This reminds me of one of the best D&D games I ever played. It was a mostly evil party and a fairly standard kingdoms at war deal. Somebody made the mistake of kidnapping and torturing the wizard's NPC family to make us back down. So the wizard and I (druid) got together and recreated the biblical plagues cranked up to 11 over about one in-game year.
Real life got in the way, so we ended the campaign with the other kingdom wiped off the map, and our last scene was in the middle of a multi-kingdom summit/trial where everyone else was trying to pretend that the haunted looking lady with threadbare finery in the corner still had a kingdom, and all of them trying very hard to act as if there was any kind of peace deal that could possibly make up for what we did, or any punishment they could do that would fit the crime.
While me and the wizard were standing at the witnesses' stand and people were arguing, some bright spark thought it would be a good idea to argue that we had violated all the rules of warfare and we should be executed immediately. The wizard shot back with one of the best short speeches I've ever heard. I don't remember what the NPC friendly king and enemy queen were called, so I'm calling them Bob and Jane.
"One year and 7 months ago, a group of people broke into my home on the orders of Queen Jane, killed my wife, stole my children and wrecked my house. One year and 6 months ago, a private negotiation between King Bob and Queen Jane ended when her majesty threatened my surviving family with 'tortures most foul' if his majesty did not have us stripped of our rank and imprisoned for scurrilous 'war crimes'. One year and two months ago, the head of one of my four children, almost too damaged to be recognizable, was delivered to me with a repetition of her threat. One year and one month ago, a source I trust with more than life confirmed that my children were dead or worse, far past any saving.
When called to account for this cruelty at the Winter Solstice ball, Queen Jane laughed and said there is no honor."
*lean forward slightly with gimlet stare*
"If you wish to live in a world that contains more than dust, rust, and the last lingering screams of the dying, perhaps you mindless cretins should step down and give your positions to more competent 'soldiers of honor' ".
Real life got in the way, so we ended the campaign with the other kingdom wiped off the map, and our last scene was in the middle of a multi-kingdom summit/trial where everyone else was trying to pretend that the haunted looking lady with threadbare finery in the corner still had a kingdom, and all of them trying very hard to act as if there was any kind of peace deal that could possibly make up for what we did, or any punishment they could do that would fit the crime.
While me and the wizard were standing at the witnesses' stand and people were arguing, some bright spark thought it would be a good idea to argue that we had violated all the rules of warfare and we should be executed immediately. The wizard shot back with one of the best short speeches I've ever heard. I don't remember what the NPC friendly king and enemy queen were called, so I'm calling them Bob and Jane.
"One year and 7 months ago, a group of people broke into my home on the orders of Queen Jane, killed my wife, stole my children and wrecked my house. One year and 6 months ago, a private negotiation between King Bob and Queen Jane ended when her majesty threatened my surviving family with 'tortures most foul' if his majesty did not have us stripped of our rank and imprisoned for scurrilous 'war crimes'. One year and two months ago, the head of one of my four children, almost too damaged to be recognizable, was delivered to me with a repetition of her threat. One year and one month ago, a source I trust with more than life confirmed that my children were dead or worse, far past any saving.
When called to account for this cruelty at the Winter Solstice ball, Queen Jane laughed and said there is no honor."
*lean forward slightly with gimlet stare*
"If you wish to live in a world that contains more than dust, rust, and the last lingering screams of the dying, perhaps you mindless cretins should step down and give your positions to more competent 'soldiers of honor' ".
