“ The player characters, experienced and somewhat well known, hear rumors and travelers' tales about a distant area being overrun by dragons (or other terrifying monstrosities). The locals have sent them a message, begging for heroic aid.
When they investigate, they discover that nothing of the sort is going on. It turns out that a group of thieves wanted them out of the way so that they could rob them (or someone who would normally receive their protection).”
“ Nearby is a region of many curiously shaped hillocks. Last week a tremendous storm washed one of these half away, revealing a strange shed made of concrete panels. Its long side is aligned east-west, about 4m by 3m and 2.5m high, with a flat roof slightly sloped down to the north . The double doors in the south side have murky glass panels in them, but nothing much can be seen from outside, although it looks a bit like the top of a staircase. Will you dare go inside? What will you find there, and what lies below?”
“ Imagine that all the humanoid and demi-human laguages are actually the same, but pronounced with outrageous accents and bizarre idiom. All the elves have a French accent, all the Dwarves have Swedish, Dragons have a Pakistani accent...”