We just started Council of Thieves this week and I think it's going to be a lot of fun. The thing that I want to make sure of, though, is that I can give the PCs adequate motivation to stick with the Children of Westcrown and their m.o. The one character that may end up being a little tricky is the rogue PC with the Child of Infamy background: he's a fledgling actor with a side job as a thief. His beef with the government is that his sister (an opera star and minor noble) was assaulted and murdered before the campaign began and the government of Westcrown covered it up. He was the first to raise his hand after Janiven's speech and say,"So what's in it for me?"
I kept him going by saying that Arael's organization, though small, has connections throughout the underworld of Westcrown and they could perhaps bring him information in exchange for his help. Ultimately, I'd like there to be a progressive search for the truth followed by a worthwhile payoff toward the end. Two possible culprits and reasons:
-Aberian Arvanxi, the mayor: easiest fit, seeing as he's obsessed with the opera and figurehead of the government. But I'm concerned that the event at his manor at the end of The Sixfold Trial will be derailed if he learns of it too soon. He would also work as a possible red herring.
-Sidonai and Vassindio Drovenge: this would mean that his sister's death had to happen a long time ago. My thinking is that after the birth of Ecarrdian, Vassindio wanted to be extra certain that his son hadn't fathered any other tiefling bastards and would thus have his son's mistresses tracked down. That could lead to a series of "cold case" investigations into other murdered women from around the same time until he finds the link tying them all together: the disappeared Sidonai.
So, those are two ideas that I'm thinking up that might work separately or together. What do you think?
The Sidonai and Vassindio Drovenge story is great. Id use that seperately.
The mayor angle would be more fun but I probably wouldnt want to involve the mayor until I knew for sure he wasnt needed in later volumes of the APs. I mean if your vengeance-seeking PC manages to kill the mayor, im sure someone else could step in and become.
You could even go further (involving both) and have Vassindio learn of the history of the PC's sister and the Mayor via shared underworld contacts. Then Vassindio can anonymously leave clues revealing that it was indeed the Mayor. Then if the PC's take down the mayor prematurely, Vassindio can take office. :)