[DitV] Need you input on the town of Virtue

[Doyce]

Okay, so I'm (re) starting a Dogs game tomorrow, and while digging through my old notes, I found the town I did up the first time I was going to run the game.

I fiddled with it a bit, added a few bits like a bit non-faithful population, and I'd like your input on it.

((I'd also like it to save this time -- I lost 3000 words in a crash about two hours ago and had to retype the whole. bloody. thing. :( For that reason, some of the sections are sketchy, cuz I just didn't want to retype stuff again.))

Questions at the end:
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THE TOWN OF VIRTUE
Before I get into the town itself, I want to present the NPCs -- I always have a hell of a time sorting them out from the "Something's Wrong" form, and I like to see them listed first.

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THE PEOPLE
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BROTHER VIRGIL, the STEWARD.  Virgil is a widower who spent most of his meager wealth to educate his son in the East.  His usually a good Steward and has done a good job in a difficult town, diffusing any number of volatile situations over the years and keeping even Hezekiah and Cyrus Cooper in line (something that gets easier with Hezekiah and harder with Cyrus as the years roll on).  This has changed now that Phineas is back, however -- Virgil wants his son to marry well, and in Virtue, that means marrying into the Cooper family.

MALACHI, Virgil's younger (low 30's), unmarried brother and the TA SHERIFF.  Malachi has never married, but Virgil doesn't nag him about that anymore -- he's too busy, tired of it, or doesn't care anymore.  Malachi's fine with that -- he likes his job as Sheriff -- he's pretty good at it, and he likes most everyone on both sides of town (with the exception of Cyrus) and manages to keep the young men of the town in line with a kind of 'one of you' attitude.

PHINEAS, Virgil's son; educated in the East, handsome, charming, devout, and golden boy of Virtue.  Phin's actually a pretty good guy, he's just a leeetle bit full of himself and wants what he deserves for all the "work" he's done getting educated and the like.

HEZEKIAH and LAVINA COOPER are the wealthiest farmers and ranchers in town and the nominal heads of the Cooper family, which (via marriages, nephews, and cousins) makes up about 50 percent of the Faithful in Virtue.  They are also half of the long-time town feud that's kept the Faithful and non-Faithful at odds for the last twenty years.  Hezekiah was at the heart of that at the time, and it took intervention from a group of Dogs to settle things down... they've been on a low simmer with a half dozen flare-ups since then.

CYRUS COOPER, Hezekiah's younger (mid 30's) brother; unmarried, superior and violent.  Cyrus doesn't like things calm -- he hates the non-Faithful in town and doesn't care much for anyone not of Cooper blood even on the Faithful side of town.  Cyrus is very dangerous with a gun (he never understood why he wasn't called to be Dog, as he met the main requirement, in his eyes), but no one wanted him as Sheriff, so he's got a grudge against Malachi also.  He'd be nothing but a ball of rage if it weren't for the fact that Lavina sneaks out for trysts with him on a fairly regular basis, and has for years.  He doesn't covet her, just has sex with her, so he doesn't see the problem.  He'd actually like to have Constance for his own, but she's his niece, so he knows he can't.

For now.

CONSTANCE COOPER, Hezekiah and Lavina's youngest daughter, just come up to courting age. She really didn't know what she wanted -- she liked that Phineas liked her, but didn't really know if she liked him, for example, and has been stalling on courtship.  Now she has a new reason: she's secretly and recently married to Thaddeus McMasters.

HARRY and BEATRICE McMASTERS, non-Faithful (and they hate that term -- there's three churches on the east side town, compared to only the one on the west side, for pity's sake!) owners of the General Store on the east side of town, as well as a very lucrative shipping interest.  They're generally good people, and actually help out those on the east side of town that need it, borrowing a page from the Book of Life (something they'll point out with a sniff). The other half of the long-time town feud with the Coopers.  They'd like their oldest son to settle down and decide what he wants to do with himself, but they're patient about that.

THADDEUS McMASTERS, their eldest son, at 17.  A dilettante and dreamer, Thaddeus spends much of his time with the young non-Faithful boys-men of Virtue, raising moderate amounts of hell, howling at the moon around campfires up in the foothills around town, and enjoying the curious stares of the Faithful girls when they strut through town.  Then he met and fell in love with Constance, and recently married her in secret.

BROTHER JACOB, retired Dog, one of group who originally sorted things out twenty years ago.  He's come back to Virtue to keep an eye on the situation he and his fellow Dogs never quite cleared up. His home is outside of town a ways, and he stays out of the way of the Steward, but he always comes into town for meetings and service, and is very well-regarded by both 'sides' of Virtue.  Harry McMasters in particular treats him with a great deal of respect, and refuses to accept any money from Jacob for anything the former Dog might need from his store.


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SOMETHING'S WRONG
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Virtue has never been at peace with itself.  It lies near the border of Faithful territory, and the population is split (in more ways than one) between Faithful and nonbelievers.  This boiled up badly about twenty years ago, and has been simmering ever since.

During last autumn's Harvest Festival, Thaddeus met Constance quite by accident and the two felt and immediate attraction -- they began meeting and courting in secret afterwards and ever since.  When things got serious, Thaddeus convinced Constance to take their situation to Brother Jacob for advice.  The old Dog spent the next three hours "lecturing" them at the top of his lungs, and then sent them both home.  After thinking on the situation for a while, however, the thought occurred to him: "The Steward hasn't done a lick to clean up the problems in this town - it could be that these two idiot children could be exactly what the town needs."

And maybe, there was the ghost of another thought: "I could fix the town I didn't get right the first time."

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PRIDE

Brother Virgil is failing in his Stewardship, because he's focusing on getting the Cooper's to accept his son's courtship of Constance, which he thinks is something he and Phin deserve. 

Malachi isn't fulfilling his role as an unmarried young man in the community by seeking a wife. When pressed, he cites the requirements of his Office as an excuse, but the fact is he's just not interested and doesn't see where anyone can tell him otherwise.

Phineas is a nice guy, but he's a bit full of himself and his "accomplishments", and thinks he deserves the best simply because of who he is.

Hezekiah Cooper thinks he and his family deserve to have the most and the best there is to have in Virtue.  The King helps those who help themselves, in direct proportion to how MUCH they help themselves, right?

Lavina Cooper thinks that her position as the 'first lady' of the Faithful in Virtue entitles her to two husbands... or at least to the benefits of two husbands.  She hasn't bothered telling Hezekiah that.

Cyrus thinks that the order of the world goes something like: Unfaithful -> Faithful -> Coopers -> Cyrus.  Everything good that he can get his hands on, he deserves, and anything he can't get his hands on, he has the means to take.

Constance thinks her emotions supercede the desires of her parents.

Harry and Beatrice McMasters think they're better than the Faithful, because they "do good without having some shepherd forcing us to."

Thaddeus pretty much thinks the world will give him what he wants, but he's very dedicated to what he wants -- in this case, Constance. He's actually making a serious effort to learn about the Faith from Brother Jacob, so that he can be a good husband in the Faith to Constance, and not give the Cooper's any reason to reject him.

... aside from the obvious.

Brother Jacob thinks he can make better decisions for the peace of the town than the Steward can -- in at least one instance, he thinks he can perform the offices of the Steward better than Virgil.

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INJUSTICE

Brother Virgil neglecting his duties and using his pull as Steward in Phineas' favor has not gone unnoticed by the rest of the Faithful in town, who (thanks to the Demons) are already having a rough time of it.  People are frustrated and angry.

Phineas isn't courting any of the other eligible young women of Virtue, because he and Virgil have somehow focused on Constance as 'the best one.'

Hezekiah Cooper keeps a unfair amount of wealth for himself when others in the community (the non-Cooper-related families, specifically) are struggling.

Constance isn't accepting suitors... though to be fair, she has a good reason.  She's lying to her parents about it though.

Thaddeus is also lying to his parents.

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SINS

Brother Virgil's sin is Disunity, Worldliness (focusing on the 'best girl' for Phineas), and Faithlessness, for neglecting the duties of his calling.

Malachi's sin is Blasphemy, Worldliness, and Faithlessness -- he's enjoying the time he spends on the East side of Virtue -- he always has, especially a good drink and a good smoke, now and then... more NOW than then, if you get my meaning.  His method of dealing with the rowdy young men by using a 'I'm one of you' attitude puts his Faith in considerable peril.

Phineas's sin is Disunity, Worldliness, and oh yeah... Sex. Lots of it when he was back East, and even some here in Virtue, but not with any girls of the Faith... in other words, "Not anyone that matters."

Hezekiah Cooper's sin is Violence (he turns a blind eye to the regular fights between his farmhands and the non-faithful young men of the town), Disunity, Worldliness (he likes his wealth and the comforts it brings), and Faithlessness (he doesn't share enough of it out.)

Lavina Cooper's sin is Sex, Deceit, Worldliness, and Faithlessness.  That's a lot, but then there's....

Cyrus. Hoo boy.  Violence, Sex, Deceit, Blasphemy, Apostasy (the Coopers are the Most Righteous of Virtue, and I am the Best of the Coopers), Worldliness (he likes to dress WELL), and Faithlessness.  Did I miss any?  No I did not.

Constance's sin is Sex (unless her marriage really is right in the eyes of the King), Deceit, Disunity, Apostasy (married by someone not ordained to do so), and Faithlessness.

Harry and Beatrice McMasters sin is Disunity (they've no interest in a peaceful accord with the Coopers) and Apostasy (in the sense that they don't worship in the Faith in the first place.)

Thaddeus's sin is Violence (until recently, he enjoyed mixing it up with the 'Faithful Boys', Sex (unless the marriage really is right in the eyes of the King), Deceit, Disunity, and Apostasy (married by someone not ordained to do so).

Brother Jacob's sin is Deceit and Apostasy (conducting ceremony that he is not ordained to).

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FALSE DOCTRINE

Brother Virgil believes MY ROLE ENTITLES ME TO CERTAIN ALLOWANCES.

Malachi believes MY ROLE ALLOWS ME TO BEND OR IGNORE SOME OF THE RULES.

Phineas believes I SHOULD GET WHAT I WANT BECAUSE OF WHO I AM, NOT WHAT I DO.

Hezekiah Cooper believes THE KING WANTS ME TO PROSPER ABOVE OTHERS.

Lavina Cooper believes I CAN HAVE THE BENEFIT OF TWO HUSBANDS.

Cyrus believes THE FAITHFUL ARE INHERENTLY BETTER THAN THE UNFAITHFUL, THE COOPERS ARE THE BEST OF THE FAITHFUL, AND I AM THE BEST OF THE FAMILY, AS THEIR GREATEST PROTECTOR.  It colors every single moment of his life.

Constance believes I CAN BE MARRIED BY BROTHER JACOB AND IT'S OKAY.

Harry and Beatrice McMasters believe WE ARE BETTER THAN THE FAITHFUL.

Thaddeus believes I CAN BE MARRIED BY BROTHER JACOB AND IT'S OKAY.

Brother Jacob believes I CAN FIX THIS TOWN WHERE THE STEWARD CANNOT, BY MARRYING TWO WHO NEED MARRYING.  He also counsels Thaddeus and to a lesser degree Constance on matters of the Faith -- basically acting as both Parent and Steward to the both of them.

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FALSE PRIESTHOOD

Brother Jacob, for teh win.  Jacob, plus Constance, plus Thaddeus... that's three -- they're a cult.  Not a big cult, but a cult, and while Jacob might not realize it, the Demons sure as hell do.  The cult's wish is that the marriage remain secret, for now, and the demons are okay with that -- there are much worse times for that particular cat to escape the bag. 

It could be very very bad for someone if Jacob loses his temper when or if his plans for 'fixing' the town are screwed up -- he's likely to reach back into a dark, angry place in his head and find something very very helpful waiting there for him.

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HATE AND MURDER

Hate?  Oh yeah. Tons: mostly walking around in Cyrus's nice clothes, but there's plenty of other folks who've had a taste.

Murder? Not yet, but you just wait.


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STEP SIX
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WHAT DO THE PEOPLE WANT THE DOGS TO DO?

Brother Virgil wants the Dogs to convince Constance and Hezekiah to accept Phineas' suit.

Malachi wants the Dogs to tell him he's doing a good job as a lawman in a tough town.  He also wants a romantic relationship with one of the young men in town (preferably Thaddeus?) but he doesn't even admit that to himself, to that'd be nigh impossible to get out of him.

Phineas wants the Dogs to make Constance realize what a catch he is.

Hezekiah and Lavina Cooper want the Dogs to acknowledge how much they've done for the Branch, and open Constance's heart to the idea of courtship -- they're not sure there's anyone good enough for their little girl, but it would be nice if she married in Virtue (their other three daughters have moved away to be with their husbands in other branches).

Cyrus wants the Dogs to acknowledge the Coopers as the most righteous family in Virtue.  Also... if some misunderstanding led to him gunning down a Dog in the middle of the street with everyone watching... well, that'd be just fine too.  (And barring that, shooting Malachi repeatedly would be a joy.)

Constance wants the Dogs to solemnize their marriage... and also tell her parents about it, so she doesn't have to.

Harry and Beatrice McMasters want the Dogs to acknowledge them as righteous people, even (or especially) though they aren't Faithful.

Thaddeus wants the Dogs to solemnize their marriage... and also tell his parents about it, so he doesn't have to.

Brother Jacob wants the Dogs to solemnize the marriage he performed, thus absolving him of any wrongdoing and (in his mind) probably saving the town in the long run.

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WHAT DO THE DEMONS WANT THE DOGS TO DO?

They want the Dogs to let the secret of the marriage out -- it doesn't matter, maybe, if they solemnize the union -- unless the Dogs are really on top of everything, SOMEONE is going to find out in a way that leads to someone else getting shot in the face.  This is likely going to be Cyrus, and the demons will do their damndest to make sure he gets the news fast and unhindered.

The demons love Cyrus; he's like one of them, with better boots.

With the right things happening at the right time, things should spiral out of control badly enough to make the fights from 20 years ago look like a hair-pulling contest.  They want the town soaked in blood of Faithful and nonbeliever alike.

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WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE DOGS NEVER CAME?

Cyrus would find out about the marriage and storm about town, trying to find Thaddeus and kill him.  He run into Malachi, and pretty soon the Sheriff is dead.  Someone kills Cyrus, Hezekiah tells his farmhands to find out who did it and punish them, and things go badly off the rails.  Phineas dies trying to help his father stop everyone, Virgil collapses in horror next to his son, and township marches on the non-believers with blood in their eyes.  By the end, everyone's dead except for those soaked in the blood of the innocent.

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Questions:
* What would you add?
* What would you drop?
* Is my inspiration for this town (*cough*) too obvious?
* At what point, chronological or geographical, would you start the Dogs?  (I'm a little stuck on this.)

[Doyce]

Dang it!  I forgot the Demonic Attacks, the second time I typed this up...

Demonic Attacks
None of the Faithful have a very easy time of it, and they really haven't since the feud started, tough years for crops, lean years for livestock, corn blights, wheat mold, and wasting sicknesses...

... unless you're a Cooper, that is.  It just isn't fair: the Cooper's get the best of everything, even the Luck, and now with the Steward trying to stay on Hezekiah's good side, it's got a lot of people even more frustrated and angry then normal.

On top of that, the unmarried youth of the town (of which there are an unusually high number) are running more than a little frothy at the mouth -- if they'd normally like someone a little, they're sneaking off to a hay loft these days; if they'd normally dislike someone a little, it ends in fists and feet a-flyin', and whatever the reaction is?  It's six times worse if the target's from the other side of Virtue.

This is making things particular hard for Malachi, both because he's got more trouble on his hands to deal with and, as an unmarried man, he's dealing with the same feelings himself, which in his case, is a REAL problem;  his drinking is increasing in an effort to dull his attractions, and he finds his hand resting on the butt of his gun more than a few times, just watching Cyrus walk around town.

Thanks to the Demons, it doesn't seem like anyone's even noticed Constance's long absences from the Cooper farm, and this has made the two more than a little unguarded in displays of their affection, though nothing TOO overt; not yet.  Jacob doesn't like it, but it doesn't seem as though anyone's picked up on it yet... thank the King.

[Thomas Lawrence]

Holy cow that's a lot of sinnin'.

[Doyce]

Holy cow that's a lot of sinnin'.

To horribly misquote an ad campaign common in my part of the country:

"With a name like Virtue, is has to be good!"

[Glendower]

Malachi's taste in men will never surface unless he acts on the impulse.  If you want to see it addressed, maybe have him also married to Thaddeus through Jacob.  Or maybe a nice extension to Malachi's bending the rules would be to have him toss Phineas in jail, perhaps paying off his trumped off charges in "service".

Or perhaps the resentment between Malachi and Cyrus has to do with something more?  Maybe Lavina isn't the only one sneaking into Cyrus' bed...

In addition, I think Cyrus should have killed a member of the Unfaithful.  Maybe Jacob, as an ex-Dog, has given Cyrus what he's always wanted... Jacob's old coat. I'm a big fan of pushing things into hate and murder, especially if it's the first session.

[Doyce]

Or perhaps the resentment between Malachi and Cyrus has to do with something more?  Maybe Lavina isn't the only one sneaking into Cyrus' bed...

In addition, I think Cyrus should have killed a member of the Unfaithful.  Maybe Jacob, as an ex-Dog, has given Cyrus what he's always wanted... Jacob's old coat. I'm a big fan of pushing things into hate and murder, especially if it's the first session.

To quote the Mystery Men... "I like the way this man thinks."

I've actually been thinking about exactly what you mentioned between Malachi and Cyrus... seriously, what's one more sin on Cyrus's soul?

I've been searching around for a good place to get some murder into the town -- the challenge being 'how the hell do I do it and now have the whole place boil over instantly?'  You suggestion is a pretty darn good one -- one of Thaddeus' buddies, probably, which leads me to maybe bring another family into it... hmm.

Or it's Thad's cousin from back East, recently arrived in town, with no idea what the big deal about this Cooper family is, and no idea how dangerous Cyrus is.

Hmm, he said with a grin.

[Doyce]

Added these bits:

BENJAMIN McMASTERS, Thaddeus's cousin just got into down from back East.  He didn't take the town or the feud or the Coopers or Cyrus very seriously.  Now he's dead.  Cyrus actually managed to get the conversation heated up enough for Benjamin to reach for his shiny new pistol, and he killed him in the street.

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HATE AND MURDER

Cyrus just killed a member of the Unfaithful.  Benjamin McMasters, Thaddeus's cousin from back East, got into town a few days ago.  He's got no idea what the big deal is about this Cooper family, and no idea how dangerous Cyrus is.  He learns the hard way when he sass talks Cyrus, gets challenged and then gunned down in the street.

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Started the town last night.

1. The Dogs ride into town.  Some young men sass them for their coats.  Very odd.
2. The carpenter is putting together a coffin.  The young man it's made for is already inside, standing upright, and all gussied up like an Eastern boy.  The carpenter's using a chisel to carve the Tree of Life off the lid of the casket.
3. A guy comes up to them, looking flustered.  "Hello there! ... Ah... Welcome to Virtue! I'm Malachi, the Sheriff.  You must be the Dogs they said was coming to our circuit.  We... (glances at the body in the casket)... we, ahh.... (nervous chuckle)... We weren't expectin' you til *next* week."

As they say, I had 'em at hello.  AP to follow. :)