Do you ever wonder what happens to the characters, or the world in the games you just stop playing? Sometimes I do.
Ammon and Kessa were part of an adventuring party charged with collecting ancient relics to save the world. The person sending them on this task was a little bit suspicious, but another group was also seeking these objects, and the party, mostly full of do-gooders, could see no other option but to try to win this “race” now, and decide what to do with everything later.

When the campaign unceremoniously drifted to a close, the group had collected three of these relics - a shape shifting cloak that sensed the needs of the wearer, a staff called Life Evergreen, and an enormous crystal sword. The sword was evil - pretty much no doubt about that. Unlike most of the other objects, it was well known in rumor and legend - for being extremely powerful, but also eventually driving every one of its wielders to violent madness. Kessa, ever the good Paladin, carried it on her back wrapped in cloth, and tried not to listen when it whispered to her.

Ammon had started the adventure pretty neutral, but ended up surprising himself with some dangerous selfless acts - and actually died doing something crazy and noble, far away from the rest of the group. The party managed to resurrect him with Life Evergreen, but on the other side of death, he saw some frightening things, and anxiety began to mar his easy-going personality. Kessa was quietly devestated, and became even more of a worrier, second-guessing herself because of her failure to protect him. She was determined to take even more risks upon herself. Nothing like this could happen again. But what if it did, and without the staff to save him?

Would the sword say, “I can help… but we’re going to have to make a deal.” Would she say yes? Maybe she would.
And Ammon would open his eyes, sit up, and speak…. but still not be breathing. And Kessa would help him stand, and turn to look for her mount (which all paladins receive as a living blessing from their gods, so long as their alignment remains Good), and it would be gone. And maybe the sword would laugh.

http://shadeykris.tumblr.com/post/1.....ne-do-you-ever

and that's how you get a fallen paladin
probably now they have to run around doing whatever the sword tells them to