[DiTY] The Waterfall branch

[Ul]

So this will be my second town in dogs, with Simon as one of the players (so don't read this Simon) and the groupd that he has been GM'ing the last two times, but as we both wants to actually play, we wants to rotate.

The basic idea for this town has been in my head for a couple of weeks, but haven't got around to write it down and let it evolve.

What's going on in the town?

This is a quickly evolving town, that has been growing rapidly in the last 10 years, it's still not very big, but it's getting there. This is thanks to a exceptionally gifted steward (brother Curys), who are a former dog that fell in love with a young girl (sister Emeline) in the town, married her, and was appointed steward. They got one child only (Abijah)

One and a half month ago Sister Emeline died in a tragic way (more of this later), and Brother Curys completely broke down. Not just mourning, but while his mind didn't entirely shatter, he has been completely caught up in his own mourning and self-pity, neglecting the town. He sits everyday and stares in a stream, occasionally crying silently

The obvious followed, people begun neglecting church each Sunday. Suddenly people was much less nice to each other, and didn't help each other enough.

Soon the miller (Brother Jeram) begun giving orders in the town and most of the town accepted that someone had to take over while their real steward was indisposed, but it wasn't fair orders. He wasn't able to see where the real problem was and he didn't have the will to be objective, and those he favored got way more benefit out of his ruler ship. He doesn't really like to take the stewards role, the pressure is to much for him and he knows it. His wife (Sister Bethia) however, really likes the position it has given her in the community, and is trying to make him keep the power.

Three of the women in town has been convinced that her husband have every right to take up the stewardship, and because of that she has the right to 'steward' over them. She has been pushing them to mock and talk behind the bag about the one women (sister Althea, who lost her husband half a year ago) that is protesting. About half the town agrees with Sister Althea, about half with Sister Bethia.

Two days ago a guy (brother Harnen) fell and broke his leg, he is unable to plant the seeds that would enable him to feed his family next winter, after order from his wife Brother Jeram has said that he won't get any help, obviously dooming his family to their death.

1a – Pride The steward are allowing his sorrow to take the better of him, dominating what he does.
1b – Injustice The entire town is being neglected because of the stewards sorrow, so that Jeram has been taking over the stewardship.


2a – Sin Most of the town has been neglecting church, and brother Jeram has taken over the stewardship. Sister Bethia and co. has been back talking Sister Althea (by talking about what a cheap women she is, and that she is bedding everything that can walk, and that she really killed her husband).

2b – demonic attacksThe deamons are intensifying the real stewards sorrow, so that he is unable to take up his responsibilities. And enforcing Brother Jerams stewardship by making people dependent on what he gives them (rats eating storage, haybarns burning down and so on). And she thinks that it is perfectly right for women to manipulate their men to do what they want.


3a – False doctrine Sister Bethia believes that her husband has every right possible to be steward, and that his right to be steward gives her right to 'steward' the womens of the town.

3b – Corrupt worship Sister Bethia is preaching the her own false doctrine to the women that follows her, and makes her husband take up the role of steward


4a – False priesthood Sister Bethia is forming her own cult, with the three women that is closest to her. They do not know that they are contacting deamons, but wouldn't be bothered by it if they knew.


6a – the people
brother Curys – Just wants the dogs to leave him alone.
Brother Abijah – Wants the dogs to help his dad getting over it, so that the town can get back on track.
Brother Jeram – Wants the dogs to help Brother Curys and thus relive him of the duty that he has come to regret taking up. He also wants the dogs to make his wife come to her senses so that he can love her again. Yet he doesn't want to actually tell the dogs that his wife is dominating, and acting out of her gender role.
Sister Bethia – Wants the dogs to stay out of it, or at least don't figure out who's really in charge.
The three close women – They like their new position of the town, generally wants anything Bethia wants.
Brother Harnen – Wants the dogs to get the town back on track, and make them help him so his family doesn't starve.

6b – What does the deamons want They want Jeram (and thus Berthia) to keep the stewardship in town, but can do without those, as long as Curys doesn't breake out of his sorrow. Or go very harsh on brother Jeram, so that he breaks out of his sorrow, but goes completely cold and uncaring.

6c – if the dogs didn't came If the dogs didn't came Sister Bethia would soon kill her husband when he refused to do something that she thought appropriate (such as sister Althea being taken by force and killed). And at that point she would entirely take over the town, and it would become hell incarnated.



How to introduce the town to the dogs?

I want the town to look like something that has been neglected completely for 1½ month, not much activity, no laughs among the people, scrawny dogs fighting

But for introduing them to what's actually the problem in the town:

1)   have them meet an old woman on the road close to town, keeping an eye out that the steward does no harm to himself, telling them what has happened.
I don't really like this option much, it was my original one, but I think it has one major problem, they do not get to see exactly in how bad a state the town is before forgiving him for neglecting.
2) Have them enter town, and have Brother Jeram approach them to beg them to do something
I'm not really fond of this idea, as it would be a very weird scene when he doesn't want to tell them about how his wife is dominating.
3) Have them stop a young man that sister Bethia convinced that sister Althea is a cheap woman, trying to take her by force.
I sort of like this option, has a good shock factor, shows exactly how rotten the town is right off the bat.
4) Have someone, such as Sister Althea, or btoehr Harnen come to them, and bitterly ask them to do something, and explain what is wrong.

Which one do you think will work best?

Any ideas and comments are welcome.

I really like this one, especially in the light of the last two sections, will be great to see what how the players react to a (contrary to both former sessions) competent steward, that has just broken down.