Eight true names of Anomalies
One of my favorite GMless games is i'm sorry did you say street magic, largely because of the following rule:
A true name: Every Neighborhood has a magic all its own. To confer a true name, come up with two or three descriptive, sensory images that paint a clear picture of the Neighborhood in your mind. Write these at the bottom of the card. True names can be tactile details of the space, but they can just as easily be metaphorical or symbolic abstractions, intended to elicit an idea or personality more than a literal representation.
Here are eight true names of Anomalies:
- rusted pipes jutting every which way from the pale-yellow walls; the keening cry of a lost person who has finally given up; a tantalizing glow of light from around the next corner.
- the bright mascot of a restaurant chain, glaring at you impatiently; too many shrimp; the bags under the eyes of the long-suffering waitstaff.
- a wedding-day picture, torn in half so you can't see the groom; a table with too many legs bolted on at odd angles; the thud-thud-thud of mindless hammer blows.
- a filename replete with the history of a dozen drafts; birds folded out of ungraded papers; a smooth statuette carved by one's husband.
- a beehive with a wildlife camera, holding a terrible secret; uncaring feet up on the desk at the back of the classroom; bright red hair covering stolen earrings.
- all-pink-everything merch dissolving into nothing; a magazine photo of a freshly-cleaned house; an ETA tracker from your loved one as they drive home from a trip.
- the best passport photo you've ever seen; talons of folded birth certificates; hasty signing so you can't be heard.
- a tailored suit on someone far too young; glassy smiles in front of glossy posters; rushing rushing rushing towards the future you want to build.