Side Hooks

Topic: Plot

A terrible plague has ravaged a local city, and the townspeople suspect something may have contaminated the water system. Men have started going missing while searching the sewers below.
Local thieves have stolen riches from a nearby tomb. The players must discover and return one or more specific items to stop ghosts, ghasts, or specters from murdering the locals.
Packs of flying monkeys are preying on local farmers and making off with their livestock. Victims tell the players of a mysterious forest in the mountains.
Merchants with less than stellar reputations are turning up dead within the coastal towns with rare flowers placed in their mouths.
Two rival thieves guilds are fighting for control of the city, and their battles have spilled into the streets. The players must determine the best course of action to stop the violence.
A young couple has gained immense fame from their macabre sculptures. They ask the players to be their new models. However, the eccentric couple turns out to be two Medusas in disguise.
Hoping to learn more about dragons, a senile wizard has snuck into a black dragon den and turned himself into a golden sword. After weeks without contact, his apprentice seeks a rescue party.
Townspeople are slowly disappearing. The culprit is a doppelganger or changeling who assumes the identity of their most recent kill for several days before its subsequent murder.
A goblin comes running towards you and yells “he’s coming!” and dies.
The party is told of a local merchant who specializes in Magical items. The merchant’s name is Foezek and is described as an intelligent, compassionate Shedu. But, when the PCs seek out the shop, they find another being claiming to be Foezek and is more interested in them leaving the shop than dealing with them. In truth, this bandit killed Foezek and is dealing his magical items to an adversary of the DM’s choosing. Foezek’s body can be found in the shop (basement, or behind the counter, etc.).
Weird noises have been heard at night coming from an older resident’s home in town. When investigated, you discover a worried old man attempting to disguise his worry at your interest in the noise and his business. If convinced that your aid is genuine, or if more discreet measures of observations are taken, you discover his wife is afflicted with lycanthropy despite having no bite marks.
Traveling through the forest the party is stopped by the sound of a booming voice nearby “Your Wish has been granted!”. Shortly after they come upon a clearing filled red mist and a goblin holding a brass lamp laughing maniacally. The party now has to deal with what stupid thing he has wished for.
You are confronted by a party of identical adventurers, who seem more surprised than you. They have been tracking you down for a long time, following rumours of a party of adventurers giving them a bad name. Worst of all they seem to have been adventuring longer than you…
The party is followed by an owl, hooting softly, eyes glowing the gentle yellow that might be magic or might be simple reflection. Over the next several days more owls join, until when the group sets down to sleep at night all they can see are hundreds of owl eyes staring down at them. Then, one of the owls scratches a message into the dirt, before flying off into the night- FOLLOW.
A scrap of paper floats on the wind. It glides on the breeze. Eventually in a gust the paper catches on one of the adventures faces. Tearing it off their face, and looking at the parchment they see it is…
Looking off to the distance, they can see a flashing light (similar to a signal mirror). Someone is trying to signal far off. Whether it is aide, is indiscernible to the group as the light stops almost as soon as it starts. There is only one way to find out…
A house outside of town is being circled by hundreds of birds. Upon approaching, the party sees that their beaks are lined with teeth, and the birds are twitching as though trying to escape possession. From the sounds inside, someone is clambering to hide within the building.
A dryad clad in wooden armor leans against a tree his side torn wide open. He hands the party a pouch full of tiny leaves. Taking a pinch and blowing them into the air will lead the party to an ancient temple entrance almost over grown with vines. When close the pouch of leaves crumbles to dust along with the vines covering then entrance of the temple.
You find a small silver coin in the middle of a street and upon picking it up, in your mind you see a small hut deep in the forest. When you come back to reality, only you can see it but a small fae pixie glowing bright blue will show you the way.
A seemingly exorbitant amount of gold is offered on the message board to get rid of a ‘house spider’. It turns out that it’s about a spider-like mimic in the shape of a house.
The moon stops traveling across the sky, and everyone’s time pieces stop working. Word around the continent is a group of warlocks are attempting to gain power from a new patron – the god of Time
The town guard are seen practicing new drills on the common. Apparently a local bandit has enlisted a wizard, and so training in avoiding fireballs is called for.