Horror at Devil's Run: A ShadowDark RPG Adventure
A 4th-level adventure for the Shadowdark RPG, designed to be played over 2–4 hours.
The small farming village of Devil’s Run is about to have its yearly pumpkin festival!
Unbeknownst to many, Old Pete Barker, a pumpkin farmer of many years, was having difficulty growing his pumpkins. Pete doesn’t have an ample water source, unlike Molly Simms, his primary rival at the pumpkin festival for the coveted Grandest Pumpkin Award, whose farm lies near a stream.
Old Pete, fixated on winning the grand prize, made a deal with a dark force. As we know, deals with dark forces are seldom good, and Pete Barker’s bargain ended up costing him and the village dearly.
The Request: Pete asked for a food source to help his pumpkins grow large and hearty.
The Outcome: The dark force gave Pete the Heart of the Field, a glowing garnet gemstone, to plant underneath his field. The stone’s power transformed Pete’s pumpkin patch into a field of carnivorous plants that thrive on humanoid blood.
Pete’s body is now transformed into a vine-like creature with a jack-o-lantern head. His thriving pumpkin fields are ‘watered’ by the blood of kidnapped villagers who are held below the earth while the pumpkin vines burrow into their flesh and feed. These vines have traveled into the town, creating pumpkin-vine creatures that kidnap villagers and return them to Pete’s underground lair.
Some villagers and pumpkin festival vendors remain in Devil’s Run, hoping for an end to this nightmare. Many residents won’t leave while their family members are still missing, and certain unfortunate vendors emptied their pockets to make their way to Devil’s Run and do not yet have the coin to make the return journey.
