Ghost/Banshee haunting a town

[Omegaxicor]

I have a small problem with a future adventure, the town the party are about to visit is being haunted by a Banshee but I am struggling to come up with a good reason for the haunting, I know the identity of the Banshee and I can nudge the adventure to cover whatever I decide on for the reason.

The area was recently plagued by Orcs/Goblins but the main enemy camp has been destroyed by the party, there could be a new Red Dragon in the area but the party helped a pair of Silver Dragons drive out the last one.

Any Ideas?

 

[Dozen]

Maybe she had a half-orc child (I'd say half-goblin for the sake of staying original, but goblinoids can't crossbreed with humans through mundane means... uhh, sadly?) who was killed by accident(or "accident") in a battle by the townguard. When she wanted retribution, they executed her and buried both of them in a mass grave instead of the family mausoleum. Moral ambiguity never gets old.

 

[Gilladian]

Years before the adventure, the woman who became the banshee was in love with a half-orc. When the goblins/orcs invaded the region, her lover was recruited to go out and investigate because he could "blend in" with the invaders.

While he was gone, the captain of the guard (or other important man of the town), who was also in love with her, framed her lover for a crime, and then accused him of "going over" to the enemy. He hoped she would renounce her lover and turn to him for comfort. Instead, she realized what he had done, and confronted him. In turn, he murdered her to protect himself from the results of her threatened public revelation. And thus, she haunts the town, seeking revenge for her death. Her lover either died at the hands of the orcs, when he was mysteriously revealed to them as a spy, or was also murdered by the captain when he came back to town, all unawares of the fate of his beloved and the blackening of his own name.

Edit: of course, her death was made to look like suicide, so she was buried in unconsecrated ground. Either the captain is still around, years later, or perhaps his son now holds rank in town. Will he kill to protect his father's unblemished name?

 

[Omegaxicor]

I wonder HOW a half-orc child would be conceived??

that not withstanding I like the idea of her being murdered by the guard captain, whose descendant is mayor[ the guy who hired the party to get rid of her ], and she is seeking justice from the town. I don't really like the idea of digging her up and burying her in "consecrated ground" solving the problem though.

An idea I came up with looked good at first but I think something is missing, she was murdered by the Guard Captain but her daughter (or descendant if she was murdered several generations ago, a long time to hold a grudge) is marrying into that family and she isn't happy that one of her descendants will have her blood on his hands.

 

[Gilladian]

Most likely a half-orc was conceived in rape. OR two half-orcs had a child together. That's one of those details you may never have to answer. The banshee woman's lover's origin is almost incidental in the story I proposed (unless of course you choose otherwise).

Perhaps the banshee woman's descendant (I presume a child she had with the half-orc) is thinking of marrying the descendant of the guard captain, I could definitely see that as being enough to "awaken" the banshee. Perhaps the solution to laying her to rest is that they have to clear the name of the lover. He was miscast as a criminal and traitor. Maybe once his name is cleared, then the banshee will not prevent her descendant (how long has it been?) from marrying into the guard captain's family. Or possibly, that will even be enough to lay her to rest.

 

[Omegaxicor]

Most likely a half-orc was conceived in rape. OR two half-orcs had a child together. That's one of those details you may never have to answer. The banshee woman's lover's origin is almost incidental in the story I proposed (unless of course you choose otherwise).

knowing my group I will be asked

Perhaps the banshee woman's descendant (I presume a child she had with the half-orc) is thinking of marrying the descendant of the guard captain, I could definitely see that as being enough to "awaken" the banshee. Perhaps the solution to laying her to rest is that they have to clear the name of the lover. He was miscast as a criminal and traitor. Maybe once his name is cleared, then the banshee will not prevent her descendant (how long has it been?) from marrying into the guard captain's family. Or possibly, that will even be enough to lay her to rest.

maybe everyone knowing that his ancestor was responsible (after doing anything he can to avoid it coming out) is enough to get him to apologise to the Banshee and respectfully ask if he can marry her descendant which the Banshee accepts and is then at peace, since he has accepted his family's responsibility for the crime

 

[Gilladian]

I could also see a scene in which the banshee tries to prevent the wedding of her descendant and the captain's descendant, and the girl has to demand of her ancestress to "leave them alone!" When the old undead realizes that nobody is being forced, tricked or lied to, (and her lover is pronounced free and clear of all guilt), she might go to her final rest.