Don't Forget the Lyrics

The music group Slipknot has some interesting visuals to go with some of their lyrics.

For example, take the song Snuff.

Bury all your secrets in my skin, Come away with innocence, and leave me with my sins, The air around me still feels like a cage, And love is just a camouflage for what resembles rage again...

Burying secrets in skin can be done a few ways. Tattoos are the most obvious one can think of but depending on the genre and the setting...

For example, in Marvel Comics, one of their iconic 'good' characters, the Silver Surfer has such a pure soul that Mephisto is always seeking it. Imagine the Surfer's surprise when he discovers that instead of being so pure that Galactus has actually hidden those horrific things that he has done from himself so that he, for all intents and purposes, is clean and pure.

This is a fairly common theme when dealing with memory loss. The killer becomes the saint. The real question is once the killer knows its true nature, where does it go from there.

Another line...

So if you love me, Let me go, And run away before I know, My heart is just to dark to care, I can't destroy what isn't there,

One of the most reknown tragic fantasy heroes of modern fiction is probably Elric of Melniboné who even when is not trying to live up to his ancestors evil, inflicts horrific casualties among his friends due to his cursed items and his failure to pull free from his bloodlines. In the D&D 4e game, there is an epic class that follows this thinking. That the character, through no direct fault of his own perhaps, still brings doom and death to those closest to him.

And another round of lyrics...

I only wish you wern't my friend. Then I could hurt you in the end.I never claimed to be a saint...

In the anime Gun Grave, Brandon Heat is betrayed by his best friend and is hunting him down through the series. At the end though, he and his best friend fight together against all odds. Showcasing a level of friendship that allows friends to make such huge mistakes and still maintain the friendship is difficult but can be a milestone of a campaign.

Betryal takes many forms. It doesn't necessarily have to be in the heat of combat. One of the greatest traitors to the cause comes right from the Knights of the Round Table where Lancelot's affair with King Arthur's wife causes the whole kingdom to fail.

Gaming inspiration can be where you find it. Always keep an open mind not only as to what the actual medium you're listening to, watching, drawing, etc... is actively trying to do, but how that can be twisted and turned along with the other bits in your own mind and experiences to enhance your own game.