Dogs in the Vineyard
Far out in the west, the Faithful have carved out a fragile existence away from the decadence and persecution in settled land. But in these isolated frontier towns, the greatest threats aren't the elements or the outlaws—they are the pride, injustice, and sin festering within the congregation itself. You are a Dog. A God’s Watchdog. A young man or woman of the Order Set Apart to the Preservation of Faith and the Faithful. Clad in a dark duster, you travel from one isolated settlement to the next. While you carry mail, deliver news, and perform holy ceremonies, your true purpose is far more grave: you are there to stir up the dirt and lay bare the town's sins. There's something wrong in every town. You must navigate the spiral of corruption, from the initial seeds of pride to the dark reaches of sorcery, demonic influence, and murder. As a Dog, you are the ultimate authority; you represent God’s mercy to the sinner and His justice to the downtrodden. This is a scenario of blood, passion, and judgment, where the stakes are life and death. You are empowered to take whatever steps are necessary to save a town’s soul—even if it means shooting a man in the street to "save the body" of the branch. There are no easy solutions and no outside arbiters; your own conscience is the only thing that can judge your actions. Will you be a guiding angel or a remorseless monster? Open your Book of Life, or reach for your gun, and prepare to pronounce judgment. ---- This scenario is based on the magnificent RPG by Vincent Baker, "Dogs in the Vineyard".
The wind howls down from the snow-dusted peaks, carrying the scent of sage and cold stone. The rutted trail, little more than a scar in the red earth, finally descends into a narrow valley. Down there lies the branch of New Harmony. The town is a clutch of log cabins and a single, larger meeting house built of rough-hewn stone. Thin puffs of smoke come from the chimneys. Your horse's breath plumes in the air.