Toronto Dogs In The Vineyard:Lexicon

Lexicon is a group setting creation strategy. Players take the role of scholars and historians describing the setting where the players enact their adventures.

The rules for the creation of a Lexicon follow at the end of these entries.

Thanks to Neel Krishnaswami for inventing this game.

END NOTE

My campaign for DitV is winding down. This Lexicon was not nearly close to completion. If we were planning a long campaign -- say a 2 year deal -- I would encourage the players to flesh out the world. But for a short campaign there is no need for so much surplus concrete detail. Everything here is remarkable. Each entry could be a scenario kernel. I have enjoyed starting up this Lexicon and reading all of the entries.

However, for my next campaign, I will adopt some of the guidelines in Ron Edwards' Sorceror for focused setting creation. It's simple, quick, and highly rewarding.

Erik

Set Up

"You are American historians from the late 20th century writing the 'real' history of the growth of your nation in the New World. Your focus is on the Territories, now called the State of Gilead, a prosperous and religiously conservative member of the United States of America. Some of you are conspiracy theorists writing revisionist histories of the fantastic events that took place in the mid-nineteenth century. Some of you are religious scholars recounting the birth and growth of a new religion in a new land. Some of you are skeptical or critical historians offering "rational" explanations of the fantastic legends that have been handed down in Gilead."

TIMEFRAME
Let us assume that our games take place before the American Civil War. If we decide to incorporate that war into our gameworld, then let us imagine what it would be how and why the states to the East would become involved in this remote and inhospitable territory.

Lexicon Entries

(ABC)

The Abominations

The first settlers of this land encountered severe resistance from the native tribes. The "Mountain People," as the religious colonists called the Kenebune, presented a hospitable front. But, secretly, a number of shamans and warrior societies conducted a fearsome campaign of terror. Mysterious disappearances, bloody sacrifices on the altars of the Departed Ones, and attacks in frightening disguises led to the creation of folk tales regarding the "Abominations." Members of the Faith spread stories of inuman monsters like fanged and tentacled demons, pale fish-eyed people, or sparkling clouds of deadly fog. These "Abominations" were used a pretext for strict measures by the Dogs for enforcing doctrinal adherence or punishing wrongdoers. Some of the tales of the Abominations have entered the folksongs of the region.

- Dr. Claude Henry Smoot, Professor of American History, University of Gilead (Bridal Falls Campus)

See also "Departed Ones," "Warrior Societies," & "Sacrificial Sites."

Anahiwa

At the time of contact, Anahiwa (his name means "Cut Arm") was the leader of the Drumhead band of Kenebune, whose traditional range included much of the central valley, including Bridal Falls City. Initially, the Drumhead welcomed the early pioneers and assisted them during the first deadly winter. However, as the Faithful began to plant Bridal Falls City and build permanent dwellings, Anahiwa came under increasing pressure to drive them from the ancestral lands. Although Anahiwa preached peace, there were a series of vicious raids against the Faithful sponsored by rival Tall Pine warriors, in which two men were killed and a woman - Patience Steese - was abducted. In reprisal, the Faithful razed two unguarded encampments of Drumhead and later killed seven braves. Even after this, Anahiwa approached the Elders and Ancients to seek a solution. He was immediately imprisoned, which sent his people on the warpath at last. Monish, Anahiwa's chief rival among the Drumhead and a formidable shaman, assumed command of the band. Word soon spread that the Tenskwatawa, the "Ghost Who Walks Through Doors" had arrived to assist them in driving out the Faithful, and many Mountain People rallied to their cause. Anahiwa converted to the Faith in prison. His son, Jacob King, was called to be a Dog and served in that capacity with distinction.

- Dr. Carsten Lundegaard, Associate Professor of Anthropology, UG - Wahanish

See also "Monish," "Steese, Patience," and "Tenskwatawa."

Bethany Creek

A few years after the capture of Anahiwa, Bethany Creek was the scene of a bloody massacre. A new settlement was planned for the site but the first group of settlers found a group of the nomadic Kenebune, whom the settlers called the "Mountain People," already occupying the area. The Elders decided to remove the Kenebune by force and the Dogs of Gilead were called to action. This early Pack was comprised of only ten members, but they accounted for more than 50 dead men, women, and children that night. The Dogs apparently slipped into the campsite under the cover of darkness and slit the throats of the sleeping natives. Many were killed before the alarm was raised. Once the camp was awake and armed, the fight became more frantic. Three Dogs, including Ukaiah Heap, were killed before the fighting was over. Only a handful of Kenebune survivors escaped to tell the true tale of this atrocity. As the settlement at Bethany Creek grew, tales of that original battle grew into a monument to the bravery of the three perished Dogs. They became "The Heroes of Bethany."

- Dr. A. Emme Haron, Professor of Native Studies, Bridal Falls College

See also "Dogs of Gilead," "Heroes of Bethany," and "Kenebune"

Campbell, Elijah (1810 - 1822)

The Campbell family were the original homesteaders of the Twisted Wood Ranch, near Bridal Falls. The area has since acquired a rather sinister reputation dating back to the death of Elijah Campbell. There are, of course, claims of supernatural happenings predating the Campbell homestead. However, these are unsubstantiated and likely superstitious stories invented in the wake of the Elijah's death.

The journals of Solomon Geller are the only record available which detail the events leading up to the boy's illness and eventual death. Geller was a prominent member of the so-called Dogs of Gilead, who were active at that time. While it is not my place to call into question Geller's integrity, his religious convictions coloured his judgements, to say the least, and further he did not exercise the utmost care in differentiating between what he personally observed and what was related to him by a third party.

Elijah Cambell was the youngest son of Ruth and and Joseph Campbell. He had from his early childhood been an unruly and overly imaginative child. He was known to have played with the children of the nearby savage tribes, and it is quite possible that he learned from them some of their more beastly superstitions and behaviours. As he grew older, his behaviour grew increasingly erratic, and he became the focus of a number of strange occurences. Inexplicable rappings or voices were often heard in his proximity. He occasionally fell to the ground and had fits of frightening violence. He was reported to have exhibited remarkable strength, and spoken in unknown languages, or in multiple voices while in the grip of one of these convulsions. The incidents increased and in 1822, Elijah fell to an unidentified illness. He was at this point given to the care of Solomon Geller. Geller diagnosed Elijah as possessed of a demon and began an exorcism. The exorcism lasted many days, and Geller records behaviour on the part of the child too horrific to detail here. It was ultimately a failure and the boy died while in Geller's care.

Elijah was one of the many unfortunates who fell victim to the religious zeal of the Dogs of Gilead. The grave ministrations Geller subjected upon a sickened and unruly child extend well into the realm of the criminal, and were if not the direct cause, most certainly hastened his death.

-Joseph Fish, Associate Proffessor of History, Bridal Falls University

See also: Geller, Solomon, Twisted Wood Ranch

Cold River, Battle of

The Faithful did have to fight a few pitched battles when they moved into the Territory. Sometimes it was bootleggers who were dealing alcohol to the natives. Sometimes is was outlaws who were determined to lord it over a few towns. And sometimes, as in the Battle of Cold Creek, it was hard-bitten miners. Cold River was a town set up by a group of such miners. After they pushed off some Mountain People and some non-Faithful settlers, they staked some claims (with the collusion of a bribe-friendly Territorial official.) Their township was recognized by honest but incompetent Territory officials. However, the town was near a very small Temple that served some small villages. One night a group of miners tried to burn the Temple. Ukaiah Heap and 5 other noted Dogs organized the villagers and fought off the heavily armed miners. Cold River was abandoned by the thugs and taken over by a community of the Faithful.

- Smith, Harry "God, Guns, and Gold -- the Secret History of the Territories."

See also "Bethanay," "Heap, Ukaiah" and "Miners"

(DEF)

Departed Ones

Universal among the various Kenebune bands were the Departed Ones, powerful shamen who oversaw mystery cults and exercised prodigious secular power among the warrior societies. The name stems from the widely-held belief that the souls of each of these elite shamen left for an extended trip for the duration of his life, reuniting only in death. The Departed Ones seemed to form a loose network crossing the boundaries of band and kinship, and they often worked together. Early Faithful accounts ascribe colorful acts of sorcery to the Departed Ones, including the summoning of demons and "strange winds". The long conflict between Tall Pine Kenebune and the Bristlecone Lake Faithful includes many descriptions of Departed Ones summoning "demons" from the lake.

- Dr. Carsten Lundegaard, Associate Professor of Anthropology, UG - Wahanish

See also "Warrior Societies", "Bristlecone Lake", "Watamaket"

Dogs of Gilead

Why can't the fathers of today be like their great-great-grandfathers?
A little too much "political correctness" and "secular humanism" have cut off today's men from the warrior spirit of their ancestors! Every other town in Gilead has a statue to Ukaiah Heap, or a plaque in its temple saying "Heap preached here." Today, we are supposed to be ashamed of Heap for his "insensitivity" to the Mountain Peo--- ... oops, I forgot: the university professors of Bridal Falls (whose university, I recall, was set up as a seminary!) don't want us to use that phrase (or "Indian") anymore. I say to you men of Gilead, KEEP HEAP ALIVE! Don't let the left-wing cultural elite, and the "Native" activists tear down those statues.
Recall that Heap learned his guerilla tactics from Kenebune warriors, warriors who had converted to the Faith. Heap and his Dogs are supposedly guilty of "ethnic cleansing" or "genocide." Well, Heap and his organization kept up negotiations with native tribes even after the Mertonville Massacre. But when the truly genocidal Ghost Who Walks Through Doors began stirring up the tribes near Bethanay, Heap had no choice but to strike first. And let us not forget that the scout on that mission was one Jacob King, a converted Kenebune. There was a politically correct man for you! He cared more for the souls of those who shared his morals and his religion than he did for those with the same skin colour.
I say to you, men of Gilead, don't let them tear down the monument to the Heroes of Bethany and build yourself a monument to those men in your hearts.

- Bishop Oran Kupfelmeier, Build a City on a Hill: Rebirthing the Pioneer Spirit in Today's Faithful Families, Bridal Falls: Focus on Faithful Families Publications, 1992.

See also: Bethanay Creek, Mertonville Massacre.

(XYZ)

Watamaket (Under-the-Mud)

This is another entry in the diary of Brother Nimrod McAuslin:

Once again I had to chastise a passel of recreants in this morn's Sunday School. It is my fear that Brothers and Sisters up in the massiffs are allowing their waifs too much time in the company of unredeemed Mountain People. My hand hesitates to write these words:

Watamaket, maket, maket.
Watamaket, sleeping in the lake!

Granny get angry? He will take!
Papa get ornery? He will take!
Sister get married? He will take!
The Dead and the Buried? He will take!

Watamaket, maket, maket.
Watamaket, waking up tonight!

Why the waters stirring? 'Cause the stars are right!
Why the black cat purring? 'Cause the stars are right!
Why the drums a beatin'? 'Cause the stars are right!
Departed Ones a-meetin'? 'Cause the stars are right!

Watamaket, maket, maket.
Watamaket, going back to sleep!

Where's my Granny? Sleeping in the lake!
Where's my Papa? Sleeping in the lake!
Where's my Sister? Sleeping in the lake!
The Dead and the Buried? Watamaket take!

Watamaket take!
Watamaket take!
Watamaket take!

Take them to the lake!!!

Dr. Howard Jenkins, "Damn Your Eyes!: Curses and Blasphemy in 19th Century Children's Folksongs," Journal of Western Folklore, June 1987.

See: Departed Ones, Folk Songs

Rules

"You are cranky, opinionated, prejudiced and eccentric. You are also collaborating with a number of your peers -- the other players -- on the construction of an encyclopedia describing some historical period (possibly of a fantastic world)."

The game is played in 9 turns, one for each button of a push-button phone. 1 (ABC) 2 (DEF) 3 (GHI) 4 (JKI) 5 (LMN) 6 (OPQ) 7 (RST) 8 (UVW) 9 (XYZ)

1. On the first turn, each player writes an entry for any of the letters 'ABC'. You come up with the name of the entry, and you write 50-100 words on the subject. At the end of the article, you sign your name, and make two citations to other entries in the encyclopedia. These citations will be phantoms -- their names exist, but their content will get filled in only on the appropriate turn.

2. On the second and subsequent turns, you continue to write entries for DEF, GHI, KLM and so on. However, you need to make two citations. One must be a full explanation of an already-written entry, and one must a completely new, un-cited entry. (On the 9th turn, you can cite no phantom entries)

It's an academic sin to cite yourself, you can never cite an entry you've written. (OOC, this forces the players to intertwingle their entries, so that everybody depends on everyone else's facts.) Incidentally, once you run out of empty slots, obviously you can only cite the phantom slots.

3. Despite the fact that your peers are self-important, narrow-minded dunderheads, they are honest scholars. No matter how strained their interpretations are, their facts are accurate as historical research can make them. So if you cite an entry, you have to treat its factual content as true! (Though you can argue vociferously with the interpretation and introduce new facts that shade the interpretation.)

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