>>95967999
>Or he's just a violent asshole looking to blow off steam by beating the stuffing out of some hapless adventurers.
This might be the easiest to pull off, considering the city they're in is full of corrupt guards led by an equally corrupt Giant Douche.

>>95968002
I've somewhat implemented this, but I think I should go bigger with it.

In the city they're in right now they are somewhat having to deal with the consequences of their previous actions as another party. Someone in this city asked them to kill a tax collector in a neighbouring city, and they failed to do so but they did inform the tax collector who they'd been hired by and for what purpose.

Off screen, the tax collector went knocking on this man's door demanding answers, which led to them dueling and the tax collector losing. However, this tax collector was the Count's designated tax collector for the province, so the Count was pissed to learn he'd been murdered.

The man who wanted the tax collector gone was able to cover up his crime to the extent he wouldn't be implicated, but it was impossible to avoid discovery of what happened.

As a result, the Count sent some of his own elite guard to the city which was already in shambles due to the Lord having no power and the governance split between a few different factions, and the elite guard set some new rules into place that complicate the PCs mission until the murderer is found.

The best part IMO is that out of character, the PCs know exactly who did it, and they know why he's almost untouchable in this regard.

>>95968104
I do this, I like how you worded it though. Problem: They look at thing C but don't actually do it, so much time passes that thing B changes, and they ignore thing A altogether.

>>95968157
Haha that'd be a good one.