12 New Rumors

One of our stretch goals for the adventure book was to publish three rumors. Except that even the long ones are short, so we decided to double that. And there was great support past the last stretch goal, so we’re doubling that again. So here they are. The numbers are only in case you want to use a d12 . . .

1. A Mechanician has built a clockwork cart full of sandwiches. If you put a silver piece into the mechanical hand, it will give you a sandwich wrapped in a paper that tells your fortune. A joker tried to fool the cart with a copper piece filed down to the size of a silver, but a big padded boot popped out of the side and kicked him in the fork, to general laughter. The sandwiches are good and all the fortunes are favorable. What could go wrong?

2. Everyone who drank light ale at the Lucky Goat last night became as strong as an ox for a few hours. Fortunately, it’s a peaceful tavern, and there were no brawls, but a lot of solid oak furniture was splintered by experimental kicks and punches. The cask of ale is empty now, and maybe that’s for the best. What if this were to happen at the Diamond Axe? Or, fates forfend, the Jawbone?

3. Everyone who knows their numbers is sure that there is supposed to be something between 22 and 24, but no one can recall what it might be. A master of the Scholar’s Guild tried to work his way back from 46 but collapsed and took to his bed, raving about the Law of Fives.

4. A former master of the Scholars’ Guild (the same one? Maybe there are a lot of rumors about this scholar), locked in a tower there for weeks “for his own protection,” has escaped. He believes that the world is round and the chickens are our true masters, and can debate the matter persuasively . . . but when confronted by dumplings, he becomes violent.

5. The lord of the next city over is said to have ruled for 128 years, and he still looks like he’s in his 40s. He does not seem to be notably wise or particularly good or evil; nor do people speak of mysterious practices by the dark of the moon. He’s just old.

6. Thieves broke into the home of Farmer Goodhand and broke his daughter’s piggy bank, stealing her coppers. No sooner had they stepped out the door than they were chased down and slain by a wild boar.

7. A crystal skull has appeared in the middle of the road. It curses loudly at anyone who approaches. The villagers fear to touch it, but their children are learning a lot of new words . . .

8. Posted on the walls of this district are flyers with a map of the main buildings of the town, with circles around three guildhouses. But the flyers are in a completely unknown language, if language it is. If the party goes out immediately, they will find one of the flyers, and the story is true. Even the letters are unfamiliar, though there are a few things that look like actual numbers, including one that could be read as tomorrow’s date.

9. This village has one streetlight, faithfully lit every evening by the mayor. Now someone has yarn-bombed it with a beautiful crocheted dragon. It’s a local holiday, times are good, and everyone is pleased at the addition. When you go to admire it, you detect magic.

10. You hear repeatedly about a beautiful cat-girl who danced on the bar last night at the Old Bear. But the bartender and customers at the Bear know nothing about it, except that they are tired of the questions. If you ask the old fiddle-player when he comes in of an evening, he’ll give you the same denial, but then he will dredge up a memory . . . he says that such a thing happened, but it must have been 20 years ago.

11. It is said that most of the local mages have feathers in places normally hidden by their robes. This one is difficult to verify.

12. The mystery of the empty sheepskins has been solved. A villager saw three sheep fall down and split open. Giant insects emerged, which flew high into the sky and vanished. Of course, that creates a new mystery.