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 eight 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.
- Gnathostomes of Ruk are related to the autonomous ecology samplers used by some factions, though they prey on other creatures. Tame samplers have been programmed to seek out gnathostomes and conduct bioassays on them, to discover how the creatures came to be. It’s rumoured that some tame samplers have since been seen again, but changed into gnathostomes.
- Marroids mutated from a genetically engineered tool and now look for fresh marrow from living creatures to sample. It’s rumoured that marroids are still mutating, and that there are ever more dangerous types appearing, and ones that hunger for things other than marrow; some, apparently, seek technological items.
- Myriand patrol Harmonius, ensuring that citizens and guests remain safe and that rules are followed. It’s rumoured, though, that not every myriand is a true myriand; some claim that one of the factions has discovered how to make beings that appear to be myriands, but which are loyal to the faction.
- Ruk’s spore worms are dangerous, intelligent but generally incomprehensible predators that disable prey with spore clouds. Some factions have been trying to gain the secrets of artificially making the spores, given that the worms themselves have so far proven impossible to train.
- The Ankaseri faction of Ruk, before they were eliminated, sold an artificial heart graft, called angiophages, that was weaponised and which, when activated, dug its way out of the graft recipient’s chest and killed a target by digging their heart out. There’s a rumour that someone has been doing research on the angiophage, wanting to start manufacturing them again.
- The Qinod Singularity expels constructs that are usually dangerous and need dealing with. It’s rumoured that recently some new constructs of types never seen before have been expelled by the Singularity, though no-one seems to have proof of this.
- Utricles are predators created by Ruk factions who are not bothered about just who the creatures eat. Existing utricles don’t distinguish master from prey, which does reduce how useful they are, given that they are just as willing to eat their creators as an intruder, but it’s rumoured that at least one faction has managed to alter the design to make utricles more controllable.
- Variokaryon are those who have had some many grafts that they’ve become addicted to them. They seek to incorporate as many new grafts as they can get away with, and there are rumours that there are variokaryon that prey on others of their kind, becoming true abominations of grafts.