[IC] Chapter 1: The City has Fallen

Konstantos looks at the claw end of his hammer. "I guess this could work to open the cans," he says nervously, "or do they have pull tabs?"

While you're resting in the ruins you notice an old man sleeping next to a bag of what appears to be canned food. Two teenagers of about 16 are sneaking up to him trying to steal his food. Do you interfere?

@tibbius you can eat the food no problem, I'll assume one way or another you can manage to open the tin.

The teens look a little rough, like they maybe lived in the streets before this. You will have to roll to intimidate them. If you can brandish anything that even looks remotely dangerous you get advantage.

The next few hours until dawn are uneventful...

Dawn: DAY 1 of OCCUPATION

As the sun rises, the destruction of the city becomes more pronounced. Few buildings are standing, even fewer seem not ready to collapse any moment. A thick layer of dust and oily ash covers everything. The stench of death and burnt plastic reminds you of the destruction you experienced last night. It's a new day, and survival is still your main concern.

---

You see three men wearing makeshift red armbands approach the ruin where you and other survivors are hiding. They stop about 10m (30ft) away from the hole on the wall that serves like an entrance and shout EVERYONE come out of there. If you don't you WILL be liquidated. By orders of his Lordship Gregor Dubek, the governor of the new Federal Region of Gardassia, Severnan Federation.

The name sounds familiar, you remember seeing him on some political TV show or other, arguing on TV about the state of the country or something. The name has Severnan roots, so you assume he is part of the Severnan minority that has lived in the north of the country for centuries.

The two militia members are holding long sturdy batons, the one that appears to be their leader doesn't seem armed. He's holding a loudspeaker. In front of them on the ground is a large backpack (closed).

The small group of wretched survivors starts trickling out of the ruined building and forming in front of the militia members. You notice the two teens from earlier are not within the crowd, but are going deeper into the ruin using a small opening half hidden behind some furniture.

"I think if we go out there, we get sent to some kind of camp and we're screwed," Konstantos says quietly, but loud enough that we all can hear. "Should we follow where those kids are going?" He looks to see what the old man does, too.