The Jackal Den Job

This adventure takes place outside Khorshemish proper, in the scrub‑choked hills east of the capital.

A caravan master in Khorshemish hires the PCs to clear out a nearby ruin infested with violent squatters — a gang of desert jackal‑worshippers who’ve taken over an abandoned watchtower. The job is simple. Go there. Kill or drive out the occupants. Bring back proof.

READ‑ALOUD INTRO

"The caravan master’s voice is low and urgent as he gestures toward the eastern hills. 'An old watchtower stands out there — a relic from Koth’s border wars. Now it’s crawling with jackal-worshipping scum. They’ve been raiding caravans, killing drovers, and dragging off the bodies.'

He leans closer, the smell of spiced wine heavy on his breath.

'Clear them out. All of them. Bring me the chieftain’s bronze jackal-mask, or his head, and you’ll have your silver.'"

THE BROKEN WATCHTOWER

A squat, half‑collapsed stone tower overlooking a dry ravine. Three levels remain:

1. The Yard — rubble, broken carts, a firepit
2. The Lower Hall — crude shrines, sleeping mats
3. The Upper Chamber — the chieftain’s lair

AREA 1: THE YARD

"The watchtower rises from the dust like a broken tooth. A crude palisade of scavenged wood surrounds the yard, where smoke drifts from a dying fire. You hear low growls — not quite human."

2–4 Jackal Cult Lookouts

Jackal Cultist (Lookout)
HD: 1d8 (5 hp)
AC: 12
Atk: +2 (curved knife 1d6)
Skills: Physical +2, Subterfuge +1
Notes: If one escapes, they warn the tower, giving later enemies +1 initiative.

Skill Use Suggestions

• Subterfuge to sneak to the palisade or silently eliminate a lookout
• Physical to climb rubble or break through the gate
• Knowledge to identify the jackal totems as votive charms of an outlaw desert cult

AREA 2: THE LOWER HALL

"The air inside is thick with smoke and the stench of unwashed bodies. Crude jackal idols made of bone and clay line the walls. A half-dozen bedrolls lie scattered around a central firepit."

3–5 Jackal Cult Fanatics

Jackal Cultist (Fanatic)
HD: 1d10 (7 hp)
AC: 13
Atk: +3 (rusted short spear 1d6+1)
Skills: Physical +3, Subterfuge +0
Special: Once per fight, a fanatic may enter a frenzy: +1 to hit for 2 rounds.

Skill Use Suggestions

• Knowledge to spot a weak ceiling beam that can be collapsed (Physical DC 12)
• Subterfuge to steal a bone charm that frightens the cultists (they take –1 morale)
• Physical to shove enemies into the firepit

AREA 3: THE UPPER CHAMBER

"The top chamber is lit by flickering oil lamps. A massive jackal skull hangs from the rafters, its empty sockets staring down like a judge. A tall figure in a bronze mask rises to meet you."

The Jackal Chieftain + Bodyguard

Jackal Chieftain
HD: 3d8 (15 hp)
AC: 14
Atk: +4 (curved falchion 1d8+2)
Skills: Physical +4, Subterfuge +2
Special:

• Howl of the Jackal: Once per fight, forces a DC 12 Physical save or be shaken (–1 to attacks for 1 round).
• Bronze Mask: Grants +1 AC.

Jackal Bodyguard
HD: 2d8 (10 hp)
AC: 13
Atk: +3 (club 1d6)
Skills: Physical +3
Notes: Fights to the death unless the chieftain falls.

Skill Use Suggestions

• Subterfuge to slip behind the chieftain and steal the mask mid‑fight
• Knowledge to identify the structural weakness in the rafters (collapse for 1d6 damage)
• Physical to kick over an oil lamp and create a burning hazard

TREASURE & PROOF

• Bronze Jackal Mask (worth 50–80 silver)
• Bone charms (minor trinkets, 5 silver each)
• Stolen caravan goods (GM’s choice)
• A map fragment hinting at a deeper desert ruin (future hook)
• The head of the Jackal Chieftain

OPTIONAL COMPLICATIONS (Roll 1d6)

1. A wounded caravan guard is found alive in the tower.
2. A rival mercenary band arrives to claim the bounty.
3. A desert storm rolls in, trapping the PCs inside.
4. The cultists have a caged jackal‑beast (HD 2d8, bite 1d6).
5. The chieftain attempts to flee with the mask.
6. The tower begins collapsing during the final fight.

RUNNING THE ADVENTURE

Keep it fast, brutal, and evocative:

• Encourage improvised tactics — collapsing beams, burning oil, thrown rubble.
• Let Physical solve brute problems, Subterfuge solve clever ones, Knowledge solve contextual ones.
• Reward bold action and Hyborian ruthlessness.