I got to GM dogs in the vineyard for the first time today, and had a blast. I had two players this time around, but a few more will probably show up next week.

Two interesting characters came out of character creation.

One player is playing brother Samuel, a boy who lost his parents early, only to be shuffled from family member to family member. In the end at around fifteen, he was taken in by Brother Elias, a dog, and wandered with him until he was encouraged to become a dog himself. Samuel is a bible thumper and a bit of a fanatic. He will keep his assigned branches on the straight and narrow, even if it means sending a few souls to their maker before their time.

Traits: I'm a dog 2d6, Walking in Gods footsteps 2d8, Knows the way 2d6, Chewed up and spit out (relating to his childhood) 2d6
Relationships: Brother Elias 4d4 (since he would have a hard time opposing his former mentor), Kesiah 2d10 (who he might end up marrying some day)
Samuel's coat was crafted from three pieces, the top was from an initiate that died during the education, and thus only the sleeves and shoulders has been made. The middle was taken from the coat of a dead dog brought to the temple. And the bottom he made himself.

Samuel's accomplishment was: "I hope I get my uncle's blessing". It didn't start off well, with the uncle arriving at the temple, intent on dragging the foolish boy back home. Samuel self-righteously thumped his book of life, slinging verse and chapter at the uncle, until finally the uncle caved in, and grudgingly gave his blessings. Samuel took the trait "Faith is thicker than water 1d6"

The other player created Brother Cain, a former hoodlum from out east who got in trouble the first time he fired a gun and fled west. When he reached the lands of the Faithful, he was taken in, and became a faithful himself, and then a dog. A bit old at the age of 22. At the temple he learned to use the gun quite well, though he much prefers to use words over gunpowder, believing that every soul can be saved. Like he himself was.

Traits: I'm a dog 1d6, I'm an outsider 2d4, I'm a good shot 2d10, I'm a convert 2d4, and Mentor 1d6
Relationships: Steward Jonas (of his adopted home town) 1d8, Brother Abraham (his firearms teacher at the temple) 1d6
His coat was a cheap thing, split vertically to be half gray, half brown.

Cain's accomplishment was "I hope I impress Abraham with my shooting". During a shooting excercise, a fellow initiate, Brother Jonas, bet Cain that he would not be able to shoot a coin out of the air. Cain, feeling all eyes on him, agreed. The coin was tossed, and Cain, confident in his own skill, took the time to anoint his revolver, and whisper a short prayer, before even beginning to take aim. Only to find that he did not have time to get a bead on the coin now. Knowing that he would not be able to hit, he instead holstered his gun, saying with a wink in his eye, that god did not wish for him to shoot the coin. He did not impress Abraham, and took the trait "Only draw in a serious situation 1d6". He also assigned a relationship die to Jonas, deciding that they had become friends.

The new-brewed dogs where sent on their way, and first stopped in Amber Falls. A lovely mountain community which had no problems at all. Just delivering the mail, and handling a wedding and a baptism. Just to show them that not all towns have problems :)

Next stop Crow's Ridge. Here the first sight that met them in town, were a small four-man posse in the process of beating down the door to a house. When the dogs hailed them, it turned out to be a three-man and one-woman posse, with the door-beater being the shotgun-armed widow of Steward Thomas who was murdered two days previously, Sister Honora. According to Honora, the murder was committed by a young man named Hiram, who in turn was part of a group of "godforsaken fornicators" who the Steward had preached against the very same day. Honora was determined to get to the bottom of things, and one of the group was living in this house. She was happy that the dogs had arrived, for she would love their help.

The dogs asked Honora and the posse to go home, and informed them that they would take care of things. Honora hesitated for a second, and then got everyone moving, leaving the dogs at the door. They knocked, and were welcomed inside by Brother August, who was relieved that they had gotten Honora to go away. They then had a talk with the purported member of the group, August's wife, a nervous looking Sister Almena. After a bit of religious themed browbeating by Brother Samuel, she asked to talk to with him privately. And while Brother Cain enjoyed some herbal tea with August, she told Samuel the city's secret. Apparently part of the population believed that it was okay to have sex outside of marriage, as long as ones partner was unfaithful himself. It was also okay to have that sex with unmarried people, since this revenge relationship was blessed by Heaven. Maybe a dozen townsfolk were engaged in this, and crisscrossing relationships had formed, but she singled out the apparent ringleaders Kesia, Clementine and Theodosia. She also mentions that both Kesia and Theodosia had relationships with Hiram. Finally she asks that Brother Samuel not tell her husband. Samuel does not, but on the way out the door he tells her that "the book says not to hold secrets from your husband", and leaves her to decide for herself.

On a side note Brother Samuel only has 2 heart. He got temporary fallout from the conversation, and decided that he would lose 1 heart, "steeling his interior against the horrible obvious sin of the town".

Brother Jackson is the father of Hiram, and next they head out to his farm just outside of town. Jackson opens the door, and after they ask for Hiram reveals that he is dead. In all the confusion outside August and Almena's house, they never got the information that Honora shot Hiram herself, in her and Steward Thomas's bedroom, seconds after Hiram had assassinated Thomas. They give Jackson their sympathies, and head back to town.

There they visit Sister Kesia. While her husband seems kinda nervous, she is calmed and collected and run rings around Brother Cain when he tries to question her. In the end, Brother Samuel intervenes, and gets her to spill the beans. She admits her participation, but has little information to give except what they already know from Almena. She has no idea why Hiram would kill the steward.

Brother Samuel again got temporary fallout. This time he instead took a temporary trait "Angry 1d4".

Sister Theodosia was next on the list. She opened the door herself, and revealed that her worthless husband wasn't at home, before the dogs announced that it was she that they wanted to speak with. Theodosia proved as hard to talk to as Sister Kesia, until Samuel lost his temper and slapped her. All resistance ended immediately. She ended up receiving permanent fallout, dropping from 4 to 3 Will. She also admitted her participation, and told that she had tried to seduce the Steward after his fateful preaching. He resisted her, and she visited Hiram instead. She told him about her attempt to seduce the Steward. And the same night, he killed him. The dogs left her with stern words about bettering her ways.

A quick talk with Sister Clementine revealed nothing that they didn't already know, after which they headed to the steward's house to talk to Honora. They found her in the steward's study, and learned that she had been running town in the two days since the steward's death. She was also a former dog, and had helped her husband with the running of the city before his death. They asked her questions on why she had killed Hiram ("It was dark and he had just killed my husband"), and more pressingly, why she had been leading an armed posse. In the end she freely admitted that she might not have been making the best decisions, which was why she was happy the dogs had turned up. As an aside, she also proposed that they make a townperson named Brother Cyrus the new steward. He was well versed in the book of life, and had actually been elected to be a dog, but didn't pass the through the education due to lacking the right attitude. The dogs promised to take it to mind.

Then the dogs withdrew to talk about how to solve the problems in the town. First they headed to Theodosia. Since she had apparently been the spark, both to starting the sexscapades, and to the killing of Steward Thomas, they wanted to have a special chat with her. She again promised to mend her ways, and then dropped another bit of information. The only reason she had started being unfaithful was because her husband had been unfaithful with his cousin Sister Chastity. They pointed out that that was no excuse, but next decided to talk to the husband who at that very moment was over in Sister Chastity's house.

Brother Newton turns out to be a rather spineless man, with Sister Chastity protecting him against Theodosia's accusations. According to her, Theodosia was a terrible woman who had driven away Brother Newton (which fit pretty well with the dogs impression of Theodosia). What began as visits to a relative to get out of Theodosia's house, turned into love. Chastity wanted the dogs to annul the marriage between Newton and Theodosia, and instead marry her and Newton. That the dogs were not prepared to do. However, if Newton would grow a spine, and get his house in order, they might consider it the next time they came through town.

Finally, they arranged for the burial of Thomas and Hiram the next day. They decreed that the families of Theodosia, Clementine and Kesia would stand for the food and drink, as atonement for their part in the affair. During the preparations the next day, Brother Cain vanished for a few hours, and then returned with a deer, giving it as the dogs' contribution to the feast. Meanwhile Brother Samuel visited Brother Cyrus, and after a bit of talk, found him suitable for steward. The dogs had to consider whether he should be made temporary steward, until the temple could appoint a new one, or whether they should put him into office themselves. Without any discussion, they decided to make him permanent steward, reasoning that he would need the authority to solve any problems that might pop up after the dogs had left town. He was obliquely informed that they would check up on him when they returned.

So, when the people of the town had gathered, they appointed Cyrus steward, and had him do the burial ceremony with them providing minor assistance. Afterwards he moved into the steward's house. Honora would also remain there, to assist Cyrus. There were signals that Honora might have appointed the unmarried Cyrus partly so that she might marry him, but the dogs decided that it wasn't their concern. Two quite days followed the appointment of the new steward, involving delivering the mail, and kissing a few more babies, and then they left Crow's Ridge, heading west.