game report: Dogs in the Vineyard

[cellio]

This is a chronicle of last weekend's game of Dogs in the Vineyard.

Our characters

(The other players should, of course, correct any misimpressions I exhibit.)

Brother Nathaniel was identified as having more brains than farm skills early on, so his family arranged for him to get more of an education than usual (largely at the prodding of his uncle Benjamin, who serves as a sometimes-magistrate). Nathaniel really took to the seminary, having a real knack for scripture, theology, and application of same. He has read the Book of Life in the original language and three different translations, comparing and contrasting all of them. Sometimes this helps in his preaching and sometimes it's a hinderance. He strives to resolve differences with words rather than might, but he's a decent shot if that's what's called for. He has a strong bond with his teacher/mentor, Brother Martin.

Accomplishment: shortly before being invested, intervened in an argument between two fellow proto-Dogs over a woman, successfully using reason alone to prevent them from coming to blows.

Complicated history. Acuity 6, heart 2, body 2, will 3.

3d8 well-read
3d10 clever and analytical
1d8 is a Dog
1d6 understands animals
3d6 good at preaching

1d8 Brother Martin (relationship)
1d8 Uncle Benjamin (relationship)

2d6 excellent Book of Life (other equipment normal) (carries a notebook)
coat: embroidered head to toe with scriptural passages

Brother Gideon wasn't specifically called to be a Dog; it's just what you do. He likes horses and has spent a good deal of time caring for them. He is good-natured and friendly, but not so good with words. He is good at fighting and has a strong dislike of improvised weapons, prefering the real thing. He is one of seven brothers and is particularly close to the oldest (whose name the scribe failed to note, sorry).

Accomplishment: in a bar fight against several opponents, he laid out everyone else and walked away.

Standard starting mix. Acuity 2, heart 4, body 8, will 5.

2d6 good at fighting
1d8 good-natured
1d8 likes horses
1d6 is a Dog
1d4 not so good with words
1d6 hunter
2d4 dislikes improvised weapons
1d6 alert to ambushes (I think earned during the accomplishment?)

1d8 oldest brother (relationship)
2d6 helpless (relationship)

2d6 excellent horse (other equipment normal)
coat: sturdy, made with lots of love and some skill by his mother

Sister Elizabeth is well-loved in town for her heart of gold. Since she was a child she has always had the right words to say and a smile to offer. Many young men were disappointed when she went into the seminary. Elizabeth is a talented healer of the body and has an uncanny ability to see into people's hearts and heal their souls.

Accomplishment: overcame her fear of fighting at the prompting of a special teacher.

Strong community. Acuity 3, heart 5, body 2, will 3.

2d6 heart of gold/kind and compassionate
1d6 pretty
1d6 can cook and sew
2d8 friendly and put people at ease
1d8 sing well (no formal training)
1d8 good at talking to people and smoothing things out
2d10 can lay on hands and heal people
1d10 can see into people's hearts

1d6 father (relationship)
1d8 mother (relationship)
1d6 Sister Marnie (relationship)
1d8 Uncle Jeb (a Dog) (relationship)

2d6 excellent dress
2d6 locket - tree of life containing pictures of parents
(other equipment normal, plus writing folio for letters home)
coat: 2d6, applique and embroidery

First adventure

These will be mostly notes, not crafted narrative, in the interest of getting them out to the other players. We'll see about embellishments later.

Setting: the small town of Widow's Luck, at the base of a mountain. The "luck" is a silver mine that supports most of the town.

The town steward, Brother Ezekiel, greets the Dogs as they ride into town and ushers them to his house, where they meet his wife Hannah and his oldest daughter Amelia. Amelia is a lovely young thing of just-marriagable age; she is also flirtatious and aware of her beauty. She is currently courting two men, Theophilus (the mine's engineer, who brings her pretty lace) and Hiram (currently favored). She is looking forward to meeting Hiram tonight. Ezekiel privately asks the Dogs to have a word with her.

An explosion is heard from the mine. (Another accident? Ezekiel says.) Everyone goes running there, where they find Virgil (the owner) calling for a posse. Elizabeth calms everyone down and Virgil says that someone has blown the door off the safe and made off with the payroll (to be paid tomorrow). He found Theophilus in the back of the office and accuses him, waving around a piece of lace he found in the debris. Theophilus says he is innocent and was responding to the noise just like everyone else. He demands real evidence. Virgil points out that Theophilus is in charge of the mine's dynamite.

N: Any workers missing?
V: I don't see Hiram.
T: He was asking me about safe-cracking just the other day!

Who has access? Any miner could do this. (T: It's Hiram!)

Hiram is a foreman (not grunt labor), so he has his own (small) house. Dogs head there; horse in front but no answer to knock. Break open door and find Hiram inside.

• H: Oh, I didn't hear you knock.
• N: Did you hear the explosion?
• H: What explosion? What happened?
• N: There was an explosion at the mine.
• H: They didn't get the payroll, did they?
• N: Who said anything about the payroll?
• G: We need to search your house now.
• GM: time to roll dice.

Round 1:

• E: The Book of Life demands honesty. Do you have something to tell us? (raise 12)
• H: (looks awful) (takes the blow)
• N: This isn't right; our tradition demands honesty and honor. Do the right thing now. (raise 11)
• H: (escalate to physical) (picks up table and threatens Dogs) Get out of my house before I hit you! (trait: very strong) (block, I think)
• G: (trait: doesn't like improvised weapons) Put the table down and you won't get hurt. (raise 12)
• H: (escalate to fight) (tries to slam all three Dogs with table) (raise 11; I have no notes about response to G)
• N: How dare you attack the Dogs of the King of Life! (trait: Dog) Oof. (takes the blow)
• G: (escalate and fighting trait) (takes the blow)
• E: (dodges)

Round 2:

• G: (punches in face) (raise)
• H: (reels from the blow) (takes the blow)
• N: The penalties for theft are much more lenient than those for assault; you would be wise to stop before it is too late. (trait: analytical) (raise 19)
• H: (contemplates escalating to guns, but can't bring himself to do it) (gives)

(No dice here:)

• E: Why did you do it?
• H: I'm not good enough for Amelia; I can't compete with Theophilus. (Sniffle.) I was going to tell her tonight. I thought she'd be impressed.
• E: You could be enough for her. Did you propose?
• H: If I was enough for her, she wouldn't be hanging out with T. (Sigh.) If I can't be with her, just kill me.
• E: Time might change your mind.
• H: Or if I could frame T and "recover" the money, maybe she'd be impressed. [Notes garbled here; sorry.]

The Dogs decide that Gideon will guard Hiram in a safe place while Nathaniel and Elizabeth go to have a talk with Amelia. The crowd at the mine has dispersed, so Gideon takes Hiram there and ties him up on a chair.

Meanwhile, back at the house...

Elizabeth breaks the news to Amelia, who is distraught.

• A: But why???
• E: Because of the competition with T.
• A: This is so out of character for him! Competition? Well, I thought H might propose, and I think T is thinking about it, but they haven't. [Notes garbled]
• E: And do you have other suitors too?
• A: Yes, but not really serious ones.
• E: Do you see a problem with this?
• A: I'd hate to have to choose just one, and there's no harm in it.
• E: No harm? Hiram robbed the mine for you!
• A: How sweet!
• GM: time to roll dice

Stake: Amelia sees the error of her ways.
Round 1:

• A: That's awfully sweet, but I'm not responsible for Hiram's actions. (raise 12)
• N: We are all connected one to another, as it is written in the teachings of the Book of Life. (trait: well-read) (block)
• E: Whether you meant it or not, he feels desperate and you helped do that. (block)
• N: One who inspires another to commit an offense is as guilty as he who commits it, as the divine law says in the laws of crimes against our brothers. (raise 14)
• A: I guess I knew something was up when he asked for some of T's lace, but he said he just wanted a sample so he could get me some (trait: coquette) (takes the blow)
• E: (trait: see into people's hearts) Are you sure you had no idea that he was so smitten? (raise)
• A: Well, haven't you ever been in love? (reverses blow!)

Round 2:

• A: When you love someone, that makes it all ok. (raise 10)
• N: What if everyone used that reasoning? (This and next raise ran together in actual play.) (trait: analytical) (reverse blow)
• E: I know what it's like to be a young woman in love, but this is not right. (block)
• N: If everyone believed as you do, there wuld be mayhem in the streets! Fights and mayhem! The inevitable result of this is murder and sin. (raise)

We now cut to a scene at the mine.

Gideon is guarding Hiram in a chamber just inside the mine, with a gate between them, when they both hear a crash and the sound of something sputtering. They hear Theophilus shout "have a taste of your own medicine!", and a lit stick of dynamite rolls past Gideon and the gate to where Hiram is held.

Stake: Hiram and Gideon are both safe (fallout aside)

(In this log I use "T" to represent the opponent, which in this case is mostly the chain of events set in motion by Theophilus.)

• (T: throws dynamite (raise))
• H: Oh no! He's going to blow us up! (no action yet; H is tied up and pretty helpless)
• G: (opens gate) (block)
• G: (picks up dynamite) (raise)
• T: (dynamite skips out of G's hands and rolls under H's chair) (reverses blow)
• G: (trait: ambush) (relationship: helpless) (takes blow anyway)
• G: (kicks H (still tied to chair) farther down shaft) (raise)
• T: (kick catches dynamite too) (reverses the blow)
• G: (adds relationship to Hiram) (takes blow)
• G: (escalate to fighting; trait) (break the chair and fling H backwards (raise)
• T: (dynamite rolls farther down shaft and explodes; H is banged up but safe) (give)

Meanwhile, back at the house... we return to the Dogs' argument with Amelia mid-stream.

Round 2 (continued)

• A: (as we cut, we see the explosion reflected in A's eyes and A wilts) (takes the blow)
• E: (trait: put people at ease) N has a point; you can remain your true self or let love take you over. Love is part of the divine plan, but willfully hurting people is not. (raise)
• A: I have to go to him! (bolts for door) (escalate to physical) (take blow)

Round 3:

• N: Stop! (raise)
• A: But he needs me! (block)
• A: (runs for door) (raise)
• E: (add relationship to A) (invoke ceremony): Amelia Jean Carpenter, I command you to stop right now. (block)
• N: By the power of the Book of Life, you must stop and submit to the judgement of the Dogs. (reverse the blow)
• E: (escalate to physical) (grabs her) We are sent by the King of Life. (raise)
• A: (escalate to fight) (slips away) (block)

Round 4:

• E: (grabs her by the arm) Calm down. (raise)
• A: (sob) I need him; I love him. (takes the blow)
• N: The King of Life is not cruel, but there are rules. Stay. (raise)
• A: (collapses, sobbing) (give)

[Editor's note: Someday Nathaniel is slated to acquire some people skills. But not today, apparently.]

Meanwhile, back at the mine... it is now full dark, and Gideon and Hiram are just inside the mine looking out. Theophilus can be heard outside.

Stake: Get T under control.
Round 1:

• G: Surrender or else! (raise)
• T: He mustn't have her! I have to make her love me! (block)
• T: Don't you see? I have to prove my love now. (raise)
• G: (escalate to fight) I don't care; surrender or else. (block)

Round 2:

• G: (charges at T to tackle him) (raise)
• T: (escalate to fight) (falls to ground) (takes the blow)
• T: (trait: dirty fighting) (pounds G on the side of his head) (raise)
• G: (uses T's momentum to turn aside (dodge)

Round 3:

• G: (turns and pins T) (raise)
• T: (squirms away) (dodge)
• T: (draws gun and squeezes trigger) (raise)
• G: (shoves T's hand out of way; bullet goes astray) (block)

Round 4:

• G: (knocks gun out of T's hand) (raise)
• T: (gun falls) (takes the blow)
• T: (kicks G) (raise 2) [running out of steam...]
• G: (grabs leg and twists it painfully away) (reverses the blow)

Round 5:

• G: (punches T in face)
• T: (give)

Meanwhile, back at the house... Nathaniel and Elizabeth call Amelia's parents and ask them to take charge of the sobbing girl while they go to the mine to investigate the explosion they heard a few moments ago. There they meet Gideon and Hiram.

The Dogs must hand out judgements in all of this. They considered various options including shunning, and finally decided on this:

• Theophilus is out of the mining business. He owes restitution to Virgil for damages in his fights, and he is then banished from this town.
• Hiram owes restitution for damages in the theft and, of course, must return all of the stolen money. He is not permitted to see Amelia for at least a year.
• Amelia must contemplate the direction of her life; to allow her to focus on this, she may not date anyone for at least six months. (This time was chosen to allow the possibility, but not the certainty, that she will be off the market by the time Hiram is again available.)
• The Dogs will return in six months to re-examine the situation.

Comments

[indigodove.livejournal.com]

Wow -- you have a great memory and took great notes! Thanks -- this was fun to read.

[cellio]

I have the character sheets, which helps. :-) And with learning the mechanics we were slow enough for me to transcribe rough dialogue. (I made up a little of this while posting around themes in the notes.)

Glad you enjoyed it! Feel free to correct anything you think I got wrong about your character.