The campaign that I'm in has taken a turn for... well POSSIBLY the worst.

Essentially, our party (of high level, pre-Ascended acolytes) has been split in half. My character, and two others, have been set up and framed for very serious heresy and the murder of a renown Interrogator. Also, while under intense hallucinogens, we murdered several inquistorial guardsmen (we thought that they were cultists).

The murdered man's Inquisitor has taken a personal interest in finding us and putting us to justice.

Two of the PCs who haven't been framed, a Cleric and a Sororitas, have undergone strict penance and punishment for all of this. They're very bitter and feel betrayed.

The point of the campaign, we've been told, is that our characters must find out who framed us and get enough evidence to clear our names before the Inquisition finds us and BURNINATES our asses.

Sounds promising? Sure... sort of.

The problem is that the three PCs who are wanted are: a dangerously powerful Psyker, a sociopathic murdering Assassin and a rage susceptible Arbitrator. All of whom have royally pissed off major NPCs at one time or another. The GM has stated that everything hinges upon our characters being able to smooth talk our way back into trust with our former allies, but they pretty much LOATHE the assassin, fear and are disgusted by the Psyker and only grudgingly tolerate the Arbitrator. None of our PCs have good fellowship or any Charm related skills. I honestly don't see how this redemption is possible.

SO, in this grim, dark and GRIMDARK setting, can former acolytes redeem themselves even after being declared heretics by an Inquisitor?

Does Innocence REALLY prove nothing?

Well it sounds like your deep into it. Then again actions should have consequences and so I'm not sure you will be able to get out of this one to be honest. But if all things else fail, you can always aim to go out in a blaze of glory.

Another plan might be to let your hated characters attempt to go underground for the time being to not draw attention to the tolerated ones, while those who are cleared...but then again things may be a bit though even at this point. I'm tired so I'm not really thinking straight. Maybe you should just roll up three new characters?

Gurkhal said:

That's sort of the plan. It just sucks because we were sort of forced into this without any say.

Come to think of it, I've played this game with several groups and most of the time all of the acolytes dislike each other, even right off the bat. Something about the setting speaks to players, both familiar and unfamiliar with the lore, and tells them: "your character is a grim evil bastard and thinks that everyone else is a grim evil bastard".

It gets old, I have to admit.

Frame someone else, preferably someone that isn't innocent. That can buy you time to investigate!

Necrozius said:

I notice this with a lot of groups too. Luckily the guys I'm currently GMing are on pretty good terms with each other in-character right (well, the tech priest is good at pissing off the Commisar and Psyker, but that's what Techpriests are good for, right?)

One would assume your players also serve an Inquisitor. Perhaps he/she could be able to distract some of the higher gazes of the Inquisition, and keep them from being completely burninated (he/she does have a vested interest in your survival, if you didn't really do it, especially if you are some of their higher-level acolytes). At the very least, if your group likes Ascension, and plans to use it, three of your characters seem appropriate for the repurposed ascend package . Besides, in the end, it's amazing some of the things the Inquisiton will let slide, and what isn't as it seems.

As I don't know if there is a single a$$ behind all their woes, I'm not sure that they can get out of the frying pan, either. i do likel however, that some of your chaaracters seem very accurate (assassins KILL people, and it scares other people, psykers are the devil, and it scares people). Nice to see that no punches were being pulled.

If your group plays out the adventure smoothly enough it is possible to dig your way out of this ****-sandwitch. Soldiers are a relatively cheap and easily replacable commodity in the Imperium, so that mostly leaves the issue of the Interrogator, or more accurately the dead Interrogator's patron Inquisitor! Sets the table pretty nicely for the team's first powerful rival (or enemy!) in Ascension. Now all you have to do is survive that long, prove your innocence to someone who cares and survive the political repurcussions of the entire affair. Alternately, if your patron Inquisitor is sufficiently radical they might just bury the team enough to use them in creative new ways with shiny new identities.

Recommend bringing a BIG shovel!

Thanks for the advice, folks.

I've just decided to retire from the campaign. I told him that I wasn't comfortable going down that path, but he did it anyway. Also, I just don't like his style of GM-ing, so there's that too.

First time I've ever "retired" a high level character. Kind of sad, to be honest: lots of years worth of gaming with that one.

Oh well.