Hello, I'm a new DM (literally just 5 sessions under my belt) running a duet campaign with my wife, and we so far have only played one session. I am sort of building out my homebrew world while playing, but I have an idea of where the campaign will end up. I have most of the geography and culture roughly figured out, but I don't have any structure for factions or politics in individual cities. I sorta homebrewed an archer fighter half caster for her, since balance isn't a huge issue in a duet, and it fits the vision she had much better. While my wife likes the battles and all, she seems to really be drawn in by drama and intrigue. That's when I see the most investment from her.

Here's what we have done so far:

Her character is the daughter of a corrupt duke, when she was a teenager she witnessed her dad murder a high ranking guard then her own mother. She went to university, where she learned magic, and when she came back they tried to marry her off. Before the wedding, her made her kill a close friend to prove she was loyal to the family, and she refused. A few days later, her stepmother came and told her she needs to flee before morning or risk retaliation from her father. She travelled for a few weeks, hiding her identity, and eventually ended up in a city where she ran out of money. (all of this was though up by my wife as a back story.)

The campaign began with her spending her last coin on a bowl of porridge and a night at an inn, then she receives a letter form a good friend who offers her shelter. The session ended with her reuniting with the friend. The current pressing matters are a) keeping her identity hidden, but she is now a good few hundred miles from her father's territory, and b) getting some coin before she makes any big leaps.

Now, her friend is basically a warrior class sidekick, who will be by her side for the time being. My wife has also expressed interest in picking up another companion.

All I know right now is that she wants to eventually kill her father and relieve her people of his tyranny. I also have decided that her is plotting to take over the entire kingdom, by what means, I don't know. All I can really think of for now is to have them go into town, pick up a contract or find a notice board, and run a couple quests. I'd have little nuggets in there that hint at something bigger.

I have vague ideas about possibly having a local gang that is operating under her father's thumb so he can gain influence. Maybe a mysterious illness in the capital city of the nation that it turns out he planted in an attempt to weaken the kings forces?

I am really struggling to figure out what to do with the lower levels, and how to make it intriguing and dramatic.

Any hints or plot devices, or even world building advice, would be greatly appreciated.

These are my suggestions only and not to be taken as cannon or direction. My 2cp, take one if you need it.

• Low levels (Tier 1) are good for finding the character and learning what they know, and how they react to stimuli. Keep the big picture fuzzy, and in the far background. Try to focus on building the character and let them get comfortable with the local areas. Farmsteads, specific neighborhoods in cities, and villages.
• Mid levels (Tier 2) are good for finding out how all of the fuzzy things in the background are impacting the foreground. This is where your factions will likely take an (in)direct role in day-to-day events. Events that face entire cities or kingdoms .
• High-ish levels (Tier 3) are the spot for regional events that impact continents and might be a good place for the resolution of your usurper to take the throne in order to defend the kingdom form whatever new threat is appearing on the horizon, or to relieve the populace of the tyranny of badness.

I say this only to point out that you have time to flesh these things out. Interactions with the PCs can drive the creation of these factions or forces that will eventually be the aid/assistance that they need or are fighting against. Let the player set the tone for what type of faction they are looking for, and allow that to be what they find. Same with the baddies.

Working off of the idea that there is an invisible "force behind the throne" that is working to keep people in the yoke of oppression or weaken a kingdom before the takeover is a good one, roll with it. Maybe they look like the merchant's guild or the artisan's guild. Someone that would be welcomed in any city, but is carrying a plague or a pox to deliver to the city leaders to weaken them and put their own proxies in place.  Effectively putting their own puppets in play without making an overt showing of doing so.

Perhaps the local doomsayer, that everyone thinks is a touch off their rocker, saw something and is shouting it from the rooftops, literally. Only to have them be scoffed, ridiculed and dismissed. They are the proof/witness that needs to be silenced.

If you're keeping track of XP (and since you don't have a campaign yet, you don't have milestones), give XP for skill checks. I give 50.

For right now think small.  What are her spells and skills?  What is this territory?  What insider knowledge does the friend have that, combined with a certain someone's skills, could make them a quick score?  Next, a wizard needs reliable access to higher-level spells to advance, so that's a quest.  Is there such thing in your area or do they need to travel?  Exploring that place is good fora level on it's own.  Maybe somewhere around 5th level, the bad guys take a shot at her again. By then you've had some time to think.

I suppose she picks up some knowledge of the Duke's plan to take over the Kingdom around then.  she could hurt her father through the King. Maybe she could hurt her father through his connection to her would-be husband.  By the time you're their, you'll have a better idea where to go next.

The Crown of Shards series focuses on Everleigh Blair, a member of the royal family who is distantly in line for the throne of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. But when the unthinkable happens, Evie finds herself fighting for her life—both inside and outside the gladiator arena.

This series leads the character through a series of trials and events where she finally does topple the Queen that stole the throne and was being all evil. She makes friends with a group of gladiators -- a troupe, that involves putting on a show, much like a circus group except there is blood and chopping things involved, lol. 

She has to learn the ropes of combat, overcome obstacles that are mostly one on one or involve lots of ability checks for running gauntlets and such, identify the key people that she needs to "take out" or "suborn", learns a few new things she can do that will give her a chance against the more powerful king (whom I am assuming is also a magic user since he sent her to school, and if not, how did he protect himself from his enemies), and wins enough respect in her area to be invited into the castle itself, where she springs her trap -- but not before the King springs his own or another enemy of the King does, and so she is fighting two sides at once.

This gives you lower level "developing stuff", like training montages and running obstacle courses or perhaps heading out int othe wilds to practice against some more basic monsters or more likely "dangerous wildlife" like wolves or a bear rampage.

Throw in some bandits who prefer to run away for a recurring enemy that she can take out when she's more powerful.