Graywolf-ELM said:
At a certain point, the leaders of the city, have to say. Shut the gate, we can not sacrifice the survival of our people for the refugees. Then either the city is closed and a semi-siege takes place, where caravans bound for the city are waylaid and the city begins to lose food and resources from the outside, or some form of system of entry is granted, with the enty a pass is given, and the person must leave by a certain time, or risk not getting a pass again. The grounds around the city(if it is walled) become an open camp with the possibility of the spread of disease and more, unless some order is maintained for waste disposal and such.
A form of martial law gets instituted with a curfew to keep outsiders off of the streets and crime down. passes are checked, profiling happens, gods forbid you leave your house without your resident pass, you could be thrown out of the city.
This is also (mostly) what I see (no passes, though)! I do not, however, foresee the City Leaders as incompetent, stupid, lazy, nor re-active. I see them as pro-active, therefore declaring Martial Law as soon as the problem becomes apparent (and they have time to discuss the options).
The City Gates would be closed at nightfall, with a curfew of Sundown. Anyone found out after dark would have to be able to answer where they "live", or "are staying", and would be told to reach there, quickly. An hour or so after dark, anyone caught out would be subject to questioning and/or arrest.
Those arriving at the city by night would have to rouse the guards, inside, who would tell them "No entry after nightfall!" Now the DoD, with their connections, could get some message sent, or rouse someone to get the gates opened, but most commoners would have to wait until morning.
Outside the walls, the shanty-town, tent-city, beggar-town, ghetto/barrio would spring up, but the city council (or whatever they call themselves) would have patrols of guards, to help stop the gangs problem from developing. The patrols would continue, after dark.
Sanitation would be required, with latrines being dug, lime brought in, and these cess-pits occassionally being dug out, and used a fertilizer. Dumping waste into the water would be made a crime, and Potions of Sweetwater become more important.
Due to all of this, many merchants and craftsmen would see a relative boom! Builders, stonemasons, brick-layers/-makers, carpenters, tent-makers, tanners, shepherds, ranchers, farmers, herbalists, etc. Even the lowly charcoal-burners and torch-makers would have a relative business boom! Cooks and shopkeeps would also see their business on a rise, for as long as they had stuff to sell!... And when they didn't? Why, then they'd have a pocket full of money, all ready to spend on new tools & materials to make more stuff to sell!
Hence, "Rush Fees" for those who need their stuff "right away"! Otherwise, you'd have to wait in line to get your work done (along with everybody else)!
The crime waves would generally be confined to the tent-cit(y/ies). Minor squabbles would be common, but the guards would stop all the major ones. Non-City Thieves in Corsai would probably be persecuted by the local Thieves' Guild, as much as the guards, if there is a guild... Crime within the city would be lower than normal, due to increased patrols.
Guards, fighting men, patrols, sherriffs, etc., would be needed. Fighters of good repute (including those past their prime) would be pressed into service. New adventurers of good repute would also be given "lower-level" commissions... In later years, many young adventurers may recall this period as where they got their start in adventuring! Law Enforcemnt will need a lot of new people, as well as Arcane & Divine backup!
The churches, temples, etc., will also be looking for "lay members" to help administer to the poor & needy. Those who do a good job may eventually be inducted as non-lay priest(esse)s.
With the sudden influx of money, many craftsmen and skilled trades will be looking to take on new apprentices. Unskilled labor will also be needed. When the gates are opened, at daylight, a steady stream of folks will flow from the shanty-town barrios to the city square, where anyone needed unskilled laborers will go, looking for "a few good men" for any heavy lifting that needs to be done. Others will stream in from the tent-city ghettos looking to buy food, barter for goods, beg (which will quickly be outlawed), borrow, or steal what they need.
After a short time, prices will go up. Food will be at least 150% of the usual prices, for most anything but the dried rations that everyone tired of eating on the way here... That will be left to the poor! The temple soup kitchens will be crowded, and "he who will not work; neither shall he eat" will become a common phrase for weeding out the non-disabled, lazy poor shirkers.
All in all, with foresight and enough guards/militia, Corsai will be safe, happy enough, and even the poor refugees will be well enough off. They will leave with light purses, and (perhaps) a lower opinion of the place, but in good enough health.
The guardsmen/militia, in general, will have Chain Maille Hauberks with Dastanna & Bucklers, Pikes, Shortswords, and a pair of Sap. Pikes are used to "herd" mobs, but dropped in favor of saps, when a real riot breaks out. Mobs will generally be armed with sticks, stones, knives, and tools, doing 1D6, at worst. The guards' shortswords will be saved for real threats, like cornered thieves. Some bowmen with Sleep Arrows, and a Bard/Sorcerer/Wizard & Cleric/Druid (or at least a Paladin/Ranger) per unit will do wonders. All less than seventh level, of course! That should handle the riff-raff.
Messengers with Boots of Speed, or more exotic methods, will zip about, carrying missives to and from the council. Violence within the town or camps will be dealt with quickly, and summarily. The attitude that it will NOT be tolerated will soon become clear to all.
Life within the city will get busier, during the day, but better. Food & drink will go up, but money will flow, and more than compensate. Life in the camps will be harder, but an industrious, ingenious person will be able to make a fortune...
A refugee Herbalist will be able to gather local healing cacti and other plants, and make herbal remidies for sale to the others, or sell the plants in town. Either way, he makes money. He can also barter with the poorer refugees for their stuff, then take it into town to sell, trade, ro use as raw materials, at the increased prices.
A muleskinner can quickly parley his skill into becoming a tanner's apprentice, or somesuch, moving out of the camps and into his master's shed. He will now get trained, and paid better, for using his old skills. To make a little extra, he could sell his old tent, and any carrying gear (backpack, etc) that he no longer needed, perhaps getting back more than he paid for them!
A local beggar-child might join the Thieves' Guild, initially staying in-camp, and reporting on the going-on in return for food. Later, he could enter town, move up, and apprentice. In tine, he could become a first-level Rogue.
The Herbalist could become known to the local temple, and he could have his daily takes of healing plants quickly bought out, and also be invited to come and work for them. He moves from the camp to the temple, and goes out, every day, to look for plants. With the remaining half-days, he is put to work doing stuff aroubd the temple, taking care of the refugees. His Healing skills get used, and the Clerics soon begin asking if he'd like to learn the
True healing!...
And so it goes. Local toghs can become militia/guards. Local Rogues can watch out for non-guild rogues practicing their crafts within the city. Caravan guards are needed. Low-level Druids must police the natural resources outside the town. Those with magical powers can make money any number of ways. Corsai will remember these days as "The Good Old Days", before long, wishing they hadn't passed quite so fast!
