My version of Wildsgate (and Aereth as a whole) is a little more steampunk-ish than Harley originally intended, slightly more akin to the Iron Kingdoms.
The bard, by the way, has no idea that Ancilith from the Mug and Blade is also a bard. The player chose to avoid the 'singing' bard cliché and chose to be a storyteller / orator instead, maybe "a bit like a gnomish Shakespeare." ...
When they created their characters, they all expressed an interest in having 'morally ambiguous' roles, so I created a series of slips of paper with blackmail-able background stories on them. Simple stuff, light on specifics so that they could add to the details as they desired. Examples: "You've done jail time. You voluntarily took the fall for a guilty family member or friend, despite your own innocence. You wish to keep this guilt hidden." Or, "You have a gambling addiction (and the resultant massive debt involved)."
I chopped 'em up, dropped 'em in a hat, and had my players each draw one with the instruction that they try as best they could to create a background story around it. I called them "skeletons in closets" because a local thieves' guild used them to--successfully--coerce my players into working for them.
So the bard, whose player is a young lady who prefers roleplaying over combat or tactics, drew, "You murdered someone and got away with it. You wish to keep this guilt hidden."
Here's where you, and the help request, comes in. Who did she kill, and how does it affect the Wildsgate NPCs? I'm looking for a nice, Hitchcockian twist, something to make the player( s?) say "Oh sh**!"when they realize what happened. I'd also like something that can be brought back, an ongoing drama (it is a bard, after all, and has to have drama) that I can use over several games.
Any ideas? Even if they're crazy or seem only barely related to the question, toss them out--my fevered, devilish mind can adapt your ideas into usable plots.
If you need info, ask and I'll provide more....and, Thank You.
