Whether laid by the fey or done by others who use the fey as a scapegoat, curses are common in Graypool. While there are minor mages in the neighborhood who specialize in curse removal and will be happy to provide that service for a price, particularly powerful curses may be beyond their ability to remove, or may require the acquisition of special tools or reagents. The PCs may find themselves in the position of having to get a curse lifted from a friend or ally—or from themselves. Or they may find themselves having to deal with a cursed person the nature of whose curse makes them a danger to others.
Example:Food in some homes and shops in the east part of Graypool has been going bad much faster than usual, sometimes turning from fresh to rotten in a matter of minutes. Residents suspect someone in the area is cursed to spoil food in their vicinity, but they don't know who it is. The PCs must figure out who has been nearby each time this happens and so who is likely to bear the curse—and, of course, how the curse can be lifted.
The woodland to the north of Graypool is believed to be inhabited by fey, but certainly has other magical denizens as well. Sometimes a monster or a mischievous sprite may wander out of the forest and cause problems in the area that have to be dealt with.
Example: A strange fey in the form of a giantpillbug is loose on the streets of Graypool, curling itself into a ball and rolling into buildings and causing considerable property damage. It seems to be impervious to most weapons and magic; the PCs will have to investigate its origins and how it can be stopped.
For the most part, the rites and symbols the residents of Graypool enact to honor and propitiate the fey are odd but harmless, resulting in no greater loss than the sacrifice of some goods or materials or some minor embarrassment or temporary discomfort. Some residents, however, get it into their heads (or perhaps are prodded by a malicious fey?) to perform a ritual that involves something more damaging or deleterious, up to and including human sacrifice. These rituals are never condoned by the ritualmasters or by the community at large... but that doesn't make them any less dangerous.
Example: Exsanguinated bodies are turning up in a certain part of Graypool. The culprit turns out to be Olnor Keriveck, a Graypooler who has always had the reputation as being a bit odd and standoffish, but whom few suspected would be capable of murder. He claims the fey have been craving blood, and he's been delivering it, pouring blood as ordered on a certain rock at the edge of the forest. He's not lying, but there's more to it than he knows; it's not a true fey that's been giving him these orders, but a hoasna, a demon of fear that has been feeding off both the fear that Keriweck's murders have caused and Keriweck's own fear at the supposed consequences of disobedience... and it has granted Keriveck some magical powers to enable him to keep doing it. Even if Keriveck is stopped, the demon may be able to find another patsy if the PCs don't deal with it.
Many minor mages living in Graypool have found ways to draw power from the energies of nature. This, of course, isn't inherently a bad thing, but like any other source of power, it can be turned to evil ends. Occasionally some less than honorable nature mage may use their abilities for something sinister.
Example:Rishtin Gobar seemed like just another mage with an interest in the powers of nature, with a particular curiosity for the workings of dirt, earth, and mud. In fact, though, Gobar has amassed more power than she had been letting on, and had a more malevolent use in mind for them. Gobar has developed considerable facility in moving the ground, particularly the mire of the swamp that much of Lüm is built on, in such a way as to swallow buildings and structures on top of it. She's already sunk a few buildings near Graypool (but not in Graypool, which due to being on more solid ground is relatively safe) as a demonstration of her abilities, and is now looking to extort money and concessions from various parties including some wealthy residents of the nearby Greenwood and the citygovernment itself... or she'll start burying more buildings. Unless, of course, the PCs can find and stop her.
