5:23pm May 11th, 2000
Kraków, Free City
Light clouds – 13°C

Today had been warmer than the characters had experienced in quite some time. Though for Poland, “warm” was relative. A high of 62 degrees Fahrenheit back home wasn’t exactly sandals weather, but even still, it was a nice respite after such a cold spring. The air carried the smell of damp brick and woodsmoke, and sunlight broke through the clouds in fleeting patches, painting the ruins of Kraków in pink light. Along the river, a pair of fishing trawlers creaked puttered along, tripod DsHK machineguns on the bow of each vessel. No doubt a patrol from the Fisherman’s Guild. The sight reminded everyone that life existed here in the city, but it was still a dangerous place, and even an activity as simple as fishing could result in a firefight.

The compound itself was quiet but uneasy, its walls scarred by years of neglect. Dust and grime still clung to the corners of rooms, and the players’ gear sat stacked in rough piles next to cots in the warehouse where it had been dumped the night before. With Kaminski and Otto gone back to the hotel, the group had the place to themselves for the first time. Every creak of the old floors and every echo from the city outside underscored just how exposed they truly were. For now, there was no plan beyond settling in, checking defenses, mapping what little they had, and trying to imagine how this ruin might be turned into a foothold. Evening was drawing in, and with it the knowledge that the Free City was already watching.

#Twilight2000 #Gunbark2k #TTRPG

May 10th, 2000
Kraków, Free City
Cool, grey skies – 9°C

Sunlight filters in through the cracked windows of the lobby in the building lovingly dubbed Hotel Kaminski. The party awakens on cracked red leather couches after a long, somewhat restless night in a new and uncomfortable location; various sounds of Kaminski’s crew and his “visitors” having kept everyone from sleeping soundly. The couches offered some measure of comfort, and at least there was a roof over everyone’s heads, so the night wasn’t a total waste.

The Latvian pimp comes down a long staircase, now wearing a silken robe, long socks, and a pair of leather sandals, drinking what smells like a strong cup of coffee. It’s completely unknown as to where he might have sourced such a luxury item, given the state of the country and the world, but the earthen smell seems to permeate everything, and makes the player characters envious. “Last cup.” he says simply as he drains the contents before coming to sit next to Knocks on one of the couches. “So, today you must see a man about a building, yes?”

#Twilight2000 #Gunbark2k #TTRPG

May 9th, 2000
Kraków, Free City
Cool, grey skies – 8°C

Krakow has a pulse. Not the full throated roar of world from before the war, but a low, beating life that permeates everywhere that hasn't been turned to rubble. Checkpoints abound, manned by armed men in a wide variety of uniforms. It's often impossible to tell if they all even belong to the same unit. Many don't. A dull haze rises above the city, no doubt the result of hundreds of cooking fires and still-working chimnies. The Twin spires of St. Mary's dominates the city's skyline.

After tying off the Iron Serpent in Fisherman's Guild territory, the party followed Valeska and Marta through the winding streets of the riverside quarter. The sound of so much human, non-military, activity in such close proximity was a shock to everyone, after spending so long in the field. People were seemingly everywhere. Some moving with purpose as they also moved through the city, while others lounged on stoops or smoked cigarettes and warmed hands around burn barrels. The streets became busiest near the walls of Wawel Castle and Krakow's Old Town. Soon however, the players found themselves entering the locally infamous Bar Na Zdrowie, a hive of rumors, mercenaries, and local intrigue.

Inside, cigarette smoke was thick enough to be a choking hazard. Valeska immediately bee-lines for a booth in the back, where a rogue-ish man sits, speaking to a balding, muscle-bound brute. After a quick round of insults, the Valeska and the rogue quickly embrace, identifying them as old friends, or at least as friendly acquaintances. The rogue, wearing a tight-fitting, deep purple suit, immediately strikes the players as the kind of man with a mountain of confidence, with perhaps only some of it earned. He introduces himself as Krzystof Kaminski, recently of Riga, and offers to help the players procure any manner of vices that might interest them.

#Twilight2000 #Gunbark2k #TTRPG