Reaction of village leaders

[HoboKnight]

Allrighty, guys, I'm running HotDQ and slaughter in Greenest has just begun. I'm thinking a bit ahead, though. Raiders will eventually depart from the village, about half of population will be alive and well. Adventurers will probably track attackers south, while other events will take place.
In this scenario of mine, Cult has hit about 7 villagers, placed West and east of Greenest. They have made checkpoints to "absorb" caravans and have thoroughly looted all mentioned villages. Their only partial sucess was Greenest. PCs do their thing, but large swatsh of trade road are now vacant of places to rest. At the same time, this part of Sword Coast is sparcely populated. Greenest had a large part of its supplies burnt down. Settlement has enough food for about half of approaching winter.

How would village elders react? Who would they turn to? I'm currently playing Witcher 3 and I'd like to apply a bit of post-war situataion to the region.

thanks

[Zhorn]

If the town does not have the supplies to support itself over the winter, and there's no way to get adequate food into the town before they run out, then the most logical coarse of action is to relocate its people to a place where they can.

Set up a caravan of their own and move on. Using town guards or willing adventurers to protect them over the journey. If they have enough supplies to last half of winter, they have enough to support a caravan in relocating it people to another town, or even a city. Life can be cruel and harsh, and sometimes people must be willing to uproot themselves if they plan to survive.

Will all the villagers be willing to make the journey? No.
Will the have any guarantee their homes will still be there/unoccupied for them to return to after winter? No.
Do they have any certainty that whatever is blocking supplies from reaching their town will allow them to pass without challenge? Also no.
But if they stay there's a good chance most of them will starve.
The village leaders responsibility is to make sure its people will be able to find adequate food and work to survive.
If the towns of Berdusk, Iriabor or Bergost are also devastated, then the cities like Baldur's Gate will be what they set their eyes on.

[HoboKnight]

If the town does not have the supplies to support itself over the winter, and there's no way to get adequate food into the town before they run out, then the most logical coarse of action is to relocate its people to a place where they can.

Set up a caravan of their own and move on. Using town guards or willing adventurers to protect them over the journey. If they have enough supplies to last half of winter, they have enough to support a caravan in relocating it people to another town, or even a city. Life can be cruel and harsh, and sometimes people must be willing to uproot themselves if they plan to survive.

Will all the villagers be willing to make the journey? No.
Will the have any guarantee their homes will still be there/unoccupied for them to return to after winter? No.
Do they have any certainty that whatever is blocking supplies from reaching their town will allow them to pass without challenge? Also no.
But if they stay there's a good chance most of them will starve.
The village leaders responsibility is to make sure its people will be able to find adequate food and work to survive.
If the towns of Berdusk, Iriabor or Bergost are also devastated, then the cities like Baldur's Gate will be what they set their eyes on.
SPLENDID answers.

Let me give one more insight, I think I have missed up to this point. Trading route is very lucrative for caravans. And new caravans are SURE to arrive. Thing is, there is zero chance of caravan coming in with half a winter's worth of supplies for the town. So all these points (Greenest and nearby destroyed villages) ARE still a good spot for trade. Just the settlement infrastructure is currently destroyed or damaged and supplies are way too low to sustain population of Greenest mid-term. Money will be arned here - what is a good way to weather the meanwhile?

[Magicspook]

I really like Zhorns answer, +1 to that.

I the population is so diminished, why isn't there an excess of food rather than a shortage? Did everything get taken? Jot a criticism, just something to think about.

Alternatively, if you play a higher-magic campaign, the village leadership will look to powerful figures for help. Maybe magical forms of food transport from wizards or food creation by clerics? Or fast crop growth by druids? Make desperate pacts with extraplanar creatures (archfey?) or their warlock representatives?

Maybe racial tensions start playing up? Are people going to banish 'lesser races' so they won't take the food? Are dwarves hoarding the food stored in underground cellards for themselves? Are rich elves letting the lower classes starve?

[Zhorn]

There are a couple of inconsistencies that may need to be addressed as they change the answers considerably.


Trading route is very lucrative for caravans.

this part of Sword Coast is sparcely populated.This is a big one, it'll be either one or the other. Both together don't make a whole lot of sense.


Cult has hit about 7 villagers, placed West and east of Greenest. They have made checkpoints to "absorb" caravans and have thoroughly looted all mentioned villages.Makes it sound like the caravans are being absorbed by the cultists, so...

new caravans are SURE to arrive.wouldn't be happening. One or the other, not both.

I don't mean to be overly picky on this. It's just a case of it either being a non-issue, or an extreme.

If the town DOES have enough supplies to last half of winter AND it is a very lucrative trade route with guaranteed supplies incoming, then the town's fine, deliveries will arrive and no one will starve.

If the trade route is not active/lucrative, or it is lucrative for the cultists to ransack and disrupt, preventing Greenest from getting a resupply; they are in dire straits, with relocation being the most logical course of action.

[HoboKnight]

Splendid answers. I'll bring a decision.

[Sigreid]

If caravans get to the town, word will spread of their plight and if there is wealth available aspiring merchants will be on their way with all the supplies you need at premium prices. Hungry people are lousy hagglers.