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.
As Ruk also operates under the law of Mad Science, it’s rumoured that some of the factions of Ruk have been dispatching expeditions to Mesozoica. It’s said that the goal of these expeditions is to find some of the lost technology from the fallen serpent people civilisation of the recursion.
Captain Marab is the person in charge of Fort Erish when it’s occupied. Somehow, the captain manages to survive every event that forces and evacuation of the fort, events that regularly result in the deaths of some of the traders operating out of it, which has led to questions about just how he is always luckier than everyone else.
Earthquakes are not uncommon in Mesozoica and pose a hazard to those in the recursion, but there are rumours that some recursors have claimed that their number and intensity have been increasing. In the Lost World stories on which Mesozoica is based, it’s not uncommon for the Lost World in question to be destroyed shortly after the explorers discover it, and some wonder if this is going to happen to Mesozoica.
Fort Erish is a place that has been claimed by traders out of Ardeyn, though they regularly have to abandon the place or be slain by dinosaurs, hominids, poisonous gasses or something else. It’s rumoured that the traders, as their repairs had to be done by brute force as they are unfamiliar with the Weird Science that Mesozoica operates under, have been looking to subcontract some improvements to the defences to those able to work better under the local laws.
Mesozoica is home to many creatures that lived during the Mesozoic Era on Earth, namely dinosaurs, as well as some creatures that are anachronistic but also extinct. It’s an island considered to be a Lost World recursion, and there are rumours that a group from Earth want to use it for Jurassic World-style tours, without all the negative bits.
Some recursors are planning an expedition to Mesozoica in order to capture some of the creatures, dinosaurs and others, found there and bring them back to Earth. It’s not clear why this is being done, though probably money is at the root of this, whether to get money from selling the creatures or from scientific research done on them.
The degenerate remnant remains of a more advanced serpent people culture still live on Mesozoica, but they only have a fraction of the abilities of their forebears. It’s rumoured, though, that an advanced remnant of the original serpent people civilisation still lives on, buried deep beneath the ground.
The tar pits are a hazard of Mesozoica that aren’t always visible until too late. There are rumours amongst some recursors that something actively hides some of the tar pits so that the unwary blunder into them and are caught, claiming that there is no other way they could have been missed.
There are two types of hominids native to Mesozoica, though they aren’t that advanced, and have no formal language. There are rumours, though, that some clues found at Fort Erish suggest that one or both of the species were responsible for the fort’s original construction.
Webs are common in Mesozoica, and some are created by creatures big enough to go head-to-head with a T. rex. It’s rumoured that some of the largest creators of the webs possess a strange, alien intelligence, and may be catching things in their webs for reasons that make sense to them but not to anyone else.
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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.
Familiars such as black cats can be seen in Forest Hills close to the lairs of the covens that live there. Rumours say that some of these cats and familiars are in fact what’s left of previous interlopers who disturbed the witch covens and paid the price for this.
Forest Hills on the outskirts of Halloween is home to several witch covens. There are rumours that a number of the witches have had a falling out with Hazel Jenkins, the witch who owns the House on the Hill, but are limited by her being a Power of the Night.
Houses and caves are maintained in Forest Hills, each home to one of the covens in the region. It’s rumoured that there are truly hidden places in which far worse things than the witch covens are lairing, and that encountering such is even more dangerous.
It’s rumoured that a new type of monster has recently been seen roaming Halloween, and many suspect that Hazel Jenkins is responsible for it. However, a few suggest that the monsters are unlike anything associated with the witch that’s been seen before, and believe they are something new.
Recent turmoil in Forest Hills has apparently made the district even more dangerous to outsiders than normal. It’s rumoured that all sorts of curses and hexes are dotting the landscape now, just waiting for the unwary to blunder into them.
Since the Starry Cauldron tried to take power from the Coven of the Rusted Knife in Forest Hills, tensions have been high between all the witch covens in the region. It’s rumoured that they are all currently eyeing each other up to see who might next strike at another of the covens.
The Coven of the Rusted Knife is the current Power of the Night that controls Forest Hills in Halloween and recently were the victors of an attempt by the Starry Cauldron to usurp them. The two covens are currently at peace, but it wouldn’t take them much to set them at each other’s throats again, and there are rumours that a third, unknown, coven is hoping to become the Power of the Night by setting the other two against each other.
The House on the Hill is a large and rambling house surrounded by extensive grounds that’s larger than some city neighbourhoods. It’s rumoured that the House is continually growing, and that as well as the aboveground areas, there are parts reaching into the depths of the earth below.
The Night Watchman is one of Halloween’s Powers of the Night, a ghoul in charge of ensuring the orderly internment of Halloween’s dead. It’s rumoured that the ghoul also has a degree of control over those spirits that he’s managed to properly inter, and can unleash them on others if needed.
The various tents, rides and sideshows of the Midnight Circus move around from night to night, only the big top remaining in the same place. It’s rumoured that visitors who are inside one of the other tents and shows when they move disappear, never to be seen again.
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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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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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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.
Generalfeldmarschall Katja Dietrich commands the Wissenschaftsbüro and is sure that the disappearance of the previous head, an ascended Übermensch, was the result of actions carried out by the Shule der Archäologie. It’s said that the Generalfeldmarschall has been secretly diverting some of her bureau’s resources to investigating this matter.
Generalleutnant Werner Emmerich is the head of the Weapons Lab and known to be a staunch supporter of the Reich, even the death of his daughter in his own lab not stopping his faith. It’s rumoured, though, that the Generalleutnant has uncovered evidence that shows the SS has been deliberately causing problems within the lab, and plans to expose them to his superiors.
The Human Performance Lab’s scientists require a great deal of raw material to test their theories on, and in their case this raw material is human subjects. It’s rumoured that the lab is having problems getting a hold of enough subjects to continue with their experiments and has been suggesting that they should be allowed to start seizing people from the regular populace to stop this problem.
It’s rumoured that some of the organisations of Earth that have recursors have been funnelling some resources to the Resistance of the Eleventh Reich in the hope of at least undermining the fascist dictatorship without expending too many resources in doing so.
The Human Performance Lab is headed by Generalleutnant Helene Meyer and she has little interest in the sorts of things that the Schule der Archäologie in interested in, which she dismisses as “magic props.” It’s rumoured that the generalleutnant is secretly doing all she can to undermine the Schule with others in the Reich, though through cutouts that make it impossible to tell she is behind it.
The recursion known as the Eleventh Reich is considered potentially dangerous by a number of organisations on Earth, especially as there are rumours that some agents from the Eleventh Reich have been spotted on Earth, apparently infiltrating organisations and groups with goals, open or not, that the Reich believes are similar to their own.
The Übermensch programme is considered a success, but many at the Human Performance Lab would prefer a process that did not render the subject undead. It’s said that many in the Reich would prefer that too, and that those in positions of power who might be tempted to take part in the Übermensch programme but don’t want to become undead have been funnelling resources to the HPL so that they can develop another method.
The Weapons Lab is where the Reich develops new kinds of weapons before moving them into production. It’s rumoured that the lab is currently in the process of developing even stranger weapons than usual based on some devices that have been taken from captured recursors.
The Wissenschaftsbüro is the bureau of the Eleventh Reich responsible for researching the superior science that led to the Reich’s victory. The bureau consists of several adjacent buildings, but there are rumours of other, secret, labs hidden in various parts of the Reich.
Übermensch were created during an unusual cooperation between the Wissenschaftsbüro and the Schule der Archäologie, something that is unlikely to happen again. Some scientists and researchers within the Wissenschaftsbüro, though, are said to have been quietly speaking to colleagues in the Schule, something that could cause issues for both if it were to come out.
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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.
Camboglanna is an ancient Roman fort in Camelot Le Morte is controlled by Mordred, leader of much of the recursion’s organised resistance to the maladie de la machine. It’s rumoured that Mordred’s attempts to secure the fortress from the maladie have not been as effective as he would like.
Hollow knights are suits of armour enchanted by Mordred to move and fight of their own accord. It’s rumoured, though, that what animates the armour isn’t, strictly speaking, magic that Mordred has cast, but the spirits of the dead Arthur’s bastard son has trapped inside them.
Mordred, leader of Camboglanna and bastard son of Arthur, has the ability to code magic into tattoos. It’s rumoured that some of those who fight for him only do so because Mordred inscribed tattoos into their skin that compel them to do so.
Queen Gwenhwyfar keeps the rotting remains of Arthur within the royal bedchamber. It’s rumoured that some element of the king still lives on, and that if Merlin, or someone else of similar power, were able to get their hands on Arthur’s body, they might be able to restore the king to what he once was.
Sir Kay seems to have much of his original personality, though he is still totally loyal to Queen Gwenhwyfar. It’s said that Sir Kay’s behaviour allows him to lure the unsuspecting into what now remains of Camelot, and those to which he does this do not suspect the truth until it is far too late.
Sir Percival, of all the Knights of the Round Table, is the one who seems to have had his original personality most removed. However, some claim that this is because Percival is playing along, pretending to be almost completely overwritten so that he can finally strike back against the plague that has overtaken Camelot.
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 six 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.
Efforts by Zal to recruit Earthborn have apparently been stepped up, as the faction wants to hire them to crew the newly built Resolution. This has led to speculation as to why Zal is wanting Earthborn for this job, which is an unusual employment for them.
Melana-shem, a modified Apoptosis-class battle chrysalid, is the captain of the Resolution and by the sounds of it not that popular with either those of Ruk or Earthborn. It’s said that there have been a number of attempts to get her replaced as the ship’s commander, but Zal still considers her the best fit for the job.
Stasis chambers can be found all over the Resolution, though most lack stasis equipment as crew members have stasis rings to use should they need to use a chamber. It’s said that those that have stasis equipment are intended to be used as essentially prisons rather than survival chambers.
The Resolution is known to be powered by antimatter and has a large amount of it onboard. There are rumours that, whilst it has been waiting to start its mission, those onboard the strangecraft have had to deal with a few attempts to steal at least some of the antimatter by factions wanting it for different purposes.
The Resolution is said to have some unusual engines even for a strangecraft, though Zal and its crew seem to have little interest in discussing them outside those who already know. This, perhaps, has made some of the other factions more curious about what the engines are like.
Zal has recently constructed a strangecraft called the Resolution, which is in the process of getting a crew for its first voyage into the Strange. Although this is in and of itself unusual, as Zal has never financed a craft of this side, there are rumours that an even larger strangecraft is under construction at an unknown location.
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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.
Deep within the Scar are objects known as crucibles, about which little is known other than that they are neither quite machine nor living creature and are not native to Ruk. It’s rumoured that some of the factions have sent, so far unsuccessful, expeditions to find out more about the crucibles, out of a concern that they could be truly dangerous.
In the Scar are some chaotic spar groves that sometimes have what look like All Song umbilical connections. Few have been willing to try to connect to one of these to see what happens, but there are always whispers that some have tried it and, though they may seem the same, they have in truth been cored out and now act as flesh puppets of some disturbing counterpart to the All Song.
Much of what was once the Glistening City in the Scar has crashed down onto the Shadowed City below and now forms a heap of destruction that connects the two. It’s rumoured that this, as well as being inhabited, is also being used as a way of shipping things between the two cities whilst avoiding Myriand.
No-one knows just how the explosion that created the Scar a thousand years ago happened, and even the All Song doesn’t seem to have much information. This has led to speculation that information on the explosion has been deliberately erased, perhaps because that knowledge would allow someone to do something similar.
Silver strands are cords of silvery material occasionally found emerging from the detritus of the Scar, and they contain a liquid that is similar to a nutritious but alcoholic rotting fish puree that the desperate drink. It’s rumoured that consuming too much of this fluid will cause the one imbibing it to start mutating into something else.
Some vat rejects escape their destruction and make their way into the Scar, where they attempt to make a community of their own. Such communities are unstable, though it’s rumoured that one vat reject, somehow different from the others, is trying to weld the communities into a coherent whole.
The black marketers of Shome who operate out of the Shadowed City have largely failed to make any ground in the Scar, and it’s rumoured that some of them want to rectify that situation and, if possible, bring the entire district under their sway. It’s said they are hiring people to help with this.
The Scar in Harmonius is an area of disorganised spar growth, or at least the growth is normally thought to be disorganised. There are rumours, though, that those outsiders who have managed to take note of the spar growth have detected some kind of strange pattern to it.
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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 six 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.
An important element of training for Earthborn on Ruk is how they react to the All Song. This can determine whether or not the recruit will make it. It’s rumoured that Zal in particular is trying to come up with a method of testing Earthborn before they even go to Ruk, hoping to reduce the number who need memory treatment due to washing out.
Potential recruits that Zal is looking for on Earth are often sent a package full of mysterious objects intended to help convince the recipient that what is claimed in the package about aliens living in a shadow dimension is true. There are worries that in the cases of “special” recruits, these items may literally convince the recipient against their will.
Some organisations on Earth are keeping a close eye on Zal’s social media recruitment and advertisements aimed at getting Earthborn interested in working for Ruk. They have been following up on rumours about things happening to some of those Zal has been attempting to recruit, or has apparently been attempting; there are suggestions that a third party may be interfering.
Those Earthborn recruits who visit Ruk for training, but who for one reason or another refuse the offer or lack the ability to pass training, are returned to Earth with their memories of the experience removed. Some within the Estate have come across rumours that eventually the process used to remove the former recruit’s memory has a much more serious long-term impact.
Those Zal recruits from the Earthborn are, should they pass training, sent to various different factions who are looking for Earthborn recruits. It’s rumoured that sometimes Zal will send recruits to factions they are not really suited to, which can cause problems for both recruits and the faction.
Zal is one of the factions of Ruk and it’s being used increasingly by the other factions in order to recruit Earthborn natives for the recursion, as the various factions are proving to have a need for them. It’s rumoured that Zal, though it mostly does outsourced recruiting for other factions, has also been using this to hide their own recruitment of Earthborn, under the guise of doing it for others.
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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.
Ardeyn’s Glass Desert is one of the most treacherous parts of the recursion because of the ground glass particles that comprise the sand. It’s rumoured that those who are killed by the abrasive nature of the sand may rise as undead beings composed of particles of swirling glass and in a vaguely humanoid form.
Calometh is an Umber Judge who seeks the Silver Sword believing that it will enable him to free demons from evil taint. He’s regarded as a dangerous lunatic by the Court of Sleep, and was cast out to wander alone, though it’s rumoured that Calometh has recently started recruiting a handful of humans to his cause.
Galeta Swan is the current leader of the Reclaimers of the Glass Desert, who was captured and put into slavery by glass pirates when she was young. Though Galeta has vowed to bring the Green Wilds to the desert as a way of seeking revenge on the pirates, it’s rumoured that sometimes she uses more direct means against them, and regularly hires others to seek out and destroy pirate ships.
It’s rumoured that someone has been taking advantage of the fact that the glass pirates are not unified in order to turn at least some of them against the others. It’s being said that a clan is being paid a bounty for any other pirates they hunt down, and that some from outside the Glass Sea have started to consider signing up to do the same.
Siraja, the captain of the Revenge, has a fearsome reputation such that some of the other glass pirates fear her. It’s rumoured that her reputation has grown to such an extent that a bounty has been offered on her head, body optional, in order to end her depredations.
Taimin of the Nightstar is one of the most well-known of the pirates of the Glass Sea, and it’s known that he has a habit of decreeing death matches between members of his crew who are feuding with each other. It’s rumoured that he’s not averse to ordering a death match to eliminate those he fears might try and usurp him at some point.
The glass pirates of the Glass Desert are anything but a coherent force and the clans will often fight when they come across each other. This makes the rumour that someone is trying to unite the pirate clans worrying, as the potential infighting is one thing that somewhat diminishes the risk the pirates pose.
The Reclaimers want to return the Glass Desert to the garden it once was, and are seeking out any way of doing so. There are occasional rumours that for some Reclaimers this means any way at all, and that they have performed frightful acts in their attempts to recreate the lost garden.
The Silver Sword is a blade of glass visible only every nine years in the Glass Desert and can briefly be used to shrink the borders of the desert. Knowledge of its existence has leaked out and many adventurers are now seeking it, as well as the Reclaimers. It’s rumoured that the Reclaimers have taken measures to deal with others seeking the sword.
There is said to be one dragon living in the Glass Desert, and scholars believe it is an embodiment of elemental disaster. It’s rumoured that some sorcerers have been seeking out information on the Glass Desert dragon, but only in the hopes of being able to make a lesser beast of disaster.
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