Genth
2017-03-13, 09:54 PM
Just a bit of a gamer tale I thought I'd share with you, since it's fun, funny, and possibly worth referencing in the future.
So, we have a long-suffering Gnommish Cleric, NG, so NG in fact he's started to become called 'The Saint' by people around. He's also a Captain in a long-ongoing war.
He's smart and knows how to inspire people, and has an almost fanatical following of people... but they don't always obey him. Mostly because he doesn't want to utilize his authority to browbeat people into doing what he says. He just wants peace, and to get things done. Alas, these two drives seem to be at odds. Not too long ago, he was punched in the gut by a flying halfling bloodrager for bringing said halfling's friend back from the dead. He tried to stop the war and take a small army's worth of freed orc slaves out of the enemy country, but one of his followers said "Nope, not OK with letting slavers live" and went behind the Captain's back to restart the war, full of righteous fury. He comes to this part of the story beleaguered, but still trying to do good in the world.
Enter my character, a Lawful Evil Hobgoblin Kineticist. I owe a great debt to Red Fel for the guide to Lawful Evil written by that most calculating of personages. The character is somewhere between the Dragon, the Zealot, and the Executive. She is a soldier, through and through and a soldier brought up in a Hobgoblin society - cruelty is a show of strength, strength is required to rule. She's working as a mercenary for the Cleric's side of the war, but her loyalty is to the Hobgoblin nation. Ultimately, this war will be of benefit to the empire, and helping the weaker side is a calculated act. She's also utterly open about this. She makes no hiding of the fact that she recommends swift, brutal retaliation for crimes, and relishes the opportunity to burn and crush her enemies. She will, when asked for her opinion, openly criticize acts of mercy and compassion the Cleric has committed.
And yet she is swiftly becoming the Cleric's favourite soldier. Why? Because she follows orders. She may think his orders foolish on occasion, but she is a soldier, and it doesn't harm her ultimate loyalty - the Hobgoblin nation - to follow them. She gives frank and open advice when given, and even asks for permission before engaging enemies. To the Cleric, despite being a vicious monster of a being, she has given more help to him than any number of righteous do-gooders.
I love this paradox, that Evil in this instance is more useful, and a better ally to the Good character than all manner of great and goodly people. Sure, this would come crashing down should the Cleric decide to march against the Hobgoblin nation, but he knows that - which makes it less likely he will do it. Evil helping good is helping evil to flourish! It's fantastic!
Anyways, I hope that was enjoyable to read! I may be coming back to this thread with stories about this pairing.
So, we have a long-suffering Gnommish Cleric, NG, so NG in fact he's started to become called 'The Saint' by people around. He's also a Captain in a long-ongoing war.
He's smart and knows how to inspire people, and has an almost fanatical following of people... but they don't always obey him. Mostly because he doesn't want to utilize his authority to browbeat people into doing what he says. He just wants peace, and to get things done. Alas, these two drives seem to be at odds. Not too long ago, he was punched in the gut by a flying halfling bloodrager for bringing said halfling's friend back from the dead. He tried to stop the war and take a small army's worth of freed orc slaves out of the enemy country, but one of his followers said "Nope, not OK with letting slavers live" and went behind the Captain's back to restart the war, full of righteous fury. He comes to this part of the story beleaguered, but still trying to do good in the world.
Enter my character, a Lawful Evil Hobgoblin Kineticist. I owe a great debt to Red Fel for the guide to Lawful Evil written by that most calculating of personages. The character is somewhere between the Dragon, the Zealot, and the Executive. She is a soldier, through and through and a soldier brought up in a Hobgoblin society - cruelty is a show of strength, strength is required to rule. She's working as a mercenary for the Cleric's side of the war, but her loyalty is to the Hobgoblin nation. Ultimately, this war will be of benefit to the empire, and helping the weaker side is a calculated act. She's also utterly open about this. She makes no hiding of the fact that she recommends swift, brutal retaliation for crimes, and relishes the opportunity to burn and crush her enemies. She will, when asked for her opinion, openly criticize acts of mercy and compassion the Cleric has committed.
And yet she is swiftly becoming the Cleric's favourite soldier. Why? Because she follows orders. She may think his orders foolish on occasion, but she is a soldier, and it doesn't harm her ultimate loyalty - the Hobgoblin nation - to follow them. She gives frank and open advice when given, and even asks for permission before engaging enemies. To the Cleric, despite being a vicious monster of a being, she has given more help to him than any number of righteous do-gooders.
I love this paradox, that Evil in this instance is more useful, and a better ally to the Good character than all manner of great and goodly people. Sure, this would come crashing down should the Cleric decide to march against the Hobgoblin nation, but he knows that - which makes it less likely he will do it. Evil helping good is helping evil to flourish! It's fantastic!
Anyways, I hope that was enjoyable to read! I may be coming back to this thread with stories about this pairing.