Unexplored Worlds: Village of Valkenburn Rumors Table

• If the players ask people about local news, roll 1d6 for to generate a random rumor. Add 0 to the roll if the person is a criminal, beggar, or person of low social standing. Add 4 if the rumor comes from a tradesperson or person of similar social standing. Add 8 if the rumor comes from a person of noble blood.


1. Old Mad Whitters claims that there are huge rats living in tunnels under the city and that some of them walk on two legs and wield weapons. No one believes his story, however.


2. Everyone knows that the baron keeps a small fortune in gems hidden in his home. No one has successfully robbed the estate because it is guarded by armed men and trained dogs.


3. A local man who recently died was found without a copper bit in his house. Rumor has it that he always feared being robbed so he buried all is wealth in the woods outside of town.


4. The abbot of the nearby monastery has been contacting poor parents to offer to school their children. He has even offered to pay some parents who would lose income from their children.


5. The local schoolmistress, Etha Greenwood, has been complaining about children have not been coming around for classes, both poor and rich. If she does not get enough student, she will have to move on to another village.


6. People in town have been whispering about fairies capering in the woods outside of town. All of Valkenburn once belonged to a fey nobleman who was driven off by iron-wielding men. People fear that the fairies may be back to reclaim their homes.


7. A traveling fortune teller disturbed several hornet's nests in town. She told one man that he would be dead before the season was out. One woman was told that her current suitor was about to propose, but it would not be to her. Her fortunes where so dire that no one else dared to consult her and she had to move on rather quickly.


8. The nearby monastery has been ordering an unusual amount of goods in preparation for a big celebration. Since there are no local holidays upcoming, no one is sure what they intend to celebrate.


9. A retired swordsman has taken up residence at the local inn. He won't talk about where he has fought or what he has done, but his experience is written in the lines on his face.


10. Ever since the new tutor came to town, the noble families have been removing their children from Etha Greenwood's school in favor of his services.


11. Two noble families, the Consevlys and Ompions, are close to bloodshed over a secret exposed by a passing fortune-teller. While the families are keeping the secret to themselves, everyone assumes in has to do with the Consevlys' eldest son, Michel, and that his true father is Bleaux Ompion.


12. Several well-to-do families have received invitations to a party at the nearby monastery, each written and signed by the abbot himself. He promises a celebration unlike an witness in modern history.


13. The baron has been discretely making inquired to various families for help with a problem that is magical in nature. Since wizards are few and far between, no one has been able to help him. But if the party has any knowledge of the arcane arts, they may find that the baron is very eager for any assistance.


14. The new tutor in town, Master Allan Svergin, previously taught children of the royal family before the wanderlust took him. He is taking on students to help pay for his travels.


• The veracity of these rumors are left to the discretion of the referee.


• Unexplored Worlds is my attempt to design an RPG campaign in the open. Since I have not rolled a d20 in anger in many years, this is my way to keep playing without actually playing. All posts are written to be system-agnostic, so please use whatever keeps your interest in your own games. Just let me know how it goes!

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© 2010 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.