The Apartment

ID 34076267

 © Matabum | Dreamstime.com

You become worried you have not heard from a good friend for more than a week. You go to the apartment building where the friend lives. It’s not in a great part of town, but it’s not the projects, either. Weird smells and odd things left in the hallways, or worse, the staircases is not uncommon.

You knock on the door. Call out to their friend. The door is locked. You bang on other doors. You yell throughout the hallway. No one answers. So, you leave.

You come back with a crowbar. You pry and bash at the door. No one objects. Eventually, the door cracks open, but a security bar blocks the door from opening. More banging. More prying. Still, no objections. Enough of the door finally gives up the ghost and you crawl under the security bar to get into the apartment. 

Your friend is dead. The body is green and bloated. Foamy blood leaks from orifices. 

You back away from the body. You call the police. They are sending someone. You collapse. 

You wake up to an ambulance technician looking down at you. Their eyes are dead. Slowly, you sit up with their help. You were lying on your friend’s floor. You snap your head around, looking for your friend.

They are not in the apartment. The police are here. So is another ambulance technician. This one’s cute. Neighbors you recognize are trying to peek through the doorway.  

Everything of personal value to your friend is gone. Only furniture and spoiled food remain, according to the police. They ask you why you broke into the apartment and don’t believe you when you tell them. 

As the dead eyed ambulance technician is checking your vitals, the property manager and head of maintenance arrive. They give you a weird look and walk through the apartment. They talk to the police in the kitchen. They leave, ignoring you on the way out. 

The cute ambulance technician helps you stand. You feel a little light headed, but are stable on your feet. 

The police tell you that you are free to go. The property manager will not be pressing charges for breaking down the door. Apparently, there is an extra door in the basement and they were planning to remodel this particular apartment next week. You don’t see the security bar anywhere. 

You leave. 

You come back the next day. The door is replaced with another door that looks exactly the same. There are no noises in the building. You yell. No one answers. You bang on doors. None of them open.

It is a good thing you brought your crowbar with you.

Text copyright Derek A. Stoelting 2022

Mandragora Book Store

A version of this blog can be found at Elf Lair Games' blog. 

I wrote the starter adventure in Elf Lair Games's Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Adventure and Quick Start Kit. One of the locations in the scenario is the Mandragora Book Store. My original write-up on the Mandragora went far and above what was necessary for the scenario. I cut it down to just what was necessary for the scenario. After all, I didn't want to completely overwhelm someone new to the game!

You can read the original write-up after the photo and there's more information on the Adventure and Quick Start Kit after the gates. . . 

Landscape Photography of Gray and Brown 2 Storey House82936526 © creativecommonsstockphotos | Dreamstime.com

Mandragora Used Book Store 

Mandragora is an used book store near the university. The contents of the store are varied and wonderful. Old classics, new best sellers, and tomes oft forgotten can be found within. 

Roger Huntzer was a professor of literature at the nearby university. His book collection filled much of the Victorian home where he lived with his wife, Amanda, and their beagles, Cooshee and Banshee. He tried to keep the books somewhat organized, but as a hoarder, it did not matter due to the number of books in the house.

Roger died in his sleep at age 72 from natural causes. To help with her grief and to retain a semblance of control, Amanda began selling off his hoard of books. Not knowing where to start, she began in the kitchen where various books related to cooking were stacked on shelves, on counters, and even on the floor. Before she could sell off all of these books, she realized two things. She liked the used book trade and she was good at it!

When the house next to hers was put up for sale, Amanda quickly purchased it. She hired contractors to perform any necessary repairs to the property and began converting it into a bookstore. When the contractors finished, she began moving the book trade from her house into the new house. Now she could better organize her late husband’s collection, maintain a store front, and sell books via mail. 

The new bookstore was not nearly large enough for her late husband’s collection plus the new products she was buying to sell. So, when the house behind hers sold, she bought that, too. She then expanded the two homes until they joined and became one large building. The result is a four story (basement, ground, first, and second floor) Victorian “Frankenstein” building. The interior of the building is an endless maze of bookshelves, windowless hallways along exterior walls, stairways to even more books, and flooring that tends to sag a bit if you stay in one place too long.

The books in the property Amanda originally expanded into were transferred into the new building. She lived out of that house until she retired from the business. 

Erin Leakey

Today, the Mandragora is owned and managed by Erin Leakey. The home Amanda lived out of until her retirement has a café on the ground floor that opens up to a patio area between the buildings. The upper floors are used for managing the businesses which have expanded to not only include mail order book sales, retail sales, and the café, but also hosting private sales and procuring specific books for buyers. 

Appearance: Erin appears to be in their 30s with short, wavy, brown hair and hazel eyes. Typical dress includes oblong, wire framed glasses, blue jeans, t-shirts advertising the book store and café, and pearl jewelry. She is businesslike, but pleasant, greeting employees and most customers with a smile. 

Motivation: Erin knows that her family is not originally from this plane of existence. However, the stories her grandmother told her when she was little never mentioned where they are from. Erin’s hope is to find a text that discusses the stories her grandmother told her when she was young. To that end, she is pleasant and enjoyable to be around. However, if you waste her time, she’ll give you no time.

You can find out more about Erin Leaky and her role in Tainted Blood in the Night Shift Adventure and  Quick Start Kit. Read on for more information on the Adventure and Quick Start Kit.

Welcome to the ALL NEW Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Adventure and Quick Start Kit! Within these pages you will find everything you need to dive into your very first game of dark horror and supernatural heroics. Herein you will find:

• A complete adventure scenario by Derek Stoelting

• Several pre-generated characters representing popular archetypes from urban fantasy literature, film, and TV

• Detailed guidelines for how to use the rules to play through the adventure for both the Game Master and players

• An explanation of the O.G.R.E.S. rules system, including ability check, attack roll, class check, and Rule of 2 mechanics

• Tips on how to run (and play) an urban fantasy game

Whether you’re new to the game or just want an extra (FREE) 4th-level Night Trip scenario for your table, this kit is the perfect solution!

The plague of the Tainted Blood awaits...can YOU solve the mystery?