Semi-OT: The Redemption of General Butt Naked

[Raellus]

Yes, you read that right. I just finished watching a documentary by that name (I found it on the Documentary Channel here in the States) about a former Liberian warlord turned Christian evangelist and it was both disturbing and fascinating.

I don't know where to start. I bring this up only as fodder for wilder marauder concepts. Sometimes some of the more colorful marauder leaders presented in modules seem a little too "Hollywood". General Butt Naked proves that sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction. The man fought naked and preferred killing people with a cutlas, believing it was a more efficient way to offer blood sacrifices to his dark gods. He convinced himself and his followers that he was bullet proof and that they could be too. He led several fighter groups including one called the SBU, or small boys unit. He trained them to believe that the people they killed would come back to life in "another movie" by showing them action flicks where certain actors were "killed" and then following up with another film in which the actor appeared- "proof" that they had come back to life. So, these kids killed thinking that the consequences weren't permanent and they fought without fear of death. A lot of them fought wearing fright masks and/or human body parts to make themselves invulnerable and to strike fear into their enemies. The documentary included quite a bit of footage of them in action. It was shocking

Anyway, Mr. Butt Naked left the country when the civil war ended in 2003. He lived in exhile for a while (in Nigeria, I think they said) before returning a couple of years ago. He's now a Christian evangelist. Instead of trying to hide his former identity, he trades on it. People recognize him on the street. Some of his former soldiers still idolize him. Some of them curse him. Former victims or family of victims sometimes confront him. He asks for and preaches forgiveness. There are many who demand that he be tried for war crimes. I can't believe he's still alive. It was surreal.

I just can't imagine living in that place. The country has adopted a sort of peace through reconciliation policy in order to avoid a renewal of the conflict. This means that victims regularly cross paths with their tormentors.

Anyway, if you have the means, I recommend checking it out. It's not the best piece of documentary film making, but it was interesting and thought provoking. Next time you present your players with a really outlandish marauder group and they say it's just too Mad Max, tell them to check out the Redemption of General Butt Naked. It's a mind-blower.