“ Some parallel worlds have different time-flows, like the fabled dwelling-places of the elves: those who visit them under the hill for a night return to find that years have passed in this world. Perhaps it is the gate leading between the worlds which causes the alteration. If a gate were 'misaligned', the shift from '| |' to '| \' or '| /' as it were would lead to that difference, much as a light-beam split and bent by a prism ends up taking a longer path. There might even be a mathematical function linking degree of misalignment to alteration of time-rate.”
“ A group of adventurers come across a child's body on their adventures, odd being such a remote location. Their is no detectable sign of violence to the child, nor are their any signs of life. Suddenly the child opens its eyes, looks towards the group and introduces themselves to the adventures.
If this wasn't odd enough, the child can't remember where they are from, only their name and age. Stranger yet, the child has a tattoo on their right shoulder of a family crest, to a family that died out over 200 years ago.”
“ Sneezing Sickness - A strange plant infection that causes its victim to spread the plants seeds by sneezing them about. Larger lumps of phlegm or saliva sprout is spat out in a sunny place, producing more of the plants. As the Magical version of seasonaly allergies the affliction is limited in term and non-life threatening.”