Information Travels
How do we determine the likelyhood that peasants in a small town know anything about the Patriarch in the capital?
Information is related to the population and distance of a source.
Information = 0.24 × (Population^0.87/Distance^0.4)
The Setting: Mystara
Luln which is eighty-eight miles by road from Specularum and its 50,000 population the flow of information comes in at 490.
Specularum on the other hand is getting less information about Luln and its 5,000 population with a flow of information down at 66.
By comparison the village of Marilenev (population 800) takes in information at 824 and Specularum recieves information from Marilinev at 35.
How do we use this?
Every so often Adventurers run into Adventure hooks and Rumors. Some are True and Some false. Now we can say the degree of rumor accuracy in the setting is determinable. Lets suggest every Fact equates to 100%.
Luln (in receipt of a selection of rumors) can be considered to have 490% or 4 facts and one at 90% accuracy.
10 Rumors about Specularum doing the rounds in Luln
1. A Traladaran named Davinos was murdered after meeting Duke Stephan. (True)
2. Veiled Society thugs murdered the Niece of Baron Vorloi in her own home. (True)
3. The Duke surpressed a violent riot in the Great Marketplace in Specularum sending in cavalry. (True)
4. The Black Heart Lilly Tavern in Specularum was burned down by Arsonists targeting Taverns. (False...for now)
5. Several elves in Specularum have been murdered over the last few months. (Lets say its true...)
6. The Duke is planning to expell all Traladarans from the Capital. (False)
7. The King is offering a ten thousand gold piece reward to anyone who can identify the Leader of the Veiled Society. (False...for now)
8. Lady Magda Marilinev was in the Great Marketplace calling for Traladarans to throw off the yolk of the Thyatian Opressors. (False)
9. A Traladaran rebel attempted to kill Queen Olivia. (False)
10. Patriarch Jowlett is going senile. He wore a boot on his head during a Sermon. (Lets call this our 90% accurate: the Patriarch did it to force a merchant to cough up ten thousand gold pieces for the church roof. The Merchant bet against a church cleric that he would cough up a ten thousand gold pieces the day the Patriarch wore a boot for a hat in a Sermon...he also recieved a reminder that gambling away ones monies when you have families going hungry and unclothed is bad)
By comparison the Village of Marilenev is running at 824% meaning it has eight facts and one at 24% accuracy. This means that Magda Marilenev is better informed by her servant sitting in the local tavern in Marilenev village recording all the rumors of the day than an adventurer in a tavern in Luln.
10 Rumors about Specularum doing the rounds in Marilenev
1. She will hear that Patriarch Jowlett wore a boot for a hat to win a bet and pocket ten thousand gold pieces for roof repairs. (True)
2. Baron Vorloi's wretched son was found to be involved in the abduction of the Baron's daughter - selling her out to the Veiled Society. (True)
3. Adventurers returned telling tales of an island a thousand miles south of Specularum. (True)
4. Adventurers have returned from an island in the Sea of Dread a thousand miles south of Specularuam and are inviting folks to look upon a wonder of the Isle of Dread (True...they have a cursed statue of the Kopru).
5. A Traladaran named Davinos was murdered after meeting Duke Stephan. (True)
6. Veiled Society thugs murdered the Niece of Baron Vorloi in her own home. (True)
7. The Duke surpressed a violent riot in the Great Marketplace in Specularum sending in cavalry. (True)
8. Several elves in Specularum have been murdered over the last few months. (True)
9. The Duke is preparing to empty the overcrowded prison by sending several hundred prisoners across the sea of dread to a convict colony he is establishing on the Isle of Dread. (24% true...lets say the Duke rejected the suggestion)
10. Lady Magda was seen leading the Riot in the Great Marketplace (False...and she becomes enraged at the rumor).
So there you go...
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