Encounter-a-Day

The PCs confront a villain and discover him to be wearing a plain white porcelain mask. The villain is suave and articulate, taunting the PCs even as they defeat him. When the mask is removed– or if it is broken– the man suddenly slumps into a lifeless corpse. Someone with any medical training can easily tell that the body has been dead for some time, days if not weeks.

Not long after, the PCs find another foe, again in a porcelain mask. He clearly remembers the PCs, and from his demeanor and jabs it is clearly the same person. However, when the mask is removed, the same thing happens: it was apparently tied onto a lifeless corpse.

This pattern repeats itself off and on for some time. Depending on your needs, the PCs might find clues leading to the true villain’s identity by searching the dead bodies, or he might remain concealed for years, popping up when opportune to stymie your players.