Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Cule
(I wonder what that reminds me of? Note to self: keep it fantastical and don't draw too many real world paralells. You've over indulged in political point making too often in the past.)
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Given the parallels between Megalos and Rome, you could look at the various Bad Emperors and see what happened under their reigns. Caligula, Nero, Commodus, etc.... there's no shortage of options. You could also look at Chinese Emperors who mucked it up.
You mention that the Usurper was having too much fun corrupting people to cause intentional harm. That implies that there is a demonic cult/conspiracy (or more than one) still left in Megalos; indeed, I can see the Usurper setting up several conspiracies and setting them against each other for the lols. The PCs must root out the conspiracies, extirpate the wicked, and rehabilitate the misguided before the rot spreads too far.
How's the Megalan economy doing? Traditionally bad emperors have really screwed up their economies with lavish overspending and messing with the food system, leading to famine, poverty, and desperation (and thus, revolt).
The other traditional pastime of bad emperors has been losing wars, or at least overcommitting the military, but that seems not to be an option for the Usurper. However, certain branches of the military might have gotten too independent, as Michael Cule implied, and have changed the balance of power in Megalos in ways that aren't immediately obvious. The PCs will have to deal with over-powerful generals and militant orders, either coopting, defeating, or acknowledging their new places in the power structure.
Bonus points if the over-mighty are infiltrated by the demonic cults, or are ostentatiously opposed to them (and thus, suspicious of the PCs as potential cultists).