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.
- Abhumans sometimes attack the village of Umdera, seeking the elixir that is the inhabitants’ most valued possession. The village has a small group of guards that defend against such attacks, amongst other things, and it’s said that, according to the guards, the number of abhuman attacks has been increasing over the years, both in number and in danger.
- Charisa is the current High Elder of Umdera and has a reputation for a brusque nature and for behaving like a humourless automaton. Some claim that the reason for this is because that’s what Charisa is; an automaton that took the place of the original woman and thereby seized control of the council of elders.
- Gardun Mlen runs a shop in Umdera that sells distilled elixir as well as oddities and parts. The latter comes from a group of explorers calling themselves the Few, who claim to enter dream titans and find items of value within. There are rumours that not every item Gardun sells comes from such a comparatively reputable source, though; some have muttered that a portion of his stock comes from bandits.
- Night Speaker Kazwin feels a true connection to the dream titans and is confident that she can answer any question. It’s rumoured that some in Umdera are targeting Kazwin to prove that she is a fraud and thereby undermine the Night Speakers as a whole.
- Raw elixir, which is a phosphorescent substance spewed by a single dream titan that Umdera follows, is a powerful substance that’s dangerous in its raw form. It can be safely consumed once it has been distilled, but there are rumours that, though raw elixir is dangerous, it can have a much more powerful effect on those who are able to withstand its effects.
- The commons of Umdera is a central portion of the boardwalk that is clear of everything but a few large planters containing trees. The Night Speakers are those most usually found on the commons at night, though it’s rumoured that some are present during the day, in disguise, eavesdropping on conversations to provide them with knowledge to make it seem as if they have real powers.
- The Council House in Umdera is where important meetings are held, primarily on a regular basis with the council of elders, which only consists of seven people. There are rumours that attempts by some of the population to get the council expanded always fail for some reason.
- The dream titans are the shambling, mountain-sized hulks that roam the lowland region, followed by Umdera which follows the titan that leaves behind a blue, phosphorescent liquid known as raw elixir. Some claim that the dream titans are not living creatures as such, but ancient biomechanical machines constructed by a former civilisation that are now suffering a senescence that means they have lost their original purpose.
- The Night Speakers of Umdera ingest a special formulation of the elixir that Umdera collects from a single dream titan which gives them many visions. The Night Speakers claim the visions are revelatory, but many insist this claim is wrong. It’s rumoured that the Night Speakers are still convinced that the visions can be revelatory; the elixir recipe just needs refining.
- Umdera is a community that is constantly being dismantled, moved and erected at a new location as it follows creatures the size of mountains called dream titans. Though the community regularly moves, staying in one location for between a few months to a few years, it’s said that some of its inhabitants believe it should cease following the dream titans and make a permanent home somewhere.
Want some items that could be used as oddities? Check out 100 Xenoarchaeological Finds.