10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about Germany. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
Administration consulting in Germany has firms familiar with administration techniques help steer their customers through the countries bureaucracy without running into problems. It’s said that these companies mean that the wealthy can get past the red tape whilst everyone else is choked by it.
As well as several megacorps based out of Germany, there are thousands of lesser businesses that fill the niches not filled by the megacorporations. It’s said that these are the country’s true economic strength, and that there have been regular attempts to damage the smaller companies in order to reduce German influence.
Contraband comes through Frankfurt Airport, but thanks to this being Germany, the import of contraband is tightly controlled by the authorities. It’s rumoured that recently a non-German gang tried to muscle into the trade in contraband, only to find they were up against not only local gangs but the government and police as well, none of whom wanted someone unauthorised moving into the trade in technically illegal goods.
Frankfurt is the number two European banking city, with London still holding the number one spot. It’s rumoured that Frankfurt is willing to do anything, as long as they don’t get caught, to displace London from the number one position, and have been hiring mercenaries through cutouts to achieve this.
German companies monitor specific schools in other countries, looking for potential future employees who can fulfil specific needs. It’s rumoured that some of the companies have decided that it would be easier to own the schools themselves, and have started buying up some foreign schools.
Germany has several major political parties, but there are two larger than the others which depend on the smaller ones to gain majorities. It’s rumoured that some of the smaller parties are in truth not as independent as they might seem, as they are indirectly controlled by the two majors.
The demand for employees in Germany is rising, but there are too few natives for this, thanks to the Plague. This has led to companies importing employees from other countries and, reputedly, some megacorporations have been pouring more funding into robotic and AI in the hopes of replacing living employees with these.
The expansion of Frankfurt Airport in 2011 by the Flughafen AG which manages everything in and around it was not appreciated by the locals. FAG were rumoured to have bought an anti-missile system, and it’s rumoured that recently it’s actually been used on several different occasions.
Villages in Germany often have various benefits to encourage small businesses to come to them and cooperate with each other. One way in which they cooperate is in security, which allows small companies to, combined, field as much security as the megacorporations. It’s rumoured that some of these are considering joining forces in their own security company, to really make a mark on the global scene.
Volker Mohr made many enemies during his time in power, eventually becoming too radical even for those who agreed with him, but he made a lasting mark on German politics. It’s rumoured that there’s a new group forming on the political fringes that takes Mohr’s ideas as their inspiration, with the aim of doing more with them than he ever managed.
D10: Europe Rumours: Germany II is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
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Sewers can be dark places, with things hidden out of sight, or at least out of lanternlight. Characters exploring a sewer may hear things from beyond the circle of light.
Chittering of rats in the distance.
Dripping can be heard, falling as steadily as a metronome.
Something roars loudly in the distance.
Something scuttling along the bricks.
Splashing steps are heard disappearing into the distance.
The scrape of something catching the floor of the sewer.
The grate of metal on metal.
The splash of something entering the water.
Unusually loud squeak that sounded to have come from a rodent.
Water is suddenly heard lapping against the channel.
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Numenera is a game published by Monte Cook Games. Its setting is the Ninth World, and this list has ten rumours for that setting. The rumours, which are similar to the Hearsay that can be found in the official books, can be used as adventure hooks or as simple misinformation.
A new inn has reputedly been built on one of the less travelled routes, though there don’t appear to be any firsthand accounts of anyone having visited the inn, though there are some second-hand accounts of people having seen it. The inn is actually a mature meepril, known as a Hunger in the Halls, and those who do enter never come out again.
A settlement has recently lost a number of valuable items when parts of many of the buildings suddenly moved off of their own accord and took the valuables. These parts were revehent, and the settlement seems to have been affected by an oddly large number of them and is now in dire need thanks to the thefts.
An Oorgolian envoy has been turning up in a number of different settlements, apparently looking for a specific individual, but they seem to be uncertain as to just who that person is or what they look like. The envoy even seems to struggle with knowing the person’s name, and it’s said that they are seeking help in identifying their quarry.
Explorers of a nearby ruin have suddenly stopped returning after exploring it, even though they always have done so before. Some within the closest settlement believe that this is because the explorers have found something of great value, but the truth is a group of oniscids has just moved in and is making sure no-one can return to tell of their presence.
Fossicks are humanoid creatures who seem to have a hatred for humans, apparently blaming them for their flaking skin, emaciation and light-sensitive eyes. There are rumours that some fossicks have been trying to come up with ways to inflict these conditions on humans in apparent vengeance.
Griefsteel are self-aware automatons that were crafted to serve as companions to long-dead individuals and feel unending sorrow as a result. It’s said that sometimes griefsteel can decide that someone is the one they were intended to serve as a companion for, and adopt them, though with erratic results that often end in death.
Idolum take the skins of their victims in order to pose as them so that they can find more victims to eat. There are rumours of waystations catering to travellers and even small villages on travelled routes that have been entirely taken over by idolum, who prey on travellers until the number of disappearances becomes so large that attention is drawn to the locations.
Mech shamblers are machines that have started to wander and incorporate other devices into themselves. It’s rumoured that some mech shamblers have spoken of a voice speaking to them directly that has told them to leave where they are, gather as much technology as possible and head to a specific destination.
Mimetans have the ability to take on the semblance of objects, and several can take on the appearance of a larger object. It’s rumoured that there are conglomerations of dozens of mimetans that have formed themselves into the appearance of entire buildings.
Various settlements have recently been destroyed with tracks leading from one to the next. If followed, the tracks lead to the latest settlement, which is currently being dismantled and fed into a rabid fabricator that has squatted within the place.
The Strange is a game published by Monte Cook Games. It is, at least in part, set in the normal world, but there are other worlds out there, in the Strange. This list has ten rumours for that setting, similar to the various different adventure hooks in the books, and these can be used as adventure hooks or simple misinformation.
Gomez Snake is a Power of the Night, the ruler of the Hollows and an information broker who knows about the Strange. It’s rumoured that Gomez will pay well for certain information about other recursions and the Strange itself, as it seems that the Power is looking for something.
Halloween’s Graveyard is hardly safe, except for trick-or-treaters or those who have made previous arrangements, but it’s said that many go there anyway. It’s rumoured that buried in some of the graves are powerful items and objects of great wealth, waiting for those willing to risk all.
Native trick-or-treaters in Halloween return to their homes when they are not wandering the streets, and it’s rumoured that some of these live in some very strange places, even by the standards of Halloween, rather than in the more common homes that can be found.
The Halloween Accords are used by the Powers of the Night to resolve disputes between them. On occasion, this is done through Trial by Monster, which is basically trial by combat to the death, with the different Powers usually fighting through champions rather than themselves. It’s rumoured that some of the Powers have been utilising unusual champions in these recently, champions who seem different to those normally found in the recursion.
The Old Hangman Pub in the Hollows is home to Gomez Snake, one of the Powers of the Night and the ruler of the neighbourhood. It’s rumoured that Gomez isn’t the true Power, and that in fact it is the pub itself which rules the neighbourhood, with Gomez merely being its public face through which it interacts with others.
The Powers of the Night who rule Halloween follow a set of Accords which limit the chances of the city devolving into bloody chaos. It’s rumoured, though, that there are some currently more minor powers who would love to see the city sink into violence and blood and seek to undermine the Accords any which way they can.
The winding streets and dead-end alleys of the Hollows play home to ghosts and pumpkin golems which can indiscriminately attack anything. There are rumours, though, that these attacks are not as indiscriminate as they appear, and that both are controlled by an unknown Power.
Those killed in Halloween continue to exist as a spirit which is drawn to the Graveyard. It’s rumoured that there are a number of recursors there who died in the recursion, and it’s said that some have been looking for a way to free the spirits of the dead recursors from the place.
Those trick-or-treaters in Halloween who get caught breaking the rules are often subjected to punishment, with some Powers often eating those they catch. It’s rumoured that some Powers have used this as an assassination method; poisoning a trick-or-treater and enthralling them into breaking the rules so that a rival will consume them.
Trick-or-treaters in Halloween must burn a candle on their rounds in order to show their status. There are rumours that some candles have recently been blown out through unknown means, putting those who hold the candle at risk, and there are suggestions that someone is attempting to get around the protected status of trick-or-treaters through indirect means.
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10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about Germany. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
Football is big in Germany, with its popularity equalled only by its popularity in the UK. There is also a lot of violence associated with the fans of the sport, and there are rumours that this is getting worse, with groups organising in order to cause the maximum amount of damage.
France is wanting some of Germany’s pie now, and it’s rumoured that Germany is gearing up to ensure that the French don’t get what they want, or rather don’t get anything of Germany’s. This has apparently led to concerns that there may be another conflict brewing between the two nations, even if not as violent a one as in the past.
German Autobahns are legendary for having no speed limits, allowing drivers to test their cars to the limit. This has led to street races on the Autobahns that sometimes end messily. It’s rumoured that criminals have become involved in these races, leading to an uptick in the messiness, as rival racers are sabotaged when there is a lot of money riding on the outcome.
Germany has become quite nervous about the dangers of terrorism, but they are doing their best to hide this so as not to worry the populace as a whole. Security has been upped and it’s rumoured that there are undercover operatives of many kinds roaming the streets on the lookout for issues and potential dangers.
Germany, in some ways, benefited from the Great Plague, as it eliminated the problems with age and health care and reduced unemployment, by simply killing off those in such categories and reducing costs as a result. There are rumours that how the Plague affected Germany wasn’t random, and once the leaders of the time realised what was happening, they decided to influence the Plague’s spread to eliminate the biggest costs to the economy.
Germany’s Burschenschufien are clubs with a belief in what are called traditional values, and there are rumours that such clubs are used to find those who are most likely to support Germany, no matter what actions the country does. Some claim that they are an ideal fomenting place for less savoury types of nationalism.
Raves are big in Germany, but the authorities have the technology to quickly find and crack down on illegal ones when they happen. This has apparently led to a kind of arms race between said authorities and those running the raves, as the latter seeks to make it more and more difficult for raves to be found.
Technoise is a type of music that originated in Germany, whose sole purpose is to provide music for partying, dancing and tripping. Though this might be considered a political message in and of itself, some newer Technoise creators have started weaving more overt political messages into the music.
The Hanse-Club is in all of the surviving cities of the old Hanseatic League, and its members play act that they still live in this time. However, it’s also an influential and wealthy group of Corps, and there are rumours that many of the real decisions made in Germany happen behind the closed doors of the clubs.
There are many clubs of all different kinds in Germany, and more than a few are run with the same sense of idealism and fair play seen in government; namely, none. It’s rumoured that certain parts of the government keep an eye on some of the clubs, looking for club members who would be useful for their own causes.
D10: Europe Rumours: Germany is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
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Characters may attempt to learn more about types of creatures that they may end up fighting, and there are many sources they might check, but not everything they learn is necessarily true. Here are ten bits of misinformation to learn about dwarves.
Dwarves are good at finding gold in any form because they are literally able to sniff out its location.
Dwarves are made of rock, not flesh and blood, and return to the rock from which they came when they die.
Dwarves burrow their tunnels under the buildings of other species in order to collapse them.
Dwarves can’t drink water, as it’s poisonous to them, which is why they drink alcohol instead.
Dwarves don’t have children, being effectively immortal except through violence, and when the last dwarf dies, they will become extinct.
Dwarves have no morals, being completely mercenary and only obeying their lust for money.
Dwarves want gems in order to eat them, as they gain sustenance from such.
If a dwarf’s belly is cut open, gems can be found in their gut. These gems help the dwarf digest otherwise indigestible items.
There are no females amongst the dwarves, and those that others believe to be female are in fact male, dwarves reproducing by splitting in two when they are old enough.
There are tunnels constructed by the dwarves running beneath the civilised lands, and these tunnels are used by said dwarves to spy on others and move around unseen.
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Numenera is a game published by Monte Cook Games. Its setting is the Ninth World, and this list has ten rumours for that setting. The rumours, which are similar to the Hearsay that can be found in the official books, can be used as adventure hooks or as simple misinformation.
A nano has been seeking help with a dread excavator that is currently disassembled. Those who have heard about the nano believe they are insane to even think of messing with the things, but the nano apparently found something in a numenera ruin that they believe can be used to control the machines.
A newly-constructed building is considered to be cursed, as a number of those who have used it have disappeared, never to be found again. Unknown to most, the builder made a deal with a conundary, promising that the creature would have prey to feed on if it helped in the building’s construction.
A settlement is being plagued by at least two balithaurs, who seem to be acting in a manner that is even more disruptive than usual. If the matter is investigated, the balithaurs can be seen wearing what appear to be, and are, numenera devices; they are under the control of someone who is trying to deliberately cause harm to the settlement.
An inventor is looking for people to capture babirasa for them, as the individual believes that they can make use of the natural electricity generated by the creatures as a source of power. A reward is only being offered for live and unharmed specimens, not injured or dead ones.
Anhedrons are known to be searching for something they call the Meeting of All Things, and it’s said that a number of recently encountered anhedrons have been seeking out a specific person. Unfortunately for the anhedrons, they do not seem to know what that person’s name is. It’s thought that this individual might know something about the Meeting of All Things, which is why they are being sought out.
Choanids are hill-sized creatures that are constantly secreting toxins. Recently, a community has been afflicted by sickness that has been determined as being like that caused by a choanid, yet none can be discovered in the area. Someone has successfully managed to use a numenera to effectively bottle choanid toxin and is releasing it in the settlement.
Cuiddits are levitating spheres that follow beings around until destroyed or driven away; they can sometimes be helpful but also sometimes harmful. Recently, explorers of a numenera ruin seem to have disturbed a cache of these beings which are now roaming the surrounding countryside causing random damage.
Cynoclepts are usually found alone, but recently the surrounding area has been troubled by a number of the creatures preying on cyphers and amber crystal, and raiding those who own such. The cynoclepts are proving to be a serious problem, and they appear to be originating in a nearby ruin.
Esculants are known to not always try to eat living creatures they encounter, only to follow them. Someone is paying money for details of these happenings, such as how long the creatures followed and where they stopped. It’s said that the employer believes that there is a hidden motive behind the creatures’ actions.
It’s rumoured that there is an entire community consisting just of flesh ghosts in Beyond, where they live and work as if they were the people they originally were. It’s also rumoured that those who travel to this community may not always return, as the flesh ghosts are harvesting them for parts.
The Strange is a game published by Monte Cook Games. It is, at least in part, set in the normal world, but there are other worlds out there, in the Strange. This list has ten rumours for that setting, similar to the various different adventure hooks in the books, and these can be used as adventure hooks or simple misinformation.
Every month the Schule der Archäologie loses one or two research acolytes to various things, such as curses, leaking spells and psychic residue. It’s rumoured that, despite the definite dangers of the things the Schule is dealing with, some of the acolyte losses are those sacrificed by the curators to further their goals.
Reichsführer Himmler, leader of the SS, is known to have no loyalties to anyone but the Führer. However, it’s rumoured that not even this loyalty is genuine, and that Himmler’s only real loyalty is to himself; his apparent loyalty to the Führer is simply because the existence of the latter means that Himmler has a figurehead to hide behind.
Rittmeister “Dakota” Hanssen is the man charged with discovering the secrets of the Holy Grail, and he is one of those who ascended; no longer needing sleep meant he was able to accelerate his research on the Grail and some other artefacts, and it’s rumoured that the Rittmeister has since made more discoveries, some of which he has neglected to inform anyone else about.
The Armor of Karna supposedly protects the wearer from both mundane and supernatural attacks, and this has proven the case for those wearing the armour; however, when one by an officer of the Reich, said officer perishes. It’s said that the duration before they die increases with each sacrifice, and it’s rumoured that the Schule der Archäologie is looking for a specific something to sacrifice to the armour.
The library of the Eleventh Reich’s Schule der Archäologie stores many different books, including many on subjects that, by the strict terms of the Reich, would be banned and should have been burned. It’s said that some of the more fanatical still seek to get these forbidden books destroyed.
The Reich’s Schule der Archäologie is reputed to have many mythological objects stored there, although some believe these numbers to be exaggerated. It’s rumoured, though, that the Schule has some relics that are not listed in any of their catalogues; though there are very few of these, they are said to be very dangerous, and dangerous to the Reich itself.
The SS is known to have captured at least two recursors, and there are rumours that a special group within it has been set up by Reichsführer Himmler, one whose main purpose is to track all such recursors, with the aim of capturing them and stripping them of any useful items.
There are a large number of zombies housed by the Schule der Archäologie, thanks to experiments with the Holy Grail, and there are rumours about these zombies, ranging from them being deliberately made from the Schule’s enemies, to them being an army the Schule is building, to there having been a number of incidents where the zombies escaped and attacked anyone they encountered.
Those of the Reich who touch the Spear of Longinus are turned into a burning pillar of flame, and it’s rumoured that the Schule der Archäologie has been collecting the charred remains of these officers, perhaps with the belief that they may have properties all of their own.
Waffen-SS soldiers are the largest part of the SS and its armed soldiers, serving as both military and police units in the Reich. It’s rumoured that some of the Waffen-SS are soldiers who are never seen without face-covering gas masks, and that these masks are not to protect the wearers from gas but to hide the fact that’s what’s beneath them isn’t human.
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10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about the Benelux countries; Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
Amsterdam is very popular with tourists and it generates a lot of money for the Dutch economy from this. It’s rumoured that there are occasional attempts to sabotage the tourist trade in Amsterdam, possibly by other European cities or countries that want to scoop it up, with Berlin and Germany being favourites.
Brussels is the heart of the EC and the presence of so many EC employees, and all those who cluster where the centre of power is, results in many average Belgians being trampled underfoot. It’s said that the average Belgian is getting sick of this, but hasn’t been able to find a way to fight back.
In the Netherlands, the country was forced to abandon some of its hard-won lowlands and retreat behind higher and thicker seawalls. There’s reputedly a push to try and reclaim some of the lost lands, using the dome technologies that were pioneered in the Scandinavian Bloc.
It’s rumoured that the Netherlands is seeking allies in the EC outside of the Low Countries to help them deal with Germany once and for all, as the latter country has designs on Holland that the Dutch have no interest in facilitating, and the Dutch are therefore seeking to increase their influence.
Just about any sexual experience can be found in Amsterdam’s red-light district, including some that are illegal. It’s rumoured that there have been attempts to crack down on the really illegal things, but this has proven difficult, thanks to what appears to be support in high places.
Luxembourg is essentially the banking capital of the EC, at least when it comes to money of more dubious origin. Though Luxembourg itself isn’t bothered where such money comes from, Interpol is, and it’s rumoured that various of Interpol’s directorates have tried to get people on the inside of Luxembourg’s banks.
Much of the Netherlands is used to grow flowers for export, a luxury item and a highly profitable trade. It’s rumoured that recently some of the flower fields have been suffering from blight, ruining the crop, and that there’s evidence this blight has been tailored, suggesting a deliberate attack.
Soft drugs are easy to get in Holland and, though illegal, little is done to crackdown on their use. This results in said drugs being exported to other members of the EC, and it’s said that some are unhappy about this and want the Netherlands to be forced to do more about controlling the trade.
The super-port complex that built up around the original port of Oostende in Belgium now takes up all of the country’s coastline and extends up to 15 km inland. It’s rumoured that some within Belgium want the port restructuring so that they have access to the coast once more, and that some are willing to encourage parts of the port to move by destroying them.
The United Benelux Congress is the government that runs all three countries and gives them a united voice in the EC, but some within the countries are unhappy about the current representation their own countries have, even though this is defined by population. Some believe that, for whatever reason, they should have more people in congress than their population gives them a right to.
D10: Europe Rumours: Benelux is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
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At some point, characters may need to moor their ship somewhere that isn’t in a settlement, and here are ten different places to do so.
A small, steep-sided cove that thanks to the surrounding headlands is invisible from the sea and the cliffs are nearly unclimbable from the land.
An old, crumbling but still viable stone dock sticking out into the sea away from any settlements.
Cove that can be easily seen from the sea. One of the headlands is noticeably longer than the other, and this headland shelters the cove from the prevailing weather.
Island that’s located just off the coast that has a small, sheltered bay on the landward side.
Mouth of a river where it meets the sea, one with a calm flow and easy to moor at banks.
Sandy beach with a gentle incline and no rocks that’s easy to beach a ship on.
Sea cave that’s big enough to accept a ship, but only at low tide in most cases, and some will need to step their mast.
Semicircle of dangerous rocks shelter a small area where a ship can be safely moored.
Small island consisting of a reef with a single entrance and a sheltered lagoon within.
Tangle of damaged ships moored at sea that have been positioned so that there is a sheltered spot in the middle of them for another ship.
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10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
