TEXT: PLAYER'S GUIDE TO
  LESSERTOn
  by Joel Sparks and Jeff Sparks
  ©2010 Faster Monkey Games
  The referee must have the complete Lesserton & Mor supplement to run this game.
  "The Adventurer's Paradise!"
  
  2
  Introduction to the Town  . . . . . . . . 3
  First Impressions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
  Lessers: The Folk of Lesserton. . . . . 4
   
  The Orkin
  Life Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
   
  Hunting Rumors
   
  Looking for Adventure
   
  Searching for Love
   
  Gambling
   
   
  GAMBLING GAMES OF LESSERTON
  The Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
   
  Going Armed
  Neighborhoods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
  OUTSIDE LESSERTON
   
  GATEWAY PLAZA
   
  MARKET SQUARE
   
  CRUIKSHANKS
   
  THE HEIGHTS
   
  KINSWALLOW
  Playing Lessers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
   
  1. Classes and Races
   
   
   
  ORKIN TRAIT TABLES
   
  2. Contacts and Enemies
   
  3. Background Skills
   
  4. Starting Poor
  The Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
   
  The Red Swamp
   
  Glory Road
   
  Ruins of Mor
   
  Wheaton
   
  Swampton
   
  The Alfpine Forest
   
  Kaye City
   
  MAP: REGION  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
  MAP: LESSERTON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Player's Guide to Lesserton
  Player's Guide to Lesserton
  by Joel Sparks and Jeff Sparks
   
  Editor: Shelley Harlan
   
  Cover and original illustrations: Steve Zieser
   
  Map of Lesserton: Mark Allen; 
   
   
  calligraphy by Shelley Harlan
   
  Design: Joel Sparks
  ©2010 Faster Monkey Games™ fastermonkeygames.com
  Labyrinth Lord™ is copyright 2007–2009, Daniel Proctor. Labyrinth 
  Lord™ and Advanced Labyrinth Lord™ are trademarks of Daniel 
  Proctor. These trademarks are used under the Labyrinth Lord™ 
  Trademark License 1.1 available at www.goblinoidgames.com.
  
  3
  Introduction to the Town
  Founded by refugees from the fall of Mor, Lesserton 
  began as little more than a camp, clinging to an island of rock 
  in a vast wetland. Surviving soldiers took charge, organizing 
  parties to gather edible swamp grasses, hunt frogs and birds, 
  and cut timber in the Alfpine forest. From the ﬁ rst, people 
  drifted back to the smoking rubble of Mor, searching for lost 
  loved ones or forgotten treasures. Few returned. However, 
  occasional groups dodged the humanoid bands and magical 
  aftershocks to haul back items of great value: tools, weapons, 
  treasures. Retrieval missions rapidly became outright raids. A 
  rule of ﬁ nders keepers evolved: if someone were brave and 
  lucky enough to retrieve a treasure from Mor, it became his 
  property. Any surviving former owner had no further claim, 
  as he had proved unwilling to fetch the loot himself.
  Cautious folk decided that the best way to participate 
  in the unearthed wealth was to support raiding parties 
  from within Lesserton’s new stockade. The savviest started 
  businesses, buying up such desiderata as shovels and picks, 
  selling them to hopeful explorers. Mor was vast, its onetime 
  vaults deep and various, its great wealth scattered and buried 
  in ruin. A new way of life evolved: adventurers, merchants to 
  equip them, and entertainments for those who returned with 
  loot to spend.
  Over many years, riches ﬂ owed into town. Certain 
  merchants became very wealthy, diversifying into trade with 
  other towns near and far. Rich folk of Lesserton had the 
  capital for speculation and investment; some went broke, 
  some became richer still. Luxuries began to show up in town 
  that otherwise went only to the great cities. With the Dukes 
  of Morland dead, and the noble houses destroyed by war, 
  Lesserton became ruled by the merchant class. The Lessers 
  instituted a novel democratic government, heavily inﬂ uenced 
  by wealth of course. By the time the Grand Duke at Dolmvay 
  thought to reclaim the Morlands, the town was able to buy 
  him off, becoming an independent entity with a favorable 
  schedule of annual tithes. Every ﬁ ve years, every Lesser 
  gets to vote on candidates for Mayor and for the Chief of 
  the Watch. These men, and they are always human males, 
  appoint other functionaries based on patronage and proﬁ t, 
  but an eye on the next election keeps them from promoting 
  unpopular abusers of ofﬁ ce.
  Today, over 7,000 people inhabit Lesserton. The 
  surrounding swamp is useless for further expansion, so the 
  town itself stays small, but nearby agricultural villages like 
  Swampton have grown along with their rich neighbor. 
  First Impressions
  Lesserton sits atop a low, rocky promontory with swamp 
  all around. The mud-and-gravel Glory Road approaches from 
  the east, raised on a berm of rubble. The broad, grassy moors 
  begin right under the walls and stretch in all directions, ﬁ lling 
  the damp air with all manner of interesting smells. Stinging 
  insects plague the warm months, while in winter, frequent 
  mists roll in, bringing a miasmic tinge to every breath. Far 
  to the north, bare hills rise, but the town’s stony hummock 
  appears the only solid ground to build on for miles around, 
  and Lesserton clings to every inch of it like a lichen. A high 
  wooden palisade surrounds the town, and a wooden bell-
  tower watches over the incongruously massive metal gate.
  Inside town, the buildings crowd onto narrow streets. 
  Rubble from Mor makes up the cobbles and, with wood 
  from the Alfpine, dominates the rough construction. Horses 
  and other mounts seldom venture past the Market Square, 
  and  the crooked lanes meander, narrow and broaden, or 
  suddenly stop.
  Lesserton feels bigger than it should. The close-packed 
  buildings and the number of visitors make the streets teem 
  with life. A good look around clearly shows that this is no 
  farming town. Any given street likely holds a brothel, tavern, 
  boarding house, gambling hall, or all at once. Certain shops 
  appear to specialize in outﬁ tting explorers and adventurers.
  Things slow down at night, perhaps only because most 
  of the action moves indoors. Laughter, singing, brawling, 
  and general rowdiness echo into the small hours. Folk avoid 
  walking the streets late at night, or at least hire a linkboy 
  to light them home. At times, eerie sounds come off the 
  darkened swamp and weird lights ﬂ ash in the sky.
  The town relies on visitors, so a stranger might 
  commonly receive an offer of a drink or some friendly advice 
  about where to stay. Still, at some point in the conversation, 
  the Lesser will probably try to sell something, or at least gain 
  a gratuity for his pains. His recommendation of an inn or 
  outﬁ tter usually involves a kickback. Thus things go: the 
  town exists to make the traveler happy, so long as he pays.
  
  4
  Lessers: The Folk of Lesserton
  The people of this town, conscious both of their once-
  great neighbor and their own dubious reputation, wryly call 
  themselves Lessers. Most are humans, at least nominally. They 
  do not speak well of elves, and greet any such with disdain 
  or hostility. Dwarfs or gnomes might be treated better, but 
  none are to be seen. Characters can walk the street for days 
  and see only humans, some halﬂ ings, and a scattering of 
  shunned folk with varied, goblin-like features: the mongrel-
  bred people known as orkin.
  The Orkin
  Lessers 
  call 
  orkin 
  blood “the Taint,” 
  and 
  much 
  social 
  standing depends on 
  a plausibly untainted 
  status: “clean blood.” 
  Casting 
  aspersions 
  on someone’s purity 
  reliably causes a ﬁ ght. 
  Still, a great many folk 
  in all parts of town 
  have a bit of an odd 
  cast to their features.
  Any half-orc character 
  coming to town is taken for a “full orkin” and treated as 
  such. See “Classes and Races,” p11.
  Life Experience
  In Lesserton, every night is an adventure, and characters 
  on adventures should always earn experience. The referee 
  has rules for gaining XP by entertaining yourself and others. 
  Think of your PC as a classic ﬁ ctional hero, a bold individual 
  who grabs life hard and squeezes the juice from it, knowing he 
  may die in a ditch tomorrow. Such a person only diminishes 
  himself by hiding in his rooms at night, sword near to hand, 
  subsisting on iron rations and tepid water. Instead, you can 
  seek out many varieties of excitement in town, including 
  hunting rumors, looking for adventure, searching for love, 
  gambling, celebrating, and more.
  A successful carouse usually earns 1 XP for each gold 
  piece you spent pursuing it, in addition to the XP gained 
  from earning the money in the ﬁ rst place.
  Hunting Rumors
  If you are researching a particular topic, the referee will 
  decide if and when some information might turn up. If 
  you’re merely keeping an ear open for whatever’s afoot, you’ll 
  have to trust to luck. Either way, you’ll need to spend some 
  time and money, buying drinks and rewarding the talkative 
  or inﬂ uential. A high Charisma helps tremendously in such 
  endeavors. If you’re trying to ﬁ nd jobs, including adventure 
  for pay and the secrets of good places to explore in the 
  Ruins, you are instead “looking for adventure.”
  Looking for Adventure
  This quest seeks situations where decisive and capable 
  folk may turn a proﬁ t, ﬁ nancial or social, by aggressively 
  using their skills. Sometimes, such assertive behavior meets 
  with violent opposition, and things may deteriorate so far as 
  a mere brawl. On the other hand, showing yourself ready, 
  willing, and able can lead to the sort of work that suits 
  adventurers best. Once again, the investments are time, 
  money, and persuasiveness; the payoffs, varied and sometimes 
  inconvenient. In addition to XP from money spent on the 
  quest, trouble usually carries its own XP value, if survived.
  Searching for Love
  The quest for pleasant company consumes much time 
  and energy for certain characters. If you are of a more 
  abstemious bent, so be it: there are many other ways to while 
  away the evenings, and none will judge you the worse for 
  your decision. On the other hand, if the three-legged stool 
  of your soul cannot stand on wine and song alone, the bars 
  hold many people with similar ideas. Some of them may 
  even ﬁ nd you appealing.
  “Love” may mean nothing more than a clever ﬂ irtation 
  or a whispered conversation: Anything that afﬁ rms a mutual 
  attraction in an enjoyable way. Charisma heavily inﬂ uences 
  the quest for love, but the squat or snagglepate need not 
  despair. After all, others suffer similar ﬂ aws in their ﬂ eshly 
  prisons, and two of you might come to an understanding.
  To play this game, you must learn which spots to 
  frequent, and you must spend some cash. You may encounter 
  a variety of consequences, not always unpleasant.
  
  5
  Gambling
  “High risk, high gain” could qualify as a motto for 
  Lessers and their adventurous visitors, and almost every 
  local loves gambling. Lessers usually prove willing to wager 
  a coin or two on almost anything. Three unique local games 
  appear below. Educated folk also bet on chess matches; many 
  Lessers play checkers, backgammon, and nine men’s morris, 
  always for a coin or two at least. Races and ﬁ ghts can be 
  found and bet on. The referee has more details on the games 
  and gambling spots available, from penny tosspottle to the 
  arthropod madness of the Myriadrome to high-class, high-
  stakes games in private spaces.
  In general, a PC can earn 1 XP for each gold piece 
  of net value he’s ahead or behind at the end of a night of 
  gambling. Losses teach at least as many lessons as triumphs, 
  but breaking even earns you nothing.
  Gambling Games of  Lesserton
  Tosspottle
  Throwing a bottle blindly over your shoulder at a 
  chalked scoreboard on the ground.
  Stake: 1 sp and up; 1 cp among boys
  Players: 3 to 20
  Time for a round: One minute
  Blind Painters
  Cards with blufﬁ ng and multiple rounds of betting.
  Stake: 1 ep to 5 gp
  Players: 2 to 12
  Time for a hand: One turn
  Quist
  Cards with partners and logic.
  Stake: 5 gp and up
  Players: 4
  Time for a game: One hour
  The Law
  Depending as they do on repeat business, the Lessers 
  tolerate little out-and-out robbery or violence. Every 
  neighborhood has its Watch Station, and many businesses 
  have alarm gongs they can ring to summon the Watch at need. 
  As conﬂ icts arise, the Watch often settles them on the spot, 
  levying ﬁ nes in preference to force or imprisonment. Money 
  talks, but the outsider who offends against a respectable 
  Lesser can expect little sympathy; the guards tend to believe 
  the solid, tax-paying citizen before the wandering loner. They 
  react particularly poorly to groups of outsiders confronting 
  a single Lesser.
  Financial disputes can cost the traveler signiﬁ cant money. 
  Acts of violence result in a visit to the Justice Building, with 
  sometimes dire consequences. Typical punishments include 
  heavy ﬁ nes, total conﬁ scation of property, time in the stocks, 
  or even exile from town for a year or for life. Murderers incur 
  quick judgment and public execution in a grotesque spectacle 
  on a platform above the swamp. You should always think at 
  least twice before actually killing someone in town.
  Going Armed
  There’s no law preventing you from parading through 
  the streets in full arms and armor. However, the Watch tends 
  to look closely at those who are equipped for mayhem, and 
  blame them for any trouble that crops up. Entering a business 
  or residence in harness is very rude and cause for snubbing. 
  Brinkley’s, the Justice Building, and the Temple of the Divine 
  Purpose absolutely refuse entrance to armed folk. Keeping a 
  dagger at your belt is one thing, but little need for axes, plate 
  mail, backpacks, or rope comes up between the ﬂ ophouse 
  and the bar. The referee of a Lesserton game is not out to 
  ambush you in the street with a big ﬁ ght to the death, nor do 
  innkeepers allow strangers to walk off with great chests of 
  loot from your rooms. Be reasonable and save that stuff for 
  the road and the Ruins.
  
  6
  Neighborhoods
  Below you can ﬁ nd descriptions of the ﬁ ve 
  neighborhoods of Lesserton, as they might appear to a 
  character walking through them for the ﬁ rst time. The text 
  also details those institutions and businesses most likely to 
  be sought after or noticed by PCs. You can buy supplies, 
  ﬁ nd a place to stay, have a meal, and go to a bar just using 
  the Player’s Guide. The referee has more information about 
  these and many other establishments, goods, services, and 
  non-player characters, any of which you might discover as 
  you more thoroughly explore the town.
  OUTSIDE LESSERTON
  The Red Swamp surrounds the town on all sides.
  Glory Road
  This is the name given the muddy track that runs through 
  swampland to the Ruins of Mor.
  Walls and Gate
  A tall wooden palisade encloses Lesserton, above a 
  man-high rubble wall. At the Main Gate, a tower watches 
  the Glory Road and the swamps around. The gate itself is 
  a heavy door of strange, shiny metal, leading to a covered 
  passage watched by several guards.
  Entry toll: 1 gp
  GATEWAY PLAZA
  Just inside the Main Gate, the white stone Justice 
  Building and the adjacent Watch Headquarters dominate a 
  small cobbled plaza. Stocks in the plaza await prisoners. To 
  one side, a horse-yard contributes whinnies and the smell of 
  manure. To the other, a welcome sight: the long, low shape 
  of a beer-hall, with a friendly chimney at each end.
  Hengstʼs Horseﬂ esh
  The proprietor is a huge man with beetling brows and 
  two long, menacing fangs protruding from his lower jaw. 
  You’re not sure if he deals in horses or just eats them.
  Item 
   
  Cost
  Mule 
   
  50 gp
  Pony 
   
  50 gp
  Draft horse 
  60 gp
  Riding horse 
  120 gp
  Saddle & tackle 
  30 gp
  Horse training 
  500 gp
  Stabling  
  1 gp per night 
  Valnhalla
  Like a second home for the dedicated carouser, with 
  beer and cheer, meat and greetings, and vomit and acrimony, 
  all night long. Unlike most establishments, Valnhalla doesn’t 
  complain about people who want to wear their complete 
  adventuring gear whilst having a drink.
  Fare 
   
  Cost  
  Strong ale, half-gallon pitcher 1 ep
  Meat chunk 
  1 sp
  MARKET SQUARE
  Good paving stones smooth this broad square with a 
  central well. Stalls and open shops line the sides, while carts, 
  barrels, and produce bins crowd the central space from 
  morning till Night Bell. Among the smaller structures appear 
  a clean-looking inn marked WENTON’S; a fenced cluster 
  of stalls in front of a squat, windowless building marked 
  with a golden bee; a livestock yard; a two-story tower with a 
  cramped garden; and a large array of sturdy goods displayed 
  under the sign of a hunting horn cut in two.
  The Exchange
  This enclosure guards three fancy stalls and the door to the 
  vault-like Brinkley’s. One stall displays the sign of an iron star, 
  one shows a ﬂ ute, and one a painting of a hunting dog and a fox.
  
  7
  Brinkleyʼs Assurety Trust
  This imposing building handles a lot of money under 
  very heavy security. For a small fee, you can deposit a ransom 
  of at least 100 gp, in case you get captured by humanoids 
  in the Ruins. To prove you have a ransom, you get a pin 
  showing a bumblebee. It can save your life.
  Fox and Dog Jewelers
  Master Sand appraises and buys jewelry. For 5 gp or so, 
  he will issue a certiﬁ cate of value that lets you use jewels as 
  cash anyplace in town.
  Shawm Coinery
  Under the sign of an old ﬂ ute, this booth sells 
  coins to those who wish to change their cash into other 
  denominations. For payment, they demand these exact coins, 
  not an equivalent.
  To get: 
  You pay:
  10 cp 
  1 sp
  96 cp 
  1 gp
  1 sp 
  12 cp
  8 sp 
  1 gp
  1 ep 
  6 sp
  1 pp 
  12 gp
  1 gp 
  11 sp or 120 cp
  9 gp 
  1 pp
  Sign of the Iron Star
  Under the titular star, the sign at this shop shows the 
  words “Arcane MacGufﬁ ns,” possibly the owner’s name. 
  Pounded lead lines the walls. Dozens of amulets dangle from 
  racks, each marked with mysterious symbols.
  Item 
  Cost
  Amulet of Luck 
  1 gp
  Necklace of Protection 
  50 gp
  Special items 
  Varies
  Hornﬁ xerʼs Emporium for the Prudent 
  During market hours, this shop displays barrels and bins 
  of gear ranged under a tarp. A halﬂ ing clerk calls out offers 
  to anyone who might be an adventurer, stating that many of 
  the items here cannot be found elsewhere in town.
  Item 
  Cost
  Ale, 100-pint barrel 
  6 gp
  Backpack 
  3 gp
  Bedroll 
  1 ep
  Beer, 100-pint barrel 
  4 gp
  Block & tackle 
  10 gp
  Candles, 5 
  1 sp
  Chain, per 5'  
  20 gp
  Flint & steel 
  3 gp
  Grappling hook 
  5 gp
  Ladder, 10'  
  1 gp
  Lamp, clay 
  3 gp
  Lantern 
  10 gp
  Lantern, bull’s eye 
  20 gp
  Manacles, latching 
  20 gp
  Mess-kit, tin 
  1 gp
  Oil, pint, clay ﬂ ask 
  2 sp
  Oil, 100-pint barrel 
  20 gp
  Pick, miner’s 
  5 gp
  Pole, 10' wooden 
  1 ep
  Rations, trail, 1 day 
  1 ep
  Rope, hemp, per 5'  
  1 sp
  Rope, silk, 20'  
  5 gp
  Sack, large 
  2 sp
  Sack, small 
  1 sp
  Spade, iron 
  3 gp
  Spike, iron 
  1 sp
  Stakes, wooden, 4 
  1 sp
  Torch 
  1 sp
  Twine, waxed, 50' 
  1 sp
  Waterskin 
  1 gp
  
  8
  Madam Pearlʼs Cross-Eyed Palm
  Madam Pearl will tell your fortune for as little as 1 sp. 
  For a bit more, she will break out her magic cards and answer 
  your questions about the future.
  The Shroud of Steel
  Viktor Sarkoli deals in new and used armor.
   
  Armor 
  Cost 
  AC 
  Wt.
  Padding 
  5 gp 
  8 
  10 lbs.
  Hides 
  4 gp 
  8 
  20 lbs.
  Cuir Boili 
  35 gp 
  7 
  20 lbs.
  Brigandine 
  65 gp 
  6 
  40 lbs.
  Chainmail 
  85 gp 
  5 
  30 lbs.
  Target shield 
  15 gp 
  (–1) 
  10 lbs.
  Hide shield 
  10 gp 
  (–1) 
  15 lbs.
  Sign of the Butt
  A half-elf with a heavy accent deals in missile weapons.
  Weapon 
  Cost
  Crossbow, heavy 
  30 gp
   
  Quarrels, heavy, 10 5 gp
  Crossbow, light 
  20 gp
   
  Quarrels, light, 10 
  2 gp
  Longbow 
  50 gp
  Shortbow 
  35 gp
   
  Arrows, 10 
  5 gp
   
  Arrow, silver 
  10 gp
  Sling 
  3 gp
  Sling bullets, lead, 10 
  10 gp
  The Thirsty Blade
  Friendly smith Gladsome Muskox buys and sells arms.
  Weapon 
  Cost
  Axe, battle 
  9 gp
  Axe, hand 
  15 sp
  Dagger 
  4 gp
  Halberd (polearm) 
  10 gp
  Hammer, war 
  9 gp 
  Javelin 
  2 gp
  Sap * 
  5 gp
  Spear 
  4 gp
  Sword, long 
  15 gp
  Sword, short 
  10 gp
  Sword, two-handed 
  25 gp
  * A sap inﬂ icts 1d4 damage, 75% of it temporary.
  Wentonʼs Inn and Yard
  A clean and comfortable place to lay your head.
  Service 
  Cost
  Meal 
  1 ep
  Breakfast, quick 
  2 sp
  Ale, pint 
  2 sp
  Wine, cup 
  4 sp
  Shared room 
  1 ep per person
  Private room for one 
  8 sp
  Stabling 
  1 gp per night
  
  9
  CRUIKSHANKS
  The bustle in these crooked alleys speaks of long 
  occupation by large families. Buildings stagger two and three 
  stories tall, usually with teetering upper ﬂ oors of warped 
  wooden planks. Men idle on the corners, while groups of 
  sturdy women walk purposefully along bearing baskets and 
  parcels. Ragamufﬁ n children splash in rancid puddles or 
  race among the legs of the crowds. The smell of baking 
  bread wafts along above the odor of humanity, and from 
  somewhere comes the roar and clang of a working smithy. A 
  scribe idles in a tiny stall with a canvas awning.
  Burnside Armory
  A burly man works with horseshoes at an anvil, under a 
  metal sign declaring NO GEAR BOUGHTENED. Nothing 
  appears ready for sale, but a sword and a suit of chain armor 
  await repair.
  Closet of the Xorn
  This narrow building of black brick stands apart from 
  its neighbors. It has no windows, but an elaborate chimney, 
  and a harsh fume surrounds the place. The sign is a large 
  clay bottle, painted with symbols and the representation of 
  a three-armed beast. The halﬂ ing clerk inside is reluctant to 
  disturb his master the Alchemist, but grudgingly admits that 
  an unusual substance could be analyzed for maybe 100 gp, in 
  a day or two.
  Pottleby Ovens
  One pound loaf of bread: 4 cp
  Tracts by Lurcke
  A skinny fellow waits here for any business, reading a 
  small book with ink-stained hands.
  Service  
  Cost
  Documents read aloud 1 sp per page
  Letters written 
  2 sp per page
  Documents copied 
  3 sp per page
  THE HEIGHTS
  As soon as you wander into this neighborhood, you feel 
  out of place. No more orkin appear, and the few halﬂ ings 
  are in servant’s livery. The guards have an eye on you. Fine 
  townhouses line the cramped streets, along with a few very 
  exclusive-looking businesses. Outside one shop stands a gold 
  statue of a kobold in a wig. In a rare open lot, a few horses 
  with ribbon-braided manes prance on carefully-tended grass. 
  A fancy hotel sports the sign of a dark-silver pegasus. No 
  businesses seem ready to welcome you, at least if you’re not 
  wearing fashionable clothes, furs, and jewelry.
  KINSWALLOW
  If you’d been wondering where the really bad 
  neighborhood might lie, you seem to have found it. So 
  many cobbles have been pried up, apparently for use in 
  shoring up buildings, that the streets are a jagged patchwork 
  of mud and ﬁ lth. More than one man lies in the road, 
  passed out drunk, people stepping around him or aiming 
  the occasional kick. A slaughterhouse reek penetrates the 
  air, and the occasional squeal of a dying hog rises above 
  the constant barking of large dogs penned up someplace. 
  Orkin heritage is much in evidence, and many folk sport 
  pointed ears, strange tufts of hair, long fangs, or a bow-
  legged, waddling gait. Tents and shelters built up from 
  scrap and rubble provide sleeping quarters for those who 
  can’t claim a house or room. Muscular men of various 
  races squat bored in a dusty lot, some drinking tea. One 
  intact shopfront is painted blue with many strange symbols 
  in white. Above the door of a wooden house hangs the 
  mounted head of a bear. A few large buildings peer out 
  over the mess: a grand white temple, a sturdy two-story 
  building with barred windows and private guards outside, 
  a stone fort manned by the Watch, and a big barn painted 
  with the faded image of wriggling worms or bugs.
  The Brass Shield
  The building with bars on its windows is headquarters 
  for hiring bodyguards or security men, known as “Jimmy’s 
  Boys” after the owner, Jimmy G. The guards wear brass 
  shield-shaped pins. They work only in Lesserton. Private 
  guard with padded armor: 1 gp per day. If you’re a ﬁ ghter-
  type, you might even be able to get work here sometimes.
  
  10
  Fidelis Fighting Dogs
  Dozens of tough, short-haired dogs of all ages swarm 
  this fenced yard, barking furiously at all who venture near. 
  The brutish Eastminster breeds, trains, and sells the animals.
  Item 
   
  Cost
  Fighting dog 
   
  30 gp
  Training to obey new owner (recommended)
   
   
   
  10 gp, ﬁ ve days
  The Hermetic Laboratory of Doctor Eerie
  The blue-painted building displays a dozen bottles 
  of brightly-colored liquid in the window. Within, a female 
  clerk sells such curative draughts and takes any messages for 
  Doctor Eerie. The Doctor can analyze unusual substances or 
  mixtures, if the customer will leave the item for one day.
  Item 
   Cost
  Purgative draught 
  1 gp
  Restorative draught 
  10 gp
  Analysis 
   50 gp, 1 day
  Special items 
  varies
  Mama Haybornʼs Home Away from Home
  Space on the common sleeping ﬂ oor: 1 sp per night.
  The Myriadrome
  The common folk love the action in this huge barn-like 
  structure: Centipede races! Every night, hundreds gather 
  to wager on the squirming, foot-long vermin, who race to 
  reach some living bait like a staked-down giant beetle or 
  carnivorous ﬂ y. During the races, vendors sell cups of thin 
  beer for 1 sp each, and bookies take side bets. A board gives 
  the odds on each racer, identifying the beasts by the pattern 
  of three stripes painted on their backs. Five centipedes run 
  each race—bet on as many as you like.
  Bets with the Myriadrome must be silver pieces in a 
  multiple of the denominator (second number) in the odds, 
  up to the posted maximum of 10. For example, to bet on 3:2 
  odds, put down 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 sp. If the ’pede comes in on 
  a 10 sp bet, you get a total of 15 sp back: your bet plus a 5 sp 
  proﬁ t. A few high-rollers and their bookies even ﬂ ash gold.
  Temple of the Divine Purpose
  This large Lawful temple welcomes anyone who wishes 
  to attend services and honor the civilizing inﬂ uence and 
  divine necessity of Law. Plenty of Lessers wear tiny wooden 
  pendants or pins in the shape of the temple’s symbol, a 
  mallet. The priests even offer healing to those in need, for a 
  suitable service of course.
  Wentonʼs Original
  This run-down inn is like a strange, poorly-executed 
  copy of the Wenton’s at Market Square.
  Item 
   
  Cost 
  Double room 
  4 sp per person
  Meal 
   
  2 sp
  Ale, pint 
  1 sp
  Stabling  
  1 ep per night
  
  11
  Playing Lessers
  Whatever your fantasy game system, player characters 
  from Lesserton can be made just like any others. Since the PC 
  adventures in and around his hometown, you also get access 
  to a few alternatives and extras. Ask your referee whether 
  these options apply in your campaign. Page numbers with 
  “AEC” refer to the free Advanced Edition Companion™ rules 
  available from Goblinoid Games.
  1. Classes and Races
  Using the basic classes, almost any Lesser with a character 
  class is a ﬁ ghter, a thief, or a halﬂ ing. The Temple of the 
  Divine Purpose provides an origin for a few Lawful clerics. 
  Magic-users are very rare. A PC might be an apprentice in the 
  Platonic Order, expected to donate magic items in exchange 
  for new spells. Elves are right out.
  Using expanded races and classes from advanced rules, 
  such as the AEC, some Lessers are ﬁ ghter/thieves, and a few 
  are assassins. A ranger would be a swamp-roaming hunter 
  or an aspiring professional Ruins guide. A druid would be 
  a loner dwelling in the swamp or the elf-wood. A despised 
  half-elf might have learned basic magic from his wood elf 
  parent before suffering exile from the forest. Full-blood 
  orkin can be treated as half-orcs (AEC9).
  Pure elves, dwarfs, gnomes, and other races do not 
  inhabit Lesserton, although they occasionally visit. To play 
  such a race, or a “clean blood” human or halﬂ ing with no 
  orkin traits, you need the referee’s permission.
  Orkin Blood
  The Tainted: Most Lessers are humans or halﬂ ings with 
  a just touch of orkin heritage, which they deny.
  Full Orkin: Only full-blooded orkin have infravision, 
  score modiﬁ ers, and other half-orc traits. Many human 
  Lessers treat them badly. The Orkin Trait Tables provide a 
  wider range of appearances for the full-blooded.
  Orkin Trait Tables
  For an ordinary Lesser with a bit of the Taint, choose 
  or roll 1d6 to select one chart below. Roll the lower die type 
  listed for that Lesser’s single orkin trait. For example, a 4 on 
  the d6 indicates the Face chart. The lower die type is d10, 
  and a roll of 5 indicates that the character has thick, joined 
  eyebrows. This is his only orkin trait.
  For a full-blood orkin, roll 1d20 once on all six charts 
  below and apply all results. For example, a typical orkin 
  might have a gut, greenish skin, greasy hair, a fanged jaw, red 
  eyes, and pointed ears. Such folk have a hard time in town 
  and many live in the Ruins instead. The same result coming 
  up more than once can make a trait highly exaggerated.
  1. Body Appearance: d10 or d20
   1–5 
  Average
   6–9 
  Squat and broad
   10–11 Long arms
   12 
  Large feet, pointed toenails
   13–14 Protuberant gut
   15–16 Protuberant buttocks
   17–18 Waddling gait
   19–20 Roll twice more
  2. Skin: d8 or d20
   1 
  Pale, grublike white
   2–7 
  Tan
   8–9 
  Tan with irregular brown spots
   10–18 Greenish tinge
   19–20 Greenish with warts or ridges
  3. Hair: d12 or d20
   1–2 
  Very sparse, thin hair, nearly bald
   3–8 
  Thin and greasy hair in normal pattern
    9–11 
  Thin and greasy hair, and only on sides and back 
  of head
   12–13 Hair in sparse brown tufts
   14 
  Stiff black bristles here and there
   15–17 Stiff black strip of hair from eyebrows to back
   18–19 Strip of wiry brown hair from crown to neck
   20 
  Stark white
  
  12
  4. Face: d10 or d20
   1–3 
  Heavy, jutting jaw
   4–6 
  Single thick eyebrow
   7–9 
  Heavy whiskers
   10–12 
  Sloping forehead
   13–15 
  Long lower fangs protrude
   16–18 
  Nose smashed upward into snoutlike shape
   19–20 
  Roll twice more
  5. Eyes: d8 or d20
   1–6 
  “Whites” are yellowish
    7–10 
  Bugged out
   11–14 
  Reddish iris
   15–17 
  Vertical pupils
   
  18 
  Metallic green iris
   
  19 
  Roll twice more
   
  20 
  Roll again and apply to only one eye
  6. Ears: d12 or d20
    1–10 
  Somewhat pointed
   11–13 
  Thick, dangling earlobes
   14–17 
  Long points
   
  18 
  Fanlike
   
  19 
  Roll twice more
   
  20 
  Roll again and apply to only one ear
  2. Contacts and Enemies
  During your years in Lesserton, you’ve at least met 
  any other Lesser PCs, and found out what you do or don’t 
  have in common. In addition, a number of NPCs ﬁ gure 
  prominently in your life, whether as friendly contacts or 
  mutually loathsome enemies.
  Contacts
  A Lesser may know many people as acquaintances, but 
  there are a few he can rely on. Each character has a number 
  of contacts equal to half his maximum number of retainers, 
  rounding up, as shown on the next table.
  CHA 
  Contacts
   3–5 
  One
    6–12 
  Two
   13–17 Three
   18 
  Four
  The contacts are ordinary folk, close to the character’s 
  own social class. Each has his or her own reason for feeling 
  well-disposed toward the PC. You can make up your own 
  contacts, or the referee may suggest or deﬁ ne them.
  At need, you can call on a contact for help. The referee 
  has information on determining if your friend grants the 
  request. A contact might also call on you for help sometimes. 
  The response is up to you, but might affect your relations 
  over time. During play, you might lose contacts and
  gain others.
  Example Contacts:
  Grel the barkeep. You helped him out 
   
  with a loudmouth drunk once and you two 
  became friends. 
  Ursula the whore. You eat at the same cheap 
   
  lunch cookery, her having dinner while you 
  have breakfast.
  Ted the wanderer. You play cards with 
   
  him sometimes. 
  Mundil the shopkeep is your uncle. 
   
  Yarl the traveling merchant. You worked as a 
   
  caravan guard for him once and helped ﬁ ght off 
  some goblins. 
  An unknown person admires you from afar and 
   
  may appear to help when you least expect it.
  Enemies
  Optionally, you can add one more contact at start of 
  play, by also taking an enemy. For example, with a Charisma 
  of 10, you can have two contacts, or three contacts and 
  one enemy. 
  This sort of enemy doesn’t pull out a sword and charge 
  you on sight. Instead, an enemy is someone you have to live 
  with, but he or she dislikes you, opposes you socially, and 
  may even try to actively undermine your plans. It’s up to the 
  referee to decide when an enemy might step up his efforts 
  against you.
  
  13
  Example Enemies:
  The barkeep who is jealous of how much 
   
  attention the barmaid pays to the big, strong 
  adventurer. 
  The gambler that the PC beat at cards. 
   
  A jilted lover.
   
  An unknown enemy. You don’t know who, or 
   
  why this person hates you, and it can be hard to 
  tell their efforts from ordinary bad luck.
  Naturally, you might make new enemies in play, but that 
  doesn’t automatically earn you another contact. Also, just as 
  a contact’s regard may cool, an enemy’s hatred might fade 
  over time. You might even convert one to a friend.
  3. Background Skills
  Characters from Lesserton often did some work or 
  training in a mundane job before chucking it all to try for 
  fame and fortune. The chart below, a substitute for the 
  Secondary Skills table (AEC21), suggests appropriate 
  types of experience for a PC Lesser, who will retain some 
  familiarity with the tricks of that trade. No PC is a master at 
  these skills, however. If he had made a go of it, he would not 
  have become an adventurer.
  d100 
  Background skill
   
  01 
  Actor
   
  02 
  Animal doctor
   
  03–04 
  Baker
   
  05–06 
  Beggar
   
  07–08 
  Bird-stalker
   
  09–10 
  Blacksmith
   
  11 
  Boot shiner
   
  12 
  Brassmaker
   
  13 
  Brewer
   
  14 
  Brickmaker
   
  15 
  Buckle maker
   
  16–17 
  Butcher
   
  18 
  Candle maker
   
  19–20 
  Carpenter
   
  21 
  Charcoal burner
   
  22 
  Chef
   
  23 
  Chimney sweep
   
  24 
  Clerk, bookkeeper
   
  25–26 
  Clerk, shop
   
  27–28 
  Cook
   
  29–30 
  Cooper
   
  31 
  Cryer
   
  32 
  Dancer
   
  33 
  Dentist/barber
   
  34–35 
  Dishwasher
   
  36 
  Dye worker
   
  37 
  Feather gatherer
   
  38 
  Fortuneteller
   
  39–40 
  Fur and skin dealer
   
  41 
  Glassblower
   
  42 
  Graverobber
   
  43 
  Hair stylist
   
  44 
  Hat maker
   
  45 
  Hay and feed dealer
   
  46–47 
  House-servant
   
  48–49 
  Laborer, outdoor
   
  50 
  Laborer, warehouse
   
  51–52 
  Laundress
   
  53 
  Leatherworker
   
  54 
  Leech
   
  55 
  Luthier
   
  56–58 
  Mudlark
   
  59 
  Mule wrangler
   
  60 
  Musician
   
  61 
  Paper maker
   
  62 
  Petty ofﬁ cial
   
  63 
  Plasterer
   
  64–66 
  Porter
   
  67 
  Potboy
   
  68 
  Pure ﬁ nder
   
  69 
  Rag and bone man
   
  70 
  Ratcatcher
   
  71 
  Rope weaver
   
  72 
  Rugmaker
   
  73–74 
  Seamstress/Tailor
   
  75 
  Seed miller
   
  76–78 
  Shoemaker
   
  79–80 
  Shopkeeper
   
  81 
  Snitch
   
  82 
  Soapmaker
  
  14
  d100 
  Background skill
   
  83–84 
  Stonecutter
   
  85 
  Street vendor: Beer, soup, or tea
   
  86 
  Street vendor: Pans, spoons, tinware
   
  87 
  Street vendor: Produce
   
  88 
  Swamp gleaner
   
  89 
  Teamster
   
  90 
  Thatcher
   
  91 
  Tinker/Sharpener
   
  92 
  Tour guide
   
  93–94 
  Waiter
   
  95 
  Watchman
   
  96–97 
  Weaver
   
  98 
  Wigmaker
   
  99 
  Wood hewer
   
  00 
  Wool shearer
  Sneakiness! Even non-thief Lessers can use thief skills 
  a little bit. If your PC has a good enough Dexterity to get a 
  Thief Skills Bonus (AEC4), you can add the bonus to 0% 
  for a slight chance of success. Non-humans can also add 
  any racial Thief Skill modiﬁ ers (AEC7–9). Finally, Lesserton 
  halﬂ ings have different abilities than their country cousins. A 
  halﬂ ing Lesser has a base 90% chance to hide in cover while 
  in town or among intact buildings in the Ruins, but not in 
  the wilderness. While silent and motionless, he has a 3 in 6 
  chance to hide in shadows in a labyrinth, but only 2 in 6 in 
  the wilderness. 
  4. Starting Poor
  Unless the referee rules otherwise, Lessers do not start 
  play with the same riches as PCs made by the book. Instead, 
  your character starts with money equal to his Charisma 
  score in gold pieces, usually as a jumble of small coins. For 
  example, a character of CHA 9 might have 12 ep, 25 sp, and 
  50 cp. You also have a purse, a set of clothes, a cloak or 
  blanket, and worn sandals or canvas shoes. Wherever you’ve 
  been sleeping, they don’t want you to come back any more. 
  It’s time to seek your fortune.
  The Region
  The Red Swamp
  Usually just called “the swamp,” the land around 
  Lesserton sports solid patches among the soggy sand, 
  thorn bushes, bitter grasses, and silty remnants of former 
  streams. Bugs swarm the air and mud-patches bubble forth 
  foul gasses. Elegant birds stalk among the reeds and stab for 
  frogs and snakes. Some locals know the tangle of drier paths; 
  others must slog through trickle and tussock at a fraction of 
  their usual pace. In winter, the landscape turns to an endless 
  expanse of icy mud, tufted with brown sticks.
  Glory Road
  From the town’s Main Gate, the so-called Glory 
  Road runs roughly east across the swamps. An artiﬁ cial 
  berm elevates travelers from the marshy surroundings. 
  The Lessers surfaced the Glory Road with gravel at some 
  point, but much of it is now just mud. About ﬁ ve miles 
  from Lesserton, the road comes to the enormous ruined 
  city of Mor. The trip takes about three hours walking 
  briskly or on horseback, or double that when burdened.
  Ruins of Mor
  A dry, steep-sided valley surrounds great Mor like a moat, 
  with the former bed of the River Raddle at the bottom. Huge 
  stone walls jut up from a central, island-like mesa, enclosing 
  the ruin: nearly two miles long, or so they say. Inside, the 
  laws of men do not reach. Anyone in Lesserton can tell you 
  certain basic facts about the ruins:
  Mor is no-man’s land. You’re on your own.
   
  The walls are a hundred feet high, above the 
   
  several-hundred-foot depth of the river valley. 
  The easiest entry is across the rope bridges. The 
   
  Bridge Orkin charge a small toll. Horses won’t 
  cross the swaying spans, but mules will.
  You can also try picking your way through the 
   
  overgrown river bottom and climbing the River 
  Stair. Watch out for poisonous animals.
  It’s hard but possible to climb through the one 
   
  place where the old walls collapsed, at the far 
  north end of the ruins. 
  Inside, orkin clans hold a few fortiﬁ ed areas. 
   
  Some are willing to trade; others seek prisoners 
  for ransom; some kill to defend their turf.
  
  15
  Wheaton
  About twelve miles south of Mor, the road splits at a 
  small hamlet called Wheaton. The town offers little more 
  than a paddock, a grain buyer, and an inn with a taproom. 
  Lesserton is reached in an easy day’s travel. To the southeast, 
  the road becomes ever safer, running toward the farms and 
  towns of Eastern Valnwall. To the southwest, the road skirts 
  the Red Swamp and runs about 20 miles to Swampton.
  Swampton
  The folk of Swampton gather fruit and nuts, tubers, 
  small game, and timber for trade. Wagons leave Swampton 
  at ﬁ rst light and hustle to make Wheaton by nightfall. By all 
  accounts, Swampton offers little to amuse the traveler. Its 
  people lock their doors after dark in fear of creeping ﬁ ends, 
  frightening their children with tales of the Swamp Witch or 
  the Guernsey Devil. Travelers must put up in an old barn 
  converted to a common sleeping room. The two taverns do 
  not welcome strangers, but ale and wine can be bought by 
  the bottle. Sometimes the Barn turns boisterous, as traveling 
  groups make their own impromptu celebrations.
  The Alfpine Forest
  Beyond Swampton, and stretching away west and south, 
  thousands of scrubby pine trees grow in a poor, sandy soil, 
  the space between them covered by bracken, heather, berry 
  bushes, and ferns. Farther into the woods, oaks tower over 
  the smaller trees and shadows deepen among hickories and 
  vines. Loggers tread carefully, harvesting only from the edges 
  of the Alfpine for fear of the Wood Elves, who answer only 
  to their own King. In the dry summer months, wildﬁ res 
  sometimes tear through the forest. The elves protect their 
  core homesteads with magic and let the outer trees burn, 
  considering it a part of the cycle of nature.
  Kaye City
  Kaye is the nearest true city, three days’ travel from 
  Lesserton even under the best conditions. On the way, the 
  road passes through endless pastures, ﬁ elds, and tiny villages 
  of a few hundred humans or halﬂ ings. So far south, banditry 
  and humanoids are rare. Merchant caravans enter and leave 
  Kaye City frequently, and its annual Market Fest draws 
  holiday-makers from as far away as Great Dolmvay.
  Lesserton
  RUINS
  OF MOR
  To Kaye City
  R
  E
  D
   
  S
  W
  A
  M
  P
  F
  a
  r
  m
  l
  a
  n
  d
       
  Swampton
  RED RIVER
  Wheaton
  A L F P I N E  F O R E S T
  N
  Region of Lesserton and Mor. One hex = 2 miles.
  
  N
  Neighborhoods and major buildings
  Not to scale
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Labyrinth Lord/Labyrinth Lord Adventures & Settings/Lesserton & Mor (LL)/Player's Guide to Lesserton (LL).pdf