The Rumor Mill - Week 32

Week 32 of The Rumor Mill shows us pranks and practical jokes around Fellport. Most cause no lasting harm, but some may actually result in imprisonment, waking up from a bender hours out to sea as fresh recruits on a ship's crew, or even death by curse. Some stories have ascended to the realm of legend, with details exaggerated by the passage of time. Are the stories true? In some cases we may never know.

Let's dive into the world of the prankster, laughing at misdirection, surprise, and the unexpected misfortune of others.

1d8	Rumor	True?
1	The clock overlooking the quad at the College ticked backwards for an hour.	Yes1
2	If you look really hard, sometimes you can see faeries in the Artists' Quarter.	Maybe2
3	Many teens mess with the Lady at the Crossroads as pranks in a rite of passage.	No3
4	Asking for Bosun Fish on the docks will give you a hammock onboard ship.	Maybe4
5	Pickpockets think twice now after several arrests involving shrieking pouches.	Yes5
6	Many people retell the story of the Day of Red Flour as one of the great pranks.	Maybe6
7	A scribe blamed an imp coin for a recent robbery that left her broke.	No7
8	"My horse slipped a shoe" is a common excuse among the rich on Topside.	Yes8

1 - Chronomancy isn't recognized as a school of magic, and yet a group of time-based wizards regularly pulls stunts like this.
2 - When they're enjoying the colors and music (or keeping tabs on Ryn), they tend to remain invisible, but they laugh often.
3 - Everyone treats the Lady with respect after Governor Thrax died after trying to move her. Her well-known curse lingers on.
4 - It'll also get you pressed into service on the ship's crew. Bosun Fish is an old trick, but it still teaches drunkards a lesson.
5 - Many thieves have started carrying a wand of magic detection to detect and avoid these traps, often tucked inside a bracer.
6 - One day two centuries ago, a prankster allegedly dyed all the flour coming out of Imperial Mills a bright cherry red. True?
7 - Imp coins don't actually exist, and spellcasters don't waste true polymorph on an imp familiar to steal pennies from scribes.
8 - In some cases, nobles have worked out subtle signs so their grooms can turn a horseshoe invisible with minor illusion.

Part of T.W.Wombat's Lore 24 project, detailing the world around Fellport.
For all city posts, see the Fellport Index. For posts about the wider world, see the Beneterra Index.