A strange letter arrives in the mail. It is ominous and foreboding… just what you need for your narrative!
Here’s another post full of fun ideas for your adventuring. Have a character find a note or receive a letter in the mail. Or perhaps they could be hired to take a precious piece of correspondence across the country. Possibilities for disaster are endless. Have fun!
Letters
- letter, note, correspondence, envelope, package, post, mail,
- list, grocery list,
- promise, oath, affirmation, letter of trust,
- love letter,
- apology, confession, admission, the truth, more lies,
- letter of resignation,
- suicide note, letter of self-loathing,
- rant, essay railing against injustice or poor leadership, incendiary words, hate messaging, bitter words, anger, pejorative, slander, libel,
- will, testament, deed, last words, final thoughts, parting wisdom,
- signed confession, witness statement, deposition, affidavit, legal document, forged confession, false statement, perjury, fore-swearing,
- promissory note, IOU,
- eviction notice, evacuation notice,
- letters of mark, contract, mortgage,
- letter of complaint,
- death threat,
- school report card, course transcript, enrollment status, expulsion notice, pending hearing date notification, advisory, meeting request, suspension letter, convocation certificate, graduation award,
- official correspondence, diplomatic message, treaty,
- break up letter, Dear John letter,
- divorce papers, court papers, summons, jury duty,
- bill, receipt, refund, remittance, payment,
- submission, manuscript, contest entry,
- application, entry form, resume package, cover letter,
- offering, sacrifice, tribute,
- honorarium, grant, loan approval (or rejection),
- bond, covenant, binding contract, oath, sworn allegiance, claim of fealty, confirmation,
- smuggled letter, secret note, intercepted military information,
- debt collection notice,
- award, reward,
- invitation,
- recipe, formula, directions, ingredients list, procedure,
- seal of the king, president, edict, command, orders,
- brochure, guide, map, route, directions, treasure map,
- listing, menu, checklist,
- postcard, personal correspondence, “touching base”, keeping in touch, old friend checking in,
- warning, notice, caution, caveat,
- medical results, test conclusions, examination report, lab data report,
- photographs, illustration, picture,
- graph, data, statistics, report, diagram, layout, blueprint,
- magic spell, incantation, summoning, ritual, procedure,
- holy writing, sacred word, divine command, word of a god, prophet’s message,
- guest list, hit list,
- encrypted message, code, invisible ink, magically protected words,
- ship’s manifest, cargo list, captain’s log, merchant’s record, employee payroll, account information, bank statement, account report,
- audit request, audit inquiry, audit results,
- log in info, passwords, classified information,
- proposal, prophecy, prediction,
- job rejection, PFO,
- thank you letter,
- threat assessment, advisory, counselling,
- coordinates, meeting place, rendezvous,
- curse, trick, trap, riddle, joke, practical joke, hex, bewitchment, charm, possession, poison, infection,
- clue, hint, scavenger hunt riddle,
- game, scavenger hunt, submitted moves,
- chain letter, pyramid scheme,
- offer, business proposal,
- junk mail, advertising, bulk mail, spam,
- solution, the answer, long lost information,
- paternity test results, DNA test analysis,
- warrant, inquisition summons, committee review notification,
- surveillance report, analysis, footage,
- policy, statement, official stance, government response,
- letter of rejection, PFO letter, notice of termination, pink slip, polite refusal, the glaring truth,
- compensation, remuneration, pay, wages, payroll report, T4,
- tax notice, levy, tithe, notice of development,
- service interruption notification,
- lease, rental agreement, renewal notice,
- carrier-pigeon letter,
- telegram, morse code, binary message,
- scroll, script, canvas roll, tablet,
- heiroglyphics, pictograms, rebus,
- fingerprints, paw prints,
- anniversary card, commemoration, memorial service invite,
- notice of death, hospital letter, letter from the asylum,
- military notice (KIA, MIA, injured, captured, lost at sea, behind enemy lines), status report,
Letter Descriptions and Qualities
- clean, formal, official, pristine,
- soiled, stained, burnt, singed, moldy, musty, dusty, dirty,
- tainted, poisoned, trapped,
- handwritten, typed, typeset, printed,
- copy, forgery, rewrite, fake, altered, jimmied, fixed, adulterated,
- angry, vile, hateful, vitriolic, abusive, kind, soft, generous, effusive, thoughtful,
- incoherent, sketchy, superficial, non-committal,
- stapled, pinned, clipped, folded,
- encoded, encrypted, cryptic, written in a secret language,
- bent, crumpled, ripped,
- blood-stained, tear-stained, coffee-stained,
- faded, smudged, smeared, bent, brittle, hard to read,
- stained, blood-stained, tear-streaked,
- incomprehensible, unintelligible, confusing, confounding, bewildering, unreadable,
- coded, written in invisible ink,
- sad, depressing, unnerving, worrisome, concerning, devastating, heart-breaking,
- old, ancient, aged, vintage, classic, timeless, written in an ancient tongue,
Developments and Story Starters
- You get a glimpse of the drop zone coordinates… and they aren’t good, but you signed up for the action.
- You finally get the results of your genetic screening… and yes, you are a mutant! Now, if only you knew what your mutation power was…
- A person can only receive so many rejection notices. At some point–like right now–a person just snaps! (see SANITY for ideas on going crazy)
- Well, what do you know, you just found out your rent is going up–again! How will you deal with this ridiculous inflation?
- The cursed king has raised taxes again for his stupid war. Are you finally going to join the revolution fomenting against him?
- An unmarked envelope arrives at your door. It contains a barely coherent desperate plea, a roughly sketched map, and two keys on a motel room fob (or any other three cryptic objects – see FIND SOMETHING STRANGE).
- Your dying grandmother handed you a letter in secret and told you to read it when you turned thirteen. For four years you’ve kept it safe and hidden, tempted to open it but somehow resisting. Now it’s your 13th birthday and it’s time to find out what all the mystery is about. Grandma always was a little weird…
- You have received written permission from the galactic overlord to privateer for the realm. Round up your crew, hop on your ship, and go find some rebel loot!
- You have moved to a new city. But when you get there, your stuff has not arrived. Instead, you get a notice that your stuff is being held pending your paying some surprise “outstanding fees.”
- You get a letter from your biological parents… you didn’t even know you were adopted until now.