“ Orchound - A large canine with tusk like bottom teeth. Orcs bred these dogs to help them in battle by grappling with foes, and dragging them to the ground. Despite their fearsome appearance and loud bark, they are trained not to kill, this is the venue of the warrior, not his hound.”
“ A casual remark by one of the party about something met on a previous adventure leads to a summons to and grilling by the Mages' Guild (or equivalent), probably resulting in an expedition back to that area to recover the things for study by the Guild. The party's presence will be 'requested' for this expedition.”
“ What if the sources of precious metal in the realm all failed, so that the only sources for gold and other precious metal were hostile foreign lands? Gold coinage might become increasingly rare, resulting in hoarding. Player characters that appear with masses of treasure might be suspected of being in the pay of foreign powers.”