
Halo20077 |
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My players don't do messed up things, I do it to them. The most f*!*ed up thing I've ever done in a campaign as a GM is a little in depth, but it took a lot of planning for me to do.
In our campaign universe, the players (who started at nothing and worked their way up) became these big heroes the kingdoms respected. They even formed their own guild, The Heroes Guild, which became a sort of international symbol of justice. The story of the campaign began a few years after another campaign (the one where they became heroes). In the story, leaders of the world are being assassinated by one guy, notoriously named 'Black Coat' because of the long black trench coat he wears. No one knows who this man is, but the kings and queens and emperors of the Council were all worried, so they employ the Heroes Guild to meet the increasing problem of 'Black Coat'.
In our universe, there's a religious organization called the Council of Meta, which works a lot like the Catholic church during Europe's feudal age, which means they don't answer to general forms of government and have a military. The general and spokesperson for the Church of Meta was a man called Ingram Logan, who hated the players because they failed to rescue him during a siege on a town that worshipped a demon. He was drawn and quartered but only lost his left arm, which was replaced magically with a steel arm that constantly causes him pain. You can see why he's a little pissed with them.
He sets aside his differences with the players and offers to lend his troops to the Heroes Guild, basically doubling their efforts. As the story progressed, players learned that 'Black Coat' was stealing souls and was using these souls to release my biggest bad guy ever created to date. Information was given to the players that Black Coat was going to kill the royal family of this country called Odlin, which had serious problems with neighboring countries but the leaders in power wanted to fix relations. Having them assassinated would mean reinstalling bloodthirsty rules, igniting war.
Players use the information gained but the assassination still happens (F$$~ed Up thing 1), and the players then learn how Black Coat can be everywhere and kill everyone all the time: It's not one person, but a whole group of people being led by one guy. With the assassination completed and war beginning and the Council of Nations falling apart, the Heroes Guild are removed from authority and replaced with Ingram's forces. Ingram, now basically in charge of running Council of Nation meetings, tasks the players with retrieving something called a 'Soul Gem' which he believes could end the war swiftly. Players get it to him and it turns out that the Soul Gem is a conduit of Psionic energy, meaning it's a weapon. Using the Soul Gem, Ingrams forces bring peace to the world again. Hurray! As this is happening, the Black Coat wanna-be's release the BBEG, Vine- The most powerful and one of the last Mind-Flayers in this universes existence (making him extremely terrifying to face).
In celebration of bringing peace back, the nations celebrate Ingram but the parties cut short by an angel that appears above everyone in shimmering white. The angel proclaims that there are false prophets amongst the people, and kills them (F#&%ed Up thing 3). Who he kills is actually the High Priests of the Council of Meta, meaning now Ingram is in charge of the entire church organization.
Fast forward a dozen or so story sessions to the calling of an emergence Council of Nations meeting, where all the leaders of the world gather. The players arrive as well. When the players arrive, Ingram takes to the stage. Church Soldiers now wear all black and guard the doors of the Council Chambers. Ingram then informs everyone that he is Black Coat (F~$$ed Up Thing 4), that while they have been concerned about the tensions of war he has created a force of Half-Flayers/Half-Humans with the help of Vine to make basically an invincible army (F~ed Up Thing 5), that the order has gone out to kill all Heroes Guild members (F!~~ed Up Thing 6), that he will kill every leader in this room (F!@%ed Up Thing 7) because in doing that he will be the only authority left and with his army no one will defy that (F$@~ed Up Thing 8), and that he's going to keep the players alive and pin it all on them (F~!*ed Up Thing 9) so that no one will question the massacring of the Heroes Guild. Cut to a massacre in the hall, the world is now unified under Ingram, the players are branded as villains, the world is now under the 'New Order' and that he will execute the players personally. They escape, and are now waiting for me to plot out Act 2 of the campaign.
Sorry that was so long, it just wouldn't have made ANY sense without background and it wouldn't have as much impact without it. Some players cried because they were so upset that this all happened. Some threw books at me because they were so mad. It was TOOOOOTTTAALLLLYYYY worth it though.