Curse you inevitable betrayal. The pain and anguish that come with being betrayed by someone you trust are indescribable. It feels like a stab in the back, a punch to the gut, and a shattering of the soul all at once. Betrayal often comes out of nowhere, without warning or signs to prepare you for the devastation to come. It leaves you questioning everything you thought you knew, doubting your own judgment, and questioning the true intentions of those around you. The sense of betrayal is particularly intense when it comes from someone you consider a close friend or a loved one.
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As the dust settled, I gave the players an option end the campaign now or keep going forward with an adventure that would take them to around 20 th level and quite possibly beyond. He then used a wish spell not to destroy the tower, but rather to drain its magical energies into himself, giving him the powerup to become the dragon-god he had once been.
The sense of betrayal is particularly intense when it comes from someone you consider a close friend or a loved one. It is as if they have turned their back on you, choosing their own selfish interests over your trust and wellbeing. The pain is magnified by the deep emotional connection you once shared, making the betrayal all the more painful and hard to accept.
Gaming Stories: Curse Your Sudden but Inevitable Betrayal!
Night Below: An Underdark Campaign is a classic AD&D adventure that I purchased when it came out in the 1990s but which I never got to run all the way through until the 2010s. Beginning with D&D 3rd edition and eventually converting to Pathfinder, my final version of the campaign saw some changes, including revising the Rockseer elves and adding a secret villain behind the aboleth conspiracy: the Red Mage.
Return of the Red Mage
After several years of gaming, the campaign ended in a way that I found quite satisfying. The PCs defeated the aboleth in a series of epic battles that taxed them but didn’t destroy them. When the Grand Savant finally died in an explosion of slime and gore, there was a moment of peace. (Well, technically, that moment had to wait until after three of the party got cured of the aboleth slime that took away their ability to breathe air.)
As the dust settled, I gave the players an option: end the campaign now or keep going forward with an adventure that would take them to around 20 th level and quite possibly beyond. They chose the latter, so the Red Mage stepped back in and asserted himself as the real bad guy.
Between this campaign and the last time the Red Mage appeared, 100 years of game time had passed. During that time, the mage had been in a self-imposed temporal stasis effect, hibernating and waiting for all his old enemies to die out. He awoke when some mind flayers ended the effect and sought an alliance with him. He wasn’t interested in any alliance and certainly had no desire to see somebody else take over the world, but he also wasn’t going to throw his life away attacking the aboleth head-on. Luckily, after meeting the PCs, he decided that they were the folks for the job.
A Bad Deal
For most of the game, the Red Mage had been lurking in the shadows, watching the heroes and making sure they were on course for victory. His presence showed up only in ways that the players wouldn’t have picked up on, such as the fact that a group of mind flayers they allied with were able to teleport.
In entering an alliance with mind flayers, the PCs were wise to protect themselves via a contract. This contract ensured that they would not be betrayed, that the slaves of the aboleth would be freed, and that the mind flayers would not ally with “the red one.”
That last bit was the sticking point.
Mind flayers don’t really see much difference between humans. They see people about the same way that we see cattle. So by defining the Red Mage only as “the red one,” the mind flayers knew they weren’t supposed to ally with a guy based on the color of his robes. So when the Red Mage showed up dressed in black and offering an alliance of his own, the illithid decided it was technically within their contract to do so. And so, after the death of the big bad of the campaign, the mind flayers showed up again with the Red Mage (now dressed in black) in tow.
Whether this was a legitimate out for the contract or just me dicking around is a matter of debate. Had one of the PCs gotten a bad sunburn, I doubt they would suddenly be considered “the red one” and betrayed by the mind flayers. In a court of law, the mind flayers’ logic certainly wouldn’t have stood. However, the Red Mage didn’t really care about the inevitable legal argument. He just wanted to get close enough to the Tower of Domination.
While others debated, the Red Mage flew up to the sphere of magic that represented the collective magical energies of hundreds of spellcasters. He then used a wish spell not to destroy the tower, but rather to drain its magical energies into himself, giving him the powerup to become the dragon-god he had once been. The PCs, realizing that they were outmatched, dogpiled on the paladin who decided to charge the dragon and then teleported to safety. Whether the mind flayers were legitimately within their contract became a moot point, since the dragon-god Derrezen has no interest in keeping bargains and promptly incinerated them all.
So the good news is that the aboleth had been defeated and the day has been saved. The bad news is that something much worse has emerged. The PCs would eventually defeat Derrezen for good, with the campaign culminating in an epic mythic-level battle that left everybody dead, but that would not be for quite some time…and not until after many sacrifices along the way.
There is no curse for that.
What makes betrayal even more torturous is the feeling of helplessness that accompanies it. You are left with a sense of powerlessness, unable to change what has been done, unable to take back the trust that has been shattered. It is an affront to your basic sense of control and leaves you feeling vulnerable and exposed. The effects of betrayal can be long-lasting and difficult to overcome. It often leads to feelings of anger, resentment, and even self-doubt. You may begin to question your own worth, your ability to judge others, and your capacity to trust again. The scars left by betrayal are deep and can take a significant amount of time and effort to heal. However, it is important to remember that betrayal is a reflection of the betrayer, not of yourself. It is their flawed character and questionable morals that led them to betray your trust, and it is not a reflection of your own worth or value as a person. In the face of betrayal, it is crucial to take care of your own mental and emotional wellbeing. Surround yourself with supportive and trustworthy individuals who can help you navigate through the pain and confusion. Seek professional help if needed, as healing from betrayal can be a challenging process. Ultimately, curse you inevitable betrayal, but do not let it define you or dictate your future. Use it as an opportunity for growth and personal development. Learn from the experience, strengthen your boundaries, and move forward with caution and wisdom. Trust may have been broken, but it does not mean that it can never be rebuilt..
Reviews for "The Anatomy of Betrayal: Examining the Factors that Contribute to Betrayal"
1. Tom - 2 out of 5 stars: I found "Curse you ineitaable betratal" to be quite disappointing. The story was confusing and lacked depth, which made it difficult to connect with the characters. The writing style was also very repetitive, with excessive use of clichés and unnecessary descriptions. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and would not recommend this book.
2. Sarah - 1 out of 5 stars: I couldn't even finish reading "Curse you ineitaable betratal". The plot was all over the place and made no sense. The characters were poorly developed, and their motivations were unclear. The dialogue was cringe-worthy at times, and the grammar and spelling mistakes were distracting. It felt like a poorly written first draft with no editing. I regret wasting my time on this book and would not recommend it to anyone.
3. John - 2 out of 5 stars: "Curse you ineitaable betratal" had an interesting premise, but it failed to deliver. The pacing was inconsistent, with long periods of boredom interrupted by sudden, confusing action scenes. The author also relied on stereotypes and clichés to develop the characters, which made them feel one-dimensional and unrelatable. The writing style was also repetitive and lacked sophistication. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it.
4. Emily - 3 out of 5 stars: I had mixed feelings about "Curse you ineitaable betratal". While the concept was intriguing, the execution fell short. The plot had potential but was not well-developed, leaving me feeling confused and unsatisfied. The writing style was decent, but there were moments of unnecessary repetition that hindered the flow of the story. The characters were interesting, but their actions and motivations were sometimes inconsistent. Overall, it was an okay read, but I wouldn't consider it a memorable or recommendable book.
5. Mark - 2.5 out of 5 stars: "Curse you ineitaable betratal" had its moments, but overall, it was a disappointment. The story had some interesting twists, but they were poorly executed, leaving me feeling frustrated rather than intrigued. The characters lacked depth and growth, and their interactions felt forced and unrealistic. The writing style also left much to be desired, with excessive use of unnecessary descriptions that slowed down the pace of the narrative. While it wasn't the worst book I've read, I cannot fully recommend it.