Crooked Creek Tomes and Scrolls: A Short Labyrinth Lord Adventure

Get Ready

Several months ago, a trio of men moved into town and opened a book store specializing in historical documents and maps. Stocked with a wide range of materials, the store soon began to attract a variety of visitors from near and far.

Get Set

Brothers Cyneas and Wintar Ryersen along with Aster Muche (all human) arrived in two wagons stacked with chests full of books and scrolls. They sought out the leading merchants in the area in need of a store front and laborers to construct shelving and aid in unpacking the wagons.

The town was extremely pleased with the new arrival. No vendor other than the occasional passing tinker sold books or maps. Soon the town as a whole was ecstatic as the new business began to draw travellers from across the region.

Go!

As time progressed, the store continued to draw visitors to the town. Yet, several travellers have gone missing. More than one a week. The new merchants are friendly but very eccentric. They rarely open the store before noon and often schedule meetings late in the evening. None of the owners spend much time outside of the business other than occasional trips out for supplies.

The three are not in fact human merchants. Seeking an inexhaustible supply of humans and demi-humans to feast upon, the jackalweres have established themselves as middle-aged merchants. They are very selective in choosing targets preferring to only murder an occasional sole traveller with little or no ties to others in the town. Still, the disappearances have begun to draw attention in the town but have not been tied directly to the book sellers.

The party may hear the various rumors and decide to investigate. Alternatively, they may seek out the book sellers in need of selling or buying a work. If the jackalweres believe they can overcome the character, they will set a late night meeting for the transaction by claiming they need to research the origin of the item for sell or find the desired works within the extensive inventory. They will seek to surprise and completely overwhelm the target with minimal disturbance. If not possible, they will calmly carry out the business and await a more desirable target.

Notable NPCs

Jackalwere (3) [AL CE, MV 120’ (40’), AC 4, HD 4, #AT 1 (bite or weapon), DM 2d4 or weapon, THAC0: 16, SV F4, ML 9, XP 190, AEC 129, HC XXII] Total XP: 570. HP: 19, 24, 27. Treasure: GP: 3000, Gems : 24 – Total Value: 2125 gp., Jewelry: 6 items – Total Value: 1940 gp., Magic: Scroll: Treasure Map (Value 6d6x1000 gp), Scroll: Treasure Map (Value 5d6x1000 gp), Armor –2 (cursed)

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Tags: City Filler, OSR Challenge, September of Short Adventures