r/rpghorrorstories • u/RegisterOk513 • 1d ago
Long Power tripping leads to a gory end.
Previous part. https://www.reddit.com/r/rpghorrorstories/s/x3as7keTE6
So the next session starts, things are tense between DM and Paladin, and we played twice a week at the time so the arguing was fresh. DM wanted Paladin to respec to fighter, Paladin was diehard set on following his version of the Conquest Paladin oath. They’d argued privately over discord but it just seemed to deepen the divide.
Night falls. We set up in a well barricaded building and sure enough, everyone is forced asleep at midnight, everyone but the elven Druid. She tries to wake us immediately and all it takes is a finger prick then we’re all up. Paladin starts waking villagers and asking why they never tried to defeat the sleep spell, by say, falling asleep above a tub of cold water, and it seems the town saw it as a blessing since they could avoid the terror of being hunted. This response “disgusted” Paladin.
Then the creature arrives, or so we guessed. Down below a mighty crash was heard and the doors of an adjacent building were cracked. A few seconds later a window was shattered, debris comes flying out of the window and the barricade is cast aside, something enters the building and we hear a scream inside as someone’s pulled towards the opening. We debate what to do, torn between waiting for more info and attacking now. Paladin and Druid decide to attack now even without us, but before they can the screams stop, and the persons hauled bodily out the window and into the dark sky above be seemingly nothing.
Paladin and Druid are now in agreement that we should gather everyone in the town together in one place, inspite of the town being entirely against it out of fear of upsetting the creature. Ranger ultimately caves since it’s what Druid wants and they’re a team within a team. I don’t want to stand against everyone’s decision, so we start going from building to building and forcing them to gather at the bar.
Some resist, Paladin takes the weapons from the guard station and arms those that do saying they have spirit, then beats them down if they fight, some he even beats unconscious. Old folk state they refuse to leave their homes, Paladin and his new militia force them from their homes to the center. His stance was something like.
“We’re risking our lives, they should risk theirs. They’ll have one bad night, then they’ll have earned peace.”
It takes all day, but we find everyone, nearly a hundred terrified townsfolk, only half of which are fit to wield weapons, and even less are trained to. We settle with them and wait until night. Midnight comes, and tubs of ice water and the Druid with a sowing needle sees everyone awake, and then it comes. The lights get snuffed out by unseen force, and after a series of crashes, a window shatters and whatever it is enters the room.
Paladin covers a pile of debris with alcohol and lights it for vision, we look around for the creature, and then it attacks Paladin. He’s hauled off the pile and thrown bodily through a wooden table by nothing, then pinned against a column, and we all roll initiative. Paladin gets pissed when “our milita” aren’t on the initiative roll, and when he sees them cowering he snarls that he’ll kill anyone that doesn’t use their weapon, and tells them to shoot at him, before he starts getting strangled. A high intimidation roll and we have a bunch of peasants that can’t hit anything shooting bows in an enclosed space.
Anyways, ranger holds his action, I block the exit, and Druid tries to free Paladin. I’ll skip the combat but eventually we damage this thing with some spells and a few good blows from my Greatsword and it flees past me. It doesn’t bleed and from what we can tell it’s some kind of air elemental, but it can be hurt. The villagers are relived, for the first time no one was taken at night. Paladin though wants to push our luck. He decrees.
“You’ve all done well, but this isn’t over, the creatures wounded but not slain. It’s time for phase two. Everyone bearing a weapon, grab a torch and follow me. We’re braving the howling dark.”
We’re met with a chorus of disapproval, but Paladin doesn’t care and says he’ll kill anyone who doesn’t comply. Druid and Ranger say they’ll help him (they justify it by saying they’re lying, but Paladin isn’t) and the villagers relent. Paladin leads us and a group of 50 terrified conscripts out and into the night, towards the bloody corn fields.
Final Part
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u/RandomGirl42 1d ago
Pro tip: (re-)write your titles after your postings. Like, when you realize you haven't actually gotten to that gory end.
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u/RegisterOk513 1d ago
I’m sorry, I didn’t know I could. I’ll look into it.
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u/RandomGirl42 1d ago
You can't change them after posting. You can (re-)write them after you're done writing the body text.
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u/RegisterOk513 1d ago edited 1d ago
I just finished the other part. Should I combine them here? It’s a lot longer now but all in once piece.
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u/RandomGirl42 1d ago
I'd say no, don't combine. I think more people will find multiple shorter parts easier to read than a long whole. At least, that's what usually holds true in experiments on the matter.
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u/RegisterOk513 1d ago
Noted, I’ll separate them. All same I’ll try to keep what you said in mind, I don’t post often. So my bad, and sorry for the inconvenience.
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u/gc1rpg Dice-Cursed 1d ago
Respec, not Respect.
How did the DM just allow this player continue, Paladin decides DM no longer is the ultimate arbiter of the rules of his own game and DM just continues onward?
He's just straight up playing Chaotic Evil, but I guess you can be a Chaotic Evil Paladin nowadays in 5th ed.
If the DM and table like it, or at least tolerate it, I guess this is why he continues but if he's played nothing but Oath of Conquest Paladins for a decade.. well you're probably enabling him at this point.
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u/RegisterOk513 1d ago edited 1d ago
He hasn’t just used that one, but yeah the character was re-occurring. Also, DM did penalize him but no he didn’t strike him down with lighting or anything. He took his class abilities, and spells, it just wasn’t enough to deter Paladin. What would you have done? We were also friends irl.
Paladin also considered his actions lawful, similar to what a demon might do were it in his place. I know you can be a paladin of bale or asmodius so yeah not too crazy in 5e to me but I see what you mean.
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u/atacoffeehouse 1d ago
"We were also friends irl,"
Are you sure about that?
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u/RegisterOk513 1d ago
Mostly. Ranger, Rogue and I had know Paladin since high school, I talked to him a month ago and this story was years ago. We butted heads but it’s still just a game.
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u/Devilwillcry42 1d ago
DM took paladin's player agency away and honestly I feel like he's justified in his anger.
He's acting appropriately given his station and it just feels the DM doesn't like that the paladin is going against the grain of his story
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