100 Rumors To Hear In A Brothel

Brothels have been a standby of tabletop RPGs since the earliest editions of Dungeons and Dragons, and while they're often relegated to the background of a cityscape, these bawdy houses can serve a vital function in your campaign; information gathering locations. Whether it's because clients are talking big trying to impress one of the workers after their session, or because those in the pleasure trade become strangely invisible to those who wouldn't otherwise talk business in front of witnesses, there are all sorts of strange stories and interesting rumors that could be overheard in these places. And whether you simply need fodder for your setting, or if you want to use these rumors as full-on hooks for your campaign plots, the following are quite flexible in how they can be used! This PDF supports Adobe layers and the page backgrounds and images can be disabled to make printing easier. Here are some sample results: Gladiators build their reputations on the sands of the arena, but if you listen to the rumors about these pit fighters one quickly ascertains that their true prowess is in the bed chamber. Men and woman alike often pay exorbitant fees to be pleasured by these warriors, and some will even pay extra to bear the child of a champion as if they were prized stallions or racing dogs. While many gladiators will hang up their blades when they're allowed to leave the sands, at least some of them continue their nightly sessions as a way to fatten their purses in retirement. There has been an influx of clockwork devices over the past several months, and there are all kinds of bizarre rumors floating around among those in the pleasure trade. Some sing these items' praises, saying they provide experiences that nothing short of genuine magic can duplicate, and that in the hands of experienced professionals they can leave clients shaking and gasping. Others whisper that these "toys" will ruin marriages, create impossible expectations and leave one craving the cold companionship of these tools rather than flesh and blood partners. Some have gone so far as to claim that if these devices malfunction that they can leave users maimed, and unable to experience any form of proper pleasure ever again. Finding a cut wife is no easy task, especially for women who don't move in the right circles. If a woman finds that she needs to shed a pregnancy (the reason why is rarely ever asked; it's assumed she has her reasons if she's come this far), it's considered common wisdom to inquire at a brothel. Even if the house doesn't have a cutter of their own on-hand (though different rumors circulate as to which houses keep these professionals on-staff), they'll still know who to reach out to, and how to get this unpleasantness handled quickly, and quietly. There have always been rumors about hellfire clubs throughout the city, with near-constant speculation regarding which members of the elite (or even which slum lords and gang leaders) lurk beneath the black robes worn at their gatherings. Whenever a doll or a stud goes missing there's always some people who say they were hired under false pretenses, and then used as a sacrifice in one of these clubs' rituals. There are a thousand and one other reasons they might leave the trade or disappear from their usual stomping grounds, of course, but none of those are nearly as interesting, so these rumors never seem to die. Every brothel knows the tale of Damon Blackhood. An infamous bandit who gave most of his ill-gotten gains to the poor, it's said that he single handedly kept many pleasure houses from becoming poorhouses. When the law eventually caught up to him, though, he was sentenced to hang by the neck until dead. As the legend goes, he had three days after the gavel fell before he was to see the rope, but the hangman never saw him. A never-ending line of the women he'd spent his time and fortune on came to him for one last visit in that time. Some stories say he snuck out of his cell in the dress worn by one of the courtesans who'd come to "pay her respects" to the bandit. Others, though, say he died with a smile on his face, his heart overtaxed by his heroic efforts to accept every "gratitude" that came to him while he was held in irons. One page is the front cover, one the front matter and most of one is ads. Play YouTube Preview