10K Mysteries

Mystery Name	Mystery Description
What strange things have these brave warriors seen?	In the anticipation on the eve of battle, one's mind might start playing tricks. After the confusion and gore of a pitched battle, who is to say that the strange tales told by the men and women who fought are not true? In a fantasy setting, some knights, sellswords, barbarian warriors, and common soldiers may forget most of the experience of a battle. But, sometimes, something will stick in the mind of one of these warriors, something unusual or out-of-place on the battlefield... The mystery doesn't necessarily have to be solvable at all, but it should be interesting enough to appeal to some PCs. I'll post a few examples.
The Swan Among the Reeds	While scouting the low hillocks and puddles of the Ravensmarsh on the eve of battle, I came upon a swan who told me to leave this place before dawn. Had I heeded the advice, I might still have two hands and be able to do honest work.
The Child-Saint	On the killing fields in the battle of Gundar's Pass, I fould myself trapped beneath my dying horse. My leg was badly broken and our lines were breaking. I was saying a prayer for my wife and sons when a child dressed in gold lifted my horse and told me, "Go. Live."
The Wriggling Plague	When the wild men came down on Fort Whitewood, we were ill-prepared to withstand a long siege. I led a sortie out to burn their supplies before their force had complete encircled us. I came upon two scouts on foot who I quickly dispatched with my sword. Where their intestines ought to have spilled from their bellies came wriggling black feelers. The things came wriggling toward me. I am not proud of it, but I rode hard south. Something was wrong with those savages, and I did not to wait around in the fort for it to get to us.
The Dead Laugh	I had sold my sword to the Prince of Jalak, and I was with a boarding party on one of the warships attempting to break the Easterlings' blockade. A fireball blasted the deck on which I stood, and sent me hurtling into the sea. As I drifted, floating on a piece of the broken ship, the dead floated past me. They were laughing. All of them. Easterlings, Sandfolk, other foreign mercenaries. I'll never forget their smiles, and the sound of their mocking laughter.
The Pink Sky	You do know that during the Battle of Gwyllam's Crossing, the midday sky went from overcast grey to pink. My comrades saw it too. After the enemy was defeated, the sky went back to grey. It was the damnedest thing.
The Whippish Beard	We were on patrol, and we ended up skirmishing with a Bearmitt hunting party. A dwarf in our party fell and lost his axe while tangling with one of their hairier warriors. I swear to the gods I saw his beard, long and braided, uncoil itself, grab the axe from where it lay—several yards away!—like a fracking tentacle, and smash that Bearmitt savage in the skull.
Death has a Familiar Face	The commander decided to launch the attack at dawn. Before the sun's rays even crested the top of Hollow Hill, we rode towards the enemy encampment. We did not find a single living soul there. Fires were still burning. Swords and shields were still on their racks. Even the horses had disappeared. It seemed as if they had all vanished like a breath on the wind. The Count had hired a cabal of wizards to partake in the siege of Whitewalls and the men were wary of them. We don't like them lot who work for coin you see. They thought they'd break down the gate with their chanting and their rituals, and this whole campaign would have be over in a week if they had. But as they stood in their chalk circle mumbling, one of the incanters dropped limp. Maybe it was a lucky arrow from the battlements, none of us saw it. But as soon as the man in robes hit the ground a shape wrapped in shadows rose from the circle. They tried to run, but that thing was faster. It gutted them all before vanishing. You should have seen the Count's face, not that we were cheering either I'll tell you that. I rushed towards the soldier, but as I struck him down, he wasn't there anymore. Instead there was my wife, my mace embedded in her skull. She was holding little Callum in her arms. I swear it, it's true, and just as true I ran away like the Seven Devils were chasing me.
She who walked among us	It was just after the clash of the armies, we fought at the front at about 5-1, but we fought like the lions we wore on our banners. When I went down after the horse knocked me over I saw the lady, in full battle gear with a long sword in hand, just walking through the fighting masses, dodging with a small wicked grin of satisfaction. Nobody ever saw her they swore to me, but I know what I saw as clear as you lot standing in front of me.
The one left behind	By all accounts I should have been dead (revealing two large scars on his chest) that day. I had fallen, I saw my brothers and the other fallen on the other side, waiting for the Valkyries to take us away. I saw them come and take my brothers and enemies alike, but they left me standing, next day I woke up on the battlefield between all the bodies and gore with cursing scavengers looting my body.
The raven and the fox	Everyone knows bad omens when they see them, a murder of crows following you or a red sunset at the eve of a battle. But a raven and black fox watch us that day when our supply caravan was ambushed on the road. It followed us all day, and old Huck warned us that we should take the longer road. And than they vanished from sight, not five minutes later the enemy was upon us, but I am the only one to tell the tale now.
The Wardancers	I have seen many a'unit fall under our feet, crushed by our prowess and experience. But never will I forget the day we stood against the Elves of Shinmaer with their slim curved swords, we laughed and taunted their troups and their leather laced armor. But they just ran at us, without a sound, and they danced between us on unheard music like leafs on the winds of winter, and they shredded and tore through our ranks leaving nothing in their wake but falling soldiers and red-stained grass. We won that day, but for no gold in the world would I do that again.
Parting words	I ran a man through with such force that my hilt met his chest and we came face to face. He stared at me with a grin and whispered "Excellent thrust, Calleb" before he fell dead in the stream. How did he know my name?
Wrong Door	In the heat of the chaos outside the siege of Castle Grendon, I saw a burst of light and wind not 20 paces away from me. A glowing circle appeared in the middle of the battlefield and a wizard, a halfling, an armored dwarf, and a half orc stepped through it. The wizard glanced around quickly before yelling "Whoa! Whoops! Hold on.." and pushing the other three back through the sparkling rift. The magical anomaly disappeared. I was so stunned I almost got my head taken off.
Stephen the Streaker	Did I ever tell you about Stephen Bagge? When that string bean, twig of a man joined our platoon I thought he'd never live past his first skirmish. But, at the start of the Gordinia Woods battle, he sheds all his armor til he's just standin' there nude with his sword in hand. He charged into the fray and came out soaked in blood but untouched and through his breeches back on. The other lads made fun of him, called him names, said the only reason he survived all those battles was the enemy hesitating at the sight of him long enough to get cut down. But I saw him fight at Kaylor plains ... that boy moved with unnatural speed and skill...
THE MARSH MEN	From the marshes they rose. All of the fallen. They shambled towards our regiment in haphazard organizations. So shocked was my regiment that we were torn apart. To this day I'll never forget the look of my warrior's faces as I fled.
IN THE HILLS IT HUNTED	The general had told me and my regiment to scout the Iron Hills. The morning was crisp and early, but the heat of the sun removed any chance of respite in the cold morning. We had been told to be on a lookout for a missing patrol, so naturally we were on edge. It was then, when the mists swirled before a low rise we saw it. An enormous beast, humanoid in posture, but a great goat head replaced what human features would be atop its broad shoulders. It bellowed at our patrol, and as it charged towards us, hefting a bloodied axe, I recognized the head of Rommel, my mothers cousin swinging on a belt tied to the beasts bulk, alongside members of the missing patrol. We never stood a chance, I survived only because I crawled into a ditch and hid, as my friends were torn apart.
NO RETURN	Yes dearie. My son, Jorgan, was drafted into the army some two moons ago. It was during the harvest festival that the visions began. During my sleep I watched my son do battle against the Northmen. Last night, he rode into the mists. He didn't return.
bold	To get bold you put two '' stars on either side. Like so: ====> * bold stuff * *
The Night Battle	It was the last fight of the Greenseer Rebellion. Finally got those damn rebels to stand still and give a fair fight. We got our lines dressed at noon, and we advanced. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Then, in the middle of the fight, I thought I saw smoke. I wondered if their camp was afire, but it was off to the flanks, not behind their lines. The cloud grew and grew, until it blotted out the sun, and we were in the dark. Then the cloud came down, further and further. And then it was amongst us - and it was bats. Thousands and thousands and thousands. All flying around us, the whole battle. Then, just as quick, they flew away, leaving the sky blue again. Strangest thing.
The Lights	I was on guard duty one night. We were on manoeuvres, but there wasn't an enemy anywhere near. So I was a bit surprised to see torches out there in the dark. Called the commander, and he raised the alert, so we formed up and got ready to receive a charge. The torches came closer and closer until they broke cover - and there was nothing there. No torches, no people, just the lights. The lights passed through our lines. Right through us. Corporal Gripes says he heard their footsteps, and I swear I felt the heat from one of the torches, but not a man saw a thing but the lights.
The Battle of the Mists	Ah, honoured master! Will you not sit with me and have a pipe? Yes, yes, just here. Achmed! Lazy boy! Bring my honoured guest a drink! You ask about The Battle of the Mists? Ah, honoured master, there is a tale to chill the blood, even on a day like today where the heat bears down. The dogs of the Berber Emirate needed to be taught to respect their true masters, so the armies of the Calphate were mustered. I was a humble Captain, commanding a mere one hundred lancers. Ah, I know my form is no longer of the dashing warrior I once was. But once, I was lithe and strong, and pleasing to the eyes of many a young beauty. The curs sought to hide from our wrath near the Bone Hills, but we stole a march on them and had them before us. Beautiful country for a horseman, honoured master. Flat and wide and just begging for a glorious charge. And who were we to deny? Yes, Achmed, the dates! I always have dates for the noon meal! And some for my guest! But as we trotted forwards, a strange mist arose. Nothing have I seen like it in all my days. The mists came, and enveloped us all. We could still hear their barbarous war-cries, and so we continued. But when the mists lifted, the plains were empty. From all around us, the cries of the Berbers, but no sign of them could be seen. They shouted that they could not see us, that we were cowards who had fled them, but they were the ones who had vanished. And then I saw a terrible thing. Many have called me a liar for my tale, but may the Prophet (peace be upon him) strike me down should I give tongue to a falsehood. A hundred great chariots sped across the plains, faster than the swiftest horse. But no horses pulled these great metal chariots. No wheels I saw, just dust. And a great tube, like the trunk of an elephant held outstretched before them. And the tubes spat fire! With a crash like that of thunder! I felt the great roar pass through my very body, and my horse reared. I crashed to the earth, and when I looked up, I was amongst the Berber rabble one more. They had been mown down like wheat and were routing before us, so none took notice of my fall. I looked about, and saw nothing of the monstrous chariots. None of my men - brave warriors all - ever spoke of that day. We were honoured for our part in a great victory, although truth be told not one of us wet our blades. I see doubt in your eyes, honoured master, and yet I swear by all that is, and by the truth of the Book that all befell as I have told you.
The Battle of Dragons	You've never seen a dragon. Well, six I've seen. Six more that I ever wish I'd seen, if truth be told. I was a soldier once. Marched with the King against his brother when he tried for the throne. It was a cold day, and the Prince's army had found us and gave battle. Messy fight it was, with all of us mixed up with each other, tough hand-to-hand work. And then the shadow came over us. I looked up - and saw wings spread as wide as a ships sails. Massive red bugger it was. Flew over us, and landed to the side of the battle. And then another, shining like a copper penny, flew down. And another, green like the treetops. Then one gold, one silver, one black as night. They perched all around the battle, like they was watching us, or guarding us or herding. I dunno. They just sat there. Then they roared, and it was like they were trying to tear the air apart with their voices. The din shook the air in my lungs. Were they shouting at us? Or at each other? I don't know. Then, they stopped. It was so silent. And then they few away. We looked at each other - King's men, Prince's men - and we went back to our lines. nobody wanted to fight any more that day.
The War Nobody Won	The war wasn't just bloody, it was horror made flesh. Five armies? Six? Who could tell, with the alliances breaking and binding and breaking again. A sea of death, where the waves could barely hear themselves speak. When the survivors woke, they woke to desolation. Generals and kings slain, homes burned, whole cities annihilated. There was no victor... and if there was, they never stepped forward to take command. All that remained was charred chaos and bodies. Nobody knows who finally put a stop to the fighting.
La Victoire	"I survived every cavalry charge and archer barrage that they sent up to us on top of Carver Hill. And every time, I swear I saw that same soldier. I know, because of his eyes. Blue, like bits of glowing lightning. Every time, I killed him, but he kept coming back. Sometimes... sometimes I think he still might."
Oathbreaker	Fifteen years ago, he ran when he swore to fight, and his king paid the price. He refuses to defend himself, despite how far he fell to save himself. Unless... that wasn't the reason?
The Plains of Glass	The prophet stood on the stony outcrop overlooking the battle, and held out one interdictory hand. I still remember the sound of screeching and shattering as our weapons turned to glass in our hands.
For Nitka	Throughout all the variations of sound in the universe, there is a melody that, if played upon a certain instrument, tuned to a certain off-key, played at a certain pace, will kill everybody who listened to it from start to finish. The papers the song was written too are titled, "For Nitka," but whoever Nitka is or who the author of the composition was is of great mystery now. If you plug your ears while listening to the song, or should you begin listening to it too late or begin listening too early, then your life will be spared. The song has only been performed once, and that was at a piano recital in the mansion of the family who claimed that an ancestor of their wrote it. One who'd been listening but left to use the latrine returned just in time to hear the end of the song and witness as everybody, including the player, suddenly fell over dead. "It wasn't even that bad of a song," the survivor claimed.
The Pillars	There are only three forests in the world where you will find a clearing of trees, where atop stand seven white marble pillars arranged in a circle. The pillars have existed on that hilltop longer than anyone can remember and there are no records of its construction and no nation can confidently make claim. As to what the pillars were erected for is a mystery. There are no bones in the dirt and there are no bloodstains on the stone. There are no articles to be found anywhere in the area. There are no other structures within miles of the pillars, and there are no deliberate paths leading to them. Yet people still find the pillars to sleep there. People who sleep in the circle of the pillars always have lucid dreams, which some will try to interpret as prophetic. Ceremonies to invoke for accurate dreams have changed throughout the centuries, but the dreams are always vague and weird. Sometimes, however, once in a generation, there will be a person who sleeps in the center of the circle of pillars and will awake recounting to have wandered through a great library, reading books about lost nations and civilizations, then awaking with a perfect memory of the experience.
The Coward in the Cave	I was in my seventeenth it eighteenth year, I remember, when I was on the front lines for the first time. My mind was racing with the thoughts of my father and mother, and just before we marched, I broke formation. I ran and ran, until I came across a nearby cave. I ducked in there and hid for what seemed a half day. When I came out, though, the battlefield was spotless. The camps, I could see, had only just begun to be set up, as though I had gone back three days. I ran as fast as I could from there, back to my parents' homestead.
War of the Woods	There used to be a keep wedged in a valley, near the the great river. One either side of the keep were great forests. One day, the sovereign ordered for the villagers to evacuate, fearing a great force would soon come to eradicate his people. The next month, the wildlife in the forest seemed to storm the the valley, and many who did not leave were caught in the mayhem. The survivors left as fast and fled as far as possible. Their stories say that the forest denizens were more interested in goring one another, and that the animals were painted in blue and red, like warring armies.
Thunderstruck	We were pinned. Trapped on the cliff, an army to the south, and the storming ocean to the north. With no way out, our commander had decided that we make out last stand there. We charged, ready to meet our gods. I saw the whites of the enemy's eyes, felt his hot breath in the cold rain. As I lunged forward with my pike, lightning struck in the center of the battlefield. The flash was so bright, all I could see for the next minute was white light and vague, spinning shapes. As I came to, every man in the opposing army had fallen dead, yet no man of ours had been touched. Something saved us that day; it stole our glory from us.
The Battlefield Saint	It was going terribly. We had been inspired by our mighty and virtuous cause; every man was willing to die it. But everything that could go wrong did. Our standard bearer was struck down within minutes of first contact. The enemy had large mobile ballistas, and their vast swaths of archers rained arrows like a deadly hail. I myself remember the pain of an axe in my side, followed by a huge barista bolt piercing not only my chest, but also the chest of a fellow comrade behind me. Before I died, I only remember seeing a man in white standing atop the distant hill above the chaos. Then darkness. The next thing, I feel a warmth inside of me. I felt at peace. And I woke up, face down in the grass, black and red blood painted across the green canvas of the meadow. I looked at my injuries to find them missing, and searched the horizon back toward the hill. The figure in white was shining with brilliance, and I could feel my breath escape my lungs in awe. Then, with a flash of blue, a ring of energy burst across the landscape, and the figure vanished in a puff of smoke.
Behind the Dune	The sand i was standing on was damp and soaked with blood, suprisingly i saw no dead bodies. I prepared to cross the dune front of, but i wish i wouldnt have crossed it, because what i saw standing on top of that dune was strange and disturbing.
The humming oak tree	We were sitting around the camp fire preparing to rest for the night. When i suddenly saw something strange in the dark. It was a dim light moving rapidly in the dark. I tried to follow it but it vanished after several yards. When i tried find the location the light vanished i found an oak tree. Strangle there was coming a humming noise from inside the tree, i swung my handaxe at the tree and then a bright flash of light appeared.
The Raising of the Fallen	The battle went well for us. We thought that victory was at hand. Then their necromancers started raising the fallen to fight anew. It's hard enough to fight a soldier who feels nor pain nor fear, but it became harder still when they started raising the fallen from among our own ranks.
The Battle of Ninegrave	The battle went well for us. We could see victory at hand, until their necromancers approached the front. The fallen began to rise. Dead-eyed and resolute they advanced. It's hard enough to fight against soldiers who feel neither pain nor fear, and harder still when the corpse you strike down was once a friend.
The Shimmering Vale	I know not why it was called the Shimmering Vale. When we crossed through it the air tasted of ash and the wind kicked up dust devils at our feet. The horses died first. Then the men began to sicken. They withered, fluids would not take hold in them, yet they did not die. Pale and parched we had to leave them behind. As we slept they marched closer, moaning for water. As we fled they called out, pleading for mercy. As we weakened those who could not keep up were abandoned. I do not imagine the ends they met were dignified. They refused to lie beneath the ground. When the remnants of the company crested the mountains at the other end of the valley we did not stop. We did not talk of where we would go or what had happened. As one, we deserted. Some were captured and hung, but most returned home and have yet to leave. I know that I shan't.
The Red Border	On the hills I stand, looking down upon the long line of ground stained red. The other nation stands across from us, staring down the same valley. It is now I remember his words.. "I saw my friends die, I saw my comrades fall, I saw the enemy defeated, and yet we were told to run. Everyday after I came back, looking for my friends, looking to make a grave. All I could find were their weapons and the ground, stained, soaking pure red. Fools. They can't see the omen, and won't leave the border be..."
The Honorary Swordsmen who won't let the dead die	They all know her, in the middle of war she walks the battlefield without fear. Despite wanting for death, she is bound by her honor. The same honor that caused her to pick up her blade. When she locks swords with someone who can hold their own, their fight, their sounds cause those around them to quiet. As they stand in awe, the two warriors duel - an honorable duel. She tells them, "Duel me with fairness, if I lose I will grant you unquestionable power." "And if you win?" "Then pledge to me your service, in life and death." And so they duel. They say she has not lost, they know she still holds power they cannot dare approach. They all know her, when the battle is lost she walks forward on the battlefield without fear. As she stares down the armies, a comrade notices a weariness on her face. She draws her sword, and so springs forth from the ground the fallen that have lost to her. Each great warrior, all whom have pledged their service, in life, or death.
The Will-o-Wisp's Call	The call of the wisp has always about on the battlefield, calling to the strays as a guide. That night though, before we could even fight, they took half the army with them without a sound.
The Charm Plague	The whole of the army, each soldier, beginning at the front line and spreading out like fire in a field of dry grass, began to turn on their kinsmen. Brothers in arms, so many long years at each others sides, thick as thieves, now savagely eviscerating each other. A very clever wizard had toiled away in his workshop for many months devising this charm. It was an amendment to something known in arcane circles as Dominate Monster, commonly used to take command of a monsters mind and give it direction against it's will. The wizard had constructed a method by which the spell could cast itself. When a mind is charmed by this spell, the creature immediately turns to all in it's vicinity and casts the spell on them before turning ruthlessly aggressive and killing all in his sight. By this method the spell spreads virally throughout the army. The wizard, clever as he was, didn't not anticipate that the telepathic link between himself and the affected minds would be two-way. It can hardly be imagined the mental anguish and terror to which he succumbed as he felt one thousand minds worth of rage and regret.
The Circle of Feasting	The party happens upon a fairy ring in the forest. Since there are no actual Fey around, it seems to be simply a curiosity. Should anyone attempt to eat or drink within the circle, however, they will find that their food and drink has become cuisine fit for the most decadent of banquets. Upon leaving the circle, however, the food leaves a bitter, ashen taste in their mouths.
The Hills of Jars	Just under the rolling, grassy hills of Sucia Isle, a series of vast, labyrinthine warrens and warehouses waits. The stonework walls, ceilings, and floors appear to be ancient and caked with dust. Filling the tens and hundreds of rooms within the hills are large, earthenware jars, lined up by the thousands, their clay lids sealed with wax. The entrances and exits to these underground storehouses are warded with powerful glyphs, which have long since faded and gone dark with the ages.
Silence is Golden	This object is peculiar, taking the shape of a rolled ring of some strange, silvery material. At first glance, there is no immediate way to unroll it, but with adequate investigation, the end can be found, and the substance unrolled from the rest. The silver strips can be torn away with little effort, and will adhere to most dry surfaces, though they have no other effect.
The Tree of Runes	Deep beneath the earth, far removed from the most remote dwarven strongholds of the Shadowspire Mountains, there is a tree. Green and flourishing despite the lack of sun, the tree's roots reach deep and wide, breaking the cavern floor. Each of the tree's leaves bears a symbol that greatly resembles a rune in the Dwarven alphabet.
New Tricks	While hunting in the deep forest, a Ranger's dire wolf companion has unearthed a fossilized femur bone of prodigious size that oozes dark red liquid when touched.
Treasure's Quandary	A collector's prize relic has been publicly proved a forgery, but that hasn't stopped a zealous cleric from demanding it be 'returned' to the temple from which it was 'stolen'.
Ninety Lives	The neighbor's patch-furred, scarred old tom enjoys bringing the ravaged bodies of mice, rabbits and the occasional mimic spawnling to the steps of the outhouse, where the likelihood of meeting a bare foot in the middle of the night is at it's greatest. Lately, however, his prizes have included documents in foreign languages, gaudy jewelry, and the signet ring of a long-dead duke.
Sideways Time	A Wizard of some renown claims to have (re)discovered a new school of magic, but is unwilling to disclose any more until someone can prove that he isn't dead.
Serpent's Feather	The snakes that nest in the barren cliffs that skirt the Northern edge of the great desert are renowned for the deadly potency of their venom, and have been milked for generations in semi-religious ceremonies by Kobold mystics, who then sell vials of the stuff to the highest bidder on the shadow market. Lately, however, various cells in the loose network of assassin's guilds have reported that the last shipment of venom isn't nearly as effective as it once was, and a few incredibly thorough practitioners of the murderous arts have been overheard suggesting that it might actually have restorative powers.
Love the Bomb	In the quiet hamlet of Llywenshire, the well in the central square has served as the hub for the community for as long as anyone can remember. But after a sore-pocked and disease-ridden stranger clambered from its depths, shouting at anyone who would listen that 'SHE HAS AWOKEN' and 'THE END IS NIGH!', the villagers have begun to express concern.
The Bronze Candlestick	There is an old bronze candlestick on the mantle in the Rose Room at the Freewind Mage's Academy. Without fail, every morning, the caretaker finds the burnt stub of a candle in the bronze candlestick, even when there have been no guests in the Rose Room, and it has been locked all night. The caretaker has attempted to dispose of the bronze candlestick, but somehow it finds its way back to the room.
The Hopping Raven	Upon the gravestone of the beloved witch Lady Pinewall who succumbed to the blood plague, a raven hops up and down. When anyone approaches, the bird squawks "SPEARS!" and flies off, only to return once the coast is clear.
The Golden Cherry	At the center of the Royal Gardens is an old cherry tree that produces wonderful, sweet red cherries. In the history of the tree, it has produced a golden cherry three times. The first time, the prince who picked and ate the cherry died in battle the following morning. The second time, the kitchen maid who picked and ate the cherry died of a bad belly. The third time, the stable boy who picked the cherry and fed it to the pigs fell to his death from a hay loft that very night.
The Pig in the Chimney	At Garvil the Greenbeard's house, you'll hear an occasional squealing of a pig. The sound seems to be coming from his old stone chimney, but Garvil eats no meat and has never owned a pig. Sunny weather, stormy weather, crackling fire, or cold hearth, the squealing sound comes and goes as it pleases.
The Sun God's Feasthall	Way out in the desert in the ruins of the ancient city of Haz Alaf, there is a large stone table with stone benches still in its place in the feasthall of the Sun God. At noon on the day of the summer solstice every year, the table in the feasthall is filled with a traditional feast—pears and dates, figs and lentils, roast fox, buzzard's soup, braised drake, camel's milk cheese, toasted crickets, fried scorpions, honeyed wine, and mild tea. Ever since the discovery of the miracle, hundreds of pilgrims make the dangerous journey to Haz Alaf every late spring to witness the miracle.
The Black Castle	A black castle stands on the outskirts of a small town with strange customs regarding the dead, those that die are revered (think cattle in india). Word is the castle started out as nothing more than a pebble but has grown almost organically and they are willing to buy both the living and the dead for unknown reasons.
Circle of unhappiness	A round clearing in the middle of a vast forest. Nothing lay within, no grass, no trees, nothing but a single flower. Those entering will be faced with extreme dread and unhappiness to the point where they feel life no longer holds meaning for them. Even animals instinctively stay away.
Jar of Many Faces	A clay pot sits on the shelf, the visage inscribed on the jar stares back at you with an angry grimace. When next you glance in the pot's direction, you notice it's no longer frowning at you, but grinning.
Ring of Many Moods	Embedded in this small golden band is a single gem. When unworn, the gem is a pearly white. When worn, the gem shifts to one of many colours, ranging from the palest blue to jet black.
The Unfound Door	A door stands upright in the middle of a field, only visible from head-on. There is no frame or anything else to suggest it should be able to stand upright. When looked at from any other angle, it simply isn't there and may be passed through. The knob is locked and will not open for anyone.
Boiling Bog	A large pool of water within a marsh is bubbling and boiling and steaming for no discernible reason. Strangely, the water is cool to the touch.
Well Of Black Water	This strange well sits atop a hill. The water within is clear and inviting, but once a bucket is dipped into the well, the water within is turned black as tar and greasy, utterly undrinkable.
Icebrick Tower	In the middle of the scorching wastelands stands a tower of shimmering clear ice carved into the form of bricks. No matter how hot it is out, the ice will never melt, even though it always seems to be shimmering with melt water.
A Clear Circlet	In the Archbishop's parlor, on a mantle of dark wood, stands a circlet of beaten rose-gold. Across it stretches a translucent film similar to soapy water. Several of his guests have sworn they saw glimpses of strange lands, otherworldly places and in one case their own bedchamber inside it, but the Archbishop has never seen anything.
What do we find out there?	Last week, we made some resurrection and chosen one plot hooks, so it seems fitting that for this batch of mysteries we visit the supernatural and the strange. The plot hooks themselves suggest a way in which the story could move forward. In contrast, a mystery should lead the story astray. There need not be clear direction as to where a mystery may be heading. The mystery doesn't necessarily have to be solvable at all, but it should be interesting enough to appeal to some PCs. I'll post a few examples.
Ghost in the Brewery	The monks swear there is a helpful ghost lurking in the brewery. They attempted to drive it out twice before, only to have dozens of barrels of ale drained as they aged.
The Dancing Stars	For centuries astronomers have watched the Red Wanderer and the Morning Maiden as they cross the sky. This year, their paths would cross for the first time in record. For the last six months, they have ceased to follow their expected paths and have been turning circles around each other.
The Whispering Cave	Up in Simon's Pass through the mountains, there is a cave that is said to whisper the names of travelers as they pass. No one who has gone deeper into the cave than the entryway has ever returned.
The Old Moon Ship	Every full moon, a ship with red sails is spotted off the coast of Tarrycliff. No one in the village knows whose ship it is.
The Reaching Meadow	Deep in the Haunted Forest there is a small clearing along the road covered in what at first appears to be tall grass. On your approach, you'll see that what you took for grass is in fact a patch of hundreds of long, thin tentacles, gently swaying together as if caught in a breeze.
A Singular Duet	There is a singer named Bertram who often performs in the Customs Plaza by day and at the Cat and Goat in the evenings who sings the loveliest duets, taking on both the high-pitch and the low-pitch parts, making both voices harmonize from his golden throat at once. When asked how he manages both the low and the high parts, Bertram insists with a smile that he doesn't sing the low parts, his infernal master does. If you ask to speak to his infernal master, Bertram laughs and lightly says, "What master?"
The Fey Baker	The best bakery in the city by far is The Faery's Child, an idyllic little affair on an out-of-the-way back alley. They've got a little something for everyone, it seems. The proprietor, a lean, middle-aged elven man, is perfectly warm and welcoming, and only too happy to hand out samples to new customers. There's just one problem: nobody has ever seen anyone deliver supplies to make the baked goods he sells.
The Day of Jubilee	For one day every fifty years, every piece of currency and every gemstone in the country begins to rapidly transmute itself. Diamonds become turquoise become rubies become quartz; gold coins become coppers, which turn into platinum pieces. Trade becomes either impossible or completely possible; the more conservative merchants will close their doors to avoid being taken in, while the risk-takers will speculate and gather as many of the rapidly changing coins and jewels as possible. At the stroke of midnight, however, the transformations stop. Many a beggar has been made a rich man by the contents of his alms cup... and vice-versa.
The Invisible Boatmobile	Smack in the middle of a bustling town square is a place where nobody seems to walk--because there's a ship there. At least, it feels like a ship; while one can feel the planks and grip the anchor chain, to all observing eyes, the thing is invisible. The fact that it stands straight up while on land is a somewhat lesser miracle.
Sister Goldenhair	Tales tell that the king's daughter has the most beautiful golden hair. Tales are right; her hair is actually made of spun gold. Needless to say, she is kept under lock and key in the castle, and every ounce of shed or cut hair is whisked away to the treasury before you can say "exploitation." One evening, a member of the party receives a letter by raven, pleading for rescue. There is no signature, but inside the folded paper are three strands of the finest gold.
A Tailor's Secret	A renowned purveyor of bespoke ettersilk clothing owns a four-way mirror that reflects only the most flattering angles and poses. Lately however, some customers report seeing long-lost relatives lurking behind their reflections, aggressively wielding long knives.
Lights in the Belfry	The tower of an abandoned church has regular nocturnal visitors that make no secret of their comings and goings, but the local village is hesitant at best to acknowledge it.
Fifteen Souls of Silver	Soon after receiving shipment of soul silver jewelry, the scale in Pyfford's Fyne Goods gained a new, unlabeled dial that only seems to change when used by certain members of the community, most of whom seem just as baffled by the addition as Dame Pyfford herself.
The Gloam in the Loam	A farmer digging for peat in the moors near his farm finds a buried door that opens into the parlor of a shady vampire-staffed gambling house a continent away.
Unwinking	After smoke from a forest fire turns the sun and moon blood red, local children start to mark ashy third eyes on their foreheads and will only speak in whispers.
Mine, all mine!	On the anniversary of a devastating cave-in, the runecog ore carts that had been lost within the mine trundle up from the deep, overladen with blood-stained ore.
Innkeeper's Daughter	Hrothman Togg is a pious man if there ever was one, and he keeps a clean establishment that caters to Clerics, Paladins, and other men (and occasionally women) of the cloth. Imagine his surprise when his daughter, a beautiful young woman, reveals that she's pregnant, and she doesn't know who the father is. Even more concerning to the community, however, is that up to a few days ago, Hrothman Togg didn't have a daughter.
The Help	A wealthy baroness has accused her staff of stealing the silver, and the local guard has been called in to handle the matter. What starts as suspicion quickly becomes confusion when it becomes apparent that the entire staff - supposedly nearly three hundred people - is actually one man in a vast array of costumes.
A Plague of their Own	And now for the puns! When the local women's Turnipball team grows ill right before a big game, their coach (and manager) is at wit's end. After a truly inspired pep talk, he gets them onto the field... but within minutes both teams are doubled over in pain. Now most of the league is sick, and the men's teams are refusing to play.
One Cue Over the Cuckoo's Nest	A small time hustler comes into possession of a staff that greatly increases his prowess in just about everything, especially billiards. Unfortunately for him, the staff is sentient, lawful good, and loudly repeats private conversations at the least convenient times.
Chum Like it Hot	(Part of) a missing nobleman turns up at fishmonger's quay after a particularly large tuna disgorges his signet ring, still worn on a severed finger. The bereaved family requests it back, and after a short period of mourning, the nobleman's son is named as the head of the house. Spectators at the event can't help but notice that the son now sports six fingers on his right hand, one of which is sickly white, pale, and wears the family signet.
Sleepless in Sea Cattle	A poleman on a garbage barge is swept into the river during a flash flood, and is saved by an aggregation of manatees. Now, several weeks later, he feels a strange urge to bathe in the brackish water of the bay, eat aquatic plant life, and headbutt boats. Even worse, his normally athletic physique is quickly becoming rotund, and his skin has become a rather unattractive gray.
Oh Danny	The moaning woman by the fountain that everyone walks past has a drawing of a young boy's face. It's her boy, Danny, and he's missing. Everyone has given up hope on finding him since he disappeared, but not her. This boy is everything to her, and now her husband, daughter, and best friend all won't speak to her anymore. Why?
The Hunter of the Wood	The Baron of these lands set a Hunter to the task of ridding hid hunting wood of a terrible thing that has killed those unfortunate enough to happen across it. Some are found with terrible teeth marks, others with wide, horrible gashes. Many are never seen again. And the Hunter has been gone for three weeks.
The Lies We Tell Ourselves	The civil war between the Knights of this land and their forefathers, a paladinic order of tyrannical good, was only a Generation ago. But why can't anyone remember it clearly, or speak about it in detail? Do they fear plainly saying it, or have they really forgotten such a thing? How could they have naturally forgetten?
The Lost Battle	The PCs come across a recent battlefield. Long enough ago that most of the bodies are gone, but arms and armour still litter the ground. However, none of the locals know about any battle, there are no stories about it, and the coats of arms and banners are unknown in the area.
The Boatman	Once a year a strange hooded figure poles a boat onto a certain dock. There is always one person who goes over to board it. Witnesses might say they looked afraid, relieved, or befuddled. The boat leaves, and that person is never seen again.
The Ghost Dragon	An apparition of a huge dragon appears whenever there is a lunar eclipse. It acts out the same scene each time - a titanic battle against an unseen foe. Finally it comes to rest at an abandoned plot of land where there are some ruins, and nothing grows.
The Vagabond Merchant	There are stories of a merchant you meet on the road, with a covered wagon decorated in painted vines and scenes of frolicking pixies. The merchant offers you a sale of a wondrous item, then, whether you buy or no, will ride on, vanishing when you look away for a moment, although you can still hear the hooves of the horse. Bad luck comes to those who see the merchant; if they buy, the item will doom them, if they don't, they find themselves in a situation where only that item would have saved them. Some say there is something you can say to the merchant that will make them leave you in peace.
The Lost Prince	The Crown Prince has vanished from his rooms at the palace. Nobody saw him leave, and no divination has found a trace, either of him or foul play. The only thing left was an exotic rose not from this continent and a note saying "We must talk" in elegant handwriting.
The Best Pies	The baker in town makes the best pies. The best. Everyone loves his pies. When people ask for his recipe, he just taps his nose and winks. Why are his pies so good?
This Isn't Mine	One of the PCs wakes up one morning with a stone in their shoe. The stone turns out to be a flawless diamond, with the hint of something glinting in its depths. From time to time, people will come up to the PCs claiming the diamond is stolen, but when they see it they will go pale, give it back, and it isn't the diamond they were looking for.
Blood Skies	The skies turn blood red one night, as if blood were flowing over the dome of the sky. Everyone is talking about it for months later, even monsters who would otherwise simply attack the party.
The Bunyip	The local children have a communal imaginary friend, it seems. The "Bunyip" lives in a local ox-bow lake, in a small piece of abandoned ground near the village. The Bunyip occasionally takes the children to his underwater house, they say, and gives them presents. The presents appear to be sea-shells, which is odd, given the sea is many miles away.
The Maw	There is a local cave - not particularly mysterious until now. People used to shelter in it from the rain, or camp there when travelling to the next town. However, yesterday it suddenly changed into a carved likeness of an unknown monster with a huge, gaping maw. The locals would quite like the PCs to investigate.
The Tower In The Thicket	There is a forest of impenetrable Blood-Thorns. On dark moonless nights, what appears to be lights in a tower can be seen, about a mile into the thicket, on a hill.
Death Coins	Last night, all the portraits of the current king on all the coins of the realm changed to a hideous shrieking skull. Even the dies in the mint changed.
Strange Harvest	The day before Harvest Day, one field in the village appears to harvest itself overnight. It's always a different field, and seems random. No matter how careful a guard is placed, one field is always harvested without anyone seeing how or who.
Draconic Surprise	Every dragon or draconic creature seems surprised to see one of the PCs. No matter what they were doing, as soon as they see that PC they will start, and look at them with astonishment. "It can't be..."
The Blinking Signal	At noon everyday for one week of the year, a bright light can be seen blinking at the top of a cliff miles away. It looks like a reflection, but nobody knows what's causing it.
The Sleep of Youth	At the same time every afternoon, every child in this small village becomes incredibly lethargic for ten minutes or so. It is possible to keep them awake, but they all try to sleep the duration. The town has grown used to the effect and treats it as part of daily life.
Old Snarefoot	Deep in the woods, a creature is rumored to subsist entirely off of unwary travelers that it catches with its worn rope hands. According to the locals, there was an overzealous hangman many years ago, but no one knew what became of him when he was accused of treason.
Autumn Down	In the fall, trees in the King's Forest lose their leaves. Instead of standing bare, however, they grow fluffy grey down, then luxurious feathers as the winter progresses. It has been this way for centuries.
Snake Oil	Rekbar Otis is one of the land's greatest merchants. He has sold sand to camels, ice to vikings, and now, he's trying to con the good people of Randrenvale out of their gold with a miracle tincture. This time, it seems like it could be the real deal...
Bard's Pass	None who come through the Bard's Pass, the only route between two mountain villages, emerge unchanged. Every living being that comes through the pass leaves with a newfound appreciation for music and a freshly tuned lute.
The Spirals That Follow	Out of the blue, dark red spirals appear wherever the players are. They seem to be organic in nature, twitching, breathing, sometimes even screaming. Their sudden appearance only seems to be noticed by the players, though. The pillars seem to have a weird effect on townsfolk and other figures around though. Nobody seems to be willing to acknowledge their existence, even when interacting without. "Okay, so you're seeing the pillars, right?" "Yes." "And you're still saying they don't exist?" "... Yes"
The Cave	Next to a small town there is a cave that leads deep, deep into the hills. What lays at it's very depths is unknown, however, as seemingly every twist and turn people make them end up outside again, leaving through the very entrance they came in through.
The Element of Surprise	There is a cathedral where a mythical creature resides. Some say it's a living anvil, with teeth and a tongue that devour every adventure that nears, others claim it's a demon possessing the shadow of however enters, to kill it's owners. In all reality, it's a Suprise Elemental, a monster that without form, without reason. Only appearing when nobody is expecting it, always in the form that's least expected.
The Siren Song of the Crypt	Rumors of hauntingly beautiful music carrying through the night have been cropping up around the town crypt. All of the townspeople who claim to have heard it seem happy to discuss their lovely new nighttime lullaby.
The Fighters	Recently brawls at the local tavern have increased in their frequency and ferocity. People once known to be jovial, mellow, or sad drunks now turn on their friends with abandon at night. Curiously, people known to have a temple while drinking have now simmered down, and all involved seem unaffected during their daily lives, aside from nursing their fresh injuries.
The Foresters' Plenty	The town's loggers refuse to travel more than a league into the forest, but the lumber they return with is far too dense to be young growth, and it burns with an unusual ferocity. They've been following the same logging trails for as long as anyone can remember, and refuse to show them to outsiders.
The Weirding Well	There is a well in the ruins of a town in a nearby glade. Legends and folktales abound about the strange sights and sounds around the well, and the countless brave souls who went to investigate only to return empty handed.
Call for Justice	Every night following the burial of a poor soul who died under questionable circumstances, a shrill but source-less cry for justice rings through the graveyard until the wee hours of the morning.
The case of the Baker	Every morn' before the sun is risen. Fresh, warm bread appears in the village. This impoverished village has no baker, nor a proper oven. Too far from the city to maintain its warmth, the masterwork bread that appears... Only where none are looking.
Schroedinger's Kid	Street urchins are a common sight in large cities. But this one strikes you as odd, you could have sworn you saw his corpse they day before, once again a week before that, and a month before that. And yet he still plays in the street.
The Restarting Village	A common village by looks. Every time one visits a sense of deja vu is felt. When an outsider approaches, all continues as normal. When all outsiders leave, all goes back to the beginning.
The shifting Church	A quiet corner of town a church stands, every morning it worships a different god, with different disciples and a drastically different interior.
The Flash	Some evenings right before the end of sunset, as the top of the sun rests on the horizon. Strong flashes of light travel across the horizon, in perfect time and always the same direction.
The Roving Fairy Ring	Fairy rings are a common sight, however this one moves several meters a day. It seems to have a path and ones who care for the mushrooms are said to be blessed with good fortune.
Tangled hair house	An odd boarding house atop a hill, many visit, only those with short hair are ever seen to leave.
The grocer on the corner	An old man running the grocer on the corner, never seen to leave. Nor any supplies ever arrive, the shop is however fully stocked regardless of how much custom he has.
The painted man	Many have told this story. In a painting one sees a man staring out at them from the background, this crude figure will then be seen again and again. From other art to graffiti to drawings by children this figure is seen.
The screaming hospital children	The hospital is plagued in the darkest parts of the night by the screams of children. The wards sleep soundly. Many have searched for the source of the screams, but they seem to come from all around.
The Kings Sun	Visitors of the King's castle note that the sun always shines behind him. In the magnificent stained glass throne room the Kings face is always drowned out by the sun behind him. Even in clouds or low sun, the room is always lit the same.
The Upward Path	A stretch of road in the middle of nowhere, objects roll uphill, caravans are to superstitious to use it.
The Upward Falls	A waterfall in the deep jungle that flows upstream. Leads to a plateau that seems otherwise inaccessible.
The Empty Brothel	The brothel in town is always empty, all day every day. Many claim to be patrons and speak well of it.
The Personal Library	A small library, with no librarian. Any book taken disappears after a day. Always seems to have the books one desires.
The Statue of Tears	A statue in town. It appears to cry when looked at. When too many stare, the tears become blood.
The Squalid Soup Pot	A huge pot in an impoverished slum, it is ate from constantly but never seems to empty. Many find the contents disgusting.
The River Woman	The rivers here run fast, a popular place for many to end their lives. However many who come for that reason see a woman across the river, the woman has a face of anguish. The observers of this woman become overrun with guilt and return home.
The Fire in the Desert	This desert is a vast an empty place, barely a cactus breaks up the rolling dunes. During the night a faint orange glow is seen behind many of the dunes.
The Bottle in the ship	The port has reported from time to time, and empty boat floats into harbor. In the boat, a single bottle of what appears to be wine rests in the center. None have dared to taste it, and the bottles only build up.
The call of the past	A opening in the trees, just outside the settlement, odd sounds can be heard. People hear what they heard before the last time they slept.
Case of the vanished people	In the village of Oxhead, housing 50 people, every day someone is missing, without trace. The next day, they're back, not remembering being gone at all and completely unchanged, and a new person has disappeared.
Riddle of the masked man	Every morning at sunrise a masked person walks into town straight from the north, stands perfectly still until sunset, and walks on towards the south. He reappears the next day.
The lone rancher	Out in the countryside there's a large grain farm, easily one of the largest in the area. Only a single person is found at the farm at work; an old emaciated man with long white beard. The farm runs splendidly and the old man insists he needs no help running it.
Come little children	Yesterday, three children went into the woods to collect berries and did not return. During the night, a foul abysmal odour unlike anything imaginable permeated the town. The next day, the children came back... nine years older.
The Rain of Cadavers	One night the inhabitants of the town of Bargrund woke up to see the carcasses of dead cows raining down on them from a clouded sky. The dead cows cause much damage and injury to structures and people and the clouds have a violet tint to them.
Case of the Eyes	An unblinking humanoid eye the size of a football has appeared on people's doors on the side turning in, rooted into the wood by black tendrils. The eyes do nothing but stay where they are. Unblinking.
The King's Crown	The royal crown of the palace belonging to a long line of monarchs has a habit of getting lost. It appears at random spots in the palace all the time, and disappears from where you last put it.
Cookies to the people	This winter morning, every household in the entire realm woke to find a pile of cookies somewhere in the house. Even beggars, thieves, cultists and homeless people got them. They are quite delicious.
Gambling hazards	Recently, the gamblers in town have experienced that every time a die rolls a 1, the next rolls automatically are 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 without fail. The die then behaves normally until another 1 is rolled. No-one knows what this means.
The sleeping giant	A cloud giant appeared in the town square two months ago and has been sleeping ever since. All attempts to wake her has failed. She still breathes but hasn't moved.
Colour of love	Every morning, a rose sprouts from the ground at a random spot in the city. Anyone and everyone within 60 feet of the rose fall in love with the last person they laid eyes upon. Every day the rose is in a new place.
The Silence of the Rats	Recently, all rats in town has turned completely and utterly silent. No sound when they move, no squeaks or padding of rat feet. Nothing.
The Tireless Spinning Wheel	Across the river in a secluded grove, there is a rickety spinning wheel doing its work. Clackety clack! Clackety clack! It yields no thread, only the omnipresent sound...Clackety clack! Clackety clack!
The Broken Puppet	A traveling merchant has an intricate puppet that he refuses to sell. The puppet shares many of the same physical characteristics as the merchant. Did it just move?
Holey Moly	A hole suddenly appears on the outskirts of a small village with a pole of dirt next to it. As the villagers begin filling it with dirt, another hole begins to appear elsewhere in the village, at the same rate that the old one is being filled.
The Shadowed Sundial	The village sundial's shadow has suddenly frozen in place. It doesn't react to any light sources cast upon it.
Terrible Turnips	Why does all the food here taste like turnips?! Give me back that sweet, succulent, turkey-leg taste!
Prisoner's Dilemma	A pair of non-identical twin prisoners have just been delivered to the city jail. Every night, they seem to switch cells, despite being kept on completely different levels.
Hook, Line, & Sinker	The local fishing hole has dried up overnight, and the fishermen are distraught. But now fish are turning up in the most outlandish places, like Archibald's bathwater and pierced atop Helga's weathervane!
Groundhog Day	There's a small settlement where the inhabitants do the exact same thing every day at the same time. Like clockwork.
Spick & Span	I never bother doing dishes anymore. Especially since they are spotless when I wake up!
See Right Through You	There is a small boy whose skin is gradually becoming more translucent. Every day it seems that he is harder and harder to see. It's happening to others now too...
The Empty Schooner	A fully-stocked ship docks in the harbor. Nobody is onboard, but there are may signs of recent activity like dirty plates, half-swabbed decks, etc.
Candelabra Capers	There is an old candelabra in the bell-tower that is bolted to the table. Whenever somebody enters the room, all of the candles become lit until the person exits. Any attempt to put out the flames only cause them to burn brighter.
The Blank Book	There is a book that goes completely blank after you read it. Everybody reads something different, but it is always very personal and analogous to that person's life.
The Final Chime	The bells chime as you would expect during the day, but come midnight... It is always the same. Eight chimes. A pause, then bong... bong... bong... THUNK
The Hungry Book	Attempting to write in this book is futile, as anything written in the tome slowly fades away, no matter how much ink is used, until it is blank again. Oh, and once it's done absorbing the ink it smacks its pages as if they were lips, quite a disconcerting sight.
The Razor Road	This apparently plain cobblestone road in the forest looks innocent enough, but walk upon it, and it will feel as if you were walking on a bed of nails.
The Midnight Well	Most of the time, this well gives out perfectly good drinking water. Sometimes however, the pail will return from the depths of the well filled with a viscous black liquid...
The Inn's Worst Bed	If you are desperate enough for a place to sleep, this average looking bed will do, but you will invariably be visited that night by dreams of drowning in a sea of insects.
A Curious Statue	"Wot, the statue? It's reckon'd ta be the towns founder. Weird how it always looks like its facing you innit! The tricks carvers can pull with perspective these days..."
The Conundrum of the Cat	Wherever the party goes, one of their number keeps seeing the same black cat. It's impossible it can be a coincidence, for the cat they keep seeing has a distinct crescent of white fur on its forehead. No matter how hard they look, they never spot it following them from place to place, and if they search they never find it hiding amidst the wagons of any caravan they might join. But no matter where they travel (even on other planes), no matter how quickly they manage to get there (even by teleportation), it is always there first. Every time it appears, the situation is such that the only person who has line of sight to the cat is the one character who always sees it. To the other characters the cat is a mere figment, and a cause for worry about the mental health of their friend.
The Enigma of the Evil Eye	The city of Skarsdale is cursed; the symbol of the Evil Eye keeps appearing around the city. Burned into a wooden windowsill. As frost on a window in winter. Baked into bread. Items knocked over fall into the shape of it. It's never done deliberately (who would do that?) and it's appearances are seemingly random, all except one. Every morning, without exception, the eye is daubed in blood on the city-facing wall of Skarsdale Castle, above the drawbridge. Even when watched all night, the mark appears as if by magic - but no magic is detected.
The Mystery of the Melody	A song can be heard drifting across the city at night, but only by a handful of people. Without fail, those people abandon their lives the very next morning to go off and realise their unfulfilled dreams.
The Obfuscation of the Occult	On the third day of the third week of each month, spellcasters throughout the kingdom mysteriously misremember all their lore, spells, and rituals. Any attempt to use magic on this day results in mayhem, and may possibly be dangerous (treat as wild magic surge).
The Problem of the Pants that Walked	The people of Hollowbrook have a problem - they are running out of clothes. As of a week ago, any clothes left unworn (for instance, when hanging to dry after being washed) rise up into the air, pulling and allowing themselves to be ripped if need be to escape. They gather together as raggamoffyns (constructs composed of scraps of cloth - see The 3rd edition Monster Manual II or google for more info).
The Puzzle of the Pupils	The little mountain town of Urmster is a happy one. Everyone is friendly, and treats each other like family. It seems idyllic, and a visitor has a perfectly wonderful time there, enjoying the ambience, the hot springs, and the many beautiful local walks. Yet a perceptive visitor may notice,ever so occasionally, the glimpse of something strange in the pupils of the townsfolk. Here one minute, gone the next, it's easy to think you imagined it: the very image of the townsperson, reflected in their own eye.
The Quandary of the Queue	While passing through town one day, the party see a queue of people backed up from a door in the wall. There is no signage to suggest what might be beyond the door. Hundreds of people are waiting to get in, and the queue goes right round the corner of the street. When they return this way they see the queue looking just as long. Close observation shows that every time someone goes through the door, which happens every two minutes and thirty seven seconds another person joins the back of the queue. Furthermore, they are the same people, on a repeating cycle. Yet no one comes out of the door and there is no rear entrance. If they try to get closer to the door to see what's inside, the people in the queue accuse them of queue-jumping and get belligerent, forming up as a mob to prevent the PCs skipping the line. If the party back up, they return exactly to their correct places in the queue.
The Question of the Queen's Betrothal	The Queen is getting married! The only thing is, no one seems to know where her mysterious suitor Lord Abgarde came from, and no one even seems curious. The party are sought out by one of the castle's kitchen maids, who was away from the town caring for her dying father on the night the engagement was announced. When she returned to the castle, she found it was as though Lord Abgarde had always been there and everyone thought his engagement to the The Queen had lasted an entire year. Only she could see things as they truly were. The party, like everyone else in the city, have false memories regarding the bethrothal (ideally set this up so that the players themselves have no reason to believe her. Do this WAY in advance by feeding them news from the castle, or if they visit, letting them see Lord Abgarde. They should really question whether or not these memories are false).
The Riddle of the Raider's Ship	The people of Greenvale woke morning to find their sheep grazing contentedly around the hull of a sailing vessel with the flag of the East Island Raiders, mysterious transported onto the chalk downs. The pirate crew were all dead, their bodies each laid out on the grass nearby, one hand outstretched Eastward - perhaps toward the ocean, fully five hundred miles away. The Raiders spoils was left untouched in the cargo hold, and a scrawled note pinned to one of the chests by dagger: Though these men will wrong you yet You must see and not forget Their captain will be your own get Heed this lesson or your fates are set.
The Secret of the Sauce	After tasting the meatballs at a particular roadside inn, Ikea's Table (named after the fabled table of the goddess of home and hearth, Ikea) the party feel compelled to return there as regularly as possible for more of the dish. If asked why it is so good, the innkeeper's wife (also the cook) will only say that it's all thanks to her secret sauce. There is nothing magical about the food.
The Tree of Justice	There's a single grave outside town, beneath a tree, the hanging tree. The grave the only person from town to ever commit a murder in the town's history. But now every morning, a new member of town is hanging from the tree......
Fire Wyrm	The lights come in the fog, always with the fog, like a great wyrm from the mountains, and then the town that sees them is no more. Rumour says the Wyrm is moving closer to the city. (13th Warrior Weeee)
Pants!?	No one in town owns any pants, every time someone brings a pair they disappear by the next morning. The tailor has completely given up making new pairs.
The Wishing Well	The well in town is said to grant a wish to those who are deserving, but everyone who has had their wish be granted, is changed.... What price have they paid?
Ghost Town	The town is completely empty, but everything carries on as normal. Doors open and close, the ovens are fired up and bread is made, the forges and kitchens, everything is working. But there are no people.....
The Harp of Eternity	The music of a harp emanates from a tower just outside of town. The people of the town report they've never heard the harp stop their entire lives, even the elders recall it from the day they were born. They say that the no one has ever heard it stop, for decades before any of them were alive.
Fountain of Sacrifice	In the center of town is a fountain that never empties and is constantly running, every morning a small puddle of blood has been found near it. But recently the puddle's have been getting larger and the homeless population has been shrinking.
Laughing Disease	Everyone who enters the city starts to laugh uncontrollably, only the locals are immune, and they violently expel any outsiders and rob them of all their possessions. All the while screaming about how it's not funny, and the laughter is an insult to them, and this is their punishment for mocking the town.
The Talking Dogs	The town is populated by sentient talking dogs, they go about their business as any normal town would, but every night as the bell tolls midnight the entire town is filled with human screaming and canine howling.
Alchemist's Punishment	The town is completely empty, in the center lies a single vial filled with crimson liquid, tracks in the dirt all lead to this vial from every direction then stop, with none leading away. Above the Vial a sign says, the guilty shall suffer.
The Burning Pillar	A 300ft high pillar of flame has burst out from where a house used to stand in the city. No one remembers who lived in the house or what it looked like.
The Shallow Mine	Miners go in, resources come out, but if you walk into the mine, it deadends about 50ft. down the shaft, and there are no veins to be seen.
The Extra Child	A mother calls her children home, "Peter! Mary! Estelle! Cobb! It's dinnertime! She stands at the door and waits. Three children enter the house. Satisfied, the mother closes the door. This happens every night.
The Dead Strangers	There is a village where, once a month, a corpse shows up, strung up in the town square. The corpse is not identifiable, but no one in the village is missing.
The Silver Raven	You wake up covered in blood in a room full of corpses. You have a small silver raven trinket that you've never seen before on your person. You don't remember the past 6 hours. Everywhere you go, ravens are everywhere, staring at you.
Merchant's Incense	A merchant is selling incense that he claims never runs out, a claim that appears to be true, as he has ever-burning incense on display at his shop. No one ever buys the incense.
The Mirror Painting	There is a painting. If a person spends at least five minutes looking into it, the painting changes to a painting of that person.
The Death Carriage	An unmanned carriage runs the same route indefinitely. If anyone touches it, they immediately die.
Masquerade	Once a year, everyone in the town puts on masks and throws a huge party. Everyone in town denies this ever happens when questioned. There is no evidence that it happens, either.
Forest Circles	Deep in the forest, if one looks hard enough, one can find perfectly arranged circles of trees. Attempts to return to the same location inevitably fail, but other circles always show up in places they weren't before.
The Case of the Mysterious Case	After a successful tavern-crawl (after a successful dungeon-crawl), the party finds a leather-wrapped present waiting for them in their living quarters. It has a heart on it. "What... kind of... leather... wait, did the package just blink?"
The Book of Confusion	A book is found in a king's library, but upon first examination, there are no words upon the pages. After flipping through the pages for a certain amount of time, the reader cannot tear themselves away from the book, nor attempt to communicate what is inside the book. If the book is taken away from the reader, the reader will usually kill themselves within a month.
The Whistler	As you stroll through the forest, you hear a faint whistling tune. Upon following the tune, you meet a man with his back turned to you. Upon saying hello, he will turn around and greet you warmly. The only problem is, the man has no lips.
The Unmanned Tavern	No spell can detect why or how the patrons drinks get filled, but whenever they aren't looking, they always look back with their drinks filled and their pockets a piece lighter.
The Case of the Open Windows	The party has been in a town frequently and they've been hearing about prominent figures in the locality suddenly dying of blunt force trauma. The only real connection between all of them, besides them being well known in the town, is the open window in the room they're found.
The Unreadable Books	In the castle library, the words inside books have been vanishing, replaced by unreadable messages in unknown symbols; more books change each day; comprehend Language spells result in psychic backlash against caster; assistant scribe hid in library overnight, heard sounds of scratching and moaning coming from books, saw nothing.
The Tree Haters	Wild-eyed travellers, arriving from the east road, urge everyone they meet to cut down trees before it is too late; shudder in horror if asked for details; grab axes and assail local trees if locals unwilling, will not stop unless physically restrained.
The Darkness of Gravedigger's Cave	In a Gravedigger's Cave behind the cemetary outside town, all light sources fail, light spells fizzle, darkvision sees black-and-white television static.
The Offering of the Ants	Uncountable thousands of ants descend on town, pick up bread crumbs, sugar, or other food, vanish through cracks in earth leading to appropriate local dungeon.
The Leering Portraits	Inhabitants of castle report seeing subjects of paintings moving out of the corners of their eyes, making rude gestures and then snapping back to normal poses when examined.
The Ritual of the Vanishing Children	Local ritual requires that every nine years, a brave child volunteer to enter the holy of holies in the Temple to the Unknown God. The children who enter are never seen again.
The Petrified Dragons	There are tales of a nigh-inaccessible ledge, high in the mountains, from which it is possible to see the shapes of two impossibly lifelike gargantuan stone dragons locked in vicious combat, clinging to a cliff where no sculptor could have reached.
The Inscrutable Judge	Locals fear and revere an ancient marble statue of a stern headsman, that stands beside the road at one end of the only bridge in miles. Most travellers pass without incident, but in one in a thousand cases the statue springs angrily to life and decapitates a horrified passerby with its enormous razor-edged stone axe, before settling back into its previous pose. No pattern has yet been found in these attacks.
The Coin Sowers	A village has been blessed for many years with unusually bountiful harvests, even while other farmland nearby has been struck with famine. The villagers attribute their success to an unusual custom -- they sow copper coins along with their grain. No one knows what happens to the coins themselves.
The Blurry Adventures	The Lord Mayor of Hih-ven has suddenly started turning blurry. The Witch doctor outside the edge of town points to a Druidic cult. The Cult points to a well-regarded psychiatrist in the town proper. The psychiatrist thinks that the Mayor has been fairly unsure of himself lately. Who's lying, and what happens when he turns too blurry...
The Adjudicator	A wizard is willing to give the highest bidder her greatest desires and wishes. What is on auction? The bidders' hopes, dreams, sanity, loved ones, life, and lineage. Who are the contestants? Who is the wizard? What are the shadowy figures backstage?
Red Dream	Last night, the party had a strange dream. A plump man in crimson and gold robes stood in the middle of a village chanting inaudibly. In the middle of the keep around you, there is a shiny bright green half-helm the size of a merchant wagon burning high into the sky. The standards around you show a field of blue with a white and black tower. A crowd chants, "Nemesio, Nemesio, Nemesio" in a building crescendo. You all awake, and the sky has turned red as far as you can see.
Sing song ding dong	Everyone in the little village is all smiles, day and night. The town sings and dances to a tune no-one in the party can hear, performing on the streets, in impromptu fashion, before going back to their daily duties humming and shaking to the beat. The birds chirp in tune, and the bushes rustle like shakers when the wind blows just right. What's the name of the bard they keep repeating in the song? The one with the incredibly rhyme-able name?
Stoneveil	A small town of gorgeous, porcelain-skinned people, nestled in a mountain's foothills has been shaken with the sudden petrification of some of the pillars of the community.
Virtue	One night a month, a ghostly violin can be heard peeling in the distance, near the village graveyard. Some have said the dead rise to dance to the tune, leading the rest to stay away.
The Self-made Man	A humanoid figure can be seen sculpting himself out of the clay on a nearby riverbank over the course of each day. When questioned, he replies that he's very busy at the moment but would be happy to chat once he's done. At dusk, he gives a final sigh of satisfaction before stiffening and toppling over, usually breaking into many pieces from the fall.
Weeping Willows	A small copse of trees stands in a desolate old field full of dried grasses. From each long branch drips a golden, sweet fluid that is warming and rejuvenating to the taste. Any who drink it directly from the tree are unusually productive for 24 hours, followed by 48 hours of depression and desolation. Bottling the fluid removes this effect, though it retains the taste of sweet morning dew.
Constructing Materials	A town is being slowly deconstructed, brick-by-brick, with each piece of material floating slowly north to a large, orderly pile of similar material. Each day a brick or two is taken, and the townsfolk have become experts at shoring up and repairing the damage.
Parabol	Small, presumably fae-creatures have been glimpsed walking through the nearby woods at night. Each one's passage is followed by bizarre, screeching music and only their vivisected corpses have ever been found.
The Hall of Inverse Reactions	Tazniss Alley is a street in the slums of a large city. All emotional reactions are inverted there. Insults and crimes are met with generosity, while favors and compliments invoke disgust and outrage. Tragedies bring joy and good news causes despair.
The Antimagic Masks Case	Two professors from the local academy were found dead on a hill, wearing winter robes despite the summer heat and masks warded against magic. One held a note: "Fourth hour: Meet at the hill; Sixth hour: Ingest potions; await signal; don masks"
The Imaginary Killer	A week ago a family moved into town whose daughter has an imaginary friend named Mr. Daggers. Every day since then, a child has come home sobbing and shaking, swearing that their imaginary friend has been stabbed to death by a dagger-wielding killer.
The Faceless Mayor	Every one in town has met the mayor, but can't provide a single detail about their appearance. The locals joke about their leader's nondescript looks, but a few questions will make it apparent that their mayor is literally indescribable.
The Very Heavy Box	As a merchant was driving his wagon through town last week, a box fell from it and landed in the middle of the road. The locals have tried moving the obstruction, but though it seems to be a normal wooden box, it can't be opened and can't be moved.
The Backward Chain	The town is in a panic, as its food chain has been reversed. Cats are chasing dogs, rats are chasing cats, field mice and snakes are somehow dragging hawks out of the sky, and the townspeople find themselves hunted by all manner of game and cattle.
The Growing Houses	The town's buildings are slowly growing from their tops, at a rate of about one story per fortnight. No doors lead to the new rooms, but entering through the windows with a ladder will reveal that the completed stories are furnished and show signs of use.
Bardic Synchronicity	The city's twelve bards are having a feud. "The Dreamer's Ditty" is the city's most popular new song, first heard in twelve separate inns on the same hour of the same night, but each inn's bard claims to have written it, and all appear sincere.
The Third Ear	Everything known to any of the town's children is known to all of the town's children. The children see nothing unusual about this, explaining matter-of-factly that they "hear from each other" through their "third ears."
Back in a Little While	Throughout the town, seemingly happy people have been telling loved ones "wait for me a while" or "I'll be back in a bit," then killing themselves. Days later, the graves of some who have died this way have been found open and empty.
The Curious Case of Thaddeus Thornwell	Old Man Thaddeus Thornwell, who has been famous in town for a dozen years for sitting by his apple tree and telling crazy old stories to the local children, has suddenly begun aging backwards. In just the last week, he appears to have lost ten years, his hair having grown back and his back becoming less hunched. He experiences weird nose bleeds, and occasionally, his eyes grow red for seemingly no reason.
Crazy Witch Woman	Madame Goosho, the local old "witch woman," has sealed herself inside her home, refusing to leave. All the windows and doors are nailed shut. Town leaders assume she's just gone batty.
Why, Crow, Why?	A crow sits atop the grave of recently-deceased Alathar Dane, and appears to be holding a red gem in its talons. Anyone who approaches is attacked by the bird, and it dexterously side-steps any missles fired at it.
The Town Close to Death	Every day a new person in a small town hears whispering in their ears. Its words are incomprehensible, and usually ends in disaster.
I Know That Guy	A man is extremely famous throughout the entire kingdom. His actions, decisions, and general self are all looked up top. The catch: nobody has ever seen him.
Screams	Screaming is heard deep in the forest, although it doesn't sound anything like person.
Earthquake?	A town claims that at night a rumbling can be heard. It does not sound natural.
Everyday	Everyday someone wanders to the lake, never to be seen again. Everyday somebody new begins to live in the town.
A House	A lone house sits in the middle of a dense forest. With smoke coming out of the chimney one would assume someone lives there. However, upon closer inspection, the inside is dark and the house is empty.
Crystals	Legend says that when the Twin Crystals are combined that a portal to "paradise" will be opened. No one has ever seen the crystals, and no one knows where they are.
Dragon of Coal	Many speculate the existence of a coal dragon. In the town of Xelspear, black acid seems to plague the farms, and cattle goes missing. Reports of a large shadow gliding through the air does not go unnoticed, nor does the fact that the black acid hardens into coal.
The Seeing Ring	A simple silver band with a black opal setting in the center. When put on, the ring sheds an unnatural warmth. The stone spins, revealing an eye that stares at the wearer.
The Cemetery	The inscriptions on the tombstones in the large cemetery outside of town are always changing. Even the stones of the freshly buried. No one has ever witnessed the change.
The Earworm	Everyone in town you encounter is humming or whistling the same eerie tune. Eventually you find yourself humming it too...
Shrinky Village	Every week, food appears in the city. This has been going on many years and the city thrives (read: no food making ability) because of it. However, this week the food is causing unknown side effects. People that eat it shrink to the size of 1/6th their original height.
A lively dream	A village has suddenly started having bad dreams. They all seem to be able to remember clips from their dream and it all has the same theme. Soon the dreams are exactly the same. Soon after that, the images are seen out of the corner of people's eyes, but disappear when looked at directly. Soon after that, the monsters are shadows, but can be looked at directly, then they start killing.
Hide and Squeak	All the rats in the city have mysteriously vanished. This seemed a good thing, until piles of dead rat-bitten cats were found last month, and the cities food stores have begun depleting at an unexplainable rate. Last week all the former rat-killers vanished from their beds. And now, every night at the stroke of midnight, an eery otherworldly bell can be heard tolling from somewhere deep under the city.
Insert Interesting Title Here	Every time anyone within 10 miles of the mysterious tower falls asleep, they dream they are being hunted by the embodiment of their worst nightmares. If they die in their dream they die in real life. The effects are slowly expanding outward from the tower, threatening a nearby settlement.
The Puppet Salesman	Once every week, a kindly old man living on the outskirts of town sets up a small market stall where he sells beautifully hand-crafted puppets. All who browse his collection long enough will find one puppet that looks exactly like them.
The Innocent Rat Plague	There are no rat-holes in plain sight anywhere to be found in town, no horrible stench or diseases run rampant and food will never go missing when left unattended. But whenever an old floorboard is replaced, a patch of dirt is disturbed or a particularly old piece of furniture needs to be moved, at least one rat always seems to be hiding just there and they always seem to get away through some small crack or hole somewhere.
The Adventurer's Respite	There's a small hut on a hill besides the road, far away from any town or city. When travellers pass by they will always see a warm, orange light coming through a window and smell a mouthwatering smell of freshly cooked supper wafting towards them. The lady of the house, whose husband will likely be home late today, will always welcome weary travellers, offering them a place by the hearth, a wonderful meal and a soft bed for the night. All who go to sleep in the hut will wake up the next morning in rotten, lice-infested sheets in the wooden ruins of something that must have been a home many, many years ago, the decaying and brittle skeleton of whoever once lived here still lying on the muddy floor by the hearth.
The Quiet Village	This tiny village is contained within wooden palisade walls, ending at two usually open gates at the front and back. No sound can be heard from the village, and once you pass through its gates, no sound can be heard at all. A pan banging next to your ear is as silent as anything could ever be. This effect exists only within these wooden walls, and none of the townsfolk seem to notice.
A Sea of Dirt	This empty town is devoid of life, but all its buildings and items remain intact. By day, it's a spot where a traveler can rest his weary head in a featherbed once belonging to some noble, or find a treasure of some kind that a blacksmith had tucked away. By night, the ground changes. Living things that touch the ground fall into it like a stone into water, and no amount of swimming can save them; they are pulled down into the unknown. The buildings are away from one another, making it hard to get from place to place. The town will not let you leave without a fight.
The Missing Parents	There are no adults in this village. The kids rule in their place, and though they do not do the things that adults would do, they seem to be surviving fine. Nearby towns have not reported any of their adults coming to them, nor has anyone seen a sign from them. The only clue you have to go on is the ferocity by which the children protect the town hall's basement...
Liturgy to the Dead	In the woods there sits a black stone, dark as night, and large as ten men on each other's shoulders. On the plateau of this rock stands ten people in a circle, old and young, men and women, and of different races. They do not acknowledge the presence of any who disturb them, and cannot be moved from the spot they stand in. In the center of their circle sits a second black stone in the shape of an egg. As day night falls and day breaks, they are unchanged. Now, though, there are only nine.
The Mad Hatter	At a local haberdashery, a hatter creates works that astonish and amaze even the most sophisticated of hat enthusiasts. No matter what price he sells them for, people fight to be the one to buy them. What seems odd, though, is the faint magical aura on each hat that nobody else seems to see. What caught your attention was that the aura felt a lot like an undead...
The Monk in the Field	In the middle of this field sits a monk, whose strong powers can be felt a mile away. There is nothing but grass around him on all sides but one; in front of him sits a forest. This monk is engaged in heavy prayer, a ritual perhaps, and cannot move or speak. From his tattered cloths and the growth around him it appears he's been at this for a very long time, years maybe, sustained by some otherworldly force. All you know is, the more you look at the forest, the heavier you feel, and the more inclined you feel to stopping this man's prayers.
Lost and found	A little box on the corner of a street in a small, otherwise unremarkable fishing town. Nothing special per se, where it not that objects inside always find their original owner, and have included everything from solitary socks to priceless artifacts and even the kings wedding ring.
A beggar and a thief	a simple beggar known as richie. People who come in contact often lose things, you could toss him a coin and find your earrings gone. Often accused, he's been frisked more than you could count, but never have any of the objects been found. He still sits on the same corner every day, not a coin to his name, watched closely, called a beggar and a thief daily.
The calmest place on earth	A small shack in a region tormented by the elements. 3 floods, a forest fire, 4 tornadoes and an earthquake later, nothing of the surroundings looks the same, yet the small shack still stands, untouched by nature.
The waypoint	A non-magical rock, often used by travellers as a waypoint due to it's recognisable shape. Although you're pretty sure it was standing in the woods last time you saw it, not in the middle of a corn field..
The knocking	There are lots of tales of people dying peacefully in their sleep, with eyewitnesses saying the night before, the deceased got up and opened the door, reacting to a knock only they could hear.
I Know That Guy!	Every inn or tavern in every town, village, or city the adventurers go to has a bartender that looks and sounds exactly alike. He always goes by a different name, but everyone in the party recognizes him from each of the other places. No matter how hard he is questioned or interrogated, he has no idea what the adventurers are talking about if they confront him with it.
The Beekeeper's Daughter	The girl was tending the bees near their cottage at the edge of the forest; whatever happened to her, she left no trace.
The Woodcutter's Axe	Stan the woodcutter went outside to get to work, but his axe wasn't where he left it; he found it nearby, buried in the skull of a man he's never seen.
The Butcher, the Baker, and the Brothelkeeper	A pair of local businessmen (the butcher and the baker) have been acting very strangely after a night of drunken revelry at Madame Biggs' brothel.
Oldtown Tavern	The barkeep at the Oldtown Tavern swears the glasses keep rearranging themselves, and the barmaid saw something disturbing when tossing out the scraps in the back alley.
Dark Homecoming	The secretive Steelmoon Academy was founded on the site of an ancient monastery a few decades ago. Pupils who were admitted to the school had never returned to their families. Last month, one did return...
The Burned Tree	This morning, the locals found that the ancient oak tree standing in the center of the village is dead and burned; no one heard the crackle of flames nor felt the heat from what must have been a massive conflagration in the night.
The Twitching Eye	The captain of the watch brought the mummified eye that was around one of the graverobbers' necks back to his office along with several other items that might serve as evidence. Yesterday morning when he arrived at his office, he had found the eye had rolled off his desk and tucked itself into a corner of the room. This morning, the eye was in the same corner and a ghost was rifling through his desk.
The Stolen Recipe	After a night like any other night, a well-known alehouse is broken into. The burglars managed to locate the hidden safe and crack it open. Not a single coin was taken despite there being several hundred. The only item stolen was the owner's only copy of a centuries-old recipe for brewing golden ale.
Two Lost Boys	Campfires have been seen at night in the ancient stone ruin. A local farmer went to investigate and found nothing. The following day two boys went to play among the ruins and they never came back.
Locked Royal Rooms	The King has been murdered while at his summer palace from the capital city. He is dead of a knife wound in his own bedchamber. There does not appear to be any forced entry and the guards posted saw and heard nothing. The palace's soul gatehouse reports that no one came or left the palace last night.
The Big Tip	When her favorite patron, a member of the City Guard, stopped coming in to see her at the urban tavern where she works, the barmaid was a little disappointed. When someone left a purse with her name on it containing 5,000 gold pieces, she was shocked but cautiously accepting of it. When someone left a purse with her name on it containing a severed ear, she panicked.
The Stitched-Lips	The high brother of the Storm King's Temple of Winter has been found dead on the temple grounds. The freshly burnt-down candles, the half-eaten supper, and the open books and notes on his reading table suggest that he was interrupted while taking his evening meal alone in his study. The immediate cause of death is unclear, but his lips have been sewn together neatly with fine silk thread.
The Bridge of Crabs	On a thin strip of land separating two bodies of water , only a mile and half wide, sand continues away from the beach stretching across the land and connecting two the opposing beach. No trees or plants grow here, just a 100 yard wide desert bridge across the land.
Compass Jester's Fist	On the road between here and the capitol, just off the road, a giant three fingered fist carved from some magnetic stone juts from the ground.
XXL Sweaters	Someone or something is enlarging Farmer Greenbrows sheep to 3X their size.
The Battalion Tree	A large old gnarled tree in the forest has a special property: when someone touches a gold coin to the tree, the sound of a 1000 swords unsheathing echo through the forest.
Druid Grove	In these woods is a well maintained grove of trees of many different species. Some shouldn't even be in this climate. one trait they all share is the faces that rise out of the bark. All the faces maintain the look of peaceful slumber. All except for the very last tree, which bears no leaves, it's branches ending in scorched limbs. The face on this trunk is frozen in a scream of anguish.
Mystery Name	Its like a statue or something. I guess it makes you procrastinate, I'll describe it better later.
The Kitchen Table Conch	Instead of hearing the ocean or the sound of the blood in your own ears, once a day this conch emits a mundane conversation between a family. Mother, father, son, daughter, and grandma are all discussing their boring daily experiences.
One still cares	A long dead necromancer is buried in the town cemetery. Every year on his birthday and anniversary of his death, someone leaves a tulip and a bottle of wine on his grave.
The Alley of Forgotten Toys	People who walk down this alley late at night often find toys that they lost as children.
Spider Town	A halfling village, far from major cities, is draped in webs. The townsfolk live in harmony with the spiders, but what do they need protection from?
Lost Generation	It's harvest time, and all the villagers are gathered in town for a brief harvest ceremony. There are more women than men. There seem to be no young men between about 18-23 years old.
Frozen Village	Out in the mountains; people out and about on daily errands -- frozen in place, some mid step; unmoving and unaware.
Nursery Rhyme	The children sing a strange little rhyme. Everyone knows the words and no one knows where it came from. Probably from some long-lost wet nurse. Why then does the ruling council cringe when they hear it? And who is the foolish king the rhyme tells of?
Wonderous Outhouse	This outhouse seems shabby on the outside, but inside it smells of mountain air and meadow flowers. A washbasin seems to fill itself and waste and feces seem to disappear down the hole.
Glittering Cloud	Out over the ocean there's a massive cloud that doesn't travel exactly with the wind. Staring at it sometimes yields a glimpse of something glittering.
Woman's Word	A local slang word can't be heard by men or boys.
Taste of Darkness	Recently when the sun goes down in the city, food and drink acquires a peculiar aftertaste.
Mismatched Mansion	Walking around the grounds outside, the East Wing of the mansion is much larger than it seems on the inside. The West Wing has an extra story on the inside than can be seen from outside.
Buzzing Hills	The hills seem to emit a faint buzz, until you get too close to them.
Locked Room in the Lords Manner	The local lord has a room in his castle he has never been able to open. What lies beyond?
The Hungry Prison	Each day a prisoner vanishes. The other guards refuse to talk about it, its clear they arent escaping so whats going on? (hint for DMs: Google DnD house hunter).
The strange grandson	The team collects rare ingrediants for an old wizard. Then they meet his oddly wise grandson who wants them to do even more jobs.
Little Lost Lordlings	Strange tales of children in the forest living like knights and lords. Even stranger is the rumour that they never age. An old woman swears she saw her brother exactly the way he was the day he vanished.
The Tower of the Gods	A strange tower emerged recently. Though everyone seems to think it was always there. What strange tidings await inside?
Reality is not what it used to be	Children born in a certain village seem to have strange abilities. Reality warping magic.
Mirror Town	Right next to each other sit two cities. Exactly the reflection of the other down to the people. They say twins are always born. Each the exact opposite of the other. Who can you trust? (PS for extra fun give the good guys goatees, they will never see that coming).
The tree of worlds	Inside this small tree there are portals to many other realms. Or are they?
The Lost Archives	A library as large as a city once existed, containing all the knowledge of the sentient races. However someone lost the map and now its nowhere to be found. How did they lose something so important?
The Endless War and the Murdered King	In a small valley there exists a war that never ends. Those that worship the sun against those that worship the moon. Why does it never end? They are all cursed with immortality. Yet people keep attempting to murder the kings. who would do this and why?
Growing pains	Screams are heard in the middle of the night, random body parts growing bigger during the night. This invites the worst kind of tourists.
Blind luck	Anything can happen on the mountain, as long as nobody is not looking.
Sharp dressed man	An order of shoes arrive in town with buyers names and 'prices' attached, all of which desperately in need of shoeing.
Not even half the woman you are!	A half (literally) woman appears at night stealing still pregnant women' unborn children. She appears to each person as themselves.
Tall tales	Any story or reason you can tell an old lady, has already been told to her before, she can't remember by who though, she knows the story and how it ends.
Evolution	There is a species of creature that evolves immediately under threat. Everyone is too scared to chase it down lest it evolve into something that eats them.
Undying	An ancient cave can transfer a sickness from one to another, but never back.
That's heavy	Things seem randomly weigh different from day to day, creating an interesting lifestyle for those living in the area.
Lair of the Trickster	The burial ground for the legendary group of heroes led by a man called the Trickster is said to contain his powerful sword. All of the locals are afraid to venture inside - not because of dark magic, or the undead. Legend says that the tomb itself plays pranks and tricks on all those who enter.
The Quiet Town	Upon first glance, this is a completely normal village. The local people don't talk much, and stay away from strangers. But come night, all of the citizens retreat inside and board their doors and windows. Come night, the undead come. These undead don't seem violent, and don't attack the party, all they want is inside the houses. Upon further inspection, these undead look an awful lot like the exact citizens you were just talking to.
The Wood Fort	The legendary stronghold of Woodfort has never been breached, despite being built out of wood. It was said to have been built with an extinct magical kind of tree, and cannot be burned or easily broken. But nearby, the surrounding forest has slowly been dying over time - ever since the fort was built. Legends say the forest used to house all kinds of Fae, but none have been seen in a very long time.
Idle of the Town	This miniature horse is beloved by the townsfolk. They stop short of worshiping it but it is included in all major social functions and gatherings. Nobody can explain the appeal of this miniature horse, and outsiders can concoct no explanation for the enthusiasm and loyalty shown by the townsfolk towards the animal.
The Wandering Marsh	While travelling through a stretch of forest, adventurers pass through many small valleys where the ground is damp and the foliage is dead. Wherever they go, a swamp seems to block their path. When they backtrack, they find a swamp where there was none.
Divorce	Upon entering the village, one notices the air is still and there is strange dust covering nearly everything, even the people. The villagers claim many of their kind simply vanished and they are unable to leave the village grounds - they reappear on the other side when entering the nearby woods. The adventurers go to the nearby river past the tree-line and find an old dock with a shack and rowboat. Across the river is the exact same shack and boat, imperfections and all. Heading across the river, they find the exact same village mirrored and all the missing people from the first village.
The Silence	While travelling, the adventurers sometimes find themselves in a nearby place with no recollection of going there, often out of breath & with their weapons drawn.
My Child	In a small village, a mother has just given birth to her 7th, but only child; the first died at 1-month, the 2nd at 2 months, the 3rd at 4 months, the 4th at 8 months and the 5th after a year and a half & the 6th after 3 years. The 7th child is now 5 years old and looks identical to all the others. It also seems to remember the lives of its lost siblings.

10K // Mysteries

Currently at 326/10000

Last updated: Sun Mar 04 03:14:49 CST 2018