[DitV] Sutter's Mill Branch

[Rossum]

I'm doing this a little backwards- I ran the PCs through this town a few weeks ago, and am using this post as means to jumpstart my brain for tonight's last-minute session.

I've never made a town for Dogs before, so be gentle. These notes are a little rough, so my apologies.


Sutter's Mill Branch

Mostly dairy, cattle- also a mill. A river runs through this town. Mostly cattle on one side, mostly grain on the other. About twenty families, perhaps 100 people.

Dead Steward Avraham Ring, not demonic, just an accident. Happened a week ago. Fell from the mill, broke his neck.

Somebody wants to be Steward: Caleb, Avraham's youngest brother
Somebody has been acting as Steward: Hiram, Avraham's elder brother, miller
Somebody deserves to be Steward: David, unrelated, a leatherworker. [I actually forgot this note while running, and I had not introduced any viable characters to become Steward. I liked seeing the players come up with a solution when I presented none. Now, if only I could reliably do this..]

Since Avraham (wife Elaine) died, Hiram (wife Patience), as married eldest brother, took Stewardship over the Ring Family. Folks just naturally turned to him to become Steward. He's not bad or evil, just over his head. He has sent word to get a new Steward. Caleb (Wife Rachel), the town doctor, got his learning from Back East. Caleb thinks that since Hiram is doing a bad job (he's right) and that he could do it better (doubtful), Caleb thinks not only does he have to not listen to Hiram, but he wants to actively cultivate town support for his appointment.

Patience wants Hiram to be Steward. Rachel wants Caleb to not be Steward.

Small Mountain People village a few hours' walk outside of town. Likely a source of pride (they're needy in some way) as well as scapegoats. Maybe medicine? [I wound up not using this.]

Courtship: Let's set up sisters. Caleb's married the elder Rachel, David is courting the younger Tabitha. Rachel is pregnant with twins. Tabitha likes David well enough, but Ezekiel Smith, her father (PC RELATION), a carpenter, doesn't approve. Rachel could give birth during play, David and Tabitha could marry, allowing the Dogs to perform some more mundane duties.

Shopkeeper: Dane Hilderband, wife Dee. He's converted, she's Faithful-born.

Handy list o' names:
Zachary, Delilah, Argus, Sarah, Desmond, Sally, Bill, Louise, Jerome, Susan, Elbert, Leonidas, Margaret


1a Pride: Caleb Ring wants to be Steward. He thinks his non-secular training as a doctor, making him the most educated man in Sutter's Mill, makes him the best candidate for Stewardship after Avraham's death.

1b Injustice: Caleb has since neglected his duties as a doctor, and a fever is running through the children of the town.

2a Sin: Deceit/Violence. Caleb is breaking his promise to "do no harm," and in effect is harming the children by not tending to them as best as he can.

2b. Demonic Attacks: The demons are spreading the fever from the children to the cattle but not to the crops.

3a False Doctrine: Brother Caleb would be a better Steward than one appointed to the town by the Prophets and Ancients of the Faith.

3b: False Priesthood: Folks are starting to not listen to Hiram.

6a. Caleb Ring wants the Dogs to make him Steward.
6a. Hiram Ring wants the Dogs to make someone else Steward.
6b. Demons want the Dogs to make Br. Caleb Steward, more people to join Caleb's side.
6c. If the Dogs never came, Caleb would get his followers and likely turn to sorcery.

Not grabby enough. Let's run up another situation:

Farmers vs. Ranchers
1a. Pride: Reuben Sutter (wife Emmaline) don't want to give up bread to the Virgil Bracket (wife Content). They can go hungry.
1b. Injustice: The Sutters are keeping a stock of grain for themselves.

2a. Sin: Violence. Bracket boys are fighting with Sutter boys.
2b. Demonic Attacks: Demons want the situation to escalate, so they will set a fire on the Sutter's fields, get the Brackets blamed.

6a. Reuben Sutter wants the Dogs to make sure that the cattle get better.
6a. Virgil Bracket wants the Dogs to make sure that the cattle get better.
6b. The demons want the Faithful to start killing the Faithful.
6b. They want the Dogs to keep out.
6c. If the Dogs never came, the violence would escalate and the town would go hungry.


I tried to meet two goals with this town. One, I specifically did not want to ramp up all the way to Hate and Murder. This was the first town (and the first game) for this group of Dogs (and players), so I wanted to start lower-key as contrasted with future towns. Two, I wanted the players and the characters to realize the importance of the Steward's role. In this case, we have a stupid accident removing the Steward, completely opening the town up to demons and regular injustices escalating without a good leader to keep folks in line. All told, this ran about 4-5 hours with four players. I think it worked.

Thoughts? Comments?

MDK

[lumpley]

Well, I wanna hear what happened in play. What happened in play is guaranteed to be way more thoughtful and interesting than anything we can say about a town unplayed.

-Vincent