Red Herring Needed

[trycade]

So I am trying to do a campaign of intrigue, here's the situation:

The PCs have been alerted to the fact that a local lord has fallen under the influence of bandits. The lord makes regular tributes to the bandits such as food, gold, and women. The PCs have come to the town to figure out if these allegations are true. If they are true it would mean that the local lord is in neglegence of his duties and should be deposed and punished.

Heres my issue: I want uncertainty and intrigue! Of yet the PCs are quite sure that the lord is in fact corrupt. What can I do to mislead them? I want them to question their motives. What would you do if you were a corrupt lord in danger of losing everything? From the lord's perspective, perhaps he is not corrupt, perhaps he is just doing what he percieves to be a necessary evil to keep the bandits from terrorizing the land. Maybe he has plans to draw them in and kill them eventually!

Thanks in advance!

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

Perhaps the bandits are blackmailing him. They may be holding a family member hostage. Or, for a neat twist, the family member may be a willing member of the group.

 

[Piratecat]

Your answer is enlightened self-interest. Who in town has the lord bought off, so that they will support him even though he's corrupt?

The magistrate?
A local group of semi-retired adventurers who act as bodyguards?
The captain of the city guard?
The King's wastrel nephew?

 

[Quartz]

Perhaps the bandits are in the employ of a rival noble?

 

[Roger]

* Heck, the bandits might be in the employ of the local noble. Feudalism looks quite a bit like a protection racket from certain angles.

* Maybe the bandits are basically adventurers, just like the PCs. They were hired by the government to deal with the goblin menace, and now they're being paid their just rewards.

* If the serfs are making noises that they should overthrow the nobility, that's a much bigger deal than some petty corruption. The PCs might be hired as stooges to flush out this fledgling insurgency, so it can be crushed.

* The lord could be Charmed, Dominated, replaced by a doppelganger, etc.

* The bandits are in league with a druid. As long as they're paid off, the druid casts Plant Growth on the fields, and everyone gets to eat. If they break their arrangement, the druid casts Diminish Plants and everyone starves.

* The bandits are occupying their ancestral lands, which they've held for untold generations. Some new guy showed up and claims its all part of his kingdom, but the bandits are not buying it.


Cheers,
Roger

 

[trycade]

First off, thanks for the plentiful and interesting responses. I really want the PCs' reasons to be 'shaken up'. I think I am going to go with the lord being blackmailed so that the PCs must make the decision if he's fit to lead or not. Terrible events have passed as a result of the selfish corruption, after all.

Now I just need some dirt on a lord. That shouldn't be difficult.

Thanks again!