Sailor rumours in the sea ports of Darokin (and nearby)
by Pol GinésReady to use and add local colour when your PCs arrive to a coastal city.
[PCs harvest 1 rumour for each of them spending a morning in different places; those PCs with CHARISMA pluses (+1,+2,+3) gain extra rumours; those with CHA penalties do not obtain rumours). Throw 1d20 for each rumour obtained. They can be repeated.
1- It is said that Captain Craneolimpio (Cleanskull), a halfling pirate, is more active than ever and marauding the coasts of Five Shires and Ierendi.
2- It is said that there is a rat-men lycanthropic epidemic in Thyatis City and many harbours will close their malls to Thyatian ships.
3- It is said that a magical undersea Alphatian vessel is secretly exploring the coast from Darokin to Karameikos, looking for a good place to start a sea invasion.
4- It is said that Makai native witch-doctors summon storms to crash ships against the Isle of the White Curse, in Ierendi
5- A ship coming from Minrothad with Thyatian wines has been lost; sailors say kna probably sank the ship; kna are a giant race of trading fish-men
6- Atruaghin witch-doctors have awakened a giant white undead whale, which attacks all ships coming to Darokin.
7- It is said that a Thyatian ship sank and survivors were saved by a crazy Glantrian wizard, his name is McGregor, and he lives underwater with tritons and mermaids.
8- It is said that the Kingdom of the Tritons is preparing for war; some say that it will be a civil war; other say that they are answering a call from Ierendi; other suspect of a lycanthropic undersea invasion; finally, some people (usually Thyatian sailors) say that probably they are being attacked by Alphatian undersea ships.
9- It is said that a Black Baron in Karameikos leads a pirate armada and a powerful slave business; he captures ships and sells crew as slaves.
10- It is said that some tritons and mermaid witches use magic to disguise themselves as ship captains and lead the ships to reefs, to kill and devour the crew after the shipwreck and loot the cargo and treasures.
11- It is said that a pearl-coloured dragon attacked a Minrothaddan ship and killed some adventurers that had stolen his treasure. The dragon was killed by a pixie-faerie with a diminutive sword. [Note of Khuzd: well, this one really happened, and the adventurers were my PCs; all died, except for the Sprite, which managed to kill the 7HD dragon with magic-missiles and a Wand of Lightning. She brought the corpses to Jortam, in Aloysius Island and spent most of the treasure in "raise dead" spells from the island chief Makai druid]
12- It is said that a squad of assassin Dwarves, murderers convicted in Aloysius Island, have escaped, hijacked a ship and now have become pirates; some other people say it is not possible, so they probably were halflings and not dwarves. [Note of Khuzd: well, in my campaign they attacked my Glantrian PCs, were defeated and sent to the swamp prison inside Aloysius. Yes, they escaped, but of course they are not pirates, and have currently arrived to Selenica, looking for revenge against "those filthy Glantrians"]
13- It is said that at the other far side of the Ocean there is a tropical archipelago were men are black. The ruler is Baron Taconi, a vassal of Stefan Karameikos. [Note of Khuzd: well, he is in my campaign after many years of gaming and practicing a genocide of araneas and kopru!]
14- It is said that Thyatis is organising a great armada that will invade Ierendi by surprise, with the help of Minrothad. They will say that the armada was going to the colonies of Davania, but they will take Ierendi to put an end to piracy.
15- It is said that the famous ghost ship "The Spectral Pearl" has been seen in the near waters. Its crew are wraiths and spectres. Its leader, Captain VanGuld, wishes to create an undead armada.
16- It is said that a group of drunken Dwarves committed profanation in the Temple of Protius in Thyatis. Protius is really enraged and as Sea Immortal will sink any ship that carries a dwarf.
17- It is said that the Queen of the Mermaids is looking for a Consort King; she has ordered nixies and sea-dryads to bring her handsome human males. Willingly or not.
18- It is said that an undersea stream from Davania brings sea monsters to our waters in winter, so it is better to travel in summer.
19- It is said that Alphatians are paying tritons to sink Thyatian ships in this area, as a revenge for the Ostlander (pro-Thyatian) piracy in Alphatian waters.
20- It is said that underwater there is an empire of nigromantic daemon-fishes. They can not live in land, but they create vampires with drowned sailors and make them infiltrate in the coastal cities.