Those who answer the call to a life of adventure are often depicted as shining heroes, whose stories become legends in the minds of those who hear the tales of their deeds. The truth, though, is that these so-called adventurers are just people. They eat when they’re hungry, they go to the privy when their bodies demand and they all have parts of themselves they want to hide. For some, it might be a truth about who they are, or the origins of their abilities. For others it might be shameful things they’ve done, or failures they simply cannot let go of. Many of them manage to bury these things entirely, until they’ve passed out of living memory.

For others, though, these secrets will eventually come out.

The following list of dark secrets can be used by players who are looking to add an extra dimension to their characters’ backstories, but it can also be used by Game Masters to add in twists and turns to their NPCs. While some dark secrets may be plot relevant, others may simply be red herrings, throwing players off the scent of the adventure. How you use them is up to you! However, before you proceed, know that some of these secrets are darker than others, and reader discretion is advised.

To use the list, either roll d100 for a random result or select appropriate ones manually.

Here are some sample results:

20. You long for the sweet relief of death, but cannot bring yourself to take your own life. This has led you to challenge those you think might be able to slay you, and to take on deadly quests that put you at great risk. Whether you know there is a sickness growing within you that you won’t be able to cure, you are terrified of growing old or you merely wish to have a glorious end that will be told for a thousand years, suicide missions seem to be the only kind you ever accept.

21. Your mother is a hag. Whether she raised you along with her sisters in the coven, you were raised by others and she’s trying to hunt you down now that you’ve reached adulthood, or she’s all but forgotten that you exist at all, the threat that she represents hangs over your head. This may also have led to you staying apart from people, not trusting strangers and becoming something of a wanderer and a recluse… after all, there’s no telling when your mother might come for you, and who might get hurt in the process if and when she does.

22. You were raised in a cult. While you’ve since escaped the rituals and rites of the strange faith you were inducted into as a small child, part of you wonders if there was any truth behind the pageantry and prayers that you and the others participated in at all hours of the day and night. This is particularly true when it comes to the sacrifices you took part in, and the promises you spoke into the smoke and fire. You carried the weight of those memories into your new life, and you fear there’s a hook buried in them that might pull you back into the darkness you’ve fought so hard to escape from.

Released: 16th December 2023 Pages: 20

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“Secrets of the Shadowed Heart”