A Player Character faces an Inquisition

About two weeks ago my D&D gaming group met via discord to play out an inquisition of a player character, Torcull MacCullaich. Please read my previous blog post for details as to how we got here.

Roleplaying an inquisition, or trial, is an absolutely new experience for me and for all of the players in my group. I've not heard of it having been done by other groups, but that is not to say that it has not. The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

I must admit that I was nervous as to how it would play out, as I'm always concerned that my players have a good gaming experience and that they are entertained. Story is important to me, but collaboration in crafting and telling the story is the most crucial aspect in creating a successful gaming experience.

In preparation I put up a post on our discord channel with the roles that each person would play. For ease of description I've posted a screenshot below.

Chris's inquisitor was Exarch Boyle Castinus of the Chapel of St. Trid. Ian's was ArchPresbyter William Gray, Prior of St. Cormac's. My own inquisitor was Warder Arnaud Hardie of the Supreme Sacred Congregation, an office of the church with the remit of investigating heresies.

I began the session with an out of character explanation of how we would run it, and then I dropped into character as lead inquisitor Arnaud Hardie. I read a scripted preamble and then recited the Creed of the Pentarchy, that I had created following the format of the old Nicean Creed of the ancient Christian church. After that we called forth the prisoner, Torcull MacCullaich.

Torcull's player, Murray was true to form and led off with foul and unholy imprecations, made base accusations against the witnesses, and then denied recognition of the authority of the inquisition. It was quite funny to listen to, and effectively he publicly laid bare his guilt before any questions or cross examinations could be carried out. However, in the spirit of a good game we persevered.

I was pleased with Chris and Ian's performance, as they really leaned into their roles in asking questions of the witnesses, and making suggestions as to how to deal with the recalcitrant Torcull. Murray was excellent in his roleplaying and threw in a few In Character blinders that spiced up the inquisition. In effect he unfolded a story to show that Torcull was in fact possessed by a fractured Fae being with twenty or more personalities. I wish I had audio recorded the session to provide me with a transcript I could reliably reflect on.

Ultimately we brought the inquisition to an end and I asked Ian and Chris to join me in a secret discord chat. Rather than using DM fiat to determine the outcome I asked them whether they found Torcull guilty of the heresies he was accused of, and if so what sentence they recommended for him.

As was expected, it was unanimous in the finding of guilt. We discussed avenues of sentencing and I shared my opinion that as Torcull was possessed by a Fae being, that he was not human, and thus could not legally claim the right to Trial by Combat to clear his name. The others agreed with me.

Ian came up with an interesting resolution - that Torcull be burned in effigy, much like a Guy on a bonfire. He suggested that Torcull be stripped of all his clothing and possessions, and that as part of an exorcism ritual he be ceremoniously washed and shaved completely until he was hairless and his nails clipped short. Everything that was of him or owned by him would be burned on the pyre as part of an effigy, and items that would not burn would be smashed, bent and broken until they could not be used again. Then the naked, hairless, and nameless being would be handed over to the secular authorities for their disposal.

Chris agreed with this. It was an interesting suggestion and a strategy with a tantalising loophole for Torcull to return at a later date as a BBEG (big bad evil guy). Officially he would be burned at the stake for his heresies, and his still living body would be disappeared by the secular authorities. I determined that Torcull would be incarcerated on the Bass Rock as a nameless and broken man, and after the furore had died down he would be hanged without ceremony alongside other base criminals.

The session came to a satisfactory close and we all had a discussion about how we thought it went. Murray disclosed all the behind the scenes discussions he and I had had when building Torcull up as a character, and mused on his intentions and decision making for Torcull's point of world view.

It was an excellent session, and I think a unique way in dealing with retiring/killing off a character who had come to violent opposition with the heavily ritualised religious society he lived in.

One other thread that was teased out from this session is that Ryan and Graeme's characters, the priest Conall Argyle, and the Paladin Maria Jaeger, have been found wanting in allowing the heresy of Torcull MacCullaich to have reached the stage that it did. This has opened up some doors for questioning of beliefs, and of further intrusion from the inquisitor Arnaud Hardie.

It was Murray's suggestion that we use this new turn of events to bring his new character into play. He rolled up a Fighter and based him off the 16th century Landsknecht. Master Konrad Krauss is a master swordsman and mercenary hailing from Almayne across the sea in Eorpa. He is in the employ of Warder Arnaud Hardie and is brought in to fill the vacuum left by Torcull's death, and to keep an eye on the rest of the party.

It is a good in to keep the story moving forward. 

As an aside, it is my plan to let slip to the players, during a later session, the news of a strange occurrence during the hanging of a minor criminal.  The rope snapped, the hanged man fell to the ground contorting into some monstrous berserk horror and broke out of his bonds. He killed the hangman and his assistants with his bare hands whilst the onlookers fled. When the authorities investigated the scene, the hanged man was nowhere to be found.

Oh NOES! 😱