| 1 | They are actually a 'Hollow'—a soul-less construct mimicking a human. |
| 2 | They are a double agent for the Obsidian Scale, reporting on the party. |
| 3 | They stole their current identity from a dead nobleman in Kigum. |
| 4 | They have a stash of refined Aether-crystals hidden in a public well. |
| 5 | They are the rightful heir to the Steamfort Forge-Lordship but were exiled. |
| 6 | They are slowly turning into a Crystalline Monstrosity. |
| 7 | They once served on a pirate ship in the Crystal Archipelago. |
| 8 | They accidentally caused the mana-leak that destroyed their home village. |
| 9 | They possess a fragment of a Draconic Prophecy tattooed on their back. |
| 10 | They are in love with a member of a rival faction. |
| 11 | They have been 'dead' for years, kept alive by a necro-aetheric battery. |
| 12 | They are a spy for the Elven Enclaves, monitoring industrial progress. |
| 13 | They know the location of a secret vault under the Grand Arcane Bank. |
| 14 | They have a blood pact with a Void Hound. |
| 15 | They are addicted to consuming raw Aether-dust. |
| 16 | They are the author of a series of scandalous pamphlets about the Mages Council. |
| 17 | They possess a key that opens any door in Steamfort's Iron Tier. |
| 18 | They are a shapeshifted metallic dragon observing mortal affairs. |
| 19 | They are responsible for the 'accident' at Shaft 42 in Dal Dur. |
| 20 | They believe the world is already ending and are hoarding supplies. |