See that wretched fellow over there? The creepy old man with the ratty clothes and the pet alligator? That would be Gaedren Lamm, one of the first villains your PCs will be facing in the new Pathfinder Adventure Path, Curse of the Crimson Throne. One part criminal mastermind (like Fagin from Oliver Twist), one part feeble but bitter and evil old man (like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons), and one part classic RPG guild master of thieves, Gaedren Lamm is more than just a simple end-boss of a dungeon. He's the reason your new PCs became adventurers in the first place.
In the Curse of the Crimson Throne Player's Guide, we introduce several background traits that each player can look through, selecting one to apply to his character's history. Although each background trait gives you a small bonus to your character (something on par with about half the power of a feat... a +1 bonus to a particular saving throw, for example), they also give you something more: a built-in reason to hate Gaedren Lamm. Perhaps he murdered your father. Maybe he kidnapped your cousin. Or perhaps you grew up as one of his orphan pickpockets, and experienced a childhood of physical abuse and pain. Whatever your choice, you'll have a reason at the start of the campaign to side up with the other PCs—all of you will share a hatred for this despicable old villain. And when a mysterious figure gathers you together with news of where Gaedren Lamm's hideout actually is, how the criminal pays for his crimes will be up to your group.
