The Forge Archives

This is the crunchy end of the [DiTV] Beginning in Fresno thread.

First up, the characters:
Benson Smith, Complicated History
Acuity 4, Body 4, Heart 3, Will 4

Smooth Shooter 2d4
Blacksmith/Ferrier 2d6
Hard to Fool 2d10
Woodsman 2d4
Can handle a gun d6 (Intitatory)
Always worrying about ambushes d4 (Initiatory Long Term Fallout)

Relationships:
Phineas 5d6
(saved 2d8)

Tribal Blacksmith Hammer 2d6
Elegent scrolls from the Good Book 2d6
Phineas's shotgun 2d6

---
Malachai Davis, Complicated History
Acuity 5, Body 4, Heart 2, Will 4

Quick Handed 2d10
Expert Shot 2d4
Quote Scripture d4
Set Ambush d4
Streetwise 2d6
Self Restraint d6 (Intitiatory)

Relationships:
I'm a Dog 2d8
Cort ain't no dummy 1d4 (Initiatory Long Term Fallout)
(saved 5d6)

Sawed off shotgun on a hip-swivel 2d6+d4
Big high quality percussion pistol on a low slung holster 2d8+d4

---
Isabel Johansen, Well rounded
Acuity 6, Body 5, Heart 3, Will 3

Well Read d6
Brawl d6
Fairly good hunter d6
Tomboy d4
See a lie coming a mile away d6
Decent riding skills d6
Sharp Shooting d8
Accepted by her peers d6 (Initiatory)

Relationships:
I'm a dog 2d8
Father 2d6
(2d6 available)

Huge, machete like elaborate knife 2d8

[Plus they have Dog's coats, ordinary guns and the like]

Here's the town I worked up; I started before I had characters, since I expected to run the first half of the town the same night we made characters.  If you have questions, tweaks, or suggestions of any kind, I'd love to hear them.

Hestia is Steward Hiram's daughter, and far too good for the local boys.  She has her eyes on Jebediah, and ignores the courting of her peers.

Breyer is a brawny farm boy whose advances toward Hestia have been rebuked.  He figures her interest in the older man is all about the silver that Jebediah receives in trade with the mountain people.  So he steals from his rival (Jebediah), but makes sure he plants evidence that the mountain folk took it.  [I'm thinking part of a discarded moccasin that he found some while ago.]

The demons keep the situation at a boil by disappearing things; people are whispering about a thief being on the loose and are starting to distrust their neighbors.  The demons also puff leaves, dust, and such about in the distance, keeping the mountain folk in it as suspects.

Breyer couldn't just present Hestia with the silver or she'd be suspicious; he traded it to a traveling peddler and got a bolt of rich cloth to catch her eye.  He presented it to her and it worked, kind of-- it got her interest enough for her to pay attention, but she's making it clear that her interest has to be caught again and again...

--- So far, that's what I've got. I hope it's a rich enough situation for the Dogs.

So, continuing town creation... Step 6

Steward Hiram's upset at the thieving and the way it's undermining his branch.  He knows there's problems with his daughter, but he assumes it's "kid stuff" and it'll work itself out.

Hestia wants the Dogs to talk Jebediah into taking her on as a second wife.  After all, he's so educated and wise he deserves a second wife...

Jebediah wants for the thief to be caught, mostly so he can go back to trading with  and studying the Mountain People.  (The town's paranoia is making it difficult to trade with them.)  He's flattered by Hestia's attention- he hadn't really been looking, but now he's thinking about it.

Rachel is Jebediah's wife, and the local school marm.  She's not excited about competing with a mere girl for her husband's affections.

Breyer's disturbed by the widespread thieving and feels guilty about his own.  He wants the Dogs to help him keep Hestia's attention.
Gerald is the local TA representative, a deputy.  He's also frustrated by the elusive thief and wants the Dogs to help him keep law & order in town.

What the Demons want
The demons want to keep the tension high; if they could provoke a raid on the (innocent) Mountain People they'd be very happy.  They'll also help anyone who thieves, letting them find a cache of stolen goods, reinforcing the rightness of their theft.  This seems weak; I'd appreciate help especially with this step.

What would happen if the Dogs never came
Petty theft would become common and distrust would be rampant.  Breyer would convince himself that stealing for his love is OK, and it would become habitual.  The signs of the Mountain People would shut down trade and provoke hostile investigations...

After thinking hard on it then sleeping, I'm not sure this situation has enough kick.  Should I move up to the next level, False Doctrine?  Or would it be better to work up another pride path in parallel; maybe (the neglected in my write-up so far) Rachael is desperate to have a child-- and takes on a lover in hopes of conceiving?

Or, playing with false doctrine some more, perhaps Breyer starts to emphasize "love at all costs"; that might make a popular cult.

If it were me, I'd leave it right where it is, but add three or four more named people to the mix. You've got room for them. Hestia's mother, Breyer's parents or an older brother or something, and a victim or two of the disappearing things?

The demons want Breyer to steal something important. So far his thefts have been kind of petty, right? That's why Jebediah's more concerned about getting back to his work with the mountain people than he is about recovering his goods? They want Breyer's conscience raw, so he'll invent false doctrines to salve it.

Or maybe, check this out, maybe they want Hestia blamed as the thief. They should plant the stolen goods where she'll get the blame. That'll introduce the possibility that Jeb or any other victim start to think that the Steward is at fault, and make false doctrine that way. Can't control his own daughter...

Anyhow those are my thoughts.

-Vincent

Good suggestions, they fit.  Those are some roles that I'd overlooked-- with them (and perhaps the Hestia misdirection), it should be a good start.

Thanks,
Scott