My previous towns were both "blood and thunder", with demons and sorcerers and mayhem, so I challenged myself to tone it down a bit and still keep it interesting. This Branch is all about love and marriage and sex. Let me know what you think.

PINYON CREEK BRANCH

SOMETHING’S WRONG

Issac Hall has three daughters: Rose, Daisy, and Ivy. Rose, the eldest, is happily married and busy making babies. Daisy, the middle child, cannot have children and her marriage is strained. Ivy, the youngest, is a tomboy who is “too busy” to court eligible gentlemen. Hamilton Courtland, Daisy’s husband, has been told by the King of Life that he must seek another wife, and he has set his eyes upon Ivy, his wife’s younger sister. The Branch Steward has no objection and thinks it is time for Ivy to settle down. Petar Grubo, a widower, has also expressed his interest in Ivy, but the Steward disapproves of him.

Emil Bujilov and Petar Grubo are converts to the Faith, immigrants from Back East, and foreign-born. Emil’s daughter Zlatka and Petar’s son Demitar have been promised to one another in the Old World. Desmond Sweeney is a local man, son of the Branch Steward, who would like to court Zlatka, but is forbidden by Emil from pursuing her. Zlatka and Desmond are, however, very much in love and have been secret lovers for some time. The Steward is a bigot who will not tolerate his son consorting with “foreigners”. He would like Desmond to marry Sissy Rayleigh, a recent widow.

PRIDE

The Steward forbids his son from courting Zlatka, who is a virtuous and eligible woman. He treats the “foreign” families in his Stewardship poorly and favors the “native-born”.

Sister Ivy does not want to take a husband. She is very busy tending her father’s cattle, thank you very much, and has no time for men at all. She is not receptive to Brother Hamilton’s courting and is horrified at the thought of entering into a home subordinate to her sister Daisy. She finds Brother Petar strange and old.

Although ashamed, Sister Daisy is not opposed to her husband taking a virtuous second wife, but she is violently opposed to him marrying her younger, prettier sister.

Brother Emil refuses to let Brother Desmond court his daughter based on an Old World agreement made when she was an infant, before he converted to the Faith.

Sister Zlatka and Brother Desmond believe their love to be righteous in the eyes of the King of Life, despite its star-crossed nature.

INJUSTICE

Brother Desmond and Sister Zlatka are denied the right to court by their respective parents.

Brother Hamilton is denied his right to court an eligible woman by her and his wife. Brother Petar is being unfairly rebuffed by Sister Ivy as well.

The Bujilov and Grubo families are not treated fairly by the Steward.

SINS

Sex and deceit: Sister Zlatka and Brother Desmond are lovers and sinners.

Deceit: The Bujilov and Grubo families do not reveal the marriage pact they entered into in the Old World.

Disunity and faithlessness: The Steward’s bigotry toward the foreign-born Faithful.

Disunity: Ivy and Daisy’s opposition to a righteous second marriage.

DEMONIC ATTACKS

Demons have smelled the brewing storm. They have aided Sister Zlatka and Brother Desmond in concealing their trysts, and ensured that the foreign-born Faithful meet the Steward’s stereotypes whenever possible – tangling their tongues when they speak English, keeping their clothes foul-smelling and tattered no matter how much they clean and mend, and so forth. Old Sister Maria is on to this ploy, so they want to kill her, too.

FALSE DOCTRINE, CORRUPT WORSHIP, FALSE PRIESTHOOD,
SORCERY, HATE AND MURDER

None yet, thank the King.

WHAT DO THE TOWNSPEOPLE WANT FROM THE DOGS?

Norris Sweeney, Branch Steward, wants the Dogs to talk some sense into his son and solemnize several marriages ASAP – Desmond and Sister Sissy as well as Brother Hamilton and Sister Ivy.

Belle Sweeney, Norris’ wife, wants the Dogs to make a better match for her son. She knows he is in love with Zlatka, although she is unaware of their sexual indiscretions.

Desmond Sweeney, Zlatka’s secret lover, wants the Dogs to disregard their parents and marry them.

Isaac Hall, father of Rose, Daisy, and Ivy, wants the Dogs to treat his daughters with respect, and listen to their concerns.

Catherine Hall, wife of Isaac, mother of Rose and Daisy, wants to see Ivy married – happily or otherwise.

Ivy Hall, unmarried daughter of Isaac, wants a lot. She wants the Dogs to persuade Brother Hamilton to look elsewhere for a second wife, and creepy Brother Petar to leave her the hell alone.

Hamilton Courtland, brother of Norman and Sissy, wants the Dogs to reason with his wife and her stubborn sister. The second marriage would be a good one, they are already family, and he truly loves Ivy.

Daisy Courtland, wife of Brother Hamilton, wants the Dogs to bring life to her womb.

Norman Courtland, brother of Hamilton and Sissy, wants the Dogs to prevent Brother Hamilton from marrying again – he does not feel that his brother is worthy.

Rose Courtland, wife of Norman, is pregnant again and tired out. She wants the Dogs to make her sisters – both of them – happy again.

Sissy Rayleigh, widowed sister-in-law of Norman and Hamilton, wants the Dogs to bless her so that she might find a new husband. She feels ugly and unworthy, with all the men paying attention to other women in town when she would make a good, if plain, catch.

Emil Bujilov wants the Dogs to leave their family alone. He knows best who his wife’s sister should be courting.

Míla Bujilov, much younger wife of Emil, wants the Dogs to make her sister fall in love with Brother Demitar like she is supposed to.

Zlatka Bujilov, unmarried sister of Míla, Brother Demitar’s betrothed, and Brother Desmond’s secret lover, wants the Dogs to explain to her sister’s husband Brother Emil that the Old World ways should be cast to the wind. She also wants them to find a good match for Brother Demitar, who she does not love but genuinely likes.

Petar Grubo, widower and father of Demitar and Andrey, wants the Dogs to bless and solemnize his marriage to Sister Ivy, whether she (or the Steward) likes it or not.

Demitar Grubo, Sister Zlatka’s betrothed, wants the Dogs to lead Zlatka from her current path of sin, and to show her what a good husband he could be. He is in love with her and always has been.

Andrey Grubo, Demitar’s little brother, is eager to defend the honor of his brother and family, and wants the Dogs to censure the Steward for his bigotry.

Maria, widowed mother of Brother Petar’s dead wife Ezella, wants the Dogs to lift the “evil eye” on the Grubo and Bujilov families, those demonic attacks that keep them filthy and tongue-tied when they mingle with native-born Faithful.

WHAT DO THE DEMONS WANT?

Sister Ivy forcibly married to Brother Hamilton would be nice. Sister Zlatka forcibly married to Brother Demitar would also be fantastic.

WHAT DO THE DEMONS WANT THE DOGS TO DO?

Swagger around like bulls in a china shop and force some deeply flawed marriages on unwilling participants.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE DOGS DIDN’T COME?

Sister Zlatka and Brother Desmond would run away and leave the Faith.

Sister Ivy would be forced to marry Brother Hamilton.

An unfortunate accident would befall Sister Maria.

Tension between the native-born and foreign-born Faithful would erupt into violence.

WHO’S WHO

Norris Sweeney, Branch Steward, bigot, 48
Belle, Norris’ wife, 46
Desmond, Zlatka’s secret lover, 25

Isaac Hall, father of Rose, Daisy, and Ivy, 55
Catherine, wife of Isaac, mother of Rose and Daisy, 48
Ivy, unmarried daughter of Isaac, 22

Hamilton Courtland, brother of Norman and Sissy, 30, wants to court Ivy
Daisy, wife of Hamilton, barren, 24

Norman Courtland, brother of Hamilton and Sissy, 27
Rose, wife of Norman, pregnant again, 26
Mary, 7
Isaac Junior, 5
Ethan, 4
Clementine, 2

Sissy Rayleigh, widowed sister-in-law of Norman and Hamilton, 24

Emil Bujilov, 41
Míla, wife of Emil, 20
Zlatka, unmarried sister of Míla, Demitar’s betrothed, and Desmond’s secret lover, 17

Petar Grubo, widower and father of Demitar and Andrey, 37, courting Ivy
Demitar, 18, Zlatka’s betrothed
Andrey, 15
Maria, widowed mother of Petar’s dead wife Ezella, 60

jasonm wrote: Tension between the native-born and foreign-born Faithful would erupt into violence.

The notion that the Steward is behaving unjustly toward foreign-born Faithful is the spark here. There is already bad blood, but if:

1. The Steward's son were to run off with Zlatka
2. Ivy were to be married as a second wife with Brother Petar snubbed
3. The demons continue to harrass the foreign born

I think all the elements would be in place for an eventual conflict.

A very serious eventual conflict indeed.

Let me suggest that:
1) If the Steward preaches even once that foreign-born Faithful are different in any way from native-born Faithful, that's False Doctrine.
2) If he conducts services even once in such a way that they distinguish between foreign- and native-born Faithful, that's Corrupt Worship.
3) If even two individuals in the congregation buy it, BANG! The Steward's a Sorcerer, he and the two-or-more individuals are a cult, and the demons will serve the Bujilovs and Grubos up to him on a shiny platter.

This is an interesting town. The Dogs are going to have a job unravelling all those Prides while keeping it nice and cool. How would you play the Steward, bro Norris?

-Vincent

I love the low-key human drama of this town. I'm lookin' forward to seein' it in Actual Play!

I chose an early point of attack for this town, so I imagine him as an unconscious bigot at this point, repelled by the odd mannerisms and halting English of the foreign-born families, but not really able to articulate it. The demons are already working to change that.

It'd be interesting if the Dogs didn't pick up on that thread and left feeling that they had resolved the situation by sorting out the marriages. Then they could return in a year to a full-on cult, murder, possessions, and absolute mayhem where they expected only tranquility and new babies to name!