The Collector’s note points the party towards an impoverished area of Greenwood Village known as The Alley, rumored to be haunted by a Spectral Hound. This alley is the same place where the party can enter the Sewer.
A neighborhood child named Martin Littlefoot may be convinced to provide info to the party, telling them about a “nice lady from the saloon” (Franthia) who used to visit the hound late at night (while it was alive) to bring scraps of meat and vegetables.
The Spectral Hound appears late at night in the street, but if it is attacked or provoked, it will use its reaction to escape into the sewer through incorporeal movement. In order to coax the Spectral Hound out of hiding and prevent it from vanishing, the party can use mutton and carrot stew from the Wood Spike Saloon. As an alternative, the party can use the scent of rosemary and lavender (found in Franthia’s room at the Green Spike, or found in the wild outside town). The Hound will emerge to investigate the smell and will not immediately disappear. The Hound shows compassion towards any creature that smells of rosemary and lavender unless that creature causes harm to it.
The Hound’s spirit will not rest until it is reunited with Franthia (or Franthia’s spirit). The Hound cannot speak.
Maps
Primary Objectives
- Lure the Spectral Hound out of hiding late at night using mutton and carrot stew from the Wood Spike Saloon, or the scent of rosemary and lavender.
- (Optional) Capture the Spectral Hound inside a Pyramidion Stone.
NPC: Martin Littlefoot
Personality: Innocent, but not stupid. Respectful, well mannered.
Martin Littlefoot is a 10 year old (Commoner) that lives in one of the ramshackle homes in The Alley with his mother, Maria. He can most often be found sitting on the porch of his home in the northeast corner of the map. He enjoys playing with marbles and is very shy around strangers. His “momma” taught him not to speak to strangers.
If the PCs ask Martin about the Spectral Hound, he just shrugs his shoulders and looks down at his marbles again, preferring not to talk about it. Martin knows more about the Spectral Hound than he initially lets on.
Persuasion (DC 13): Martin will tell the party he often sees a “ghost dog” very late at night.
Persuasion (DC 15): Martin will tell the party that the “ghost dog” was named Furball when he was alive, and that he had a friend that would come visit him late at night.
Martin won’t give out any more details unless a PC sits down with him and plays marbles, or if a PC gives Martin a gift such as food or gold. In this case, Martin will divulge any of the following:
- “Furball was a street dog. He didn’t have any family that I know of, but that nice lady from the saloon visited almost every night.”
- “The nice lady from the saloon would bring scraps of mutton and carrots. That was Furball’s favorite!”
- “The nice lady from the saloon always smelled really nice… kinda like flowers, but different. I dunno.”
- Martin struggles to remember the name of the saloon… “She told me once… the Wood Shovel? The Wooden Stick? I dunno…”
- “The nice lady stopped visiting, and Furball was really sad. He wouldn’t eat anything. I even tried giving him my dinner, but I don’t think he liked beans and bread. Furball died.”
- “Furball’s body was eaten by the rats, and his bones were carried off by random folks. My friend Gunther says that people prolly used the bones to make knives, but I dunno.”
- “Gunther doesn’t live here anymore. I dunno where he is.”
- “I live with my mom. Her name is Maria.”
- “She’s not here right now. She’ll hopefully be back next week some time, but sometimes she’s gone for a really long time. I don’t mind. I can take care of myself.”
- “I dunno what my mom does, but when she gets back, we get to eat cheese and bacon. That’s when mom seems the happiest.”
Furball, The Spectral Hound
See the NPC Backgrounds in the adventure resources chapter for details about Furball.
Catching Furball
Furball will only appear around the hours of 2am to 4am, as that is when Franthia most often visited him to bring scraps of food.
Anytime Furball is approached, provoked or attacked, he may use his Reaction to vanish into the sewers below the street using incorporeal movement. He reappears in a random location at the start of the next round.
The best way to stop Furball from vanishing is to leave scraps of mutton and carrot stew from the Wood Spike saloon. The food must specifically come from the Wood Spike, as the seasonings had a specific smell and taste (turmeric and fennel). This was the type of food Furball enjoyed most when Franthia would visit him.
As an alternative, Furball can also be coaxed using the scent of lavender and rosemary, which Franthia often smelled of from her perfume. A vial of the perfume can be found under the bed in her room at the Wood Spike Saloon, or the party may be able to locate those items in the wild outside town.
Furball is charmed by any creature that smells of lavender and rosemary unless they harm or provoke him.
Helpful Tip from the Locals
If the PCs have trouble capturing Furball, Martin Littlefoot can be heard giggling at the party from his porch, and tells them about Furball’s love of mutton and carrots that the nice lady from the saloon used to bring.
Map: The Alley
When the party first enters this map area, consider reading all the initial read alouds for each map section, then let the PCs decide what to do.
You find yourselves in an improverished area of Greenwood Village known as “The Alley”. Ramshackle homes tightly line the brick street. The smell of onions, urine, and refuse hangs in the air. In the center of the street lies a sewer grate, with chunky green and brown liquid slowly draining into it from the north and south.
Sewer Grate
The sewer grate in the center of the street leads down to the Sewer map where the party can find Disgusting Blobs to practice with the artifacts or fill Pyramidion Stones to recharge the Cyclotronic Amulets. The party can return to the Sewer anytime to fill Pyramidion Stones amulets.
Northeast House (Brown Roof)
At the northeast corner of the alley, you see a brown-roofed house with a suprisingly well built front porch, a tattered orange rug set in the center of it. A young boy is sitting on the rug with his head lost in whatever thoughts he may be having.
This house has a suprisingly well built porch. A ragged orange rug lies in the center of the porch, and the sent of fresh linens drifts from an open doorway.
Martin Littlefoot can almost always be found on the front porch, even if snoozing in the late night air. He loves playing with his marbles on the tattered orange rug.
See the section NPC: Martin Littlefoot for details.
Bath House (Round Roof)
To the southeast lies a round roofed structure that appears to be some sort of communal building that the residents share. You can feel humidity wafting through the open doorway.
This structure contains a community bath that all nearby residents share and care for. The water looks a bit cloudy, and the air smells of mildew.
NPC: Bullgar
Personality: Gruff, street smart, brutish.
If any PCs look into or enter the bath house, a local resident named Bullgar is bathing. Bullgar ignores the party unless they stare too long or enter the bathouse without the intent to bath:
The man appears agitated as they glance you up and down. “Eh! You! Why don’t you paint a picture? It’ll last longer!”
The agitated man emerges from the water, completely nude, takes a yellowed towel to dry off his face, and heads toward the door.
The NPC avoids all questions. If asked, the NPC simply responds with “I don’t see nothin’, I don’t know nothin’.” and goes on their way down the street to the south, barefoot through the muck, off map.
If the party threatens Bullgar with weapons or other physical harm, he is indignant:
“All I’m tryin’ to do is mind my own business and go on my way. Now, are you gonna slice my damn head off, or let me pass? Either way, make up your mind and be quick about it!”
Southwest House (Long Green Roof)
On the west side of the street lies a long, green-roofed house, candle light streaming from within. The smoke from the chimney has a strong smell of burning sage.
NPC: Glatt
Personality: Cowardly, but sly.
This house is occupied by a sly, cowardly man named Glatt who has seen the spectral hound at night and wants nothing to do with it. He won’t even speak of it, for fear that the hound will hunt him down in the night and rip out his throat.
Lately, the man has spent most of his meager income buying sage to burn in the oven, hoping to keep away the evil spirits.
Charm
If a PC successfully charms Glatt, he can provide the same details as Martin, but from adult’s point of view. He knows the “nice lady from the saloon” (Franthia) is a warmflanks, and he knows the Wood Spike Saloon has a unique recipe for mutton stew that includes carrots, turmeric, and fennel. The dog seemed to love that combination.
Northwest House (Blue Roof)
At the northwest corner of the street lies a blue-roofed home with several clothes lines hanging across the street to other homes. The windows are dark, and you see no activity, save for the various clothing items flapping in the foul smelling wind of The Alley.
This house is home to a local worker that washes laundry and provides other home services in exchange for food. The occupant of the home seems to be gone, as the house is quiet and dark except for the flapping of laundry along the clothes lines.
If PCs enter the home, they find nothing of use – baskets, buckets, tightly wound rope for hanging clothes, clothes pins, and pig fat.