[HOE] Re: Doomsayers

["d_scott" <d_scott@ntlworld.com>]

> Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 14:11:57 -0500
> From: jyates@poboxes.com
> Subject: RE: [HOE] Re: Doomsayers
>
> <There's some spoilerage for my posse, so git if that's you!>
>
>
>
>
>
> I felt the need to dig up some old campaign notes because of this thread,
> and I've come up with some interesting stuff to do to my posse...
>
> An old semi-recurring villian in my game is the Church of Scientology.
> Yeah, I live near their headquarters in Florida.  But my group isn't about
> aliens and psychobabble like the real-life Scientologists, mine are all
> about (Mad) Science.  With enough cult-isms thrown in for a few Black
Magic
> bits.  But mostly all high-tech (for 1876) totin' baddies with money.
Well,
> the Church has its resources...  Not an AB a player could use, but still
> new.
>
> Now imagine this group a couple hundred years later, consisting of Junkers
> and Atomicists (a working name for the non-Doomie Doomie -- have you come
up
> with a name for 'em yet?).  The Glow is as yet just emergent.  The true
> nature of the Scientologists will have changed -- I'm thinking now that
they
> might even be helpful and beneficial, one of the good guys.  And the
> campaign I'm planning would involve exploring and discovering the true
> nature of the Glow, which would directly impact the evolution of the
Church
> of Scientology.  Or next evolution, because I think the "Church" aspect
> would have gone away when the bombs fell.  Probably go with "the School of
> Scientology."
>
> Anyway, this is pretty much all I've got right now.  Any comments?  Any
> problems with my using your non-Doomie idea?  My posse will flip to find a
> villian they thought they were done with creeping up centuries later!
>
> Jeff Y.
> Marshal for the Dynamite Gang
>
Sounds impressive! I have absolutely no problem with you using my non-Doomie
Doomie idea, the only thing more pleasing than having an idea (on the rare
occasions that I do) is someone else liking it enough to use it.

Unfortunately I've become quite attached to calling them "non-Doomie
Doomies", I may need professional help. The only other thing I came up with
is "the Radiaethiests", which is terrible, I know. Atomicists is better than
either of those, so I think we should go with that. I did come up with an
insult for the Atomicist to call Doomsayers - Glow-worms, what do you think?
Seems a bit mild to me, since the Doomies can call them traitors and
heretics.

Couple of questions/ observations about the above: I don't know much about
sicentology in the real world (bad SF writer, ancient astronauts, Tom Cruise
and John Travolta) but I'm pretty sure it didn't exist in 1876. What's your
history for the Church? If it's an inventor's collective with a spiritual
side it could be tied in with the Collegium, or a group of scientists in one
of Hellstromme's labs in Salt lake City. How did they manage to get
Doomsayer training for their Atomicists? Like we've been discussing, one guy
doesn't believe the Cult doctrine and ends up joining the School, teaching
those who want to learn?

Other than that it sounds pretty good. If you want a sounding board for
coming up with reasons why the Church went from bad to good, how it survived
in the Wasted West, what it's current goals are, and of course what the
nature of the Glow actually IS, then feel free - either on the list or
privately.

Oh yeah, and never underestimate the potential for confusion and explosions
when someone or something changes sides and the posse don't know about it!

David

P.S.    My apologies if I've confused the Scientologists with some other
"interesting" religion. : )