Tag Archives: Numenera

D10: Numenera Rumours – Enthait II

Numenera Cover
TM and © 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

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.

  1. Enthait’s Eternal Market is a long street that is a spiral of blackglass that never seems to have a centre. Those who walk it inwards eventually end up on the outermost street again. There are rumours that the market does have a centre, and that whatever is there alters the fabric of space to make sure no-one ever reaches it.
  2. Four skars rise above Enthait’s Eternal Market, and some wonder if those skars have an effect on the market itself. Space does not seem to work quite as it should within the market, and it’s suggested that the skars, whose purpose isn’t really known, are what’s responsible for the effect.
  3. Greyes Burrin is the current head of Enthait’s defensive force, the zaffre, and some believe he is both the son of the Orness and only got the position because of that, even though Burrin never makes any attempt to capitalise on this supposed connection. It’s also rumoured that the reason Burrin can’t get the job of poison eater is because the Orness desires to keep him safe.
  4. Greyes Rakdel is a healer as well as one of the greyes, and is mostly concerned about the health of the zaffre and the greyes, but will sometimes provide healing to others of Enthait. It’s also rumoured that she will provide healing for outsiders, though such is said to come at a very high cost.
  5. Mekalan Hall is the headquarters of the zaffre and where the poison eaters are debriefed after a poisoning. One wall is taken up by the mural called the mekalan, which has images of dead poison eaters painted on it, the paint using the dead person’s blood, marrow and fat to make it. It’s rumoured that some of the essence of the poison eater remains in these bodily remains, and that they keep a careful watch on what happens under their gaze.
  6. On occasion, the city of Enthait sings, a song that is low and sombre. The song is only heard when the city despairs, when it hungers and the winds swirl around it. Some wonder if Enthait is in fact a living creature of some kind, albeit of a strange kind of life, and that the song is truly a song of how the creature is feeling.
  7. The skars are tall, curved spires that rise from various parts of Enthait and fill the sky. They come in different sizes, and appearances, but all taper to a sharp point. Weather is drawn to the skars and clouds often obscure the points; some believe that the skars are part of a weather control device that no-one currently alive knows how to use.
  8. The Tawn is a rusty orange desert that extends around Enthait for dozens of miles. There are rumours that some things are hidden beneath the Tawn, perhaps remnants of ancient civilisations that are somehow connected to Enthait’s skars in some way, though no proof of this has been discovered.
  9. There are hundreds of stalls, carts and permanent shops in Enthait’s Eternal Market and it’s said as well as the more obvious places to buy goods, there are other, harder to find and harder to get to, locations that sell goods that may not be entirely legal, or are perhaps completely illegal.
  10. Underground tunnels connect most of Enthait, though those who use them frequently get lost and come out somewhere they’d never planned to be. Some wonder if the r3eason why so many people get lost in the tunnels is because they are constantly changing, or possess something that confuses the sense of direction.

Want some items that could be used as oddities? Check out 100 Xenoarchaeological Finds.

Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?

Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.

D10: Numenera Rumours – Enthait

Numenera Cover
TM and © 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

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.

  1. Enthait is built on the ruins of a more ancient complex, and it’s rumoured that there are strange things buried beneath the city’s streets, things that the Aeon Priests who live within the settlement are tasked with ensuring remain buried where they currently are.
  2. Few of Enthait’s poison eaters survive all ten offerings of poison provided by the Eye of Enthait; the Orness is the only one who ever has and is the current ruler of the city until someone else takes her place. Som whisper that the Orness ensures that no-one else ever survives all ten poisons, making sure her position is never threatened.
  3. In Enthait, the poison eaters eat poison in order to connect to the all-knowing entity called the datasphere, which can reveal any and all dangers threatening the city. It’s rumoured that some of those who eat the poison become, in truth, nothing more than appendages of the datasphere, part of why it is so knowledgeable.
  4. Some claim that some of the poisons produced by the Eye of Enthait are in truth not poisons, but other substances that merely happen to be toxic as a side-effect. However, this seems like a pointless distinction to most, though those suggesting it believe that the more toxic substances just need eating in lower quantities.
  5. The city of Enthait, for some reason, is a magnet for danger. drawing everything from malign influences to sentient diseases to abhuman tribes. Some think that this is connected to the ancient ruins it is built on, and that these ruins either draw such influences to the city, or perhaps create them out of the whole cloth.
  6. The deadly vallum of Enthait contains all manner of dangerous devices, some functional, some not, waiting to hurt anything that attacks. It’s rumoured that the Aeon Priests do not know just what every device was capable of, and that some buried there are far more dangerous than suspected.
  7. The greyes are the ten highest-ranked members of the zaffre, the defence force of Enthait. Every greyes has some kind of unique talent, and when a poison eater makes a threat known, a team of greyes with the right skills is sent to deal with it. It’s very rare for the entire force of greyes to be sent to deal with a threat, but it’s rumoured that has become more common over the years.
  8. The Orness is the putative ruler of Enthait, as she’s the only one who has managed to survive all ten poisonings. Some wonder if in truth she has survived all ten, or whether she, in some way, faked at least one of the poisonings in order to establish herself as the city’s ruler.
  9. The poison that the poison eaters of Enthait consume comes from a device called the Eye of Enthait, and there are ten different poisons that the Eye provides. Or, at least, there are ten known poisons provided; some claim that, every now and then, others are produced.
  10. The zaffre are Enthait’s defence force and guard the community from both external and internal threats. Given that they serve the wishes of the Orness, some claim that the zaffre also tackles threats to her leadership, even if such threats don’t risk the community as a whole.

Want some items that could be used as oddities? Check out 100 Xenoarchaeological Finds.

Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?

Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.

D10: Numenera Rumours – Umdera II

Numenera Cover
TM and © 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

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.

  1. Becara is in many ways the leader of the Few, though that is a role she doesn’t claim the title of, though it’s one she effectively fills. It’s rumoured that Becara’s refusal to claim to be the leader is subterfuge, to hide the fact that she knows that, in truth, she runs the Few and without her the group would fall apart.
  2. Brave House in Umdera is where weapons and unarmed combat are trained by instructors who are members of the Few. It’s said that the Few keep an eye on those they are training, to see who might be worthy of joining their number, but no matter what, training is open to all.
  3. Coloured plumes of steam are emitted from the elixir distillery in Umdera, and inside the fumes can lead to blindness. It’s rumoured that even those fumes that are emitted into the atmosphere are dangerous for those who spend too much time near them, and over the years the effects can build up.
  4. Ethedrin is a skilled gambler and trader in secrets that can be found in Umdera’s Public House. It’s rumoured that some of the secrets he knows are used as blackmail material by the gambler, and that over the years he’s picked up just about every skeleton in the closet in the settlement, and now wields as much power as any of those who visibly hold it.
  5. Jherad the Sage is a student of the dream titans who perhaps knows more about them than anyone else living. He constantly wears skin-covering garments to cover up the damage he suffered when he was trampled by one of the dream titans. Some claim that Jherad is still attempting to gain as much knowledge about the creatures as he can so he can discover how to kill them in revenge for his injuries.
  6. Lia is a young distiller with so much talent for the craft that, despite being only fifteen, some of the varieties offered are her own concoctions. It’s rumoured that she’s still considering leaving the distillery, and as a result Xaozon is considering essentially bribing her to remain.
  7. Pilgrim Palon can be found in the Public House in Umdera, regaling people of all the expeditions she’s led in the past and usually saving things single-handedly. Some doubt her tales, especially as they seem to be endless, and there are rumours that Palon is not the brave adventurer she makes herself out to be and instead is a coward who has people looking for her under a different name after her cowardice landed them in mortal peril.
  8. The Few are a group of explorers based out of Brave House in Umdera who set out on expeditions into the nearest dream titan. Not all who set out return, though the group has so far been able to restore its numbers. There are rumours that those outside the core membership are the most likely to fail to return from an expedition and some say that’s because the core members kill those who have discovered things of spectacular value or interest and take them for their own.
  9. The Jalnarys are the two brothers and a sister who run the Public House in Umdera and most have difficulty telling the three apart unless they are together. It’s rumoured that the three may be clones, or something similar, and that they fled from something, which is why they mostly keep to the Public House.
  10. Xaozon the distiller was once an Aeon Priest but he left the Order of Truth for reasons he will not explain, though they seem to be painful for him. It’s said that Xaozon keeps an eye out for whenever Aeon Priests might visit Umdera, almost as if he’s looking for some in particular, or fears they may be looking for him.

Want some items that could be used as oddities? Check out 100 Xenoarchaeological Finds.

Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?

Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.

D10: Numenera Rumours – Umdera

Numenera Cover
TM and © 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.

Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?

Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.

D10: Numenera Rumours – Creatures III

Numenera Cover
TM and © 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

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 Use that can be found with creature descriptions in the official books, can be used as adventure hooks or as simple misinformation.

  1. A sarrak has been seen outside a number of villages recently, acting in what can only be called a strange way. Sarraks are normally only seen when they want to be seen, and are known to be highly intelligent, So, presumably, the sarrak in question, if it is just one, wants others to see what it’s doing.
  2. Oorgolian soldiers are mechanical beings that patrol isolated parts of the Ninth World, and as far as can be told, they act on orders given many years ago that may no longer make sense. Though Oorgolians are usually found in groups of three or more, they are rarely seen in large numbers. Though it’s rumoured that somewhere there is a vast army of Oorgolian soldiers still following their ancient orders.
  3. Philethis are strange creatures of unknown, or perhaps simply incomprehensible, motivation. They seem to be biomechanical in nature, though little of their true form is seen, but there are other claims. They are not automatically hostile unless provoked, but their conversations make little sense. Some claim they are ancient creatures whose sole intent is to simply spread confusion in their wake.
  4. Rasters are large biomechanical airborne creatures that have an impressive appetite, though when caught it’s possible to train them into becoming airborne mounts. Sometimes the local population of rasters can apparently grow hungrier than usual, and will wreak devastation on nearby livestock and wide animals as they attempt to satisfy an appetite that appears to have grown temporarily insatiable.
  5. Ravage bears are dangerous predators that at their most dangerous when hungry or protecting their young, or both. Most encounters with ravage bears are like any other encounter with a dangerous animal, but it’s rumoured that some abhumans have managed to train the bears and use them as watch animals, as well as a way of preying on travellers.
  6. Seskii are loyal companions that can be trained in different ways, especially as they possess a degree of intelligence. There’s a rumour that someone in the wastes has trained an enormous pack of seskii to obey them, and are using this pack to spread terror through the region.
  7. Snow lopers are fast-moving omnivores that are often trained to act as mounts. There are rumours of different types of snow loper, adapted to thrive in different climates, and even that there’s a purely carnivorous predatory type that hunts in packs.
  8. Steel spiders are creatures of living metal that can be found in many places. They attempt to catch prey in their webs which are razor sharp and are dangerous to encounter. There’s a Nano who believes that it should be possible to train steel spiders into being effective guardians, and is looking for people to catch a number so that they have some to experiment on.
  9. Stratharian war moths are dangerous flying creatures that swarm around the Ninth World, normally in the wilderness. There are rumours that some larger swarms of the moths act with an unusual intelligence, suggesting that in larger numbers the creatures have some form of hive mind.
  10. The abhumans known as sathosh can join their minds together to act in union when attacking a foe. Normally, only two sathosh can do this, but there are rumours of larger numbers having the same power, and six to twelve sathosh acting together are a fearsome foe to face. Should even larger numbers band together, they might be extremely difficult to stop.

Want some items that could be used as oddities? Check out 100 Xenoarchaeological Finds.

Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?

Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.

D10: Numenera Rumours – Creatures II

Numenera Cover
TM and © 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

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 Use that can be found with creature descriptions in the official books, can be used as adventure hooks or as simple misinformation.

  1. Erynth grask are ultraterrestrials with a practically incomprehensible intelligence. They are usually encountered singly, and are dangerous when so encountered, but some claim that there is a pattern to encounters with the creatures. Not just a pattern for the behaviour of an individual erynth grask, but for all of them, as if the entire species is acting on some sort of overarching plan.
  2. Ghost crabs live on the ocean floor, but only in the deeper regions. They can be a danger to any who venture into the depths, as the hunt creatures for food, trapping them in their webs. Though ghost crabs grow up to 5′ across, there are rumours of even larger specimens found in the depths, ones which can grow two, three or even more times larger than even the largest typical ghost crab. These are also said to be substantially more intelligent.
  3. Isthyns are known to fiercely defend their nests, even if doing so means that they will die. A nest of isthyns isn’t so easy to kill, though, and sometimes people harvest isthyn eggs and plant them in places where they wish to deny access to resources, allowing the eggs to hatch and riddling regions with the dangerous creatures.
  4. Jiraskars are extremely dangerous, and fast, creatures, and an encounter with such can quickly end in death for all concerned. However, someone has decided that, because of this, jiraskars would be highly effective in combat. Which is likely true, but training one would be extremely difficult and dangerous. They are offering a reward for all jiraskars that can be captured alive, and an even bigger reward for any that can be trained.
  5. Margr are known for their violent lives, killing each other or anyone unlucky enough to stumble across them. There’s a rumour of one tribe in the wastes, though, that has managed to rein in its bloodlust, at least when it comes to other members of the tribe, and are therefore growing in size and strength. If not stopped, they may become a significant threat to any settlements and caravans in the region.
  6. Mastigophores are normally found in pairs, or larger groups, guarding ancient ruins from interlopers, standing watch and stopping anyone entering. There’s a rumour of some more mobile groups of mastigophores, that travel along regular routes, almost as if they are guarding a road or other ancient route that has now disappeared.
  7. Mesomemes harvest the heads of their victims, whether human or animal, and attach them to tendrils that sprout from the creature. Most mesomemes have an assortment of heads from many different creatures attached to them, but there are rumours of the occasional one which is much more selective, only choosing heads from a specific type of being.
  8. Most murdens live out in the wilderness regions, where they prey on passers-by, but there are rumours that some have set up homes in the tunnels and sewers beneath some larger cities. Though few claim to have seen them, or survived the seeing anyway, there are repeated claims of the irritating telepathy of the murdens being detected.
  9. Nevajin are creatures that can separate their head from their body and have both parts still function separately, though this is a painful process. Someone wants to capture a number of nevajin and forcibly separate their bodies from their heads, to study just how far apart the two can survive, and is willing to pay substantial amounts to anyone who can capture the creatures.
  10. The poisonous reptiles known as laaks are not particularly dangerous individually, but they are rarely found individually. A few people have been said to have turned up dead recently, seemingly poisoned by laaks, though none can be found on the premises. Leading to suspicions that someone is letting laaks into places to do their killing, then collecting them again.

Want some items that could be used as oddities? Check out 100 Xenoarchaeological Finds.

Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?

Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.

D10: Numenera Rumours – Creatures

Numenera Cover
TM and © 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

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 Use that can be found with creature descriptions in the official books, can be used as adventure hooks or as simple misinformation.

  1. A band of chirogs is apparently ambushing travellers and demanding that they hand over any numenera in their possession for destruction. Those who refuse are attacked and the numenera taken from their corpses whilst, oddly, those that agree are more often than not allowed to go on their way, which is not how chirogs normally behave.
  2. Abykoses are creatures that look like ghosts, and are considered to be such by the majority of people. The beings are usually not aggressive in nature, but under certain conditions they can be. It’s rumoured that some abykoses are far more aggressive than others, and that this doesn’t appear to be related to the normal conditions for such happening. It’s said that there is a pack of marauding abykoses that travel around leaving destruction in their wake.
  3. Aneen are herd animals that are often domesticated and used as mounts or pack animals. The beasts are omnivores with tiny forelimbs and small claws, neither of which are much use, but there are rumours of larger, significantly more dangerous aneen with larger, stronger forelimbs and claws and a nature that is significantly more carnivorous.
  4. Broken hounds are a danger to those who travel through their territory, attacking in large numbers, and they prove impossible to reason with, acting only out of hunger. Yet there are rumours of packs of broken hounds behaving with far more intelligence and cunning than would usually be the case, leading some to wonder if they could be under the control of numenera.
  5. Caffas are immune to the effects of wind and other air-based attacks, and have no problems with flying in strong winds. Some swarms are rumoured to follow storms, using the high winds of the storm as a way of partially defeating those they attack before they even strike.
  6. Callerails, when two of them encounter each other, fight to the death, each attempting to absorb the inorganic parts of the other. There’s a rumour that a truly enormous callerail has been seen, one which looks as if it may have successfully absorbed the portions of several others and grown significantly as a result.
  7. Dark fathoms are incredibly dangerous machines of war that anyone with sense would leave well alone. There’s a rumour, though, that a Nano with more ambition than sense is hoping to capture a dark fathom and control the creature to use against their enemies, and are looking for people willing to help them capture one.
  8. Most cragworms dwell in abandoned and isolated areas, but there are rumours of a smaller variety that can be found living beneath cities, particularly in old passages, and in other underground areas. Though these may not be as dangerous as a normal cragworm, due to being smaller, the small spaces in which they are found can make them difficult to avoid.
  9. There’s a bounty on the head of culovas living in the Westwood, due to the beings disrupting the local logging trade. It’s rumoured that the culovas have started to act more aggressively against interlopers as a result. Instead of remaining on familiar ground as they normally do, some say the creatures are instead venturing further afield and initiating combat pre-emptively.
  10. Though blood barms are not usually aggressive unless they or their young are threatened, there are rumours that sometimes blood barms who are raising young can become very territorial. In such a case, the blood barms stake out a section of land and will viciously attack anything that moves into it, continuing with such behaviour until the young are grown enough and the blood barms move on.

Want some items that could be used as oddities? Check out 100 Xenoarchaeological Finds.

Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?

Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.

D6: Numenera Rumours – Organisations

Numenera Cover
TM and © 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

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.

  1. Sarracenians are a group whose members are scholars that study and worship plants, especially those that are carnivorous or are plant like predators. The group has fallen from favour in the Steadfast, but individuals in the group are still in demand. It’s rumoured that the group has a hardcore element that is displeased with their organisation’s decline and are planning to make people respect them again. Or, rather, fear them, as the intention is to unleash specially engineered plants on a killing spree.
  2. Some say that war has become more common over time, with countries more often than not resorting to violent means rather than peaceful to resolve any differences that they have. No-one claims to know why this is the case, but it’s suggested that this is simply a common outcome when nations grow large and powerful enough.
  3. The Redfleets dislike anything manmade and the numenera, instead looking for the natural treasures of the ocean. Some manage to contain their distaste enough to sell any unnatural treasures that they find, and there are rumours that there are members who pay only lip service to the claim of distaste, using the Redfleets as a cover for what is at its root piracy.
  4. The Angulan Knights are a group that is dedicated to the advancement of humanity as a species, and they abhor governments, class distinctions and religious differences. It’s rumoured that a small number of the Knights so abhor the governments of the Steadfast that they are actively working to undermine them.
  5. The Convergence is an organisation whose members which to use the power of the numenera to benefit themselves, not anyone else, unlike the Aeon Priests of the Order of Truth. The Convergence is said to be a much smaller organisation, but it’s rumoured it has a number of Aeon Priests amongst its ranks, as the access such have to numenera is attractive to those who would join the Convergence.
  6. The Order of Truth is probably the most powerful organisation in the Steadfast, and perhaps Beyond, and there are rumours that the current Amber Pope, Durranet VI, is only looking to expand the order’s reach and power. It’s said that Durranet VI wants to increase the order’s grasp on the nations of the Steadfast, slowly incorporating them directly into the order’s structure. If true, this would be opposed by every country’s ruler.

Want some items that could be used as oddities? Check out 100 Xenoarchaeological Finds.

Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?

Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.

D6: Numenera Rumours – Other Villages, Settlements and Communities

Numenera Cover
TM and © 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

Numenera is a game published by Monte Cook Games. Its setting is the Ninth World, and this list has six 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.

  1. Broley’s buildings are mostly made from living greenwood, a biologically engineered material that grows over a temporary shelter. The creator of greenwood, Holeon Ferre, lives in Broley, but it’s rumoured that some of the early experiments with greenwood didn’t go well, with the grown buildings actually eating those who were living in them. This is said to be still a potential problem, though one that is kept secret.
  2. Dymath Fordye is built in Snakemoor Marsh on stilts, with only a stone bridge leading to the town. The bridge is precarious enough at the best of times, but recently it has suffered repeated damage, seemingly from sabotage. Without the bridge, the town will be completely cut off.
  3. Imalov Castle is a lone keep in the wilderness, the home of Lady Perrix. The lady is cautious around strangers, but those who gain her trust are allowed to enter and are treated well. However, it’s rumoured that Lady Perrix quizzes guests to see what family and friends they have who would miss them, and if it turns out the answer is none, they never leave the castle again.
  4. Songduel Ruins stand on the site of a much larger city than the current village, which was razed when two songstresses fought a legendary duel. It’s rumoured that many of the city’s inhabitants perished at the same time, and that the songs used in the duel changed their fallen bodies. To this day, they lie under the ground, waiting to break free and kill.
  5. The Inn of the Blue Barker in Essearnin runs regular duels, with the varjellen Malia Noke being the undefeated champion for four years. Malia had been threatening retirement, due to boredom and lack of anyone worth fighting, and it’s rumoured that she has been missing for several days, so may in fact have gone ahead with this.
  6. The buildings in Aendri are mostly made of stronglass, and are thus transparent. As a result, the town has four tailors who constantly work to create curtains and roof garbs. It’s rumoured that someone did come up with a way of successfully colouring the stronglass, but they disappeared, said to be the victim of the tailors who didn’t want to lose their business.

Want some items that could be used as oddities? Check out 100 Xenoarchaeological Finds.

Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?

Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.

D10: Numenera Rumours – The University of Doors

Numenera Cover
TM and © 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

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.

  1. Few of those who stumble across the University of Doors through one of its portals are allowed to actually enter and study at the university, not even allowed inside the chimerical gatewall that surrounds the place. It’s rumoured that the percentage has been gradually reducing over the years, which may suggest that the number of people finding the university is increasing, but the number considered suitable students is not.
  2. Just as the Hinge Lab separated from the Science Lab in the University of Doors, there’s a push to create other labs for the other different elements of a door. So far, this hasn’t got anywhere, as it’s stated to be needless complication, but that hasn’t stopped people from trying.
  3. Living passages, including some that are sentient, are studied in the Atrium in University of Doors. Some postulate it may be possible to create an entire, living, network of passages to wrap around the Ninth World, and that this network could also become a vast intelligence. Others agree, but state this sounds like a very bad idea.
  4. Sajeen Dar is the current headstone of the University of Doors and is coming to the end of his ten-year term. Former headstones can go through one final door; after which they may never go through a door again unless invited to do so by the holder of that door, or be hunted down and killed by the gibbs. It’s rumoured that this headstone is trying to find a way around this, and has been lavishing money and resources around secretly with this aim.
  5. The Archivolt is a flock of mechanical birds shaped like keys that fly around and through the doors in the chimerical wall that surrounds the University of Doors. The Archivolt appear to take pleasure in harassing would-be students, and there’s a rumour that, if a student is utterly unsuited, the Archivolt may turn violent.
  6. The End of Doors is a building on the campus of the University of Doors that has only one, simple door and contains an empty space without doors, given students and staff a break from doors. There’s a rumour, though, that the empty space is itself a type of door, a very unusual one that is difficult to open.
  7. The locked passageways, often called diums, through which prospective students may reach the University of Doors, can be found anywhere in the world and made of anything. There’s a rumour that, sometimes, what appears to be a dium is something different. It provides access to another location; this is not the university, however, but a far darker place.
  8. The Science Lab of the University of Doors has an infamous recent history involving an exploding double-door. Rumour has it that this explosion wasn’t simply the result of an accident, but that someone deliberately sabotaged an experiment, for an unknown reason, to cause it to fail dramatically.
  9. The University of Doors is located in an alternate universe, but its actual location is kept secret, including from the university’s students and staff, with access through doors hidden around the world. There’s a rumour that, over the years, more than one person has attempted to find the university’s true location. It’s said that those that try eventually walk through a door but fail to come out the other side.
  10. Those who wish to enter the University of Doors must solve a puzzle given by the Archivolt, which gives them a clue as to what they need to create to enter. There are rumours, though, that the Archivolt sometimes gives out clues that, if solved, do not open a door to the university, a way of weeding out those who are considered unsuitable, not merely for the university, but life itself.

Want some items that could be used as oddities? Check out 100 Xenoarchaeological Finds.

Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?

Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.