Introduction - The Pumpkin Lord of Lankshorn

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Introduction

The chill of fall was in the air the night that a fiery ball fell from the sky near Lankshorn. There were few witnesses to this event, but by late morning all of the residents of the village had learned of the occurrence and many had looked for where this meteor from the heavens had fallen.

The great pumpkin field a mile south of Lankshorn, owned by one Merle Branbrook, became the object of much speculation when it was discovered to be the crash site. In the center of the field was a large, charred pit too hot for anyone to approach. There was an ominous cloud over the field that gave the uneasy feeling that the crater stood for something sinister. All through the day the crater smoked, and old Merle scratched his head at the loss of over half of his pumpkin patch. If the residents of Lankshorn were apprehensive about the crater, they were downright fearful the morning of the following day.

At dawn, Merle made his rounds to feed the livestock. When he went out to the pumpkin field, he discovered an immense, tangled vine dome that had sprung up in the night! The pumpkin vines at the periphery of the crater had grown to great proportions, and twisted into an impenetrable mesh of vine, leaf, and pumpkin. They had completely encompassed the smoking pit discovered the day before. That is, except for one small opening, about the size of a doorway, on the south-east side of the green dome.

For days the cursed place drew much fearful curiosity, until a band of brave adventures happened by, and decided to enter the green doorway…