So is anybody else writing back stories for these NPC's? I don't even write and I'm already planning to write a damn book for these guys.
Seriously, I've already done one for Aravashnial when the party leaves him to 'guard the cultist prisoners for a bit,' while they run off to be epic heros. Now I'm conjuring up a story for the night when Irabeth offers Anevia her love potion, (giggity).
The problem I see is that a lot of these characters already have a very interesting and extensive backstory, but many play groups may never touch on these unless they go down a specific rabbit hole of questioning or the DM inserts hooks that are somewhat out of character.
Example:
Anevia Tirabade is a transgender woman born with the body of a man, and her wife Irabeth sold her fathers sword to buy an elixer that would complete her physical transformation from man to woman.
Irabeth does not want Anevia to know she sold her fathers sword. She knows it would make Anevia feel guilty about the expenditure of money and the loss of a family heirloom, and while Irabeth would be willing to sell far more than just her fathers sword to make her wife happy, she also understands that discretion is necessary in order to prevent strain on their relationship.
The party never knows any of this. Anevia has no reason to out the fact that she is transgender. She is in the body she wanted from childhood, and she is happily married to the woman she loves with no idea that Irabeth gave up a family heirloom for her. Irabeth has no reason to divulge her wife's secrets nor does she have any reason to spill the reason she sold the sword.
The only lead on any of this is Horgus Gwerm, who knew Irabeth sold it and who she sold it to. He has no knowledge of what she did with the money, and simply saying "I purchased a wedding gift for my wife" would be enough for most parties of good alignment to trust a Paladin.
Unless the party digs deeply into the affairs of an obviously good Paladin on the off chance that Horgus' suspicions about Anevia are even close to true (which they are not), they are highly unlikely to come across any of this backstory.
A number of examples like that one exist throughout the AP's I have read, especially with enemies. Many enemies are given backstory within the campaign that has nothing to do with the main plot but simply explain why that character is working with the antagonists. Most of these enemies end up unceremoniously killed during a fight they started at the hands of PC's who are never given a chance to uncover these often rich and interesting stories that tie the enemies to the main antagonists.
It kinda saddens me sometimes when you have cases like the above example, because the writers tackle an interesting social issue in a very touching way but nobody except the DM gets to hear about it.
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Unless the GM later shares it with the players. Which some of us do. ^^
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After the party has been friendly with the NPCs in question for long enough, I usually tell them pieces and parts of the backstory as information they've found out just by being friends.
And Aldarionn, when the PCs find Irabeth's sword in the Garrison that's a good place to at least give some 'How the hell did it end up here' moments.
Especially after the read the note.