The Little Sisters of Eluria

A Dark Tower novella set before the events of The Gunslinger. Roland of Gilead arrives in the ruins of a deserted town called Eluria and is captured by a group of robed women—the Little Sisters—who nurse injured travelers while slowly draining their life. It was first published in the anthology Legends (1998) edited by Robert Silverberg.

It is a prequel—taking place before Book 1, The Gunslinger. Readers encounter a younger Roland, though his essential character is fully formed: solitary, skilled, and driven. The story functions as a standalone adventure in his earlier wandering years.

They are a religious order of vampire-like beings who take in injured travelers. They appear as kind nurses but feed on their patients slowly, prolonging their lives while draining them. Their order uses a supernatural creature called 'the doctor' to keep patients in a docile state.

It works as a standalone story and requires no prior Dark Tower knowledge, making it a reasonable entry point for curious readers. However, it is most rewarding for those already familiar with Roland and his world. It is collected in Everything's Eventual and referenced throughout the wider Dark Tower series.

It was originally published in the 1998 anthology Legends and was later included in Stephen King's 2002 short story collection, Everything's Eventual.

Marvel Comics published a five-chapter comic book miniseries that adapts the events of this novella.