Evil King of a Neutral Civilization

[nakedonmyfoldin]

I have a city that is pretty neutral. There are bad guys and good guys just like in any cities. But the kings are typically crusading paladin type folk. In my work in progress campaign, I'm looking to base the current king off of the Dread Emperor from BOVD. He behaves this way in secret of course. I'm just trying to figure out why he would be so different from past kings?

Possession?
Seeking greater power? (perhaps the king is just a ceremonial position in this city)
Not really the King?
Something different would probably be better.

I don't want a cliché or anything like that. Players always look to the advisors and the high priests to be secret BBEGs, so I kind of want to hide him right under their nose.

Players are low level to start, but will be close to level 10 or so when they finally fight the king (unless they join him, who knows)

[Grim Portent]

Perhaps he was originally second in line to the throne and fell into evil ways out of jealousy and a desire to take the throne by orchestrating his siblings death with deals with dark forces.

The experience left them corrupt and in debt to demons/devils/eldritch horrors/his mother-in-law or a similar being of great evil and they've been manipulating him to fall ever further into darkness.

He could even have an evil scheming adviser who serves a different evil force and intends to usurp the throne. :smalltongue:

[nakedonmyfoldin]

Dayum, I actually like the idea that he just became king after organizing the deaths of his brothers.
In addition to the king, someone is organizing the neighbouring tribes against the city. I originally had the king behind this but I don't really know why. Maybe his advisor could be organizing the savages to usurp the king. The king could be evil and organizing a demon/cultist army to battle the savages or to dominate the populace

[Trasilor]

I have a city that is pretty neutral. There are bad guys and good guys just like in any cities. But the kings are typically crusading paladin type folk. In my work in progress campaign, I'm looking to base the current king off of the Dread Emperor from BOVD. He behaves this way in secret of course. I'm just trying to figure out why he would be so different from past kings?

Possession?
Seeking greater power? (perhaps the king is just a ceremonial position in this city)
Not really the King?
Something different would probably be better.

I don't want a cliché or anything like that. Players always look to the advisors and the high priests to be secret BBEGs, so I kind of want to hide him right under their nose.

Players are low level to start, but will be close to level 10 or so when they finally fight the king (unless they join him, who knows)

Full disclosure: Not familiar with Dread Emperor...

I always like the evil king who didn't view themselves as evil. If you look at the book series Sword of the Truth, Terry Goodkind creates a great villain. The eventual main antagonist is a warrior king who wants to spread his ideology to all of human kind. He is brutal with his enemies (but hey, they are the enemy) and lets his warriors run amok with the peasants (they did oppose him), but he believes he is bringing about a better world. He is very much "the ends justify the means" villain. The BBEG is not only conquering lands but also seeking powerful artifacts that will allow him to rule forever...

Yes, a bit cliche'd but at every point, the bad guy makes his choices based on reason and the best outcome for his country (he even admits that he is just a tool to further his ideology).

Basically, the villain has depth. He wants what he feels is best for his citizens. Most of the common people love him and willingly join his army. He wants to destroy/convert his enemies. His ideals are more important than himself and willingly sacrifices himself if he thinks those ideals will persist.

[nakedonmyfoldin]

Dread Emperor is crazy evil. Kidnaps children and keeps them chained to his armor. My thought would be that he leads a group of individuals (outside of the kingdom) who worship of a deity of pain. Pain is order to them; while kingdoms fall, pain is steadfast and unerring. While the lower individuals inflict pain upon themselves and others through injury and mutilation, the king inflicts this pain upon "his children", an act he perceives to be far more powerful than simply self-inflicting physical pain. I may have to just separate this pain dread emperor guy from the king, because I'm having real difficulty melding them into the same guy. Unless anyone can think of how/why he would put on a façade. maybe to cover up his unspeakable acts and prevent backlash from the civilized people? If this is the case, why would he want to change his current situation? Bring his religion to the masses?

[Trasilor]

Dread Emperor is crazy evil. Kidnaps children and keeps them chained to his armor. My thought would be that he leads a group of individuals (outside of the kingdom) who worship of a deity of pain. Pain is order to them; while kingdoms fall, pain is steadfast and unerring. While the lower individuals inflict pain upon themselves and others through injury and mutilation, the king inflicts this pain upon "his children", an act he perceives to be far more powerful than simply self-inflicting physical pain. I may have to just separate this pain dread emperor guy from the king, because I'm having real difficulty melding them into the same guy. Unless anyone can think of how/why he would put on a façade. maybe to cover up his unspeakable acts and prevent backlash from the civilized people? If this is the case, why would he want to change his current situation? Bring his religion to the masses?

Actually, you can do this a few ways...

Willing Sacrifice:
Sacrifices are known and honored. Being called to serve your people as a sacrifice to your god is of the highest calling. One child per month (3 months, season, year, special lunar cycle, on a full moon, new moon, 4th Saturday at dawn) is randomly selected from the townsfolk. The child can be of any age before reason (puberty). Selected child is treated like royalty, they are prepped, prepared and adorned in ceremonial garb. The family of the child is also treated like royalty. They are congratulated, given special treatment etc. Townsfolk believe the sacrifice provides the town with good fortune and protection.

The sacrifices are pubic display, including all the acolytes. The dead children are worn as tribute (and only for ceremony not day-to-day activities). Families are encouraged to have lots of children - in fact children might be very protected in the society.

I mean even Dr. Who (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoVLhUxhdSw) did the whole child sacrifice thing :smallamused:

Means to an End
This plays it strait. BBEG kidnaps kids and does his dastardly deeds behind closed doors. His henchmen focus on street urchins and orphaned kids as they rarely have people looking for them. Girl/Boy doesn't really matter, only that they are very young.

He is King so he can do this relatively freely. He uses his position of power so he can have easy access to children. He is motivated by hedonism. Torturing gets him off. Living the life of luxury is easy. He surrounds himself with sycophants.

This is a classic archetype from Caligula of ancient Rome to King Joffery of Game of Thrones (or the literary A Song of Ice and Fire).

[sktarq]

I have a city that is pretty neutral. There are bad guys and good guys just like in any cities. But the kings are typically crusading paladin type folk. In my work in progress campaign, I'm looking to base the current king off of the Dread Emperor from BOVD. He behaves this way in secret of course. I'm just trying to figure out why he would be so different from past kings?

Possession?
Seeking greater power? (perhaps the king is just a ceremonial position in this city)
Not really the King?
Something different would probably be better.

I don't want a cliché or anything like that. Players always look to the advisors and the high priests to be secret BBEGs, so I kind of want to hide him right under their nose.

Players are low level to start, but will be close to level 10 or so when they finally fight the king (unless they join him, who knows) first the dread emperor in BoVD was a wizard build IIRC so the first question is why he would be a wizard. That question will give you a lot of why he is different. Also perhaps he feels his line has not done enough to expand their rule-and he can do better-and will do better since he can shunt personal costs onto the children attached to his belt. He wants the city to become the center of a nation, or fix something. . . Or just doesn't like the idea that he isn't the centre of the universe and has played up since he started casting magic.

[Honest Tiefling]

Perhaps the guy offed his brothers at first because while pure-hearted and good intentioned, they were wildly incompetent. He's been justifying his murder for the good of the people, as the most popular, handsome and blond one got the city into a staggering amount of debt.

As for the Dread Emperor, I dunno. Am I the only one thinking it is running into quite silly territory? I think that might be a bit much. It is also hard to take a guy seriously if he basically has children strapped to his armor. But what if he's not torturing children? Could very well be that he's got a secret interrogation room. He might only be sending political enemies in there, but it's still very, very, very unpleasant.

It could very well be that while he's willing to make pacts after brothers 1-5 got them into massive amounts of debt, started a famine, wrecked the sewers causing a plague, and declared no less then 16 different wars, he's not okay with any sort of evil wandering around and setting up their own skull-themed temple. Other evil people of those he's not working with (And occasionally those he is, so they don't get too uppity and when he has an excuse) get chucked into the happy fun time dungeon.

[atemu1234]

People can be evil without "cause" per se. Look at Ivan the Terrible. Descended from a canny and smart lot, but ends his line with murder.