move later

>>2005099
>Don't bother. There's just two of you and what you can carry; a hideout is superfluous at this point and is just a place the Federation can raid

Okay, little enough interest in this question, so I'll just move on. Hopefully people will be more eager to vote when it comes to the next point. I know there's at least 16 of you in this thread-! Don't be shy!

>>2005278
3 votes per option is healthy for a quest nowadays

"Let's head to my place then," you suggest, only to have Aneta practically stumble over her feet and look up at you with an incredulous and somewhat scandalised expression. Whoops! For a moment you'd forgotten she's not just a freedom fighter; she's also a young woman who, despite clearly being part of the university's counterculture, holds certain expectations about behavior between a man and a woman which definitely do NOT include going alone to the room of someone she has known for all of a single day!

"Ah-! I uh- I didn't mean that the way it-!" you start, but Aneta shakes her head, a hand over her mouth. Before you can apologise further, she puts a hand out against the wall, leaning against it and heaving with laughter she's barely able to keep from spilling out into shrieks of loud, breathless laughter!

Finally, she manages to calm down enough to speak. "Haaah-! Haaah! Pffffehehehehe-! Oh Kings and Queens, the look on your face when you fell all over yourself trying to talk yourself out of trouble-! Pffaahahahaha-! Oh, that was the funniest thing I've seen in years!"

While you're trying to pick up what's left of your dignity, Aneta wipes her eyes with a handkerchief tucked up her sleeve and nods, trying not to smirk too hard. "Alright, alright, it's as good an option as any. It's not like we have an awful lot to store or organise at the moment. And if anyone asks why I'm there..." Her grin threatens to split her face in half again as she dissolves into laughter once more. "W-well at least we know what to tell them! Aahahahaha!"


At the rate you're going back and forth between the university and your apartment, you're liable to wear a ditch in the street. If this becomes routine, it'll be easy to track your movements, but there's no sense in worrying about that now. As Aneta suggested; if anyone becomes suspicious, you have a solid, if reputation-destroying alibi. Once inside, you lay your nightstick and the pistol on the table and take a seat to discuss your options. Aneta sits opposite you, her awl joining your weapons. It's a pretty poor assortment, all told, but it's better than what the Federation wants or expects you to have.

"Right, options," you say, immediately all business, "We're going to make the Federation afraid, let them know their hold on Awsbet isn't absolute. There's a few ways we can do that; most obvious is killing their soldiers. We're a little under-armed, but we know the city and will have the element of surprise on our side, so that should even the odds. They're already short one MP after last night."

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46 KB JPG

>>2005427
"That was you?" Aneta asks, her eyebrows shooting up. "There were posters about that! Wanted, information leading to the arrest of an unknown male suspect involved in the fatal shooting of a military police officer on the evening of March 3rd at 6:50PM. There was a reward offered too-" seeing your worried face, she's quick to re-assure you. "Don't worry, there wasn't any more description than 'dark hair and a grey coat'. There's thousands of people like that in the city."

"Right... Well, killing their soldiers and military police is one approach," you repeat, "If we can do it without bringing the city down on our heads, we can even take their weapons into the bargain."

"That's just picking at them though," Aneta complains, "Plus..." She looks at her awl and gulps, imagining having to drive it into a man's body again and again to be sure of killing him. Something more indirect perhaps; something she can do and then leave in a hurry- "What about their armoured cars?" she suggests. "If we catch one with a firebomb, they're more expensive to replace than men too!"

"If we're going to be using fire, there's their occupied zones," you smile, imagining the devastation a firebomb in their camp, their ammo supplies, or their motorpool could do. "Risky, I'll grant you, but the potential payoff is enormous-!"

"I don't know... That's more likely than anything to get us caught."

"There's another option too!" you say, raising a finger, "I heard the Cultural Commission is going to be auditing the city tomorrow."

"You're thinking we set a trap for the censors?" Aneta asks, her eyes narrowing as she thinks, "It's got potential... But how and where?"

Which plan will you support?
>Ambush a Federation MP patrol and kill them. Less MPs means more chaos, which is good for you
>Try your luck with a Federation patrol. They're more heavily armed and numerous than the MPs, but that means more weapons to steal
>Hit an armoured car. It's a big, dumb target that's just asking for a firebombing, but they're also tough, fast and heavily armed
>Sneak into the occupied zone and set a fire. If this works, there's no telling how much damage you could cause, but it'll be crawling with Federation troops
>Ambush the Cultural Commission tomorrow. You'll need a plan and it'll probably be in broad daylight, but they're an exposed, symbolically significant target

>>2005475
>Try your luck with a Federation patrol. They're more heavily armed and numerous than the MPs, but that means more weapons to steal
As much as I want to ambush the cultural commission, we need better weapons to pull off a successful hit.

>>2005352
>3 votes per option is healthy for a quest nowadays
Don't I know it. Have I mentioned how much I fucking hate being crowded into this ghetto and off /tg/?

>>2005475
>Ambush the Cultural Commission tomorrow. You'll need a plan and it'll probably be in broad daylight, but they're an exposed, symbolically significant target

>>2005475
>Ambush the Cultural Commission tomorrow.

>Ambush the Cultural Commission tomorrow. You'll need a plan and it'll probably be in broad daylight, but they're an exposed, symbolically significant target

>>2005522
Honestly man I think you just have to keep on chugging, and maybe just go for whatever's the majority at the time if the time is cramping on you. Keep at it, and things'll get better the longer you go and the more things happen in the story.

>>2005914
I'm just worried I'm shouting into the ether here. Anyway, votes called. I just wanted more than two.

A Federation patrol is a tempting target... Actual Federation rifles would be heaven-sent, not to mention identification papers. But Federation troops move in groups of seven, including the NCO and with just two of you, it's far too risky.

Not to say that attacking the Cultural Commission is any less risky, but you can bet your last shilling on them not expecting a daylight attack and you'll have the advantage of planning, while without knowledge of patrol routes, you could encounter soldiers practically anywhere in the city and have to resort to a fair fight.

"Alright, so if we're going to hit the censors, then we need a location and a method. We can't start a fight with their escort and expect to win."

"First, where are we going to wait for them?" Aneta asks, "Where are they likely to hit?"

"The churches for starters," you nod. "Though it could take a while to visit every Restorationist church in the city. Then there's the museum-"

"The Museum of Art and Civilization," Aneta nods, "They've got exhibits of Old Eortite and Restorationist relics. It's a shame we probably won't be able to get any out in the search. Where else... Oh! The city library!"

"That's a given," you nod, "Plenty of 'subversive' books that'll need vetting. Where else..?"

"I can't think of anything except some private homes," Aneta sighs, "So which is it going to be?"

"Wait-!" Something comes to you in a flash, something that leaves an ice cube in your stomach, "There's one more. The dragonbreed ghetto."

"The drakes?!" Aneta scoffs, using the far less polite term for the cursed half-humans, "What on earth would the Federation want with them?!"

"The Federation's Royal Orthodox," you remind her, "That means they don't acknowledge Queen Illyane's absolution of the dragonbreed; they still see them as unholy sinners who caused the fall. The Commission might not stick to just censoring objects, but people too!"

Aneta looks unconvinced. "I still think we'll be better off at one of the actual bastions of culture, rather than the ghetto," she says. "But it's your call. Where are we staking out? The Commission might not act the day they get here, so we might have a little time to prepare for lower-priority targets, but odds are they'll want to lock down some things as soon as they can. Oh! Wait, what if we hit them getting off the train? They have to get to the city somehow!"

>>2006061
"No good," you say, dismissing it out of hand, "The station's in the occupied zone and is crawling with soldiers; we'd never get close. No, it has to be..."
>"The museum. It's far too much of a treasure trove for them to ignore and those relics have to be protected."
>"The churches. They're meeting grounds for potential dissidents; they'll want to silence them as soon as they can."
>"The library. Knowledge is power and they know it. Those books are probably the most dangerous weapon in the city right now."
>"The ghetto. The Federation won't let a large population of 'monsters' exist in the city where they could be turned against them."

>>2006063
>>"The museum. It's far too much of a treasure trove for them to ignore and those relics have to be protected."

>>2006061
>>"The ghetto. The Federation won't let a large population of 'monsters' exist in the city where they could be turned against them."

>>2006063
>>2006063
Question : how welcome would we be in the ghetto? I imagine we'd stick out a lot too

>>2006342
If you were in uniform? Depends, but many dragonbreed turn to crime simply because they're such outcasts from society. That makes them the enemy of the police, so the police crack down on dragonbreed communities - you get the impression. The ghetto isn't a no-go zone for the cops, but no-one being told it's their beat. In civvies, you'll get wary and suspicious looks, but probably nothing worse if you don't make yourself a target.

That's during peacetime of course; with the Federation in town, Kings and Queens only know how the fuck they'd react to you, or how the gangs would react to you. You might find unexpected allies, or a community on guard for ANYONE not a part of it.

>>2006478
As to WHY they're outcasts, well... The scriptures say that when the Holy Kingdom of Eortan fell, some 664 years ago now, it was due to both internal political strife (King Daeron, the last of the Orthodox rulers, broke off his betrothal to marry his distant cousin, snubbing half the court in the process) and the actions of a race of evil dragons. The dragonbreed are said to be their cursed followers, or descendants or the like, but given that dragons are a myth (no-one has ever seen one or found their remains), who knows what their real origins are? Some scholars believe that they ARE the 'dragons' the scriptures speak of.

Now, according to Orthodoxy, the dragonbreed are cursed, evil and subhuman. For three centuries after the fall, they were often executed or chased out of cities for the sins of their supposed forebears. That all changed when Queen Illyane, the long-lost heir to the royal bloodline, restored the kingdom in 308 After Fall. Unsubstantiated stories not considered canon by most of the church say she was aided in her quest by a dragonbreed, but regardless, she issued a royal pardon to the entire race, absolving them of any crime or sin and paving the way for their re-integration into society. Even so, prejudices die hard and given their inhuman appearance as they age, this one died even harder than prejudice against blacks in the real world. Even many Restorationists still hold onto old hatreds and fears about the dragonbreed, regardless of what one of their gods ordained.

>>2006063
>>"The ghetto. The Federation won't let a large population of 'monsters' exist in the city where they could be turned against them."

Second choice would've been the churches. Grateful priests might allow us shelter (and maybe some churches are built with hiding places in mind, depending on age), if we'll be operating in relatively small groups.

>>2006478
>or how the gangs would react to you
Oh, if the gangs mentioned by Artur are already ingratiated in the ghetto, that at least would make things simpler.

Just worried this may end up in the same situation as the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

>>2006063
>churches
Let's get communities on our side

The ghetto doesn't like cops so if we get found out it could go badly. Plus I feel like it'll be a lower priority for them since it'll be easier to repress

>>2006063
>"The museum. It's far too much of a treasure trove for them to ignore and those relics have to be protected."

The relics are something we could steal away when we are done and can't be replaced.


Fact is that if they destroy the churches, they can be rebuilt but it does garner support for us. If they burn books or try to destroy the ghetto, they'll anger either the intellectuals (getting the society on our side) or the gangs (getting the criminals at least fighting back) which is yet more support.

It is cold but of the losses, we can probably sacrifice the rest.

>>2006063
>>"The museum. It's far too much of a treasure trove for them to ignore and those relics have to be protected."

Alright, that's a good load of votes actually! I guess we're going for the museum job!

You all raised good points though. I like seeing discussion.

>>2006591
>Just worried this may end up in the same situation as the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.
This is not a kid-friendly setting. That said, the censors aren't especially heavily armed... Probably.

Long live the Home Army

"The museum. It's far too much of a treasure trove for them to ignore and those relics have to be protected." The churches are a potential problem, but not immediate and books, while powerful, are a lot less visceral than the physical relics of the Successors' reign. As for the ghetto... You're worried what might happen if they discover you're a policeman. With tensions already running high, angering the dragonbreed is the last thing you need. Besides, going from her attitude, Aneta doesn't seem too keen on putting herself at risk for them.

"Good call," she nods, "We won't have long though; they'll probably hit the museum before they've even unpacked their bags. So how are we going to do this?"

"We'll move as much as we can before the censors arrive," you nod. "We'll have to break curfew though; moving it during the day is too risky. As for the censors themselves... Well..."

What is your plan?
>Hit them in the streets. They won't be expecting an ambush and you can take out their vehicles, buying you more time to move the relics as they're forced to retreat
>Use the museum for cover and hit them once they pull up. The building's big and sturdy enough that you can fool them into thinking there's more of you than there really are and they'd need artillery to dig you out
>Wait until they enter the museum and start picking them off one-by-one as they search the galleries. If you do it right, they won't even know you're ever there
>Other (write in)

>>2007004
>>Wait until they enter the museum and start picking them off one-by-one as they search the galleries. If you do it right, they won't even know you're ever there

If I were to go with a plan of sheer bastardry, I'd trap them in the museum and burn the place down. And have the blame shifted to the censors screwing the job up.

Kinda misses the point of saving the relics though.

>>2007004
I dunno about saving the relics. It seems like they would just storm the building and get all of us killed if we try and keep them out.
>Wait until they enter the museum and start picking them off one-by-one as they search the galleries. If you do it right, they won't even know you're ever there.

>>2007004
Trap and burn them, save what relics we can. The rest we can't save are better destroyed rather than being on their hands

>>2007004
>Wait until they enter the museum and start picking them off one-by-one as they search the galleries. If you do it right, they won't even know you're ever there

Votes called for going full hitman/assassin's creed on the Federals once they're inside, but that'll have to wait for morning.

I hope everyone is enjoying themselves still! See you after my mandatory unconsciousness.

Is Cesare a informant?

>>2008645
Everyone is a informant until proven otherwise.

>>2008645
Not as far as you know, but who knows what you really know?

"We don't have the numbers or the guns for a straight-up fight," you nod, "We're going to have to fight this war from the shadows. We'll separate them and pick them off one-by-one once they get inside the museum. Big old place like that has to be pretty rambling and they have no reason to suspect danger, so if I were them, I'd split up to cover more ground faster."

"Makes sense," Aneta nods, leaning forward and playing with her awl with one finger. "I've been there a couple of times; there's plenty of hallways and rooms where you can get isolated. It's the main galleries that will be the problem."

"We'll have to think of a way to lure them out of the way if it comes to that," you nod. "First though, we need to get in and get a feel for the place, not to mention rescue as many of the relics as we can. We'll go tonight. Meet you there just before curfew. Bring something to eat and a blanket; we'll be spending the night."

"A rendezvous in the museum gardens at night," she smirks, slipping her improvised weapon into her pocket once more, "This really would be romantic if it were under any other circumstances." You begin to get the impression that beneath her paranoid and prickly exterior, Aneta is secretly a massive tease, as she grins in triumph at your blushing sputtering face.


Once your houseguest has left, you crack your fingers and get to work. You have the rest of the day to prepare for your little raid. While you expect Aneta won't be idle herself, in your excitement (and honestly, you're both amateurs; mistakes are to be expected), you forgot to give her any specific instructions, so it might not be best to rely upon her too much.

Given the covert nature of your task, explosives and incendiaries probably won't be a necessary, but there's plenty of other things you'll need to prepare and you have limited time...

What do you prioritise?
>Pray for your success and your soul. There's a good chance you die tomorrow and you want to be sure if you do, the Kings and Queens receive their subject well... And maybe they can put a finger on your side of the scales to keep you alive a little longer.
>Rope. Rope is good. Rope has a million and one uses. You need a few good lengths of good, strong rope.
>Sacks and suitcases. You're not going to be able to move all the countless precious trinkets and relics of the museum be hand; you need some way to carry them. Just a shame that any kind of transport would stick out like a sore thumb.
>Plot your escape. If everything goes pear-shaped, you might have to book it in a hurry. You know the streets of Yetrizcy like the back of your hand, but having a solid plan can only help.
>Weapons. A gun is too loud and a nightstick isn't lethal enough. You need something more killy.
>Clothing. If you're spotted, you'll need a change of clothes or a disguise, to make sure you're not immediately identified and tracked down.

>>2009280
>>Plot your escape. If everything goes pear-shaped, you might have to book it in a hurry. You know the streets of Yetrizcy like the back of your hand, but having a solid plan can only help.

Gonna have to improvise on some of the others, I guess.

>>2009280

I think either
>Plot your escape
Or
>backup clothing
Or
>rope
Would be good, mainly because even if we only kill a single one, we will get some sort of message out, but if we kill and get caught, it only leaves the impression that the Federation is untouchable, although it's hard to tell which is more important, and all materials could be reasonably acquired on site, clothes from whoever we kill (unless aneta shanks him to death), rope, sacks, and maybe even clothing and weapons from wherever they keep the janitorial/gardener equipment.
Voting for Making a plan.

>>2009280
>plot your escape.

>>2009280
>>Plot your escape. If everything goes pear-shaped, you might have to book it in a hurry. You know the streets of Yetrizcy like the back of your hand, but having a solid plan can only help.

Everyone seems eager to plan a skedaddle route. Votes called on that then!

You're beginning to understand why things like this were always left up to central planning, rather than the beat cops like you. Though you know the streets well enough, actually plotting a route to escape is a pain. Every time you look at a planned route you've sketched out on a scrap of paper, you come up with another idea why it wouldn't work. Eventually, you have a spider's web of lines radiating out from the museum, each of which avoids major roads, takes you through twisting alleys the troops can lose you in and exploits little tricks that someone unfamiliar with the city would never catch on to. It's as close to foolproof as you can get it.

Glancing out the window at the late afternoon sky, you figure you have a little more time to prepare, before you have to head out. First you cut yourself some bread and un-cover the soup you made last night before heading to the Democratic Society. After your hasty and meager dinner, you get back to your preparations.

What do you prioritise?
>Pray for your success and your soul. There's a good chance you die tomorrow and you want to be sure if you do, the Kings and Queens receive their subject well... And maybe they can put a finger on your side of the scales to keep you alive a little longer.
>Rope. Rope is good. Rope has a million and one uses. You need a few good lengths of good, strong rope.
>Sacks and suitcases. You're not going to be able to move all the countless precious trinkets and relics of the museum be hand; you need some way to carry them. Just a shame that any kind of transport would stick out like a sore thumb.
>Weapons. A gun is too loud and a nightstick isn't lethal enough. You need something more killy.
>Clothing. If you're spotted, you'll need a change of clothes or a disguise, to make sure you're not immediately identified and tracked down.
>Get some rest. You're still recovering from your pneumonia and while you might be able to tough through, it's better to be safe than sorry.

>>2009400
>Weapons. A gun is too loud and a nightstick isn't lethal enough. You need something more killy.
Then
>Rope. Rope is good. Rope has a million and one uses. You need a few good lengths of good, strong rope.

>>2009400
>>Weapons. A gun is too loud and a nightstick isn't lethal enough. You need something more killy.
>>Get some rest. You're still recovering from your pneumonia and while you might be able to tough through, it's better to be safe than sorry.

>>2009405
To make it clear, you have time to perform one and exactly one of these options. They will ALL give you a benefit of some description, but it's up to you to decide which you need.

>>2009400
>>Weapons. A gun is too loud and a nightstick isn't lethal enough. You need something more killy.
>>Clothing. If you're spotted, you'll need a change of clothes or a disguise, to make sure you're not immediately identified and tracked down.

>>2009400
>Weapons. A gun is too loud and a nightstick isn't lethal enough. You need something more killy

Okay, discounting the dual-options and just going with the most prevalent, I think it's pretty clear everyone wants a better weapon, so we'll go with that.

Within the large, mostly empty halls of the museum, your pistol will echo like a cannon and ruin any attempt at stealth. Likewise, while your nightstick is a perfect weapon for dissuading perps from trying to fight back, its main use is for subdual, not killing; even if a blow to the skull or neck can kill, it's not especially likely and the Federation troops helmets make it even less so. No, you need something more deadly.

Your first option is your kitchen. Poor Triss had brought a kitchen knife with her on your disastrous raid, but even a brief look and a memory of an assault victim put paid to that idea. While a chef's knife is sharp, it's designed as a tool, not a combat weapon; you remember a young man weeping and screaming in pain as he clutched at half a snapped blade lodged in his bone during an ugly brawl for food just before the siege closed in. No, if it's a knife you're looking for, you need something more robust, but there's nothing immediately to hand. Your brother's pocket knife is either in the hands of whoever searched his pockets after he was killed, or at the bottom of the river.

That leaves you only one option. You pull on your coat and head outside, walking briskly as you head for one of the shelled-out sections of the city. There's a chill in the early spring air that's far more reminiscent of winter as you pass through the abandoned houses and shops, their windows smash and roofs slumping. The shelled areas were where the front lines were for a greater length of time and they're more prominent on the eastern side of the river, but you make do with what you have here on the west side; it'd take too long to cross the city and back before curfew.

You look for the areas that suffered the most devastation and where bullet holes scar the bricks and roll up your sleeves. The rubble crumbles and cracks beneath your feet as you climb and start digging, just another scavenger looking for something of value, or a loved one to bury - less common a sight now, but still inconspicuous enough. With luck, you can find something here to turn into an improvised knife, or if the Kings and Queens smile on you, perhaps an actual weapon left over from the fighting!

>Roll 2d20 to test your luck. Highest of three counts.
>I swear, I'll come up with a better dice system soon, I promise.

Rolled 8, 7 = 15 (2d20)

>>2009485
>inb4 low rolls again

Rolled 19, 13 = 32 (2d20)

>>2009485
rollan

>>2009485
Dice+2d20
Let's see if I fuck this up

Rolled 9, 8 - 2 = 15 (2d20 - 2)

>>2009536
Options field, lower case letters.

There. Now you'll (hopefully) fuck up less.

Bonus Tip: "dice+2d20+-2" as an example (w/o quotes), if the QM asks for a roll that needs a negative modifier.

>>2009548
See, even I didn't know that.

Give it a few minutes more, then we'll just go with what we have and I'll discount that -2. That 32 is a good roll! Three more and you've have got your hands on an actual weapon, but that's still going to get you something a damn sight better than a nightstick and Aneta's awl.

>>2009556
Figured it'll be a common thing considering the previous fellowship roll.

Rolled 13, 3 = 16 (2d20)

>>2009485

>>2009564
No no. I state the modifiers after each roll, so you can be sure why you're rolling the way you are. Positives and negatives are applied as a result of your circumstances, while the situation's circumstances raise the number you need to hit. Honestly, it was a little of both in the society, as the noise was both making it harder to connect with others and for you to get your argument strait amongst all the background.

Anyway, 32 looks like as high as we got. Writing!

Rolled 4, 6 - 2 = 8 (2d20 - 2)

>>2009485
Gimme tha loot

Digging through the dust and broken bricks is punctuated with brief moments of both despair and frustration. At one point, you even think you've uncovered the stock of a rifle, but just a bit of further exploration reveals its firing chamber is under half a chimney and smashed to hell, along with its now-decaying owner, his body fortunately face-down and sparing you the worst of the horror. You've seen a couple of bodies before of course, but they were fresh, or at most a few hours old. The refuse of a battle over weeks ago is another matter entirely.

Interminable minutes later however, you hit paydirt, as you catch a glimpse of bright steel; the pommel of a sheath knife with a five-inch blade, stamped near the hilt with the Federation's wreath. There's no sign of the sheath sadly, but it's robust and meant for hard tool work and serviceable in combat. About the only things better would be a trench knife or a proper sword bayonet.

You wrap the knife in your handkerchief and slip into your pocket, turning to go. The light is fading and you don't want to be late, especially when being caught out after curfew will end in disaster. As you're about to leave however, a voice calls out to you.
"Hey! I saw that; what did you just grab?"

You turn to see two people dropping down behind you, out of a house with one of its exterior walls completely fallen away. Both are pale, under-nourished and young, the elder maybe 17, while the younger looks closer to 14. Both are wearing rather distinctive ushanka hats and the elder has a dense scarf around his neck... It's cold, but not that cold, surely?

"I said what did you take? This is our home; you can't just steal whatever you come across!" the kid yells at you, stooping to grab half a brick as he storms closer.

What do you do?
>Try to scare the kid off. You don't have the time for this
>Get in the first shot; he's arming himself, so he's spoiling for a fight anyway
>Just show him the knife. One knife isn't going to make much odds
>Try and talk him down. You didn't know anyone was living here and didn't mean any harm
>Bolt. You don't have the time and confronting them risks an injury you can't afford

>>2009748
>Talk him down

They're just kids. Maybe offer them something in trade? They need food at least

>>2009748
>Try and talk him down. You didn't know anyone was living here and didn't mean any harm


As immoral as it is...recruits? A good orphan / child to draw Federation patrolmen into alley's where we can ambush them would be useful...

>>2009748
>>Try and talk him down. You didn't know anyone was living here and didn't mean any harm
I mean, who'd exactly live near a rotting corpse without disposing it properly? That's just messed up. Give 'em a glimpse of it if they aren't convinced.

Maybe we can extend sympathy by giving it a proper burial, but I dunno if time would permit it.

>>2009800
They do make for the best tunnel/sewer rats.

Supporting this >>2009791 offer to trade them some food too.

Alright, so the vote is for talking them down... But do we go with the, "Try to recruit them," flavour, or the, "Try and barter with them," flavour?

>>2009944
Barter. Immediate needs first.

>>2009944
Barter, we need to get ready for our operation.

>>2009944
>barter
Try to use them as scavengers for more weapons. Promise good payment.

"Whoa whoa whoa-!" You quickly interrupt the kid's indignant anger, holding up your hands to show you're unarmed. "I'm sorry-! Look, I had no idea anyone was even living here. I'm not looking for a fight here."

The youth slows, lowering the brick a little with a suspicious look, You take the chance to plunge on and try to dissolve the hostility. Talking down the violent was sometimes as much a part of police-work as cracking their skulls.

"I'm not here to steal from you," you assure them. "Things are hard enough for all of us and I don't have a corpse right next door..." You gesture to the fallen chimneybreast and the half-uncovered figure in the Awsbet burgundy coat. The younger one recoils, while the older simply shrugs.

"He's a quiet neighbor. Now whatever it was you took, hand it over."

"Better idea," you say in return, raising a finger. "How about we trade here? You look like you've not had a good meal in a while."

"You've got food on you?" he looks incredulous.

"Uhm..."
>You do not. Roll 2d20+1 (Fellowship) to try and persuade him you're good for it
>Pick another argument to make
>Pick another approach entirely

Rolled 15, 18 + 1 = 34 (2d20 + 1)

>>1997552
You cannot describe how happy I am to see that you're back.

>>2010211
>You do not. Roll 2d20+1 (Fellowship) to try and persuade him you're good for it

Rolled 15, 3 + 1 = 19 (2d20 + 1)

>>2010211
>You do not. Roll 2d20+1 (Fellowship) to try and persuade him you're good for it

Rolled 5, 16 + 1 = 22 (2d20 + 1)

>>2010211
>we're good for it

>>2010211
Btw can you give us a vague sense of how challenging each roll is? That would help us make better choices between risk and reward

>>2010247
I'm glad to see I'm remembered and people are still happy to see me.

And as yours is the only vote after several hours, it carries the day. You may now celebrate.

File: celebration.gif (1.47 MB, 323x213)

1.47 MB GIF

>>2010938
Woo!

>>2010938
Apologies for the delay. Real-life stuff came up... Further, apparently this page was not updating even slightly... Weird.

>>2010489
I guess that wouldn't hurt, but I'm in the middle of trying to find a new way to throw dice in this... Traditional methods that would work at the tabletop really aren't as effective in an environment like this, so I'm thinking these archaic, "Best roll of three wins," approaches need a re-think. Something like 1993839 uses might be an idea...

Regardless, an idea of difficulty at the very least, will be in the offing once I've got something solid nailed down. For the record though, this will be a HARD sell.

"Why in the hell would I be carrying a bag of groceries on me?" you ask, spreading your arms and raising an eyebrow. "I'm not trying to walk off with everything you own here; you know what I grabbed? One knife; that's all. Listen; Apartment F, 56 Stanislaw's Row. That's where I live. I have somewhere I need to be right now, but that's where I'll be the day after tomorrow, if I'm not dead by then."

"Do I look stupid to you?" the lad asks, raising the brick again, "What's to stop you closing the door in our faces?"

"And what do you lose if you do?" you ask, "One knife you didn't even know was there. You stand to lose nothing you even knew you had and potentially gain a hot meal. Either way you look at it, that's a win for you; lose nothing, or gain something."

The kid hesitates for a moment, weighing your argument with an unsure expression, then the younger one speaks up, "Kris, if you get hurt fighting over it, that'll make things worse. For the crown's sake, put the rock down."

With a sigh, 'Kris' lightly tosses the brick aside and you let out a little of the tension in your body. "Why can't we show up tomorrow?" he asks.

"I won't be back for most of the day and when I am, I'm probably going to fall asleep," you shrug. Probably let a little too much slip there, but nothing especially incriminating.

"Alright. Don't try and cheat us though, you hear?" Kris demands, jabbing a finger at you.

You place a hand on your heart. "My word on it; show up and you'll get a hot meal. Can I go now? Curfew's getting closer."


Once your agreement is reached, you hurry for the museum, stopping only to flash your ration card to an irritated grocer and grab some very neglected food. You're almost there when you freeze in shock. The whistle of a military splits the gathering darkness, causing you to throw yourself into an alley and press yourself into the wall behind a wooden shack that rests against the building. Have you been seen?! By who? You were off the main streets, no-one around-! Then you realise and relax; the whistle is coming from two streets away, the echoes threw you off. Better yet, with the military police and patrols converging on that location, your path will be that much clearer now.

The Museum of Art and Civilization an impressive and expansive building, with the sweeping lines, vaulted roofs and attention to form of classical Eortite architecture, but many more modern touches that make it distinct from the masterworks of the past. So much of the continent's history is dominated by the culture and impact of that ancient kingdom, but wings are still dedicated to the minor powers that lived alongside it and grew to prominence in the interregnum. The doors are, of course, closed, locked and barred, preventing all access and heavy shutters are across the windows, some still shattered in the fighting and not yet repaired.

>>2012922
Checking to make sure you're not observed, you cross the street in a hurry, leaping and scrambling up the high wall that rings the museum gardens, before throwing yourself over the top and into a roll on the far side, just missing falling arse-first into a series of thorny bushes that in summer would be showing bright red and yellow blossoms.

Even left to grow wild, the museum's gardens are still beautiful in the cold moonlight. Manicured lawns now show tufts of longer grass and are looking distinctively shaggy, around the young trees that form centrepieces to draw the eye, bought at great expense or gifted from foreign states and elven groves. Although not a museum overly-given to botany or the works of the foreign continent, it is hard to deny the exotic allure of the mysterious and alien elven culture that draw in so many curious visitors, so the gardens were tailored to showcase it.

In these gardens, you can almost forget the war and the occupation... Almost. On the far side of the gardens, green grass is interrupted by black earth, the smooth lawns between elegant pavilions broken by abortive attempts to dig trenches and site artillery, before the position quickly became untenable. The Awsbet troops were run off with such haste that the museum itself was, miraculously, spared much damage.

Movement catches your eye. Aneta is waving to you from beneath one of those pavilions. She beckons you over, trying unsuccessfully to keep a grin off her face. "You know," she says, "The gate was open."

You follow her pointing finger to the gate set further down the wall. Sure enough, now that you look, it's slightly ajar...

"...Not one word," you grunt, sulking. "Just... Not one-!"

Aneta shakes her head, doubled over with contained giggles, before waving her hand and straightening up. "Haah. Glad to see you made it. I've got blankets, food and an empty suitcase; we'll need something to carry everything in, after all."

"Good call," you nod, "I've got our getaway planned in case this all goes sideways and I've grabbed something a bit sharper than my nightstick."

"Alright," she nods, taking a deep and shaking breath as her amusement subsides and nerves kick in. "So... How are we getting inside?

>>2012938
You look back at the shadowy building and weigh your options. Some of the windows may be broken, but there are boards on the far side... The basement is another approach, but any maintenance doors are probably securely locked, so you'd have to find another way in. Your eyes go up to the tiled roof and you frown. You could try prying some tiles loose and slipping in under the eaves, or... Yet further up, framed against the light of the near-full moon, the museum's clock tower has suffered an artillery hit and looks burned where a fire took, but didn't last. The tattered flag of your nation still flies defiantly from the staff standing proud at the highest point.

How do you proceed?
>Look for a grille covering a basement window to kick in and try to crawl inside, through the claustrophobic space
>Shimmy up to a low roof and pry loose some roof tiles to worm your way in under the eaves, with the birds and mice
>Smash what's left of a window with a rock, then batter down the shutters inside; they can't be that stable with bullet holes in them
>Climb a tree and try to precariously make your way to the burned clock tower. Its damage may provide a way in, if it doesn't kill you to try
>Other (write-in)

>>2012939
>Smash what's left of a window with a rock, then batter down the shutters inside; they can't be that stable with bullet holes in them

>>2012939
>>Look for a grille covering a basement window to kick in and try to crawl inside, through the claustrophobic space
Try to find any keys for the rest of the museum or prying tools. Or just stuff that we might be able to use in general.

>>2012939
>>Look for a grille covering a basement window to kick in and try to crawl inside, through the claustrophobic space

>>2012939
>Look for a grille covering a basement window to kick in and try to crawl inside, through the claustrophobic space

>>2012939
>Look for a grille covering a basement window to kick in and try to crawl inside, through the claustrophobic space

>>2012939
>Climb a tree and try to precariously make your way to the burned clock tower. Its damage may provide a way in, if it doesn't kill you to try

>>2012939
>>Look for a grille covering a basement window to kick in and try to crawl inside, through the claustrophobic space

"Climbing that roof's a death sentence and breaking through the window shutters would be far too loud," you decide. "Come on. We need to find a window into the basement."

There's certainly nothing so ugly as a service entrance to mar the beauty of the gardens, but there are small windows at ground-level that as far as you can tell, open into a dark, underground storage or maintenance area to the museum. The only issue is the ornate iron grates in the way. A few experimental kicks don't get very far, before you hit upon the idea of using your new knife's point to loosen the screws holding the grate in place. Some well-placed applications of a standard-issue policeman's foot later and the grate gives way, only to present you with a new problem.

"Nnngh- Argh- No good," you grunt, crawling back. "I can't fit!" that policeman training suddenly seems like a disadvantage after all; even with the weight you've lost during the siege, you're still too big to squeeze through the narrow opening. Fortunately, you're not in this alone.

Aneta wriggles herself inside, falling to the floor with a grunt. "Look around; I'll see if there's a door I can open from the inside," she calls up and you go in search of such a door. Naturally enough, it's locked tight. Luck stays on your side however, as Aneta opens it from within, smirking and jangling a ring of keys she found on on a peg near the doorway.

The basement beneath the museum is dusty, cold and pitch-black, with only the moonlight filtering through the dirty and grilled windows to see by. Neither of you dare light a lamp, for fear it might be seen from the street outside.

Fumbling through the dark, squinting to see, you eventually find a door that leads to the museum proper. A little more light filters through skylights invisible from the ground and most impressively, through a dome of cut crystal glass over the main atrium, a few shards littering the ground where some of the arm-span-wide panes were broken in the fighting.

You're immediately faced by a strategic choice...
>Move the relics now, getting as many as you can shifted during the night. This will save more of the priceless treasures, but leave less time to scout the building and prepare for the censors.
>Scout the building, making sure you're ready to ambush the censors when they arrive tomorrow. Properly surveying a building this large will leave less time to secure the exhibits though.

Holy shit why did that take all day? I'm so sorry everyone; I hate myself.

>>2014154
>Move the relics now, getting as many as you can shifted during the night. This will save more of the priceless treasures, but leave less time to scout the building and prepare for the censors.
Have to save our heritage if we really want to resist the Federation and its tyranny.
>>2014162
You shouldn't. Writing is hard.

>>2014154
>>scout the building

>>2014154
>>Move the relics now, getting as many as you can shifted during the night. This will save more of the priceless treasures, but leave less time to scout the building and prepare for the censors.
Did Aneta find a trolley in the basement by any chance? Prioritize moving the valuable ones that can be carried by hand for now. If there are any curtain, drapes or carpets still around, use them as makeshift sacks.

Anything heavy that requires two or more people to move it will probably have to be left behind.

>>2014479
I like this idea

Tomorrow will be more active, promise. Now I need to pass out on my bed and die for a few hours.

I do hope people are still enjoying this...

>>2014154
>>Scout the building, making sure you're ready to ambush the censors when they arrive tomorrow. Properly surveying a building this large will leave less time to secure the exhibits though.

>>2014774
Still here! Just lurking thanks to times zones+work.

>>2014154
>Move the relics now, getting as many as you can shifted during the night. This will save more of the priceless treasures, but leave less time to scout the building and prepare for the censors.

>>2014154
>>Scout the building, making sure you're ready to ambush the censors when they arrive tomorrow. Properly surveying a building this large will leave less time to secure the exhibits though.

I'm awake, I'm awake-! Okay, mostly awake... Well I'm alive at least. Votes called for securing the treasures of the past.

By the way, I'm concerned that I didn't really describe the architecture well. The problem is that there was no Rome or the other architectural movements that sprung from emulating it in this world and Eortan wasn't really the same aesthetic as the Roman Empire.

The closest I can come to describing it is some weird fusion of Egyptian Revivalism, Byzantine and the clean lines of Art Deco, with a dash of neo-Baroque in there too...

>>2015360
Dammit, just as I was about to post. That'll teach me. Sorry Anon...

File: Awsbet flag.jpg (38 KB, 700x350)

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"First things first, let's get the exhibits out of the way," you say in a quiet voice and leading the way, "That way even if we don't get rid of them all, we'll still have accomplished something."

"Wait-" Aneta touches your arm briefly to stop you. "...Do you even know where you're going?"

You're embarrassed to admit it, but you've never actually set foot inside the museum before... You're not exactly from the same society of inteligencia that frequents such places. "I was- There's signs?" you try, before sighing and letting your companion take the lead.

"Did you see a trolley down in the basement?" you ask, "We can move the bigger things with something like that."

"And take them where?" she grimaces, "I don't like the idea of leaving anything behind, but we need to focus on the stuff we can hide." It's a fair enough point.

You pass by the treasure wing; though the gold, jewelry and precious works of art there will doubtless fill the Federation's war chest, they're not what you're here for. More difficult to leave are the relics of Awsbet's (admittedly brief) history and mementos from before the unification. You stop for a moment, tapping Aneta on her shoulder. "Whoa whoa whoa wait up."

"What is it?" she asks, glancing into the room, "Oh..." She bites her lip, sighing, "We don't have the space... We have to prioritise."

"I know," you reply, but you can't just leave everything... Acting quickly, you stride up to one of the walls, dragging a bench over to stand on and reach up with your knife. Two quick cuts and you jump down again, bundling what you've taken into your coat. "Okay, that'll have to do."

Awsbet's flag, Awsbet's first flag rests against your chest. That's one symbol of your nation that you won't let fall into Federation hands to be locked away or destroyed.

>>2015390
The next stop is the exhibit of Eortite Art and Society. Two galleries are dedicated to the ancient kingdom; one to before the fall and one after.

The pre-fall gallery at first glance is far more drab. Un-damaged relics are a rarity and even once cleaned up, there are many that modern historians cannot divine a purpose to. Even seemingly practical tools made from mundane materials are works of art, set with engravings, crystal and now-defunct mechanisms. Then there's the pieces actually designed to be beautiful... Even an artistically illiterate working man like yourself can appreciate the skill and time that went into making the various cameos, statuettes, clothing and jewelry behind the glass cases. You're briefly reminded of the legend of the Tears Period Pieces; works of art made in mourning of Queen Lillia the Lovely. It is said that after the death of the Kingdom's most beloved monarch (truly high praise, given those that ruled before or since), for ten days there was not a single soul on the continent not sickened by grief and that in the months and years that followed, works of art of surpassing beauty were made to commemorate her reign and deeds. Just the shared contemplation of such a piece is said to have stopped wars in the past. Sadly, they are long lost now.

The Successor exhibit of the new kingdom is, by contrast, flashier. Given that Eortan finally dissolved relatively peacefully, much of what was made in that century-and-a-half return to the golden age remained intact. Though not matching the artistry or inscrutable purpose of the relics from before the fall, they show a clear return to the values of the old days, rather than the brutal, melancholy, or purely practical remains of the interregnum.

"Alright," you nod, "Let's get to work. Start smashing and grabbing."

"Careful with some of them-!" Aneta cautions, "Eortite artefacts are usually surprisingly sturdy, but we don't want to risk damaging anything!"

You meanwhile, are already grabbing a fire extinguisher to smash the glass cases open. The glass looks a little too tough for you to just punch through.

The whole process takes longer than you expected, especially as Aneta is completely right about some artefacts requiring a more delicate touch. It's not long too, before your pockets and the suitcase are both full of carefully-wrapped relics, but there's still many more left. For a moment, you despair, but then Aneta has the bright idea of hiding them somewhere within the Museum itself.
"After all, if you saw them missing, you'd think the thieves took them somewhere far away to be safe, wouldn't you?" she asks. "You'd never expect they'd hidden them in the same building they were taken from!"

"You've read entirely too many detective pulp novels," you grumble, starting to think that maybe it wouldn't be such an easy job after all. You'd have been fooled completely by such a ruse.

>>2015442
The work is tiring and the night is long, dark and cold. Soon you're both shivering and exhausted and find your way to the offices once occupied by the historians and archaeologists that worked at the museum. The gas in the building is turned off, sensibly enough, so Aneta produces blankets. It is well past the point of either of you being embarrassed as you bed down for the night. You can't sleep though and from the looks of things, neither can she. You don't need to speak to know what it is.

In that alleyway, you were acting on instinct. You fled, you turned, you shot and killed a man. All your decisions were taken in seconds and during the chase, there was no time to think about anything, but now? What you're planning to do tomorrow might be an act to free your country, but it's still premeditated murder... And moreover if you're caught, there'll be a fight, with both you and the soldiers trying your hardest to kill each other.

You're reminded of that night a little over a week ago you spent in an abandoned house with your brother, waiting for the time to come, but then you had never planned to actually fight the Federation's troops; just plant a bomb and get out. Your hands shake and you have to clench your fists, forcing yourself to close your eyes and let sleep find you.


Your night is un-troubled by dreams. The following morning, sunlight streaming through the window and into your face wakes you and you shake Aneta awake. The pair of you eat without much conversation, the small amount of food you brought sitting heavily in your stomachs.

"When do you think they'll get here?" she asks.

"No idea. Their train might not arrive until later; I just heard they were coming today."

"We could move the artefacts now?"

"To risky. If they show up, we'd have to sneak in again while they're already here. That's just asking for trouble."

"One of us could go and take the exhibits somewhere safe, while the other stays behind and keeps the entrance clear?"

Your call?
>Too risky. You both stay and wait to start hunting.
>To be honest, you got what you came for... Why not call this off and focus on getting the relics to safety?
>Good plan. Aneta's less suspicious, so she should bring the suitcase to safety.
>Good plan. You'll be faster, so you should get the exhibits somewhere safe.

>>2015569
>Good plan. Aneta's less suspicious, so she should bring the suitcase to safety.

Plus if they arrive while she's away, we are the better equipped and trained combatant to deal with them.

>>2015569
>>Good plan. Aneta's less suspicious, so she should bring the suitcase to safety.
we are the melee+strength specced one anyways

>>2015569
>>Good plan. Aneta's less suspicious, so she should bring the suitcase to safety.

>>2015569
>Good plan. Aneta's less suspicious, so she should bring the suitcase to safety.

This seems decisive then! Writing.

File: Occupying soldiers 2.jpg (444 KB, 2048x1365)

444 KB JPG

"That's... Not a bad plan, actually," you nod, "Alright fine. You take the suitcase and-" you turn out your pockets into her arms, "Cram these in if you can. I'll stay behind and wait for you. If it all goes wrong while you're away, uhm..." You don't really have anything, "I'll try and leave some kind of signal. If that's the case, do not come in after me; just get the hell away and... If you don't see in a few days, assume I'm dead and find another group. There's going to be more fighters out there somewhere."

"Understood," she nods, hesitating. "Iwo?"

"Mmh?"

"Be careful. Kings and Queens know there aren't enough people left who can and will fight."

"You as well," you smirk. "Now hurry the hell up. I don't want to have to start this party solo."


With Aneta safely out of the way, you settle down to wait, propping yourself by a window to keep an eye on the square in front of the museum. Minutes tick by, turning into hours and still Aneta isn't back and the Federation fails to appear. As noon draws closer and the sun hangs as high as it will reach, you start to get worried. Did something happen? Aneta should almost certainly be back by now-! You're starting to get hungry too, as lunch rolls past and you have nothing to eat. Suddenly however, your worrying and contemplation is cut short, as an armoured car pulls into the square outside, followed by a trio of military trucks and two staff cars. The Cultural Commission has arrived.

A total of two dozen soldiers disembark from the trucks, mostly armed with rifles, but you see submachine guns in evidence. Four more soldiers disembark from the cars, stepping out of the front seats and opening the doors at the back to allow five men in the smart uniforms of political officers to leave and be saluted by their escort. Two you notice wear the mantles of priests of the Orthodox church (Restorationists replace the mantle with a tabard).

After a moment taking in the building from the outside, the order is given and two men step forward to break the locks on the main door. It seems they've been unable to find keys to unlock it normally. You duck away from the window in case you are seen and hurry to find a hiding spot. You'll have to wait and observe the party until one is separated from the pack, whereupon you can kill him.

With a splintering crack, entrenching tools and rifle butts destroy the lock and the soldiers enter, rifles held low. Watching them from an upper balcony, they don't seem too concerned about danger - a fatal mistake, if everything goes to plan. They believe they are in near-complete control of the country, so what reason do they have to be wary? The censors enter next, accompanied by two of the men who arrived in the cars with them.

>>2017645
"Sergeant, send someone to the offices to fetch some keys, will you?" one of the censors instructs to the most senior NCO present, who crisply salutes. "I'd rather not have to smash open every case and door in the building if it can be avoided."

"Yessir! Trooper Adrian, find the office and some keys for the Inspector. Everyone else fan out and secure the building, standard sweep. Try not to get lost."

"Sir yessir!" the soldiers quickly disperse to their duties, but the sergeant and two bodyguards stay by the censors as they head further inside. You meanwhile have your first victim.

The man ascending the stairs is armed with a rifle and is wearing the standard-issue stalhelm and slate-blue greatcoat the Federation are known for. You don't see any grenades on his belt, but a sheathed sword bayonet hangs by his leg, along with leather waist and chest pouches holding ammunition. The soldier holds his rifle low, pointed at the ground, not especially ready, but not far from it either. He scratches at a pencil-thin black moustache as he draws close to your position and you grip your knife, readying yourself.

Going to try something new, bear with me here...
>Roll 1d10+4 (Combat Skill+Surprise)
>The first three rolls will be totaled as your overall roll for this action

Apologies again. I totally forgot that it was friday and therefore games night in the house; my room-mates had to drag me away to be social so I didn't forget what humans look like. I'll be hitting the sack now, but I'll be interested to see how this new dice system works when I get back come morning. If there aren't enough rolls, I'll throw some real dice to make up the difference.

I hope you're all still enjoying the quest and I apologise for the horribly slow updates. Hopefully I'll improve on that in the near future.

Rolled 9 + 4 (1d10 + 4)

>>2017703

Rolled 2 + 4 (1d10 + 4)

>>2017703

>>2017722
>Apologies again
Pls stop apologising all the time, just update when you have the time for it, and we will vote when we have the time. We don't pay you.

Rolled 1 + 4 (1d10 + 4)

>>2017722
No apologies needed -- live life!

>>2018420
Welp.

Rolled 8 + 4 (1d10 + 4)

>>2017703
Late roll, but I'm curious about what could be.

>>2017760
>>2018376
>>2018420
>13+6+5 = 24/30; 24/42 if you count the bonus into the denominator.

Decent enough, I guess?

>>2018677
The total in this case is 24.

You guys are so fucking lucky the first roll was a 13.

Thank you so much for being understanding. I may be worse today as I am not feeling well at all, but I'll still give it my all, you have my word

You hide, waiting until the soldier passes you, before slipping out and lunging for him, knife raised.

Your hand covers his mouth before he knows what's happening and his rifle falls to the floor as he reaches up to grab at your arm, but it's already too late. Your knife stabs into his throat with little resistance and he struggles, trying to flail free, his eyes wide with panic. You rip the knife free and stab again, driving the blade into his throat. The wounds make a horrid, gurgling sound as blood flows into his windpipe, filling his lungs and starting to drown him. The soldier's legs kick wildly as he loses his footing and you lower him to the ground, letting him bleed his last as his blood soaks your sleeve and seeps into his coat.

His eyes glaze over, turning glassy as his last sight is the ceiling of the hall and glimpses of his murderer's face. The pleading look, the question of, "Why me?" goes unspoken but sears into your brain as he finally goes limp. You push the body aside, panting for breath. Bile and that morning's breakfast burn your throat as you drop your knife and clap a hand over your mouth, leaving red stains across your cheeks as you struggle not to vomit.

Your vision swims as you contemplate what you've done. Did that soldier have a wife? A brother or sister waiting for him back home, the same way you once had Karlo? Had he fought in battle against your nation's forces? Had he been part of a firing squad, killing your countrymen for daring to desire freedom?

You unfasten his helmet and ammunition belts, taking his rifle and slinging it over your shoulders by the leather strap, before dragging his body out of clear sight. There's still a slick of blood on the polished, dark oak floor, but it somehow feels wrong to just leave the man lying where you killed him.

Once the body is out of immediate sight in a supply closet, you check your haul. Helmet, 14-inch sword bayonet (plus the hilt), six spare clips of ammunition, a canteen and of course, the rifle itself. Next to the clunky bolt-actions used by Awsbet's troops, the rifle is a marvel of modern engineering. You don't quite understand the principal, but the weapon can fire about as fast as you can pull the trigger, automatically loading a new round until the magazine is empty. The only downside is that next to the robust and well-understood mechanism of a bolt-action, the Federation's new technology is poorly understood and prone to breakdowns. For an army like theirs, with a well-established industrial base behind it, this is little concern, but for you, the risk is substantial that the thing will jam or break in the middle of a firefight.

>>2018944
Regardless however, you don't intend to use the rifle today; firing it would give you away at once. Instead, you grasp your knife (after cleaning it on the soldier's coat) and head out again, slipping quietly through the corridors of the museum in search of another isolated soldier. One down already; now you have 23 to go, plus the censors and their bodyguards...

This is going to be a long day.

After biding your time, carefully stalking your victims, you encounter a problem. Two of the soldiers are sticking close together and conducting their sweep with veteran practice. You might be able to kill one, but could you get the other before he raises the alarm?

What do you do?
>Draw the bayonet and try to get a double-kill on them
>Try to lure one of them away by making a noise elsewhere
>Leave them. There are other targets and you don't need to wipe the squad out completely
>Fuckit. Shoulder your new rifle and go loud

>>2018959
Might need the free hand to keep 'em from raising a fuss and alert the rest. But fuck it, YOLO.

>>Draw the bayonet and try to get a double-kill on them
As an aside, does knife throwing count as range skill or combat skill?

>>2018959
>Leave them. There are other targets and you don't need to wipe the squad out completely

We don't need to kill the grunts. As useful as their ammo and guns would be, we can get those later. Our target is the Censors. To send a message. If our partner in partisan activities returns then we can try to do something like this but until then we want to minimise our risks where we gain little.

>>2018959
>leave them
This is supposed to make a political point and concentrating on the censors makes it more clearly. Also making the army look incompetent by killing their charges under their nose is good propaganda. Plus 2 veteran soldiers is bad news

>>2018959
>>Leave them. There are other targets and you don't need to wipe the squad out completely

>>2018959
>Leave them. There are other targets and you don't need to wipe the squad out completely

Damn you all taking the sensible but boring route. It's more fun* when I get to write things going horribly wrong!

Votes called, write-up coming up.

*Fun in the Dwarf Fortress way, that is

>>2020516
No option should be boring ;)

>>2018959
>Leave them. There are other targets and you don't need to wipe the squad out completely
>>2018984
>>2019008
Support these guys' strategy here

The more you leave alive now, the more can come running when you're finally rumbled, but the risk is too great. You withdraw and go looking for your real target; the censors. It doesn't take you long to find them. You've lost one of the censors, but four, including the two priests, are still present, along with one of their bodyguards and four soldiers, one with a rifle and three with submachine guns.

"What on earth is the meaning of this-?! Who has done this?!"

Crouched at the door to the exhibit of Eortite Art and Society (there is, sadly, no balcony upon which to hide in the gallery itself), you mentally kick yourself for not acting sooner. Of course once the censors saw the results of last night's rescue of the artifacts, it would be like kicking the hornet's nest!

"I want an investigation team in here yesterday Sergeant!" yells one of the censors at soldier standing at attention not five feet from him. "I don't care if they have to tear this place apart; I want those artifacts found! And just why wasn't this building under closer guard to prevent this exact thing from happening?! Whichever officer is in charge of this shambles, I am going to rake him over the coals! Do you understand me, soldier?!"

"Yes Inspector! I'll send a runner back to HQ immediately! We'll get to the bottom of this sir!"

"At least they left some of the relics," growls one of the priests, gesturing to the cases of exhibits you couldn't fit in the suitcase. "Perhaps they didn't have enough time to move them all; these need to be crated and moved to a more secure facility immediately-!"

"Wait!" The head inspector holds up his hand, gesturing for quiet. "Chaplain, what was that? They might not have had time?" He frowns, turning to face his counterpart and his eyes narrowing, giving you a profile view of a man with a round, clean-shaven face and neatly combed, brown hair. "This museum was all but abandoned... Our thief could have moved as much as they pleased, when they pleased. If they ran out of time, then that implies something interrupted them, which could only have been-!" He turns and points to the sergeant, who is rapidly catching on to the inspector's line of logic.

"Us-! Trooper Helt, get word to the sweep teams! This building is on lockdown; the thief could still be present!"

What do you do?
>Try to hide so the runner passes you without being seen
>Draw your knife and kill him as he runs past
>Run. You need to get out before the building goes on lockdown!
>Slip into the room in the confusion and work yourself closer to your target
>The balloon's gone up; it's time to go loud before they know you're there

Further...
>Roll 1d10+1 (Wits) to determine how successful your hunt was until now

Rolled 10 + 1 (1d10 + 1)

>>2021666
If it's out of view from the rest, I'm all for not letting him pass the word.
>>Draw your knife and kill him as he runs past

>>2021666
>Draw your knife and kill him as he runs past

Oh I'm going to enjoy this...

>>2021687
>10
Oh shit son, I think that's a crit! That's a bonus degree of success! If someone throws another, that's when the interesting stuff starts happening! Or maybe it starts if you get a certain number of degrees of success. I'm not quite sure yet.

Regardless, I'll be tallying and writing in the morning. I've been hurting all day today...

Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>2021666
>Draw your knife and kill him as he runs past

>one with a rifle and three with submachine guns.
Wait, what?
>submachine guns
I thought this place had the equivalent of WWI technology regarding guns.

>>2021726
Our nation did. The invaders were more advanced. Part of the reason why we fell so easily.

File: Federation heavy tank.jpg (52 KB, 620x404)

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>>2021726
To be honest, Awsbet was pre-WW1 when it was invaded. Your military still used hand-cranked Gatling guns!

The Federation meanwhile, is more mid-1920s in its technology level. Keep in mind, SMGs and machine pistols were starting to be seen in combat at the end of 1918. In terms of vehicles, you're looking at the later versions of WW1 tanks, occasionally with a turret, but that's a new innovation as far as everyone's concerned. That WW1 vintage from The Last Crusade would be considered cutting-edge by the Federation's armoured corps.

>>2021789
No wonder we got blitzed fast. Can't really fathom how quickly Awsbet fell quickly unless the Feds were heavily mechanized.

That or the Awsbet government had a facepalm moment by allowing compatible railway systems with the Feds.

Rolled 8 + 1 (1d10 + 1)

>>2021666
>Draw your knife and kill him as he runs past
Let's keep this crit ball rolling

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>2021666
>Draw your knife and kill him as he runs past

I'll try my hand at this thing, I guess.

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>>2022411
...

>>2021666
>>Draw your knife and kill him as he runs past

>>2022411
>>2022419
Relax. The first three rolls are the only ones I'm counting and these weren't determining your success at killing the runner; they were for how much you've thinned out the numbers.

>>2021845
There's actually a reason for that! Although it's been 214 years since the fall of the second kingdom, the entire continent of Antaria shares a lot of strong cultural ties and the first railway lines were laid down in the closing years of the kingdom. Given that one of the reasons the kingdom broke up was due to a series of independence movements, no-one really saw a militaristic, conquering force like the Federation coming, so co-operation with trade and industry was commonplace. Most of the entire continent has the same 4ft6in gauge rails.

Oh and it helps that the Federation has COMPLETE areal dominance; Awsbet had barely ten aircraft in the entire country prior to the war and those were curios for the rich. The Federation meanwhile has embraced airpower and is at the forefront of biplane fighter, recon and even bomber planes, though monoplane designs have yet to come into maturity.

The Federation soldier salutes, sprinting for the door you're hiding beside. You have complete surprise.

Just as he crosses the threshold, moments before you'd be right in is line of sight, you step out, arm swinging and your knife plunging into his chest at an angle,, puncturing his aorta and ripping the hole open. It's a sensation you have become very familiar with, as you thinned out the Federation's numbers, a total of six other soldiers dying similarly unexpected deaths in secluded halls, galleries and rooms.

Blood sprays from the wound, but the impact was such that it drove the breath from your victim in a choking gasp. While he himself doesn't make much of a sound, his finger reflexively tightening on the trigger of his rifle is another matter entirely. Your ears ring as the bullet ricochets off the floor and buries itself in a wall. Everyone in the room turns to look and time almost seems to slow to a crawl, as you bear the soldier to the ground and the eyes of the soldiers and officials widen. With your right arm soaked halfway to your elbow in blood, stolen helmet on your head and the rifle over your back, not to mention your sudden and violence appearance, you make for a shocking figure.

The stunned silence doesn't last long as the bodyguard grabs the two censors nearest to him and physically hurls them into cover, while the sergeant raises his submachine gun and take a deep breath, opening his mouth to yell as the elasticity of time snaps back to its usual pace.

"ENEMY CONTACT!"

His finger starts to tighten on the trigger, the other soldiers raising their weapons and diving for cover. Battle has, at last, been joined.

You are in the open in the middle of the door. Displays throughout the gallery ahead of you might provide you cover in the same way they are currently serving your opponents, but the doorframe is made of much sturdier stuff... What do you do?
>Write in your actions.

>You have a total of 5 action points to spend this combat round, as does the enemy sergeant (SMG) and bodyguard (pistol). The regular soldiers have 4 action points. All actions are taken simultaneously, but if you have more action points than your opponent, you get to act before they do.
>You can take up to FIVE distinct actions in this round. Some actions may take slightly longer than a single action. If you're unsure, I'll provide clarification for you.

>>2023264
>Move behind cover in the doorway.
>Shoot the Sergeant from cover.

Dunno where else to dump the rest of the points if there's any left over.

If using "Aim" means that it "negates one point of cover" is there even any use for taking cover here? Otherwise, I might amend to "aim and shoot" first, then take cover with any leftover points.

>>2023324
I'd honestly advise getting into cover with your first point, as good cover like the doorway would mean your enemy would have to roll higher in order to hit you. If you're standing in the open and aiming or shooting with your first two shots, then anyone as many action points as you or more, can hit you easier, before you move into cover on a subsequent action.

I guess the system isn't very well explained... Or fleshed out... Or much of anything really... If there are questions, ask and I'll try to clarify myself. Keep in mind that those rules are well over a year old and I had a limited understanding when I copied them in the first place...

>>2023264
Did the guy we just killed have grenades?

If yes :
>>drag him behind door frame, take grenade and throw into room

If no :
>>hide behind door frame and shoot sergeant

>>2023480
Also try to bluff that we have allies all over the place and they should surrender

>>2023264
I'll go with
>Grenade
>Cover in doorway
>Shoot Sergeant

After that, we should book it and see if we can get around to those two religious censors and steal the Sergeant's SMG.

>>2023515
None of the soldiers here had any grenades on them; they were expecting routine bodyguard duties and no resistance, so they only brought small arms. Besides, the risk of damage to the exhibits if explosives were used was high.

>>2023560
That'll still leave you with two unused actions, but we can go with that and have the last two actions resolve after the post, if you all like. Again though, the soldier had no grenades on him.

>>2023264
>take cover
>shoot sergeant
>reposition
>shoot whomever is available
>reposition/run

>>2023599
Hard to know where things will stand after this. If we don't kill the Sgt then our next actions may not make sense

>>2023748
We'll go with two actions to start then!
>Action 5: Take cover behind the doorframe
>Action 4: Ready your rifle (it's still slung over your back!)
>Action 3: Take a snap shot at the sergeant

I'll be revising those rules in the pastebin in a minute. Sorry for the confusion.

Rolled 1, 4, 8, 5, 2, 2, 4, 10, 8 = 44 (9d10)

>>2023881
It suddenly occurs to me that I should probably roll the enemies here, rather than with physical dice, just to avoid accusations of screwing you over... I wouldn't, but knowing my dice, it might happen anyway and this is very much a quest where failure IS an option.

>Action 5: Sergeant snap-shots at you (first set of 3d10).
>Action 4: The sergeant moves for cover. The soldiers move for cover. The bodyguard moves for cover.
>Action 3: The sergeant snap-shots at you (second set). SMG soldier suppresses you(third set). Rifle soldier aims. Bodyguard draws pistol.

>Battle music, if that's your thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXKcw1xZPEA

The moment bullets start to fly, you throw yourself into cover behind one of the square, stone pillars that forms the entrance to the gallery. Chips of limestone fly as small-caliber bullets spat from the sergeant's SMG chew into the stone, but nothing causes more than small scratches on your skin.

There's a sound of hurrying footsteps as the soldiers run for cover behind the exhibits and you do a quick mental count. You're out-numbered four-to-one and the gunfire will be drawing the rest of the squad down on you fast. Not the best odds in the world, but you're in superior cover and most of the men look fairly young and inexperienced; this was supposed to be a simple mission after all, so they didn't send their crack veterans. You flick the safety off with a click. Things could be worse-!

Leaning around the corner of the pillar, you swing your rifle around for a snap shot at the sergeant, just as he returns fire, aided by a hail of shot from the second submachine gun! Flinching in the face of overwhelming fire, your shot is less accurate than it could have been.

Turn rundown
>The sergeant's snapshot MISSES
>The sergeant's snapshot MISSES
>The soldier's suppressive fire MISSES
>You are SUPPRESSED!

>Roll 1d10-1 (Ranged skill - suppressed) to shoot the sergeant

>You are suppressed by an SMG: All actions are taken at a -2 penalty and you lose your next action!

>>2024086
Ah- Almost forgot.
>Pick your final action for this round!

Rolled 8 - 1 (1d10 - 1)

>>2024086
Rollin'

>>2024090
>final action
Yeah, think it's time to book it.

Rolled 9 + 2 (1d10 + 2)

>>2024090
Skedaddle.

>>2024140
Damn it, that was supposed to be a minus.

>>2023480
Ahh, so like Jagged alliance 2 or silent storm.... Throw grenades and grind our hide levels.

>>2024140
Due to the finicky way that 4chan's dice work, in order to make a roll with a negative modifier, you have to type it as "xDy+-z", for example: "2d20+-4"

>>2024153
Well you ARE a resistance fighter. If you're fighting fair, something has gone wrong.

Rolled 9 - 1 (1d10 - 1)

>>2024086


>>2024090
lets fuk off

Rolled 2 - 1 (1d10 - 1)

>>2024086
Use remaining actions to kill smg

Votes called for de-assing the area! Also, the rules have been updated to hopefully be a BIT clearer.

You
>Action 2: SUPPRESSED
>Action 1: Move to break engagement

Enemy
>Action 2: Sergeant moves up to melee range. SMG soldier moves up to close range. Rifle soldier takes an aimed shot at you (first set). Bodyguard aims.
>Action 1: Sergeant snapshots at you (second set). SMG soldier aims. Rifle soldier moves up to close range. Bodyguard aims.

Some stuff I have yet to include in the rules by the way:
Suppressive fire is less effective with rifles, moderately effective with SMGs, very effective with machine guns and most effective with mortars or artillery.
Once you have been suppressed, you are immune to suppression for one round. Keep in mind that this means you CAN still be chain-suppressed, but only by artillery. Protip: Don't get shot at by artillery. Just gonna throw that out there.
Ranges of engagement are melee; close; medium; long; distant. At long, distant or if you have sufficient cover, you can choose to break engagement.
Emplaced weapons like HMGs or some vehicle weapons can use Focus Fire without aiming.

Rolled 2, 1, 3, 5, 1, 9 = 21 (6d10)

>>2024330
I should probably actually roll the frickin' dice...

You swing around the corner, bringing your rifle up as bullets whizz past you, picking holes out of the stonework. The sergeant is sprinting towards you, taking advantage of the covering fire and right in the open. You jerk the trigger, your situation not leaving any time for the careful control Karlo taught you. The firing pin slams down; the rifle kicks; the bullet flies and smashes into the right side of the sergeant's chest, clean through the lung and knocking him to the ground, his blood making a pool beneath his body.

The brass of your spent cartridge rings against the floor, lost in the noise as you throw yourself back behind the pillar, swearing as the submachine gun picks small holes in the stonework. You're still out-numbered and most certainly out-gunned. It's time to beat feet.

As soon as the fire slackens up a little, you make a break for it. You're on the wrong side of the doorframe to go back the way you came and like hell are you exposing yourself for another attempt to give you lead poisoning, so you turn and run, head down as you sprint down the corridor, looking for an escape.

The censors are still alive. Your mission has failed, but it's not a complete loss. You've kept the artifacts out of Federation hands, so if you can just get out of here, you'd call this a moral victory-!

As you skid around the corner, your legs bunch up under you, trying to take you in the opposite direction even as your momentum keeps you going. Two Federation soldiers skid to a stop and raise their rifles as you spill out, falling to the ground right in their sights. Fear chokes your throat as gunfire sounds... And the two soldiers fall, SMG fire ripping through them. A heavyset man in the burgundy peaked cap and coat of an Awsbet soldier (though with civilian pants and shoes) ducks out of a side corridor, clutching a Federation SMG and quickly snaps the weapon up to point at you, before blinking and realising despite the helmet, you're no Federal.

"Who the fuck are you?!" he demands incredulously.

"Who the fuck are you?!" you shoot back, equally shocked. Still, there's no time to sit around exchanging gossip. With a glance back the way you came, you scramble up and run on. "Hey! Where's a way out?"

"Broken window," he yells back, waving his hand, "Take a left at the end here and head for the East Art Gallery!"

"Thanks!" A few moments after you turn the corner, you hear gunfire behind you and a full-throated yell of 'Awsbet united!' as your unexpected friend engages your pursuers.

Your surprises aren't over yet you, as you hear someone call your name and rush to join you. "Iwo!" It's Aneta, at last, her short skirt letting her sprint far better than something more respectable, so you have to give her points for practicality. "Kings and Queens, what's going on?"

"Fucked up; I'll explain later-!" you gasp. "Wes- EAST Art Gallery! Quick!"