Rumors in Port-a-lucine

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Rumors in Port-a-lucine

Post by Gonzoron of the FoS »

My PCs are heading for another party among the elite of Dementlieu. I'm looking for some rumors that they might gather by listening in to the other guests. They don't have to be anything earth-shattering, or really connect to anything at all. Just looking for some noise to hide a few important tidbits among. (though if they happen to serve as potential hooks for further adventures, that's fine too.) Canon happenings or completely made-up, doesn't matter. Any ideas?
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Re: Rumors in Port-a-lucine

Post by Rock of the Fraternity »

1. Comte Lemercier is secretly collecting the writings of the Comte De Penible. He denies it if anyone asks, but the Gendarme is going to raid his estate any day now.

2. A noblewoman fallen from her exalted position has opened a new bakery in the harbour district -- and she is making money hand over fist! Despite the fact that she has been declared 'unfashionable', the quality of her wares keeps bringing in customers who don't care about fashion - commoners and foreigners - but are willing to pay money for quality. At this rate, she could probably buy her way back into the aristocracy, but rumour has it she's decided to forego nobility for just being rich and comfortable.

3. Monsieur Cervaise's new, redheaded lover is rumoured to be a cannibal. The Cervaise household is going through butlers like nobody's business! (Even darker rumours claim she is an actual human cannibal with the Ravenous feat, or a Red Widow.)

4. Popular street magicians have been disappearing lately. Most people think they have given up the attempt to become truly famous and respected. Some think there is a mage-killer out on the streets. Others think these street magicians have moved to Richemulot, to open a new chapter house of La Société de Legerdemain...

5. A Tepestani-looking woman who dresses in Lamordian fashions has recently moved into a small house in the poor district of town. Rumour has it she provides cheap cures to her neighbours, some of which are thought to be magical. A local urchin peeked into her house and has been telling wild stories that there was a man made of metal and clockwork puttering around inside, cleaning up.

6. A wrecked ship (barely) sailed into harbour last week, its hold cracked open like an egg and most of the crew missing. Great bites had been taken out of the woodwork. The only person left alive on board was the first mate, who was half mad and is now being detained by the Gendarmes. Pinned to his chest was a note that demanded a regular tribute of a virginal girl, to be set adrift 'for the dining pleasure of Banemaw', or else maritime trade and fishing will be terminally disrupted.

7. Contesse LaMonte is considering divorcing her husband to join the Church of Ezra.

8. Mademoiselle Louise Renier has purchased a manor house in Port-a-Lucine recently. There is much speculation as to whether she will move in soon - or at all.

9. Balfour De Casteelle was assaulted in the street last week, and his attackers were skilled and powerful men. There is some quiet whispering that his wife's family is behind it all, owing to a recent change in his will.

10. More than one person has heard a beautiful voice echoing up from the sewer gratings near the Grande Opera House at night. A white, ghostly figure has been seen wandering the lower cellars, always accompanied by a squat, hunchbacked figure in a foul blue robe and a wide-brimmed hat. Sometimes, the beautiful voice is accompanied by a voice as ugly as the first is beautiful, but filled with a love and longing so pure as to wring tears from even the hardest hearts.

11. A black dog with glowing eyes has prophesied the immanent death of a common-born Gendarme in a voice of dread. The Gendarme in question has been desperately seeking the dog so he can make it take back its prediction.

12. A one-eyed Vistana girl comes to the city's largest cemetery every night of the full moon and reads the future for those brave enough to approach her -- and willing to pay her price.
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Re: Rumors in Port-a-lucine

Post by azalinslegacy »

1. Port-a-Lucine tongues are wagging over a recent Chateaufaux dinner party hosted by Lieutenant Chirard of the Gendarmerie. During the proceedings, the D'Honaire-Loverde family had their young daughter, Celeste, perform her newest piece of poetry. However, she instead performed a most macabre piece concerning unspeakable topics. The family was in shock. Furthermore, Celeste proceeded to yell at her family that she WILL NOT, under any circumstances, head to the Boarding school they wish to send her off to. She wishes to study medicine. Tearing up the poem, she stormed out of the obviously mortified Lieutenant Chirard's home, his wife fainting in the process. The next day, Celeste was found to be missing. Investigations have led the family to discover she was last seen heading towards the Mordent border.

2. At a recent University function, Professor Alexandre Chirou presented one of three Engineering students with a large bursary. The contestants, Daniel Dupuis, Daniel Lebatard & Francois Gaston, had all been pandering to the Professor for the prestigious award. When it was announced that Mr. Lebatard was the recipient, Mr. Gaston flew into a rage, physically assaulting young Lebatard at the dinner party. Many are whispering that it was a great injustice, as Mr. Gaston was in a higher grade percentlile than Mr. Lebatard and had furthermore presented a much better end of year project than his fellow student. Some cads are wagging their tongues, stating that the real reason Mr. Lebatard won is that Prof. Chriou's wife, who is 25 years Prof. Chirou's junior, "favors" Mr. Lebatard. More shocking is the fact that Mr. Lebatard was found dead in his dorm room the following morning. Naturally, Mr. Gaston is the prime suspect.

3. L'ordures has struck again!!! At least, that's what most of Port-a-Lucine believe. Recently a vile piece of sculpture was left right in the main square of the Government Quarter. The sculpture depicted, unmistakably, Councilman Theroux & Councilwoman Chantreaux is a most "inappropriate" position with each other. Furthermore, the sculpture depicts both Councilors nude. Another strange thing is that Councilor Theroux's sculpted image is heavily scarred on the arms.
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Re: Rumors in Port-a-lucine

Post by thekristhomas »

A maid formerly in the employ of the Rousette family, has been heard discussing the family's disappearance in terms of a suicide pact. She swears that she heard the head of the household, Jean Rousette telling his children that they would soon be under the waves of Sable Bay and insists that this is where the madman drowned his family

Rumor has it that one of the more respectable "boarding houses" has been discovered "spiking" it's clientele with dapplewort to encourage depraved behaviour which would then be used as leverage. Locals in the know suggest the nefarious crimelord known only as "the Brain" is behind this enterprise

the former Lord-Governor Chambon is a bitter old man, he and his small circle of impoverished former political heavyweights mutter darkly about treasonous colleagues and back room deals, most of the venom is aimed at Guignol, but some remains for those business partners who inexplicably sided with the new regime

There's been some unrest recently in the lower classes after several instances of rot grub infested bread being distributed to the poor, resulting in several deaths, the Gendarms are treating these deaths as murder.

Whilst working on fixing his wagon, a local cartwright's workshop disappeared into a seemingly bottomless sinkhole. The Gendarms are looking into it.
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Re: Rumors in Port-a-lucine

Post by The Giamarga »

This is excellent stuff. We should make a netbook out of it. Or maybe have a contest with rumors for each domain. Add footnotes if/how connected to canon and also if true or not. (Raging swan press does a similar thing in their village PDF series.)
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Re: Rumors in Port-a-lucine

Post by Garudos Celestar »

The Giamarga wrote:This is excellent stuff. We should make a netbook out of it. Or maybe have a contest with rumors for each domain. Add footnotes if/how connected to canon and also if true or not.
We could add them to the "Domain of the Month" archives... perhaps start a "monthly rumors" archive to supplement them.
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Re: Rumors in Port-a-lucine

Post by Gonzoron of the FoS »

yes, great ideas, thanks all... (and keep them coming!)

And yes, this might be a good regular feature... have to figure out where to put them... Mistipedia might be the easiest place.
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Re: Rumors in Port-a-lucine

Post by Cromstar »

Rock wrote:7. Contesse LaMonte is considering divorcing her husband to join the Church of Ezra.
I heard that the reason for the divorce is that, lately, her husband has been spotted meeting privately with a rather handsome young lad, if you can believe that.

Rumors in the harbor district have trickled upwards through the grapevine, telling of new, secretive army camps sprouting up near the Falkovnian borders shared with the signatories of the Four Towers Treaty. Drakov's supposedly set to launch a new round of invasions he's carefully planned out for years to ensure his success.
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Re: Rumors in Port-a-lucine

Post by Rock of the Fraternity »

I heard it was because she's grown tired of all the pomp and backstabbing in the noble scene and wants to devote her twilight years to spiritual enlightenment.

---

13. The gendarmes have found several known pickpockets, mauled to death by cats in harbourside alleys, on the same day that fishermen reported having swarms of cat steal part of their catch and drag it off.
(A wounded Paka is holed up in the harbour and using its control over cats to both provide itself with food and kill off the thieves who used to use its current lair as one of their safe houses.)

14. Suspected cat burglar Alain Chauvain turned himself in to the Gendarmerie a few days ago and made a full confession of all his break-ins. He has not sought any defence at all, has declined his day in court, and is actively trying to have the day of his execution moved forward. The Gendarmes are puzzled by the man's apparent death wish -- not to mention the fact that his hair has gone stark white.
(Chauvain broke into a stately manor house and saw Something Man Is Not Meant To Know in the depths of an oddly-cut crystal. He is pressing for his execution because It looked back at him. Apart from filling him with an utter loathing of all life and existence, he knows It is after him. And being caught by It will be so much worse than Mme. La Guilloutine's edged affection and whatever awaits him in the afterlife...)

15. There is an unusually large number of Hazlani merchants in the city. Even more curious, although they are a mixed company of Mulan and Rashemani, they appear to be operating on a basis of equality -- and in unguarded moments, they have betrayed a state of anxiety bordering on fear! Whatever their true goal, they are pretending to be merchants, eager to buy all sorts of Dementlieuse art.

16. Government agents have brought news that there are secret talks in process between Borca and Barovia, but few details are known; those agents who did not die of poisoning briefly after making this initial report have apparently been attacked and killed in their homes by flocks of bats...!
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Re: Rumors in Port-a-lucine

Post by The Lesser Evil »

"Have you heard the news coming out of Richemulot? Apparently, some of our behind-the-times cousins to the south-east have started a so-called 'Movement of Cultural and National Pride', encouraging eschewing our properly cultured fashions for their 'more practical' garb. How quaint, I'm sure the self-styled fashion innovators will learn how much fashion sense they have by how everybody else responds to them."

"Oh, dreadful, just absolutely dreadful! What, haven't you heard? They just found Mademoiselle Lucie Frenois dead and drowned in the Pernault Bay! She was a powerful woman, an assistant to the Lord Governor's advising staff! Rumor has it that the poor soul took her own life, but I wonder if there is more to this than meets the eye..." (for information on this, check Gaz III p.22-23)

"It chills me to the bone that the Falkovnians are gathering at the border. Rumor has it they're up to something foul involving soldiers with wolf blood! As if that's not enough, Vlad Drakov has arranged an alliance with a similarly horrible petty dictator named "Malocchio" or some such. That impish wretch is from Invidia, apparently."
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Re: Rumors in Port-a-lucine

Post by Gonzoron of the FoS »

I bundled this up and put them on Mistipedia ....
http://fraternityofshadows.com/wiki/Rum ... t-a-Lucine
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