"The Inquision Is Come"

[Silbeg]

Just started a new plot line in my Champions campaign, and was looking for feedback or ideas. I would ask that my players not follow this thread (but that is their choice).

 

Anyways, last night, the team responded to a police call where one of the local heroes, Foundry, ad been found dead at his apartment. Foundry was basically a Collosus clone (based on the Ironclad build in Champions... though he could turn his metal skin off). When he was found, it appeared that something caused his metal skin to flow off his body, leaving him vulnerable to being shot at close range by what appeared to be a Russian RPG.

 

This was the first killing discovered. After this, they heard that the Seattle Supersonic (a speedster) had been decapitated when he ran through a very strong and thin cable at near mach speeds.

 

After that, an associate of the team, Tartan (actually Cateran in with a different "hero" name, after having gone "good") went berserk in a local bar (Rosie's - guess what map I used), and attacked the patrons. One patron was killed, while several others were saved by the members of the North Force who were on scene... though one of the victims they saved died from complications that night (the team's Mage, Chaos, is 100% sure, though, that the person was fine when the EMTs arrived).

 

Other paranormals have been killed across the nation, both heroic and villainous. All across the nation, city newspapers had the headline, "The Inquisition Is Come".

 

Currently, the team does not know if this is an individual, or a group (they are assuming the latter).

[assault]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

The obvious thing to do is investigate those headlines. Where did they come from? Somebody wrote them - why?

[Certified]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

Just saying.

[Legatus]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gldlyTjXk9A

[DusterBoy]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

Yup, it figured it would come to this.

 

All the Monty Python "Spanish Inquisition" jokes are about to come out the woodwork.

 

I think I'll settle for a comfy chair, though, and a spot of armchair investigation.

[death tribble]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

Enquiries to the Catholic Church should be made as they are the source of the Inquisition in history. And checks into the backgrounds of all killed to see what religions they are or if they had said anything for or against religion or indeed towards a particular religion.

As Assault said, follow up the headline and try and trace to source.

[Duke Bushido]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

I concur with Assault. "Inquisition" is a loaded word, and the paperboys know that. There has to be some reason that this word was chosen, and there has to be some information that suggests a motive for the killings, or that they may continue.

 

Calling it an Inquisition suggests that someone at the paper has at least leads to that information.

[DusterBoy]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

I concur with Assault. "Inquisition" is a loaded word, and the paperboys know that. There has to be some reason that this word was chosen, and there has to be some information that suggests a motive for the killings, or that they may continue.

 

Calling it an Inquisition suggests that someone at the paper has at least leads to that information.

 

But, depending on how obnoxious they're feeling, they won't share the information, because of "freedom of the press" and "protection of sources", yadda, yadda, yadda.

 

*Dusterboy yawns, gets his bum out of his comfy chair and prepares to hit the mean streets to shake people down for information*

[Heroic Halfwit]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

What was the article attached to the headline?

 

"The Inquisition is come" is an odd grammatical choice. Standard English would have more likely been "The Inquisition has come." Perhaps there is a clue in that choice.

 

Alternatively, it could have been like the controversy over publishing the Una Bomber Manifesto. The grammatical choice was made by the "Inquisition" perhaps to distinguish itself from the historical Catholic Inquisition.

 

Is this Inquisition claiming responsibility? Does the article make an connections between the incidents mentioned?

 

Newspaper normally don't just run a headline without an article to followup, even if it's only speculation it should give some account of how the paper chose "The Inquisition is Come" for the headline.

[Silbeg]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

Well, as another clue, perhaps...

 

The team learned quickly that the widespread headlines were not in fact the planned headlines for the paper.

 

In addition, they checked www. theinquisition. com on a whim, and discovered a short manifesto, so to speak, which stated that The Inquisition is going to free humanity of the curse of paranormals. They also put a list up, of several paranormals (7 as of the end of the game session), who had been "tried and found wanting". All seven of these individuals have been assassinated. Two were the heroes (including Foundry, listed above), four were villains, and one was a warehouse laborer, with slightly better than normal strength, and no criminal record.

 

Of note, the paranormals were listed with their "secret IDs" as well as their hero names.

[Silbeg]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

Oh... FYI - if I am looking for things... it is ideas to use ON the players... as the Inquisition...

[bubba smith]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

silberg i doubt the site your link brought me to has anything to do with your campaign

[ghost-angel]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

silberg i doubt the site your link brought me to has anything to do with your campaign

 

Welcome to the helpful world of Auto-Linking anything that looks like a URL. I doubt he actually intended to send us off to a web page. . .

 

RE the request:

Does the Inquisition broadcast intent? Sending out Notices Of Failure might be something they could do. Perhaps even fake ones to throw Heroes off the trail.

 

Kidnap a DNPC, put them through a Faux Trial or Interrogation regarding the associated Hero, then release them. Or not.

 

They could start printing articles regarding how and why Heroes are failing and being found Wanting.

 

Broadcast interruptions of the evening news to accuse Paranormals - both known and unknown, complete with threats for them to get their act in gear.

[Silbeg]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

Great ideas, G-A!

 

Currently, The Inquisition is keeping its identity secret... but reasonably soon this will change.

 

I am thinking that in the early phases, they will be going after easy targets... those with public identities and/or obvious vulnerabilities.

 

Bubba, G-A was right... the autolink was inadvertent...

 

 

The North Force currently believes that "Tartan" was targeted due to her less than holy history. The team was able to determine that the rare scotch that she has the local bar keep for her was spiked with Loco, a super-drug that had hit the street of River City a while ago. This drug was being distributed by "Jose Cuervo", who turned out to have been a VIPER agent. This is the first time that the nefarious drug has been seen in River City since they broke up the nest.

 

Loco is sort of a "super steroid", which has the side effect of "roid rages" as strong as its enhancement effects (in fact, while in a rage, its effects are enhanced).

 

The current plan will be to continue to target vulnerable paranormals, including those who do not actively commit crimes. While mutants are going to be prime among their targets, they will not be limiting themselves to those paranormals only. The use of magic, mystical training, or high tech enhancements are equally seen as heretical by The Inquisition.

 

One thing that may be questioned is wo is backing The Inquisition. While one might guess that it is the Roman Catholic Church, certain events will be coming that will discredit that theory.

[Nothere]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

Ah so your looking for ideas to use on the players.

 

Pamplets detailing how the charecters are setting themselves apart from humanity/ and details of their questionable past, and calling upon decent people to ostrisize them.

 

A video of some minor charecter confessing to crimes against humanity, the video is framed so you can't see if their being forced to say this.

 

After ever resuce people in simalar looking clothes start shouting insults and trying to thurn the crowd against the heroes.

 

For a week the editorial page is replaced by a long diatribe. Each day againsdt a different elected offical demanding to know why they have surrendered the authority given to them by the people to a group of inhuman thugs.

 

That the sort of thing you mean?

[bubba smith]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

Great ideas, G-A!

 

Currently, The Inquisition is keeping its identity secret... but reasonably soon this will change.

 

I am thinking that in the early phases, they will be going after easy targets... those with public identities and/or obvious vulnerabilities.

 

Bubba, G-A was right... the autolink was inadvertent...

 

 

The North Force currently believes that "Tartan" was targeted due to her less than holy history. The team was able to determine that the rare scotch that she has the local bar keep for her was spiked with Loco, a super-drug that had hit the street of River City a while ago. This drug was being distributed by "Jose Cuervo", who turned out to have been a VIPER agent. This is the first time that the nefarious drug has been seen in River City since they broke up the nest.

 

Loco is sort of a "super steroid", which has the side effect of "roid rages" as strong as its enhancement effects (in fact, while in a rage, its effects are enhanced).

 

The current plan will be to continue to target vulnerable paranormals, including those who do not actively commit crimes. While mutants are going to be prime among their targets, they will not be limiting themselves to those paranormals only. The use of magic, mystical training, or high tech enhancements are equally seen as heretical by The Inquisition.

 

One thing that may be questioned is wo is backing The Inquisition. While one might guess that it is the Roman Catholic Church, certain events will be coming that will discredit that theory.

i'd hate to have bionic implants in that world theinquisition whoud see me as the frankenstein monster

[Ninja-Bear]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

"tried and found wanting"

 

Well the hand writing is on the wall. And it is obviously Terror Inc. behind this nefereous scheme.

 

Onto things for your PCs, well they could be recruited by the Inquisition. The real reason could be they were killed because they wouldn't join. Or the heros are the targets and the villians are expendale to keep up the charade of an inquistion.

 

For some good roleplaying, have a person who has been vocal against mutants and such and have him mobbed. Also make the person innocent from actually doing anything. Will the heros save him ? Just because he says things that are offensive, doesn't he have first amendent rights ? How is that going to play out in the public eye? What about the churchs ? Some people will use any excuse to justify the actions. So now thugs might vandal, and steal from the church because they are the inquistition, even though there is no proof.

[Silbeg]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

Well the hand writing is on the wall. And it is obviously Terror Inc. behind this nefereous scheme.

 

Not so sure about that one myself... nor is it Genocide (or its 5E replacement).

 

Definitely a new player... one that has been building power for some time, and has now decided to come to the forefront. While I am not saying who this organization is, it is definitely not backed by any mainstream government or religious organization.

[Ninja-Bear]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

Yeah I realize that it may not be Terror Inc. It could just as well be Black Paladin. But I couldn't resist using the phase the hand writing is on the wall.

[Silbeg]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

Ah so your looking for ideas to use on the players.

Exactly!!!

 

Pamplets detailing how the charecters are setting themselves apart from humanity/ and details of their questionable past, and calling upon decent people to ostrisize them.

 

A video of some minor charecter confessing to crimes against humanity, the video is framed so you can't see if their being forced to say this.

 

After ever resuce people in simalar looking clothes start shouting insults and trying to thurn the crowd against the heroes.

 

For a week the editorial page is replaced by a long diatribe. Each day againsdt a different elected offical demanding to know why they have surrendered the authority given to them by the people to a group of inhuman thugs.

 

I'll be using a lot of this! Thanks!

 

The biggest issue I may have with this plot train is figuring out a way to keep The Inquisition effective against paranormals while they are all normals... using mundane tech, and the like.

 

Trying to decide how hypocritical they are going to be ("one of us, one of them" kind of thing). Will The Inquisition use super-tech, etc?

[Cygnia]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

"Those who fight monsters become monsters. We have accepted this burden for the rest of humanity's sake."

[Silbeg]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

"Those who fight monsters become monsters. We have accepted this burden for the rest of humanity's sake."

I'll definitely be using this, once issues from this week come out.

 

As for that...

 

I created three different "field agents"... names based on roles/positions from within the "real" Catholic Inquisition... and other sources...

 

Qualifier (the base agent) - they are highly trained agents, using AA Beowulf .50 cal carbines (modified M4 Carbines)

 

Perfect (heavy weapons agent) - these individuals use the electrical-web suppression canister guns, as well as Kovrov RPG-7V2 RPGs, with HEAT ammunition.

 

The field leaders are the:

Consultore: These individuals have been "blessed" with the ability to compel confessions, and wield a "blessed" sword.

 

The ability to compel is an EC with Telepathy, Mind Control, and an EGO drain, all requiring eye contact. Typically, the team will subdue the subject with their electrical-webs, and then the Consultore will compel a confession. After a blessing, including last rights, they then execute the victims with the holy sword (supposedly so that the confessed doesn't have the chance to tarnish their now cleaned soul).

 

 

In this week's events, The Inquisition captured, confessed, and killed a pair of teens (brother and sister), who were attending the River City Academy (a well known "super school"). Copies of their confessions were pinned to shirts, and they were left, dead in the streets. Witnesses described 7 men coming out of a white Dodge Sprint, which had large red crosses. Six of the men were dressed in white (the Qualifiers and Perfects), and one in red (the Consultore). The North Force investigate the scene, and learned much from witnesses and forensic evidence (such as the sign of the cross painted on their foreheads in olive oil).

 

Later that week, the police were able to track a van matching the description provided, and the North Force intercepted the Inquisition team. This team was starting "confession" of a woman members of the North Force had encountered the night before, a woman with the mutant ability to control light (and take on a light form). She had been captured by the electric-web, and the Consultore was ready to start taking her "confession".

 

The North Force engaged the team, freeing the paranormal. During that fight they learned of the strength of the chosen armaments, as well as the "paranormal abilities" of the Consultore.

[kahuna's bro]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

tell usd more

[TheTemplar]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

Given their MO of targeting supers with public ID's first, I think the obvious course of events would be to have them come after a PC with a public ID. If none of your PC's have a public ID, would the inquistion have the means to discover a secret ID? If so, that gives them another avenue to cross paths with your heroes. Or, perhaps a less idealistic member of The Inquisition learns a PC's Secret ID and rather than bringing the Inquisition to bear on the hero, decides to try to blackmail him or her instead? If you have a PC who is known to not have any metahuman powers, perhaps they could be approached by an Inquisition recruiter to bring them "into the fold" as it were. Could turn out to be an effective way to disseminate information to the players, having an "inside man" to uncover nuggets of info here and there...

 

...until of course that PC gets in too deep and get themself brainwashed by the Inquisition's propoganda machine and become a true believer.

[Ninja-Bear]

Re: "The Inquision Is Come"

 

I just thought up a twist or two that you could add. Well you could have a group called the Templars who are hot on their trail because this group are heretics. This could be played two ways. First, its just a third party who th e heroes are competing against. If the templars get them then the inquistiton goes back to where their from. Or a npc could hook up to feed you pc information on the group. Another option would for mercenaies to go after the group. Again you could have a neutral party similar to Bullets Raiders, or for more agnst, actual evil villians, who of course are hired by a master villian who doesn't want to be killed by these nimrods.