Real-Life Weirdness

[Johnny1A.2]

Whether or not this qualifies as 'weird' might be a mileage-varies thing. I would consider it so. Whenever I see something like this, part of me wonders if it's for real, but assuming it is, here it is:

Dolphin Assisted Child Birth

I can actually see role playing potential here, esp. for a party that has high skills in swimming, animal handling, and emergency medical situations...

[vicky_molokh]

Darth Vader sends a humanitarian detachment of Imperial Stormtroopers to clean up the outcome of a windstorm in Odessa.

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Darth Vader sends a humanitarian detachment of Imperial Stormtroopers to clean up the outcome of a windstorm in Odessa.

Oklahoma could use some of those guys, right now... :p

[Dalillama]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Darth Vader sends a humanitarian detachment of Imperial Stormtroopers to clean up the outcome of a windstorm in Odessa.

Looks like he turned up in Istanbul too.

[William]

Unusual archaeological digs are always good. I was recently pointed to:

An Egyptian city being dug up after 1200 years under the sea.

Article comes complete with photos of this enormous black stone tablet engraved with hieroglyphics, which this photo of it emerging from the depths shows is taller than a man.

[Anaraxes]

"An ancient statue made as an offering to Osiris, the Egyptian god of death, that is currently housed at the Manchester Museum in England has suddenly started spinning inside its closed display case — and no one seems to know why." The statue has been kept here for eighty years, but only now has started to move.

http://gawker.com/museum-cant-explai...arte-558100574

There's a time-lapse video on YouTube that shows the statue moving. Perhaps it's tracking visitors.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Osiris, the Egyptian god of death

Osiris was the god of Death? Someone tell James Frazer.

[Anaraxes]

I saw it on the Internet; it must be true.

[Anders]

Probable explanation for the moving statue.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

Probable explanation for the moving statue.

Well, that premise is no fun!

There wasn't any real mystery even in the original post. As with the rest of the thread, it's meant as a springboard to adventure or game ideas, where the world isn't necessarily tied to mundane behavior. What if the supernatural explanation were true?

Even in a strictly realistic setting, though, you might find this a useful flavor detail or MacGuffin. The PCs might have to interact with a credulous person or charlatan-- or the party might contain one. So at least you've got the "what was really happening" explanation ready for when those meddling kids unmask the villain.