Country after a Flood

[Omegaxicor]

We have decided to start a new game (so they are all level 1), the area they start in (and the reason why they leave) has just been hit by massive floods and storms and is devastated. The story behind this is a long story that intertwines with the world but the problem lies in my knowledge of floods and things like that...

What would a country be like after an enormous flood, I assume they would have lost alot of the food for next year (but they have lost alot of the mouths to feed ) and homes and businesses have been destroyed but I don't really understand it so I know I will have difficulty expressing it properly to the players, any suggestions? (other than "don't" )

The opening quest is the players helping people after the flood, skill checks and strength checks are important but combat is limited (I am thinking that there will be encounters with the group that caused the flood but maybe something of human nature during disasters...)

 

[Dozen]

*Please delete post*

 

[VariSami]

As I understand this, everyone was unprepared for the sudden flooding which lead to devastation. Maybe reading reports about tsunamis would help, since it shouldn't be that hard a conversion to make.

I'd say that focusing on the scarcity of usable resources could work fine. You want rations, adventurer? Too bad mine were washed away and even if I had them, you'd have to take them from my dead body. The cause for this reluctance to sell basic commodities could be a simple need to survive but it could also include rationing what's left among newly orphaned children and starving townsfolk. Need accommodation? Well, there's still some room in the temporary shelter where we keep the sick and the injured. Don't mind their moaning and crying and be ready to give up your spot in case we receive new people in need.

Essentially:
1. Scarcity: People will not sell the wares which are normally taken for granted. Some opportunists might start robbing people for them, possibly to sell them at a premium. In case people are ready to trade, they'll prefer other commodities instead of nigh worthless money.
2. Suffering: Illnesses should be prevalent. Contaminated water and contagion due to limited shelter should become real dangers. There's only so much magic can do to alleviate the problem. People will also have been injured, causing under-manning in vital duties such as peacekeeping, farming and so on. Many will have barely healed injuries and bodies can still be seen here and there.
3. Rubble: In addition to destroyed structures, there'll be random things washed away from their original positions. Also, most of the time any goods the characters find lying around will be ruined or spoiled.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

You lose a lot more food than you lose mouths.

Food can't move, mouths can.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Fields washed out. Homes knocked down. Storehouses ruined. Lifestock drowned, or scattered far.
Hunger within a few days, since storehouses food was ruined.
Moldy within a week.
Rebuilding is hard within the first week or so due to the ground being wet.
You could have fun when a villager finds out a large group of cattle survived, got washed a few miles away, and are stuck on an island or in a crevice or something. Or up trees.

 

[radja]

Here's some info on floods.

http://www.deltawerken.com/Floods/22.html

 

[Stormonu]

You get *some* warning with most floods (about 12-24 hours), so some amount of processed food can be salvaged. Cattle and other herd animals will attempt to make it to safe areas. Vermin flushed out by the waters (& birds) can become an alternate food source if things get desperate. Flood waters often remain for days or weeks until the circumstances that caused them can pass. Makeshift boats quickly can become the primary mode of travel and if things are bad enough, houseboats may be erected/cobbled together until the water recedes.

Natural floods most often occur in spring, before crops are ready to be harvested. This generally means any food available is already stored in some manner, and if there is enough warning it can be moved or ferried to a safe position. Of course, this new position will need to be guarded against theft or seizure by others.

Flooded buildings are often caked in mud. As the waters recede and this mud dries, it contaminates whatever's been floating or subjected to the stagnant waters. Houses not washed away can become unlivable due to mold and other contaminates, though it may take a month or two to fully manifest.

Unless the flood is intense, there will be high areas and time for people to retreat to such areas. Floods often occur in cycles and communities may build shelters in those areas that are prone to regular floods, or have procedures to try and save areas in times of flood.

Floods tend to wash out graveyards, exhuming the long-dead. The long-dead and recent dead can be wonderful carriers of plague. Also, most water sources will be contaminated with mud or other entities and will take some time to clear up.

After a flood, and the waters begin to recede, it would not be uncommon for military & merchants to make their way into the area. Military would be mobilized to salvage goods and keep the peace. Merchants would be looking to make a buck by providing lost supplies and materials for rebuilding. Gouging and theft could be rampant, depending on the community. However, disaster tends to pull many communities together and in a feudal age they'd work together to quickly rebuild what was lost.

 

[Omegaxicor]

[MENTION=52734]Stormonu[/MENTION] I never said the storm was 'natural'...but those are some good ideas
[MENTION=6674868]RUMBLETiGER[/MENTION] that's a good idea too