[DitV] White River - a town for the Main-Con DitV session

[Michi]

I constructed a town to use at Main-Con in Bayreuth this sunday. I will check in before I leave for the Con and see if there are any good suggestions by then. Enough introductions - I give you

White River

1A. Pride
The current Steward of White River, Brother Sebediah, was once good on the way to become a dog himself, but dropped off halfway through his training. Still in the service of the Faith, he took up Stewardship over White River several years ago.
Br. Sebediah never got over his failings, and took it upon himself to handle the town more with the authority a dog should have and less with the love and care that a Steward is supposed to show. He believed he was granted the power by the King of Life to do almost anything.

1B. Injustice
Br. Sebediah courted a second wife in Sister Prudence, the 14-years old daughter of one of the major landowners – Brother Jophat. However, Sr. Prudence did not return the attention very enthusiastically, and neither did Sister Esther, his first wife, approve. On this theme, Br. Sebediah made certain that a series of lectures were held on the theme of Stewardship and of the importance of recognizing the will of the King of Life and act accordingly. In the end, Br. Sebediah married Sr. Prudence at a subdued ceremony and with the reluctant blessing of most involved.
Sr. Prudence still feels the marriage was brought with force and cannot recognize the will of the King of Life in the actions of Br. Sebediah. She still spends time with Brother Jonathan, the son of Brother Amos, a farmer on land rented from Br. Jophat, who was about to start courting her when Br. Sebediah entered her life. Sr. Prudence clings to her feelings for Br. Jonathan, expanding them as much as she feels forced by Br. Sebediah.
Noticing the bonds between Br. Jonathan and Sr. Prudence, Br. Sebediah takes his influence on his father-in-law to worsen conditions for Br. Jonathans family, causing them to starve.

2A. Sin
Growing convinced that the marriage is in error, Sr. Prudence and Br. Jonathan take to meeting at the river regularly, and build a strong and loving relationship to each other. Gradually, their relationship grows physical and although they have not yet had any sex, they both feel an unmistakable lust and it's only a matter of finding the right opportunity.
One night, as the famish in Br. Jonathans family goes worse, Sr. Prudence steals food from her own home and brings him to eat. Sr. Esther learns about her deed and brings it to the attention of Br. Sebediah, who rides out with Br. Jophat and three farmhands and beat up Br. Jonathan bad enough that he's bedridden for two weeks.
In congregation, Br. Sebediah condemns the bedridden Br. Jonathan as demon-infested and lays claims as to be able to exorcise him himself.

2B. The Demons Attack
When Br. Sebediah goes out with a large following to exorcise the demons from Br. Jonathan, Br. Jonathan gets a fever (induced by demonic attacks), that goes away once Br. Sebediah starts the exorcism. Br. Jonathan then starts talking in tongues, and promises half-delirious to never see Sr. Prudence again. Impressed with the apparent ease of his exorcism, Br. Sebediah takes the habit of calling upon demon-ridden members of the congregation and exorcising them with great showiness.

3. False Doctrine, Corrupt Worship
Brother Sebediah convinces himself and the rest of the congregation that the King of Life really has granted him extraordinary powers, mainly exorcism and immunity from criticism. The only vocal protestors left are Br. Amos and Br. Jonathan, who both realize as the show ended that whatever made Br. Jonathan say the things he did disappeared as soon as the Steward had left again. They stop coming to service, partially because exorcism is an integral part by now, and Br. Jonathan a favourite subject.

4. False Priesthood and Sorcery
Br. Sebediah starts introducing friends – first Br. Jophat – to the art of exorcism, and with the power of the entire congregation, not to mention the demons who happily appear, and then go away as they exorcise only to reappear soon again in the next member so as to magnify the belief in the exorcisms, the art gains followers as well as enthusiasm.
Soon, Br. Jophat is skilled enough to start communicating with demons on his own, and promptly starts asking demons to call forth minor demons and banish them again as the exorcism goes through so as to form an even more believable image of exorcism.

5A. Hate and Murder
Discovering that the exorcisms and preaching still haven't deterred Br. Jonathan from courting Sr. Prudence, Br. Sebediah and Br. Jophat calls upon the demons to bring ruin unto the whole family of Br. Amos. Br. Jonathans two twin sisters die in a combination of famine and flu shortly afterwards, and Br. Jonathan prepares to take the fight to Br. Sebediah, killing him if need be.

6A. The People
Br. Sebediah: Wants the Dogs to go away – he can handle his town well on his own and doesn't need any help.
Sr. Esther: Wants the Dogs to put Sr. Prudence at her place and stop the relationship between Sr. Prudence and Br. Jonathan.
Sr. Prudence: Wants the marriage annulled and wants to marry Br. Jonathan. Believes Br. Sebediah does something wrong, and wants spiritual guidance on her relationship to her husband.
Br. Jonathan: Wants Br. Sebediah dead and Br. Jophat to stop starving his family, wants to marry Sr. Prudence, wants revenge for his sisters. He wants the Dogs to help him kill Br. Sebediah – or at least not stop him – and to annul Sr. Prudence's marriage and marry her to him.
Br. Amos: Wants Br. Jophat to stop starving his family, wants revenge for his daughters. He sees the Dogs as the only way to stop a corrupt Stewardship.
Br. Jophat: Wants his daughter to see her place and stop acting up, wants more power from the demons.

6B. The Demons
The demons want to strengthen the idea that the town are strong exorcists while they in reality only invite more demons in. They want Br. Jonathan to kill Br. Sebediah and the town to kill Br. Jonathan in revenge.

6C. If the Dogs Never Came
Br.Jonathan would try to kill Br. Sebediah, fail and be killed in the process. The exorcism would be formalized in a school, where Br. Sebediah would educate the Dogs of White River and eventually send out his townsmen to towns nearby to help them with exorcism. The demons would use these "new" dogs as a vessel to spread their influence throughout the faith, always providing an illusion of exorcism while in reality fastening the grip of the exorcist.

[Brendan]

This brings up an interesting point about exorcism in the game, especially if you go more specific about the methods and rituals Brother Sebediah is using.  If one of the Faithful intends to exorcise a demon, and uses the name of the King of Life, sacred earth, etc. to perform the exorcism, can a demon laugh it off and use it as a form of sin?  Is the fact that Sebediah's motives (his pride and lust for power) are impure that important?  Could this apply to any exorcism the Dogs perform?

[lumpley]

Player raises: I make the Sign of the Tree! I anoint her forehead with Sacred Earth! "Demon, out! Out!"

GM sees, blocking: She gently touches your hand as you come at her with the Sacred Earth. "I watched you kill my sister with that hand. [raises] You're more the sinner than I am."

-Vincent

[Brendan]

Player raises: I make the Sign of the Tree! I anoint her forehead with Sacred Earth! "Demon, out! Out!"

GM sees, blocking: She gently touches your hand as you come at her with the Sacred Earth. "I watched you kill my sister with that hand. [raises] You're more the sinner than I am."

-Vincent

Hmm.  Vincent, I see your point--which I think is that even proper application of ritual doesn't necessarily affect the tide of the conflict--but what I'm questioning is whether a demon can beat an exorcism by being exorcised.  My hypothetical example would be more like

Player raises:  I make the Sign of the Tree!  I anoint her forehead with the Sacred Earth!  "Demon, out!  Out!"

GM sees, blocking:  Her eyes roll back and her body arches off the ground; froth streams from her nose.  [raises]  "I cannot resist thee," she growls, and suddenly the room grows brighter as she collapses, sound asleep.

Player winces at dice, gives:  "Praise be to the King!  Her soul is free once more!"

That's just...  just playing dirty.

[lumpley]

What's at stake in your hypothetical? Something like "do I exorcise the demon out of her" or something like "do I get into the barn"?

-Vincent

[Brendan]

Ah.  I was thinking the former, in which case I should have made the hypothetical player take the blow--so she'd take fallout (from pride in her abilities, and we know what pride leads to) while the demon wouldn't.  Or maybe her giving could be a tacit admission that the exorcism wasn't permanent.

If the latter, it probably doesn't make any sense for the demon to win the conflict that way...  unless the player was on the side of "I don't think I want to see what's in that barn."

[Brendan]

Sorry for drifting your thread, by the way, Michi.  Your town is obviously making me think in new and devious ways, which I think bodes well for its debut at the con.

[Michi]

Alas, I didn't get a single player at the con. I'll save the town for the next time I actually get play-eager people around... :P

On the bright side, I met a munich-resident game developer (worked with Unknown Armies) who was enthusiastic and wanted to gather a gaming group.