One hundred different rumors (or potential plot hooks!) that the players can hear from the villagers in town.
| d100 | Entry |
|---|---|
| 1 | Those exotic fruits they started selling cheap at the market? My cousin cut one open and it was full of worms! I wouldn't bite into a whole one if you paid me. |
| 2 | A famous bard is said to be performing in the tavern tomorrow night! I can't believe he's still playing, after the royal court accused him of witchcraft. |
| 3 | Giant man-eating toads hide on islands in the river, eating anyone who swims to them. |
| 4 | So, they finally hung ol’ Black Bart. He was a terrible ’un he was. Good riddance I say! Now, I wonder if his treasure's still in his hidey-hole? |
| 5 | A band of barbarians were seen making camp outside of town. They seem to be keeping to themselves, but it makes one wonder why they traveled here, of all places. |
| 6 | There's a secret entrance to the castle through the sewers. It comes out behind the throne. |
| 7 | The merchants guild seemed to have hired a large amount of cutthroats and mercenaries, they must be looking to protect something quite valuable. |
| 8 | The young widow of the late Sir Martin has been married three times. All of her other suitors were met with an untimely demise. |
| 9 | The farmers said they had several oxen viscously slaughtered by some creature in the night. It comes with the fog and is gone by first light, leaving no tracks on the ground. What could that be? |
| 10 | Did you hear about John's son? He's been missing for two days now. He never came back with the other kids from that trip to the lake. |
| 11 | A mysterious person has been spotted every few nights, knocking on the back door of the tavern around 10 o'clock. Someone opens the door, lets them in and quickly locks it behind them. |
| 12 | I tell ya' I seen 'em. Strange folk hanging around the alleys at night. They wear these big floaty type cloaks and take off running if anyone goes toward them. |
| 13 | Rhys has been missing for a week. Well, not exactly missing, just haven’t seen him around. Jody says she saw him the other day, but I think he’s hiding out of sight or keeping low for some reason. He’s never home when I drop by. Something weird is going on. |
| 14 | A powerful new crime boss is taking any members that can survive being shot with an ancient arrow. Mysteriously, it has a shockingly high fatality rate, despite the fact that the arrow is usually shot through a non-vital area. |
| 15 | Be careful who you talk with. See there are these half-breeds what come into town and try to seduce our womenfolk. They wear funny hats to cover their ears. Say... Take off your hat. Lemme see -your- ears. |
| 16 | There's an artist here in town who sells his paintings for a fortune. I thought it was a horrible deal, until I heard the paintings can talk to you. |
| 17 | The King’s men are still looking for his bastard son and the reward has gotten quite large. |
| 18 | Dark clouds have been seen hanging over the center of the city, no matter how strong the wind. |
| 19 | Well, I don't know if I's should be tellin' ya this, but the gentleman in the room at the end of the hall is a right strange one. He came a' blunderin' in about a day ago, drunk as the day is long, saying all sorts o' things. Says he just escaped from a cult or something. Bahaha! Bullshit, I say. If you ask me, he's been drinking too much of that Elven brew from that new fancy tavern what just opened up. It'll knock yer head into next week if yer not used to it. But, you have to have a fancy membership to get in they say. Man like him barely had money for the night's stay. I gave him a room and told him to sleep it off. |
| 20 | I don’t know why Miles always claims he’s stressed and tired. He hasn’t worked an honest day in his life, living off his parents’ money still. Although you have to admit it’s given him a lot of time to get good at his art. |
| 21 | A thief broke in and stole my best getup, and the weavers' guild is raising prices again. What am I going to wear to my niece's wedding? |
| 22 | Samji, that butcher ‘round the way, has closed up his shop and barricaded himself inside. Weirdest thing... I think he’s lost it. The tailor next door says Samji’s preparing for the end of days, whatever that means. |
| 23 | Who is scratching all of those weird symbols onto the sides of homes on Rosemary Street? |
| 24 | So a few months ago a group of lizardfolk built their huts on the outskirts near the wetlands. We left them alone because they were minding their own business, but I hear tell now that they're gettin' aggressive toward travelers. No-one knows what’s got them riled up. |
| 25 | If you feel a sneeze coming on, make sure you cover your eyes. There's them that say a black spirit will sneak into your head through your eyes during a sneeze. |
| 26 | I don't trust that troupe of acrobats that just came into town. Since they've been here, things have been going missing. |
| 27 | For some strange reason all the people in the tavern are repeating the word "Rhubarb" in various ways that look like they're conversing. |
| 28 | The blacksmith Arvyn does some excellent work. Supposedly his forge was built by a team of dwarves, hired from the mountains. Imagine! |
| 29 | There's something in this pond that is making people mad. See things that aren't there, and miss things that are in plain sight! |
| 30 | The black goats on the ridge south of town aren't what they seem. I heard they are minions of a devil-lord! |
| 31 | Father Mathis said that a vagrant was found dead on the front steps of the chapel this morning. The poor bastard had something clutched in his cold, dead hands, too: the finger bone of a long dead saint. Father Mathis says it's a holy relic! |
| 32 | They say the local Lord keeps a Gelatinous Cube in the sewers, eatin' everything down there. |
| 33 | Did you hear about the festival coming next month? We're going to have jousting knights. Right here in town. Everyone's so excited. |
| 34 | There's some saying that Poor John the beggar is actually a debased Knight in exile. Something about an affair with the Queen if I heard right. I'd never believe it though. |
| 35 | A local gnomish mechanic has been working on some sort of automaton in their workshop, and has been asking around for help gathering rare components. |
| 36 | Ever since that Edwynn kid went missing, people been findin’ little twig men on their doorsteps in the morning.... yeah, little men, made of twigs and bits of string. |
| 37 | Did you hear? Her head housekeeper was caught replacing the family jewels with glass replicas one by one. It’s so hard to find good help these days. |
| 38 | They say the animals in the forest have a strange intelligence behind their eyes. |
| 39 | Construction in one of the city's quarters has revealed a small tunnel network. All work on the construction has stopped until the Watch can figure out what it was used for. |
| 40 | I hate being an apprentice to the alchemist! He makes me taste the newts eyes to make sure they’re fresh, and I dropped a potion that made my feet shrink three sizes! That’s not the worst, though. Last night I saw light under his door. Usually he sleeps early, so it was weird. I peered through the keyhole and he was reading a book—talking to it! And it was whispering back to him! It was so freaky! I gotta get out of this gig before I go insane. |
| 41 | If you're interested in the gladiator fights, bet against Gamex--I hear the fix is in. |
| 42 | At the corner of the local graveyard lies a small, little-noticed gravestone that shows a different name to each person who reads it. Some see the names of family or friends, others see names they haven't ever heard. There's only one pattern: nobody sees the name of someone who is already dead. |
| 43 | Someone said a strange crimson-sailed ship has been seen anchored in the fog for several days, but no one has come ashore from it yet. |
| 44 | There's been word around town that the monks at the newly built temple are providing shelter for weary travelers. Townsfolk are upset about others getting too many handouts! |
| 45 | Ha! You heard of the dumbass Kevin? That stupid peasant thinks he saw a creature, a humanlike raven moving on his cornfield at dawn. I say he again forgot where he put his scarecrows. But he is to dumb to know, so we let him believe his bullshit, he is too stubborn. |
| 46 | The Queen's daughter is a commoner, a replacement trained for the role after the real daughter was murdered. |
| 47 | The blacksmith's boy went missing last week. They found his body a day later, but with those gashes on him I wish they hadn't. |
| 48 | Travelers last week said a plague has ravaged several villages in the area. Almost everyone is dead and so are their horses and livestock. |
| 49 | I hear tell that the King is not right in the head. Said he set a group of dancing men on fire. Something about being made of glass, whatever that means. |
| 50 | A guy was in here last week looking for you... or at least someone who fits your description. He didn’t say why though... An old geezer found him dead in an alley ‘couple nights ago. |
| 51 | That young couple in the corner is trying to secretly plan to run away together, away from their overbearing parents. |
| 52 | Don't go into the mountains! There's a cloud giant party there. They're drunk, but they'll kill anyone who's not a giant and shows up there. |
| 53 | I swear, I saw him. The mad old bastard in the sewer. He was talking to the rats, whispering about somethin' awful! |
| 54 | There's a rumor goin' round that a small clan of blue skinned people is said to be living near a lake somewhere to the east, but the nearest lake east is at least ten days' hard ride. |
| 55 | There's this gnome everyone calls 'Tinker' that hangs out in the inn's basement, fancies himself a genius, always trying to make contraptions that inevitably fall apart. Truth be told, he got hit in the head some years back and now he's dumber than an orc barbarian mid-rage. |
| 56 | The 'wool merchant' at the inn is obviously a foreign nobleman traveling incognito for some reason. |
| 57 | See the bartender there? That lowlife scum was caught cheating on his wife. As sad as that is, I heard the wife's brother is riding into town soon to challenge him to a duel. What a show that will be! |
| 58 | Old Maggie's got a batch of ale brewing, should be ready tomorrow. You'll want to stay for that, it's the finest you'll ever taste. |
| 59 | That dismal lower east side mudhut settlement is a hive of smuggling activity. Most of them residents there are hideously ugly, and I even heard that there's some kinda evil cult building up. |
| 60 | Several regulars have stopped visiting the tavern. An illness has befallen many of them and it seems to be arcane in origin. |
| 61 | The inn is flooded with people. Survivors of a battle not far off. Some seem to only have superficial wounds while others are not as lucky. |
| 62 | The town healer isn't actually licensed by the council of herbalists. No idea how or where they learned their trade... but they're good at what they do nonetheless. |
| 63 | Did you see the statue in the square? Someone knocked the hand off that one, too! What does it mean, breaking off the right hand of all the statues in town? |
| 64 | Here honey, give me your hand. I, Madame Corella, am an excellent palm reader. |
| 65 | The local gravedigger keeps burying people in the same few graves. They seem to be empty every time he does it and nobody knows where the bodies actually go. |
| 66 | The king's court oracle actually died several years ago. Before he died, his soul was transferred to some sort of construct so that he could still communicate with the king, even after death. |
| 67 | The dwarves in the valley have been growing more ...strange and recluse. |
| 68 | I'm sure that wharfmaster is a warlock. I got a peek at her book, and it was full of all these freakish symbols! Not random drawings, that's for sure. |
| 69 | I hear that, if you gouge out an elf’s eye, bury it in the ground, water it, and wait three days, it grows into another, identical elf. |
| 70 | The pawnshop owner never seems to get older. No, really. He looks to be about sixty, but that's exactly how he's looked for as long as anybody can remember. |
| 71 | I heard tell that the Baron's coffers are running empty. He's having trouble paying the Town Watch. |
| 72 | You didn't hear? The Silver Hook Killer is loose! He escaped from prison last night. |
| 73 | The town is preparing for a war against an unforeseen invasion. Any able-bodied person is being recruited. |
| 74 | Until further notice, all entrances to the city's sewer system are to be bolted and locked shut. Any citizen who sees an open portal or manhole is required to notify the city guard immediately. |
| 75 | Ravens from the old rookery have been randomly attacking people in broad daylight. But it's always strangers, never local folk, and always young women. |
| 76 | On full moon nights, hooded figures have been seen ascending into the western woods. |
| 77 | Why are there pages torn out of the middle of the town historical compendium? A page from the T section is missing. What does someone want to keep secret? |
| 78 | Hear ye! Hear ye! Let it be known that from this third Saintsday of Growfest that his Magnificence, His Honorable, the Judge of Chessminster Hold will deign court here in Millbridge. Prepare your grievances. |
| 79 | That drunkard over there has been ranting for days about ghosts in his basement. Thank the gods he's finally passed out. |
| 80 | That traveling salesman ripped me off! He said this ring was enchanted but I haven't had a scrap of luck since I bought it! |
| 81 | Anyone hear about Jenkins' cat? Yea, the orange one. Didn't it only have one eye before? How'd it get a second one? Or did we all just imagine it had one eye? |
| 82 | I hear that one of the local bandit leaders has taken to stylin' himself 'The Bandit King'. Load of bollocks, if you ask me. He's holed up in the ruined Camden Keep. |
| 83 | Everyone is currently obsessed with a new bard's song that has been making the rounds. It's catchy and very annoyingly repetitive but no one can stop humming it. |
| 84 | Don't go wading around in any of those magic pools outside of town. Especially during a full moon. |
| 85 | We don’t use the well anymore. Those who have been drinking from it developed a glazed look after a while and then left town in the middle of the night. |
| 86 | Danuwa's wine is out of this world. I wonder what's in it? Ain't like no grape I ever tasted. |
| 87 | The king invited the local ruler to his palace and killed them. No one is ruling this town! |
| 88 | That new stableboy has been acting strangely lately. Yeah, he mumbles to himself and is always scratching at his neck. |
| 89 | Another body was pulled up from the river last night. Third one this year. Heard he has some gruesome markins’ branded into his face. |
| 90 | Rumor has it that the baron's daughter is being kept out of sight for some reason. I don't know what could possibly be wrong with her but they seem to be keeping her shielded by guards even on the estate grounds. She hasn't been to town in weeks. |
| 91 | The town's new chapel was built on top of the ruins of the FORMER chapel that burnt to the ground. As a kid, I always heard there were tunnels under the old chapel that led to a sort of underground healing spring. |
| 92 | Careful of the tailor. He's faerie-born, you know. |
| 93 | The big news is that the old mill burned down last night. Did you hear the commotion? |
| 94 | There were some dwarves, new to town, who started a mine just outside town. Heard they uncovered something so horrible inside that they sealed it tight and left the city that same day. |
| 95 | Jim, the barkeep, always tells new patrons that they will not be served until they show coin; Rumor is, under his eyepatch is a glass eye that grants him truesight, so he can tell if the money is fake. Fakers get a mug of warm piss in lieu of ale. |
| 96 | I heard Maude's secret to staying so youthful, pale, and pretty is her religious use of her special soap, but my husband said when he was on watch last week, he saw her sneaking off towards the graveyard and when she came back, she was carrying something under her cloak. Me'thinks her secret to good looks is more than just some plain old soap! |
| 97 | I haven't seen anyone buying the carpet shop's moth-eaten old rags in weeks. It's a front for the thieves' guild, I tell you. |
| 98 | Old Mira's house, up on the corner, do you see it? Ever since she passed, people still say they can hear her singing at odd hours of the night. |
| 99 | After the King’s personal guard betrayed him, he’s been paranoid and weary of even leaving the castle. |
| 100 | Noticed three weeks ago that our fisherman have been pulling up more empty nets. From the way they talk, you'd think something's been catching the fish before they can! |
