For fun, I dove into procedural text generation using Improv. It works well enough – the fact that grammars are JSON files is tedious but you can create some interesting bits of text at random. After getting the hang of it, I went down the rabbit hole to generate descriptions of monuments a party might encounter while traveling. Here are some examples, feel free to use and adapt them.
I like seeing how things come together in unexpected ways and hint at a deeper story. The difficult part is brainstorming enough details so you don’t see the same ones over and over.
“A well-preserved fountain in an a ruined keep. It is covered by thick, woody vines. The fountain was designed by elves to study the night sky.”
“A worn crystal in an a wooded clearing. It is inscribed with demonic faces and beings. The crystal was constructed by goblins to sacrifice their victims.”
“A well-preserved stone surrounded by 4 statues. It is covered by burn marks. The stone was built by orcs to perform dark rituals.”
“A cracked table upon a low rise. It appears to be made of marble. The table was built by humans to commemorate an important battle.”
“A crumbling burial mound in an a wooded clearing. It appears to be made of slate. The burial mound was carved by dwarven masons to commemorate an important battle.”
“A shadowy burial mound in an a small cave. It is covered by soot and ash. The burial mound was conjured by dark sorcery to perform dark rituals.”
“A cracked table surrounded by standing torches. It is covered by burn marks. The table was made by drow to sacrifice their victims.”
“A cracked arch upon a low rise. It is covered by thick, woody vines. The arch was built by humans to ward away evil spirits.”