Paladins, Shadow mages & Blackguards...DM help!!

[Waylander the Slayer]

Hi Everyone,

Since there are some amazing minds on this board, i will ask for your help in regard to a plot line that recently and unexpectedly had come to the fore. The following is the background:

• The empire, where the campaign takes place, under seige by different factions.
  There is an eminent threat of war.
  The Tormish faith is the prominent, and "official" religion.
  The PCs have recently learnt that the High Paladin of the church, a well respected figure, is corrupt or is being unduly influenced.The culprits behind this seem to be a cabal called the "shadow Circle". The group consists of priests who seem to derive their power from an unknown source as well as shadow mages. Their true purpose is not known.
  
  One of the PC allies, a cleric of Torm, has been missing for a while. From divination, the PCs had gathered that he is trapped between "life and unlife."
  
  The PCs and allies had planned to reveal the high paladin for what he is using the holy sword they had recently recovered which has the "break enchantment" ability.
  They are planning to do this at the cerimony where the party paladin is to be knighted (whether this will work or not is up in the air).
  
  The cerimony is a day long event and the PCs were informed by what seemed to be the cleric of Torm (one of the PCs had cast see invisibility and saw what seemed to be the faint etheral image of the cleric that he was trapped within the fortress of shadow and the party needs to go to the fortress of shadow (possibly in the plane of shadows) to truly reveal the paladin for what he is (or free him). As well as use the holy sword on the paladin.

So there are the whacked out plot eliments which i need to tie together. I have a few ideas but would love anything you guys can come up with.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Well, if the mages know of the Holy Sword, they may foresee the issue and have a plot underway to replace the sword with one of their control. This could have two effects: 1) protecting the controlled paladin from detection 2) discredit the players.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Oooh! Better yet! If you have the Book of Vile Darkness have the Sword replaced with an identical sword which is possessed by a fiend (demon or devil... your choice) which will then attempt to possess the Paladin.

MUA-HA-HA-HA!!!!!

 

[Hand of Evil]

Why corrupt the paladin? I mean, why not the sword, making it a weapon to kill a god!

The controlled paladin is the tool to open/create a way for something dark and very dangerous to enter into the world.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Why corrupt the paladin? I mean, why not the sword, making it a weapon to kill a god!

The controlled paladin is the tool to open/create a way for something dark and very dangerous to enter into the world.

Corrupt the Paladin into becoming a Blackguard!