Begining of an idea

[McCoy]

A few weeks ago in Tucson a train hit a pedestrian (apparent suicide). Train was stopped in midtown for several hours, closing several intersections. Many of the intersections that would not normally be closed by an event like this are under construction. Traffic was snarled all day.

But earlier today, I got to wondering. If you wanted to disrupt life in a late bronze age/ early iron age village, preferably with no more cause than the death of one person, what is the choke point?

I'm thinking the town water supply, any other suggestions?

[ghost-angel]

Definitely the well/water supply. Especially if it's a common well in a village center.

[Lawnmower Boy]

Crack the blacksmith's anvil, or perhaps the millstone. Flood the creek. Snow. Mud. The cattle get out of the paddock. A rogue wave sweeps the canoes off the beach....

[McCoy]

Crack the blacksmith's anvil, or perhaps the millstone.
I like those.

[McCoy]

Definitely the well/water supply. Especially if it's a common well in a village center.
I'm thinking a fountain in the city center, only source of water for several miles, and the elemental that normally makes it flow is offended because it has been defiled/poluted. When checking the nature of the polution, it turns out to be a dead body. How can the undine be appeased so the water starts flowing again? Maybe the PC's are contracted to find the person responsible, quickly, and bring them to the undine. Would it make a difference to the elemental if it were murder or suicide?

[gewing]

easier than Cracking the millstone (a very good one) would be burning the mill, or breaking the waterwheel that powers it.



You might be able to cause a serious panic by slipping pepper or snuff into the animal's feed...

They have a plague!

Yes, I did steal this from folktales. :p

[mayapuppies]

I'm thinking a fountain in the city center, only source of water for several miles, and the elemental that normally makes it flow is offended because it has been defiled/poluted. When checking the nature of the polution, it turns out to be a dead body. How can the undine be appeased so the water starts flowing again? Maybe the PC's are contracted to find the person responsible, quickly, and bring them to the undine. Would it make a difference to the elemental if it were murder or suicide?
Neat

[ghost-angel]

I'm thinking a fountain in the city center, only source of water for several miles, and the elemental that normally makes it flow is offended because it has been defiled/poluted. When checking the nature of the polution, it turns out to be a dead body. How can the undine be appeased so the water starts flowing again? Maybe the PC's are contracted to find the person responsible, quickly, and bring them to the undine. Would it make a difference to the elemental if it were murder or suicide?

A murder would be a strait forward mystery, placating the Elemental could be as simple as the application of Justice against the murderer.

Now suicide... this one could involve all kinds of spiritual issues, were they driven to suicide? Just depressed? possibly forced? Is the Undine displeased because now the fountain is tainted by the suicides spirit and general malaise? Perhaps the suicides final misery affected the Undine greatly, causing them to take on the traits of depression and suicidal thoughts... the suicides spirit has invaded the Undine's own. Now you're not appeasing the Undine, but driving the foreign spirit out. Or it had so much sympathy for the dead person now you must help the Undine find a reason to live itself.

[Mister E]

Hey, McCoy, how important would propper burial rights be to one of your water elementals? The old Greeks were pretty big on it. For instance, Sisyphus pulled a fast one on Hades by instructing his wife to not take care of his body. Might there be a ghost involved?

[input.jack]

If youre just looking for a disruption, a massive stampede could be instigated by one person.

[Mister E]

Oh yeah, and speaking of Sisyphus and disruptions... in one myth he trapped Thanos with his own magical handcuffs, and for a time nobody in the world could die.

[Gadodel]

But earlier today, I got to wondering. If you wanted to disrupt life in a late bronze age/ early iron age village, preferably with no more cause than the death of one person, what is the choke point?

any other suggestions?

Someone places a statue of a rival god in the center of the village. Fear, suspicion etc might keep them from acting right away. Some might want to flee. Others might want to wait for a priest to come to their aid. And so on.