I'm a DM for a dark fantasy game that's been going for quite some time now, and we're reaching one of my players home cities. He backstory goes something like this: him and his brother became very great thieves, and decided to try stealing from the king of the city. They ended up getting caught, but the king was impressed by how far they were able to get before getting caught, so he decided to hire them (allow them to work for him for very little money and not be imprisoned). After a couple years the players brother had a plan to steal from the king again and leave town, in which he was hesitant to but decided to follow his brother. After sneaking into the king's vault, his brother betrayed him and alerted the guards of his whereabouts, in which the player had to escape the city before being caught.
I'm struggling to find a reason that his brother would have betrayed him other than just for the money and trust gained by betraying him. I would really appreciate any ideas anyone has on the topic, and all suggestions are welcomed.
Betrayer was jealous because their parents loved the PC more.
Betrayer thought the PC had a thing for his girlfriend/significant other.
Betrayer had just taken a level of warlock, and their patron demanded it. Or variations on this, like Betrayer was trying to join some organization, and the group demanded he sell out the PC to prove his loyalty to the new group.
For more of a twist, Betrayer was trying to protect the PC. Betrayer had gotten in too deep to someone (or something) and selling out his brother would make it clear the PC wasn't involved, and also force the PC to flee the city, putting him out of reach of the someone. But now PC is back, so Someone has to start wondering if PC was actually in on it the whole time.
Or, you can always combine a couple of these. Like the parents loving the PC more is what drove the betrayer to want to join some organization.
Turn true betrayal into an act of mercy - the brother found out that the king wanted the two to do a particularly dangerous or evil job. Knowing that your player would be able to escape (and perhaps with the brother having done some things to waylay the guards), the brother orchestrated a situation where your player could get out of the kingdom and where he would not want to return and help the brother who he thinks is a traitor.
It is not the most original story in the world, but it gives the player the moral question of forgiveness when someone did something bad—something the character has resented for years—but did it to protect the character.
To prove his "loyalty" to the king and get a reputable position in court - the easiest and most obvious reason.
To expand on the first: The brother became jealous, because mainly the PC rose in the kings grace, (insert other good/useful character traits here) and was offered an official place in the court etc. instead of him. Maybe he found the evidence or an upcoming proclamation before the PC even knew and planned the betrayal to install himself instead.
Or the brother had already stolen a valuable item from the vault behind his back (or maybe something to blackmail someone important) and needed a scapegoat. He either planned this himself, or someone else stepped up to the brother and offered the job (or even blackmailed him, too - the thieves guild could have been involved, as we now know: "No honor among thieves..." ) to do an "inside job".
Or the brother wasn't his brother at all, but a good old doppelganger who needed a way to get into the inner circle.
Or someone wanted him to be his "Wormtongue" (LOTR) at the kings court - but the only way to get his brother the PC out of the way of harm was to make him flee.
The brother was in a secret romantic tryst with the Kings daughter and thought that this act of loyalty would win the King's favour enough that he could be seen as a legitimate match for the daughter. It worked. They're now married and he's the King's son-in-law.
Maybe the brother was in love with a woman who was in love with the PC, or at least the brother thought she was in love with the PC, so he decided to get rid of his rival.
Maybe the brother was jealous because he dealt their father loved the PC more, and wanted to disgrace the PC.
Maybe the brother was in deep with the bookies and was being coerced into it because the bookie hated the PC for some reason.
Maybe the brother did it because the woman he was in love with was being held captive unless he shafted the PC somehow because the kidnappers hated the PC for some reason.
Whatever you choose, make it about something that has little or nothing to do with either the king or his treasure.
I'm a DM for a dark fantasy game that's been going for quite some time now, and we're reaching one of my players home cities. He backstory goes something like this: him and his brother became very great thieves, and decided to try stealing from the king of the city. They ended up getting caught, but the king was impressed by how far they were able to get before getting caught, so he decided to hire them (allow them to work for him for very little money and not be imprisoned). After a couple years the players brother had a plan to steal from the king again and leave town, in which he was hesitant to but decided to follow his brother. After sneaking into the king's vault, his brother betrayed him and alerted the guards of his whereabouts, in which the player had to escape the city before being caught.
I'm struggling to find a reason that his brother would have betrayed him other than just for the money and trust gained by betraying him. I would really appreciate any ideas anyone has on the topic, and all suggestions are welcomed.
Betrayer was jealous because their parents loved the PC more.
Betrayer thought the PC had a thing for his girlfriend/significant other.
Betrayer had just taken a level of warlock, and their patron demanded it. Or variations on this, like Betrayer was trying to join some organization, and the group demanded he sell out the PC to prove his loyalty to the new group.
For more of a twist, Betrayer was trying to protect the PC. Betrayer had gotten in too deep to someone (or something) and selling out his brother would make it clear the PC wasn't involved, and also force the PC to flee the city, putting him out of reach of the someone. But now PC is back, so Someone has to start wondering if PC was actually in on it the whole time.
Or, you can always combine a couple of these. Like the parents loving the PC more is what drove the betrayer to want to join some organization.
Turn true betrayal into an act of mercy - the brother found out that the king wanted the two to do a particularly dangerous or evil job. Knowing that your player would be able to escape (and perhaps with the brother having done some things to waylay the guards), the brother orchestrated a situation where your player could get out of the kingdom and where he would not want to return and help the brother who he thinks is a traitor.
It is not the most original story in the world, but it gives the player the moral question of forgiveness when someone did something bad—something the character has resented for years—but did it to protect the character.
To prove his "loyalty" to the king and get a reputable position in court - the easiest and most obvious reason.
To expand on the first: The brother became jealous, because mainly the PC rose in the kings grace, (insert other good/useful character traits here) and was offered an official place in the court etc. instead of him. Maybe he found the evidence or an upcoming proclamation before the PC even knew and planned the betrayal to install himself instead.
Or the brother had already stolen a valuable item from the vault behind his back (or maybe something to blackmail someone important) and needed a scapegoat. He either planned this himself, or someone else stepped up to the brother and offered the job (or even blackmailed him, too - the thieves guild could have been involved, as we now know: "No honor among thieves..." ) to do an "inside job".
Or the brother wasn't his brother at all, but a good old doppelganger who needed a way to get into the inner circle.
Or someone wanted him to be his "Wormtongue" (LOTR) at the kings court - but the only way to get his brother the PC out of the way of harm was to make him flee.
Options Options Options....
The brother was in a secret romantic tryst with the Kings daughter and thought that this act of loyalty would win the King's favour enough that he could be seen as a legitimate match for the daughter. It worked. They're now married and he's the King's son-in-law.
Maybe the brother was in love with a woman who was in love with the PC, or at least the brother thought she was in love with the PC, so he decided to get rid of his rival.
Maybe the brother was jealous because he dealt their father loved the PC more, and wanted to disgrace the PC.
Maybe the brother was in deep with the bookies and was being coerced into it because the bookie hated the PC for some reason.
Maybe the brother did it because the woman he was in love with was being held captive unless he shafted the PC somehow because the kidnappers hated the PC for some reason.
Whatever you choose, make it about something that has little or nothing to do with either the king or his treasure.
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