Need a suitably evil plan for a villain.

[Stumblewyk]

First, some backstory: I've been out of the GM'ing chair for a few months due to a move, and a few other family-related issues. I'll be resuming GM responsibilities for my group shortly after the New Year. I've decided I'm starting a new game in FATE, running an "American Gods"-inspired game.

I've got the BBEG villain. I've got the LBEG villainous lieutenants. At one point, I had a great evil scheme for the villain and his minions. But that was months ago, and strangely for me, I never bothered to write said plan down. =/

So, I turn to you all for assistance.

The basics are this: the biblical Cain, still walks the earth. I've taken a few liberties with his "curse", namely - he is immortal, and the "mark of Cain" is bright, unnaturally red head and body hair. Over the millenia, he's accrued fantastic wealth and power, and today stands as one of the world's wealthiest men. He has recruited other semi-divine figures who have, throughout mythology, also been cursed with immortality. Under Cain's guidance, and with Cain's resources, they will do [x] to destroy the world since they cannot die. Basically, spitting in the eyes of the Gods by destroying their Creations.

Sure, Cain's lied to a few of his lieutenants about his motives and ultimate goals. But Cain's ruthless in his desire to see Jehova wounded and harmed. He's willing to take down anyone and everyone if that's what it takes.

The Gods are on to Cain, though. But they can't move against him directly for fear of tipping their hand(s). They're assembling a small group of godlings, demigods, and mythological beings (the PCs) in the hopes of guiding them to cause Cain's downfall, or at least put a stop to his plans.

I like Cain a villain - he's got some protection from that Sevenfold Curse. Every bit of harm you do to him is returned upon you seven times. He's got nigh-unlimited resources. And he's vengeful, spiteful, and angry. And he finally feels like his goals are within reach. I just can't come up with a suitably "supernatural" scheme for the guy. I know I *had* a good one. But I can't remember it. How does Cain go about undoing Creation? Or am I over-thinking things?

Anyone have any ideas for a stalled, frustrated, once-again-GM-to-be?

Thanks.

 

[Bagpuss]

How can you possibly fight thwart someone that has a seven-fold curse on any action against them? Isn't it hard enough that he is immortal?

Since you are going biblical would it not make sense that he attempt to bring about the Apocalypse, by manufacturing events the fulfill prophecies about it?

 

[Stumblewyk]

I guess I should specify - the Sevenfold Curse specifically applies to physical harm. Cain CAN be outsmarted, maneuvered, and defeated by non-physical stresses.

Also, I guess I just feel like that's a little obvious. I mean, I guess no matter how you work it, what Cain's attempting is an Apocalypse, but I'd like to avoid having Cain trying to bring about the Christian Apocalypse, or Norse Ragnarok, or something similar, if I can.

In the American Gods universe, a god or supernatural being's power is directly related to the strength, accuracy, and frequency of humanity's belief in them. Most gods are little more than slightly super-powered humans at this point. But the gods still represent and are confined by their "portfolios". So, a god of finance or one who has historically been tied to money will likely control a large bank, or own casinos in Las Vegas, or something similar, as an example.

What I was thinking was that deities related to "propping up the world", or holding up the sky, or something similar, would still have those jobs, whether they're believed in or not - but they're weak and vulnerable. But is it compelling enough for Cain to be waltzing about, chopping down the Mayan Bacabs, seeking out Atlas to cut him down, etc.?

 

[ThirdWizard]

I like shades of gray campaigns so here are my thoughts.

The first thing that pops into my head is to make Cain a sort of tragic figure. He wants to strike out at the gods for what they did, hurt them. He doesn't want to hurt humanity itself, but sometimes that's just what has to be done in order to hurt the gods. That isn't to say that it would be any kind of redeeming quality about him, but it could be that during the first arc of the game the PCs don't realize his ultimate plans because he just hasn't done anything to harm humans or humanity yet. They might even see him as a righteous figure who is was wronged. Then he goes and does something irredeemably, but logically, evil, and the PCs are flabbergasted that they were fooled by this guy. Make the gods not all good people as well. Some of them deserve what they get. I'd frame the campaign in a struggle between two supernatural groups with poor humanity caught in the middle. Saving humanity happens to mean siding with the gods, but that isn't necessarily the same as siding with Good. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

As for his overall plan, it should be something that can be completed in stages, and it should be something that allows some flexibility in PC failure throughout the game. With this setup, I'd love to see the PCs as a step behind Cain, to emphasize his long plans coming to fruition. Over time, as the PCs catch up, they start to have more and more success. I might even start it out as the PCs working for Cain and moving to side with the gods as they realize just who they're working for and what is going on. I'd make it some convoluted plan. I'm thinking somewhere in the vein of Stephen King's novel Needful Things only on a much much larger scale, manipulating the world into chaos. I'd make it a globe spanning (or at least continent spanning) plot, where each small detail magnifies on the last, until all out armageddon is breaking out. That is, unless the PCs are able to stop everything from going wrong! The hard part about this is that you would have to figure out a series of events and contingencies to make this happen in a believable and non-awkward way. The benefit is that as the PCs finally start to figure out what's going on, the epiphany would be absolutely priceless.

 

[Razjah]

What about having the gods need their followers. Their power comes from their believers faith. Cain needs to only destroy enough people/temples/religious sites to disrupt the faithful.

I imagine the gods as ethereal beings. But destroying the followers and sites will weaken and possibly destroy the gods.

 

[LostSoul]

What would happen if Jehova harmed or killed him?

 

[Janx]

What about having the gods need their followers. Their power comes from their believers faith. Cain needs to only destroy enough people/temples/religious sites to disrupt the faithful.

I imagine the gods as ethereal beings. But destroying the followers and sites will weaken and possibly destroy the gods.

They say that the smartest thing the devil ever did was convince man he didn't exist.


Cain could try to discredit/disprove the gods exist, thus destroying their follower base.

Cain could form a new religion, perfect, benevolent sounding in nature, in order to draw followers away from the other gods. perhaps a monotheistic one who decries all the other gods as false and as devils luring mankind to sin.

Cain would act as the church leader (or even a lower side-man). His whole point is to NOT be the god-figure.

This would fit in with Cain siding with humanity, as his religion would espouse positive values. But his end-game is really to provide a more addictive/appealing product to hurt the other gods.

Additionally, since this is sort of a ruse, Cain's followers may be true believers in the religion. Since Cain is pulling strings to work miracles or send prophecies, they don't know that, and would be hurt to learn the whole thing was a lie.

 

[Razjah]

Cain would act as the church leader (or even a lower side-man). His whole point is to NOT be the god-figure.

This would fit in with Cain siding with humanity, as his religion would espouse positive values. But his end-game is really to provide a more addictive/appealing product to hurt the other gods.

Additionally, since this is sort of a ruse, Cain's followers may be true believers in the religion. Since Cain is pulling strings to work miracles or send prophecies, they don't know that, and would be hurt to learn the whole thing was a lie.

@steeldragons do this! Janx took my idea and made it way better. I was imagining something where Cain fought and killed major leaders/god-blessed/etc and destroyed sacred sites to prove the gods had no real power and they were false. Leading a new movement against the gods and actually converting people to his side is much better.

[MENTION=67606]Stumblewyk[/MENTION] sorry, I confused the OP for the threads I have been in.

 

[MarkB]

One thing that springs out as a possibility is Cain exploiting this sevenfold curse in some way.

My suggestion would be that he finds a way to place the Mark of Cain upon all humanity, dooming the world to an endless cycle of exponentially-building retribution and counter-retribution.

 

[steeldragons]

@steeldragons do this! Janx took my idea and made it way better. I was imagining something where Cain fought and killed major leaders/god-blessed/etc and destroyed sacred sites to prove the gods had no real power and they were false. Leading a new movement against the gods and actually converting people to his side is much better.

Uhmmmm...I think [MENTION=67606]Stumblewyk[/MENTION] might find this more useful...I'm not running a Fate game with biblical figures. But thanks for thinkin' of me!