Vistula: Threats Downriver

Between sessions: Intel, 5 Sept 2000

Sandomierz ORMO Maj. Nowicki passed you to a subordinate, and you were given the following briefing. You can follow up with questions, which may or may not be answered.

You get a rundown of the marauder forces across the river. Pretty much what you know already, and you guys were the source of some of that intel. Despite losses, Sandomierz came out on top. The marauders lost a lot of men in their greed.

The ORMO’s info from downriver is based on verbal reports of the crews of the few boats that make it up to Sandomierz. The info is going to be sketchy, so I just annotated the Roll20 Vistula map with some flags to suggest allegiances. Your mileage may vary.

Polish White Eagle, like near the newly-independent Tarnobrzeg, suggest independent Polish towns.
White & Red bar flag, loyalist Polish government/military
Red Star, Soviet army
Skull with bandanna, marauder
Skull & Crossbones, abandoned/ruins

In Krakow, the Police Prefect has been consolidating power after the death of the popular Dodowca. The Guz has kept out of sight, though his manifold operations seem to be running as before.

Pact forces (Polish and some Soviet) based in Lublin control territory west to the river, with a garrison as far as the ruins of Radom. Trade (river and land) gets through but is sometimes hassled with loyalty questions and occasional bribes.

The Baron Czarny holds increasingly more ground in the ruins of Warsaw with hundreds of troops composed of Pact deserters. Several communities of farmers are still holding out against him, as of a month ago.

The Korsarz own the river at Warsaw, and for kilometers up and down stream. A couple dozen boats, ranging 50 tons and downwards, mostly alcohol-powered craft with armed pirates. (The Krolowa displaces 200 tons, by way of comparison). They’ve raided as far upriver as Deblin. Trade doesn’t get through anymore. Same month-old report.

However, there’s a “Floating City” of river people that have survived the war by staying mobile. They’re now stuck in Warsaw, turtling-up to fend off the depredations of the Korsarz. This information is, too, a month old.

Most of this is developed directly from Pirates of the Vistula.