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.
Captain Jamson “The Liar” Connell is a retired member of the Redfleet who can often be found in Kaparin in Ancuan. It’s rumoured that Connell once killed and ate his entire crew, and his attempts to eat those who threaten him don’t exactly put a lie to this. There are rumours that a number of people have disappeared in town, with all that is found of them, if anything, being some chewed bones. Some believe that Connell is hunting and eating people.
In Pike’s Head is an unusual structure that juts up out of the water, known simple as “the Beast”. The structure is clearly organic, and is said to resemble a pike’s head, but it doesn’t appear to be a corpse for it doesn’t seem to rot. If it doesn’t rot, then maybe it’s not dead and, recently, there are rumours that some of the village’s residents have seen the Beast move ever so slightly.
Ishlav in Ancuan was rebuilt after an accident with a strange device destroyed all non-living matter, but not the ground, within 2 miles. Living creatures caught in the blast did, however, benefit from improved health, and this improved health seems to have been passed on to later generations. There are rumours, though, that there’s a dark side to this improved health. That, occasionally, individuals are transformed into something monstrous over time.
Kaparin in Ancuan is home to the Redfleets Museum, where the members of the Redfleets display items in what is a combination museum, library and hall of fame. There are interesting items on display, but it’s also rumoured at least some, and no-one seems to know which ones, are actively dangerous. Some visitors to the museum are said to have disappeared without a trace.
Rarrow in Ancuan is a city with two parts. The second part, Hidden Rarrow, is built on the other side of an interstitial rift. It’s not known where Hidden Rarrow exists; some believe that it is in the future of the world, others that it’s in a parallel universe. Recently, there are rumours of the inhabitants of Hidden Rarrow encountering strange things roaming their city at night. The things haven’t shown themselves to be hostile – at least, not yet – but nor is it known just what they are.
Sallian Orsay the Red, the seemingly ageless ruler of Kaparin in Ancuan and one of the founders of the Redfleets, is protected by a seemingly endless army of goons willing to fight for her. There have long been rumours that Sallian’s agelessness comes from something she discovered on one of her missions, but it’s also rumoured that the goons come from something else. That they aren’t human, or even technically alive, and that Sallian has a numenera device that produces endless replicas for her.
The inhabitants of Glavis in Ancuan worship sibling deities called Relia and Bianes. Offerings disappear from the deities’ altars, so most, including those who don’t believe that Relia and Bianes are gods, do believe that there is someone at the very least masquerading as them. There’s a rumour that someone was determined to prove that Relia and Bianes, whilst they exist, are frauds and not true gods. It’s said the individual disappeared and hasn’t been seen since.
The Monks of Mitos are an organisation in Ishlav in Ancuan founded by a man called Kollos. The monks are known for their effective fighting style, seemingly developed by Kollos, and the organisation preaches a message about creating a safer, more harmonious world. There are rumours, though, that the monks are infiltrating Ishlav at every level, both criminal and not, with the aim of gaining complete control over the city and, perhaps, beyond.
The Redfleets are sailors based out of Kaparin an Ancuan, ranging from scientists to thieves, who seek out natural treasures to bring back to their city. There are rumours that some of the Redfleets have been staying out far longer than is possible without returning somewhere for resupply, yet they haven’t been seen anywhere. This has led to speculation that the Redfleets have found and colonised other land somewhere.
There have apparently been a number of outbreaks of strange diseases in Glavis in Ancuan. Each outbreak has infected a number of people, before suddenly burning out and anyone who didn’t die from the infection has been cured. It’s not clear what’s happening, but most think this can’t be a natural occurrence, not for so many different diseases to break out and for them to then be cured.
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.
Empress Challadien III of the Pytharon Empire is known to be expansionistic, wishing to continue to spread the empire’s influence over its former lands. These plans have hardly been met with enthusiasm by those who wish to remain apart from the empire, as they currently are, and it’s rumoured that the empress has been the target of several assassination attempts as a result recently, though none have succeeded.
Far Brohn on the southern edge of the Pytharon Empire is protected by walls that are laced with numenera devices that cause panic and confusion in those that attempt to assault them. There are rumours, though, that the devices are no longer as effective as they used to be. Either the devices themselves are wearing out, or those who would attack the city are becoming immune to their effects.
Limech is a constructor who recently moved into Jargolamis in the Pytharon Empire, and is currently building a new connection between the Twins, to replace the broken and dangerous Umbil. This is an open-air skyway beneath the Umbil, and there are rumours that the building work has been plagued by setbacks recently, from accidents injuring workers or damaged Limech’s mechanised creatures, to parts of the new skyway breaking to materials going missing.
Rarmon, the capital of the Pytharon Empire, fell into decline and decay when the empire did the same, but is currently being restored to its former glory. There’s a rumour, though, that some of the renovations have been plagued by problems, with accidents resulting in damage to buildings, injuries and deaths amongst the workers. Such might be a sign that someone is working against the city’s renovations, or perhaps workers discovered something they shouldn’t have.
Rathscor Fortress guards the southern border of the Pytharon Empire. Lord Myallatur commands the fortress and its renowned soldiers, the Mahal Shards, but there are rumours that the Shards have been running into problems outside of their ability to defeat. Not because the foes they are encountering are too dangerous, but because the Shards are just not trained or equipped for dealing with them. The lord is said to be looking to hire specialists to deal with the problem.
Since the Umbil that connects the Twinned Cities of Jargolamis and Luigolamis in the Pytharon Empire broke, it has become a dangerous place. Perhaps even worse, there are rumours that the troubles of the Umbil are starting to spread into the Twins from the points where the corridor joins them, turning the regions around the entrances substantially more disreputable and dangerous.
The Grand Orrery in Rarmon, the capital of the Pytharon Empire, shows the orbits of the sun, Earth and the other six planets. The orrery can be raised into the air and the central sphere can also be used as a defensive weapon to protect Rarmon. There are rumours that the sphere has been suffering from problems recently, with it activating of its own accord, causing quite a bit of havoc, and when it is deliberately activated, the strength of the weapon is highly variable.
The Pytharon Empire has been casting an eye on the regions of Matheunis to its south for some time, and nobles of the land have sent raiding parties to them after slaves. There’s a rumour that the Pytharons are planning to step up their actions against Matheunis, with the intention of bringing them into the empire, but it’s also rumoured that those regions are starting to band together to defend themselves against the Pytharons.
The Sunken Palace in Rarmon, the capital of the Pytharon Empire, is home to the Empress and is also a numenera device. The palace is a sphere that can be rotated in any direction and it also maintains its own gravity, so no matter what angle it is rotated, those inside are perfectly comfortable. There’s a rumour that sometimes rooms of the palace are found with bloody stains on the floor, seemingly from someone being crushed by immense gravity. It’s said that this happens to those who displease the Empress.
The Umbil is, or was, the motorised walkway that connects the twin cities of Jargolamis and Luigolamis in the Pytharon Empire, until it broke and wasn’t repaired. Now, it is a den of thieves and worse, and a truly dangerous place to visit. There’s a rumour, though, that the walkway’s breaking was not an accident, but was sabotage, and the device that was used to sabotage it is still hidden in the Umbil somewhere.
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.
Dynafel in Iscobal has been suffering from attacks by clouds of the yellow swarm of late, something the city walls cannot prevent and something the city guards are unable to fight. There are rumours that someone is, somehow, directing the yellow swarm deliberately ay Dynafel with the aim of, for whatever reason, damaging, or perhaps even destroying, the city.
Harcorth Munn, mayor of Dynafel in Iscobal, is a well-liked man who is a common sight at the city’s various places of entertainment, from bars to brothels. There’s a rumour that Munn is not the jovial person he often presents himself as, but in fact is a cold and grasping man with a firm grip around the various places he visits, and that when he travels to them it isn’t to sample the pleasures available, but to ensure that his investments are still going strong.
King Noren tiKalloban of Iscobal only just survived an attempt on his life, presumed to be at the bidding of the deposed Queen Whenith Sarromere, but lost an arm and an eye in the process. Only the numenera stockpile saved the king’s life. There’s a rumour, though, that not even the numenera were enough to save the king and that, in fact, he died as a result of the assassination, and that whoever is currently pretending to be king is some sort of numenera-created or disguised being.
Narla Deshu, the Aeon Priest who is chief among the experts working at the Dreaming Reliquary in Dynafel in Iscobal, has been getting increasingly involved in political affairs of late. There are rumours that what Narla is seen doling is only a fraction of what she’s attempting to do, and that she has a political reach that extends well beyond the city of Dynafel. Narla may even be powerful enough to dictate who sits on Iscobal’s throne.
Queen Whenith Sarromere, the ruler of Iscobal deposed by the father of the current king, Rabbar tiKalloban 40 years ago, is said to have died in exile in the land of Ancuan. There’s a rumour, though, that the queen did not die in exile, or perhaps she was able to recover through the use of numenera, and is still plotting to regain her throne, though she does so from without the country, not within.
The Cold Grasp operates out of Mulen in Iscobal, perhaps the most infamous group of assassins and thieves in the Steadfast. Though the Cold Grasp takes on contracts from others to carry out assassinations, there’s a rumour that everything they do is intended to further the secret goals of the group and its leader, Hedra. That no assassination is done unless the Cold Grasp will, in some way, benefit from it.
The Dreaming Reliquary in Dynafel in Iscobal is a place where Aeon Priests continue to follow the obsession with dreams that the exiled queen had. It’s rumoured that those who live too close to the reliquary often suffer strange dreams, and that sometimes some are afflicted by nightmares emanating from the Reliquary, nightmares that can be fatal to experience.
The Grand Theatre in Mulen, capital of Iscobal, was once a monument to art and culture, but it has recently become a dangerous place to visit, due to the actions of nobles allied with one faction or another. Intrigue, and assassinations, are becoming more common, and there are rumours that different factions are trying to employ the staff and artists who work at the theatre as a way of eavesdropping, or killing, those allied to opposing factions.
The Masked Legion is the secret police force of Mulen in Iscobal, that opposes the Sarromere family’s attempts to regain control of the nation from the current royal family. This results in the Legion occasionally falling afoul of the Cold Grasp and other such elements, but there’s a rumour that one reason the police are masked is that many of them are secretly members of the Cold Grasp as well, and that the supposed clashes between the groups are staged so that only those who do not know of the connection are at risk.
Underneath Mulen in Iscobal is a vast network of catacombs, secret passages, tombs and subterranean chambers. This undercity is home to thieves, beggars, escaped slaves and other creatures, most of whom no-one is really bothered about should they go missing. And there’s a rumour that, recently, people have been disappearing in greater numbers than usual. Some of those concerned about the underground realms are worried that one of the residents may have awoken something best left sleeping.
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.
Ellabon is the current regent for Yorvic, the three-year-old ruler of Malevich, and will continue being regent until Yorvic passes the ritual of second birth at age thirteen. There’s a rumour, though, that Ellabon enjoys ruling the nation and has no desire to step down when Yorvic is old enough. It’s being said that Ellabon is already making plans to ensure that Yorvic, for whatever reason, will be unable to take his rightful place as king.
Living in the lower reaches of Stirthal in Malevich is a creature called Quanon, an expert on energy sources and power generation. Quanon charges a lot for his services, but is also willing to accept barter, if the item is interesting enough. There’s a rumour that Quanon is searching for a specific item and is willing to pay a substantial amount for it, if it is found. It’s believed Quanon is looking for an experimental energy source from a prior world.
Marrizek is the ruler of Stirthal in Malevich, taking the title of Governor and claiming to rule the Voil Chasm as well, in the name of the king. It’s said that the Governor is planning to make her claim of rulership over the chasm fact, rather than vanity, and intends to start sending groups down into it to establish cliffside routes and waystations, broadening these out by burrowing into the rock itself and building the city downward and across.
Malevich is constantly under threat by bands of abhumans, who roam the country in small, disorganised bands. A worrying rumour is that some of the bands of abhumans are neither small nor disorganised, instead being large and well-led. No-one has been able to confirm these rumours, but one reason being given for this is that no-one has, to date, survived an encounter with one of the larger bands.
Neverlost is a powerful fortification in Malevich, home to Duke Theomal. The castle has never fallen and, in times of need, the duke offers sanctuary within its walls to those that can pay the price. The duke’s family becomes wealthier and more powerful every time Neverlost is used as a refuge by others, and there’s a rumour that some of this wealth goes towards funding the very problems that drive people to take shelter within the castle’s walls.
Parts of Stirthal in Malevich are built onto the sides of the cliffs of the Voil Chasm. These homes are the most prized in the city, and as such are the preferred residences and business locations of the city’s wealthy and powerful. There are rumours, though, that there are concerns about the safety of some of the cliffside dwellings, and that some people have plunged to their deaths when part of their expensive home suddenly gave way.
The bandit clans of Malevich are all organised under the command of the Bandit King, Polele, and it’s said many of the bandits are veterans of the wars fought by Malevich in the past. The bandits have a degree of organisation and skill that rivals the country’s armed forces and it’s rumoured that they are planning to overturn the current government. Given that the peasantry of Malevich are kept on the verge of starvation by the nobility, an attempt to depose the nobles could easily be greeted with widespread popular support.
The Thyrn are the city guards of Stirthal in Malevich and are well trained and easily seen in their distinctive black and gold armour. The Thyrn have a reputation for violence and oppression, but also for being utterly loyal to the city’s ruler, Governor Marrizek. However, some suggest that this apparent loyalty is not real, and that the Thyrn are the true rulers of the city, with Marrizek being no more than their puppet.
The Voil Chasm serves as the southern border of Malevich, a huge rent in the earth, once called the Earthwound, up to 25 miles wide in places and in some parts approaching that in depth. No-one has ever fully explored the chasm, or travelled to the deepest regions, but there’s a rumour that some of those who have delved deeply have never returned. Whether they simply fell prey to the hazards of travelling so far down into the chasm, or whether they prey to something living in the depths, isn’t known.
Thriest is the official capital of Malevich but, as the regent and the child-king are in Stirthal, the palace, and much of the city, is abandoned, with only about half the population living there that used to live there. Whole buildings and sometimes entire streets, are abandoned, and there are rumours that some areas are becoming increasingly sparse of population, though no-one seems to know where the people who were living there have gone.
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.
Auspar is the capital of Thaemor and is known as the City of Needles, for it is filled with tall, thin structures of many different types. Residents use these, and other means, as a way of ascending into the sky so that they can literally look down on the kingdoms around them. Recently, there have been an unusual number of incidents involving these structures. Though anything that involves people climbing into the air on a thin structure is naturally prone to accidents, there have been far more such recently than would be expected.
Children in the city of Stirc in Thaemor, at about age two, all begin to have an imaginary friend called Olpenda. Every child in the city has Olpenda for a friend. To date, Olpenda has been treated as an unusual, but not malevolent, being, and some assume that there is a being behind the imaginary friend. However, there have recently been rumours of children going missing, apparently having followed Olpenda to somewhere unknown.
Goldguard Landon was the warrior who drove the forces of Navarene, Draolis and Malevich from the lands he would call Thaemor, though he proved less able as an administrator. His son, Kaldon, had no heirs survive him and Holiva the First took over the rulership, even though no-one remembers his origin. Recently, there has been a rumour that Kaldon either did not die when it was thought, or that he was deposed by Holiva and imprisoned somewhere, and that Kaldon’s location has now been discovered.
Holiva the First, ruler of Thaemor, has been attempting to revive something called the shadow herd, who will make the whole world kneel at the feet of Thaemor and Holiva. Superstition in the land does tell of something called the shadow herd, but most believe, or perhaps hope, that it is just superstition. Because there have been rumours of shadowy things being seen within the country in recent weeks, perhaps suggesting that Holiva has achieved a measure of success.
Jyrek in Thaemor was built by Kaldon, a former ruler of the nation, to protect just his family and may well be one of the best-defended cities in the entire Steadfast, though now it has a significantly greater population. There’s a rumour that the city’s leaders think this makes them better suited to rule the country from their city, and given the current leader, they may well have a point, and are planning on using Jyrek as a base from which to conquer the rest of Thaemor.
Navarene, Draolis and Malevich each used to desire the land now known as the kingdom of Thaemor, and fought a three-way war over it. Though the war ended when Goldguard Landon took control of the land and created Thaemor, the three kingdoms have never truly given up on their desire to own the land. It’s rumoured that at least one of them is undermining Thaemor from within in order to weaken it so that they can move in and take possession.
Recently, a device was activated in Thaemor called the Great Reach that allows instantaneous travel from Thaemor to the distant land of Corao. Though the Great Reach has proven a boon in some ways, there are rumours that there’s a price to use it. That, every so often, one of the travellers who uses the device never emerges from the other end, instead swallowed up by something that lives in the space between the spaces.
The Eyren is an egg-shaped structure floating in the centre of Jyrek that was commissioned by Kaldon, the former rumour of Thaemor, as a place to house and protect his family. After a flaw in the Eyren resulted in Kaldon’s family all dying, the structure was sealed off and no-one was allowed to enter. Though the Eyren still floats in Jyrek, most inhabitants pay it no heed, but there’s a rumour that activity has been seen around, and perhaps even in, the Eyren recently, suggesting that perhaps new occupants have moved in.
The people of Thaemor know that their ruler, Holiva the First, is not sane though they dare not say this. Holiva’s vizier is the Hand of Melch, which is merely a shadow puppet created by Holiva’s own hand. There are rumours, though, that the Hand of Melch has been seen to move without Holiva’s hand making a movement, which leads to the worrying theory that the Hand might be real.
The Precipice is the tallest and thinnest building in Auspar, the capital of Thaemor, and is the home of Holiva. Holiva increases the height of the Precipice every year, dangerous work that nowadays is suicidal. Recently, it’s said that the last piece added to the Precipice fell off, and that Holiva is now planning on getting someone to increase the height again, with a warning that any failure to do so will have consequences on their family.
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.
Beoth in Draolis was struck with an illness which the inhabitants called the “toothless bile.” The illness killed many of the city’s people, and left many more bedridden for some time. No cure has been discovered for the illness, but Aeon Priests constructed a device called the Arch of Illness, which glows when someone afflicted with the disease passes through. There’s a rumour that the arch doesn’t always work correctly, and a worry that some people with the disease may have passed through without it registering.
Castle Sarrat in Draolis has been growing ever since the Horges family moved into it seventy years ago. No-one really knows anything about the process, only that new areas suddenly appear in a matter of moments. It’s rumoured that, in recent months, the rate at which the castle is growing has been accelerating, with new portions being added with great rapidity. Some are concerned that the castle will start to engulf the surrounding lands.
Draolis used to be ruled by a powerful queen whose symbol was a roaring tiger. Her line died out and was replaced by a council of plutocrats who wished to keep power rather than hand it over to another hereditary line. Many of the people wish to return to the previous rulership, as they believe the nation was more glorious back then, and there’s a rumour that the queen’s line hadn’t died out fully, and that there are still descendants who could take the throne, if the people united behind them.
Kordech in Draolis is devoted to the sale, breeding and slaughter of shiul, a valuable source of meat. The cattle, which are popular targets for various predators as well as bandits, are protected at night by wooden palisades erected by those that look after them. It’s rumoured, though, that a number of shiul have recently started disappearing from within the palisades themselves, disappearing with no sign of either them or what might have taken them.
Mayor Marvyr Rann of Qi in Draolis lives in a dirigible out of a fear that if he ever treads on the earth he will sicken and die. It’s rumoured that Rann’s dirigible nearly came to earth recently without the mayor’s approval. Some say that it was sabotaged in an attempt to bring Rann back to the ground. If it’s true that Rann will die if he touches the ground, this was an assassination attempt, and it’s said that the mayor is certainly treating it as such.
Sister Tevera, a priestess of the cult of Nauz, the Stargod, become the mayor of Beoth in Draolis after the previous mayor died. Tevera is continually clashing with the Aeon Priests over handling the toothless bile that afflicts the city, and it’s rumoured that the priests would be glad to see her replaced with someone who would make their job easier. It’s even rumoured that some of the priests might be willing to help Sister Tevera on her way out of the job.
The Fourth Mark in Draolis is a strange construction with a tower like base rising hundreds of feet in the air, topped by a crescent shape. Over the years, many have tried and failed to get through the synth hatch that blocks access to the structure’s head, but there’s a rumour that one of the more recent groups to attempt access never returned. Whether this means that they got through, and were stuck or transported elsewhere, whether they were vapourised or whether they were simply never witnessed leaving isn’t known.
The inhabitants of the city of Qi in Draolis often travel from place to place within the city using dirigibles and balloons, though such devices are rarely used to venture over longer distances, as the vehicles lack the capability. Recently, there have been a number of incidents with the vehicles, accidents within the city where they have crashed or otherwise started to fall from the sky. So far, none of these have been serious, but there’s a concern that such is only a matter of time.
The Marish Clan of Qi in Draolis have their fingers in all sorts of illegal pies, mostly involving goods that have been stolen in some way, but they also conduct murder for hire. There’s a rumour, though, that the clan is looking to expand into other arenas. A few political figures are said to have died recently, seemingly killed by the Marish, and it’s thought that the clan is attempting to become a political power in the city, not just a purely criminal one. Though some see little difference.
The Zhev are the elite peacekeeping force of Qi in Draolis and are flying cylindrical automatons that were created by the Amber Pope. The city’s rulers are able to repair the existing Zhev, but not make new ones, and the city’s area has expanded since the automatons were first created. The rulers are rumoured to be spending a lot of effort into looking for methods to create new Zhev, so that the entirety of Qi falls under their protection once again.
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.
Farond, the mayor of Omar in the Sea Kingdom of Ghan, is a tough individual who maintains order in her equally tough town using a suit of ancient armour and its devastating numenera weapons. There’s a rumour, though, that Farond is quietly seeking out people familiar with that sort of armour, as reputedly it’s starting to fail and becoming less effective. Without the armour, Mayor Farond will have much greater difficulty maintaining order.
It’s been said that King Laird, the ruler of the Sea Kingdom of Ghan, hasn’t been seen in public in some time. Some are claiming that the king is very ill; others that he’s actually died and his advisors are ruling in his stead. Most citizens of the Sea Kingdom, whilst loyal to the king, dislike a heavy-handed government and, should the king truly be unable to rule or dead, as long as whoever is doing so in his stead doesn’t alter the current situation, they may well go along with it.
Keford is a lumber town in the Sea Kingdom of Ghan and the lumberjacks of Keford frequently cross into Navarene to harvest wood from the Westwood, as there is no firm border. Navarene does patrol the woods, and sometimes the lumberjacks and soldiers come into conflict. Recently, a number of parties on both sides, lumberjacks and soldiers alike, have disappeared in the woods without a trace. Both Navarene and Ghan seem to think the other is responsible.
King Laird, the ruler of the Sea Kingdom of Ghan, lives in the Coral Palace in the City of Bridges, taking up most of one platform and provides a location for the king’s personal ships to dock. Recently, those close to the palace have said that access to it has been greatly restricted, with outsiders being searched before entering and leaving, and that there has been a substantial increase in the guard presence.
Massive humanoid statues float above the Sea Kingdom of Ghan, ancient war machines that have done nothing but float above the hills, never travelling far from their origin point. They have floated for so long that most don’t pay them much attention any longer. Recently, though, some of the inhabitants of the region have claimed that they have seen signs of activity from some of the machines. Not much, little more than twitches or lights, but they seem to suggest that the war machines are coming back to life somehow.
Omar in the Sea Kingdom of Ghan is a mining town whose miners cut away metal from an ancient structure below the surface, which can then be reforged, though not easily. The metal, known as omaroa or azure steel, is in great demand, but there are rumours that recently supplies have started to become scarcer. It’s been said that the miners have run into trouble, perhaps an ancient defence mechanism that is objecting to the intruders and attacking them.
The City of Bridges is the capital of the Sea Kingdom of Ghan, though truthfully the construction is not in Ghan itself, but stretches out into the sea, a series of metal platforms joined together by a web of bridges. The platforms are constructed from materials from prior world and, until now, have proven perfectly safe. There’s a rumour, though, that some of the material of which the city is constructed has started to rapidly fail. Should this not be stopped, then the city may have to have large parts replaced, or perhaps even abandoned.
The lumber town of Keford in the Sea Kingdom of Ghan is known for the constant, and deafening, noise that can constantly be heard by everyone except, oddly, those that are blind. The sound is deafening enough that those who can hear it find it troublesome, and there are rumours that the sound is both growing louder and that the area in which it can be heard is growing in size.
The Sea Kingdom of Ghan maintains its position primarily through the leverage of its vast merchant fleet. With the ships being merchant ships, they are not an immediate military threat to any other nation, but they could also be converted to naval vessels if need be. The merchant fleet is also a vital part of the economy of the Steadfast; loss of it would cause damage to the trade routes that the other kingdoms depend on. In recent months, losses amongst the merchant fleet have apparently been higher than normal. More vessels are being lost, and lost without a trace, than is usual. It could be that a foreign power is attempting to reduce the fleet’s utility, harming the Sea Kingdom and, perhaps, the other nations of the Steadfast as well.
There are rumours of a chain of islands leagues to the west of the Steadfast, and King Laird of the Sea Kingdom of Ghan is said to be preparing an expedition to head to those islands to discover if they are as rumoured. Some say that the expedition has actually happened, and that the fleet discovered something extremely unusual, perhaps extremely dangerous, and that its discovery is being covered up until a course of action can be decided on.
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.
Bodrov in Navarene is an unusual city, being built on top of a strange rock formation. It resembles a round table with a single leg more than anything. Though the city is extremely defensible, and can house nearly ten times as many people as it currently does, the difficulty of getting supplies to the top has restrained its growth. There’s a rumour that a means of more easily shipping supplies to the city is being investigated, via some sort of ancient mechanism, and that if this is achieved, the city will grow substantially.
Charmonde, the capital of Navarene, is protected by four fortresses, each of which has a powerful and ancient device that can emit a standing field that inflicts pain, and eventually death, on anyone who tries to cross the barrier. The devices have not been used in living memory, but there’s a rumour that recently they’ve started briefly activating all by themselves, without being switched on.
For years, people feared the Westwood, believing it to be the haunt of ghosts and beasts, but the citizens of Navarene have started claiming the forest for their own, cutting down trees, building roads and clearing land for farming. They have met opposition which, until now, has been the creatures called the colovas. However, more recently there have been rumours of something else stirring in the region, and of strange disappearances, leading some to believe the tales of ghosts were not as far-fetched as is now commonly thought.
In the Westwood on Navarene’s coastline is a huge tree known simply as the Emperor of the Green, substantially taller than any other tree and of a different species. Occasionally, some attempt to travel to the tree, but the journey can be dangerous. Recently, the survivors of one party returned, claiming that they couldn’t find the tree. Most think they simply got lost but some wonder how they could have failed to see a tree of the Emperor’s size.
Queen Armalu, the ruler of Navarene, lives in Empiternal House, her palace in the capital city of Charmonde, and has not left there for years. Anyone wishing to visit the queen must pass through a whole series of stringent checks, something that, in combination with other procedures, has apparently allowed the queen for 253 years. Yet there are mutterings that none of that is true. That the elaborate procedures and protections are intended to cover up the truth, and add an air of mystery, that the queen died many years ago and the current Queen Armalu is merely the latest successor.
The Emols, a noble family of Navarene, own a machine called the Dark Smoker that cuts down and processes the trees of the Westwood at a tremendous rate. The Dark Smoker requires constant maintenance to keep it going, both because of how jury-rigged the machine and because of constant attacks by culovas. Recently, though, the Dark Smoker has been suffering from an increasing number of problems, failing with greater regularity, in some cases injuring those working on it. The Emols suspect sabotage.
The Empiternal House in Charmonde, home of Queen Armalu, the ruler of Navarene, is also called the House of a Thousand Slaves, as that is said to be the exact number of slaves that the queen has in the palace. There’s a rumour that this is also the number of slaves that the queen goes through each year, some being simply worn out but many of the others dying, fuel for whatever means the queen uses to extend her life.
The northern portion of Navarene is filled with fortresses south of the Tithe River that are used to defend the border from the Beyond, and are important given that the Amber Pope has declared war on the lands to the north. Queen Armalu has been attempting to get the other eight kingdoms to help subsidise these fortresses, but they are reluctant, fearing that they may be funding a potential invasion of their own realms. It’s even been said that the Amber Pope has been duped by Queen Armalu into declaring war on a non-existent foe, simply to raise funding for her own army.
The Vacant Palace in Bodrov in Navarene was constructed by a now long-dead suitor of Queen Armalu as a place for the queen to retreat to in time of war or calamity. Queen Armalu never leaves her chambers in Empiternal House, and has never set foot in the palace, though the suitor’s estate still maintains it as if the queen could arrive there any day. There’s a rumour that the estate also hides a secret in the palace, one that the suitor never shared with anyone else, something that could perhaps interest the queen, were she to find out the truth.
There’s a ruin in Navarene whose mirror image can be seen in the sky, though there are some differences. For one, the image is always in winter, no matter what the season, and for another, the inhabitants don’t seem quite human. There’s a rumour that recently the ruin itself has started to take on some of the characteristics of the mirror image. Snow has been seen on the ruin outside of winter and some claim to have spied some of the inhabitants of the mirror image in the ruin on the ground as well.
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