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resources:adventure:a_tender_heart

A Tender Heart

Initial Brief

Adventurers respond to a disturbance outside the temple of the Tender.

PCs

Jimmy Hoskins - Joe W
Vincent Barma- Vicky
Anabel- Iain
Richard Silver- Harry

Debrief

After it becomes clear that the herb gardener appears to have stolen the tenders body from it's burial place Jimmy and Annabel use there contacts to track down some of herbs gang. After a brief discussion they find that the herb gardener is meeting his patron in the college of the stars. They quickly travel their and arrive to find the herb gardener seemingly talking to a bush at their approach he sics his goons on them and flees upwards into the dragon. The party quickly follow but he seems always one step ahead as the forest seems to part around him before closing up to inhibit their passage.

Eventually the party stumble across some of herbs cultists. After being beaten down it emerges that the gardener seems to be attempting some ritual to corrupt the Tender. With this knowledge the party press only to find themselves in a peaceful tranquil glade. There are several people in the glade who invite them to eat. The party are naturally quite suspicious and this only grows as the encounter continues. Eventually when jimmy attempts to leave with one of them several of the others morph into large plants and attempt to stop them. Jimmy eventually solves the issue by stabbing the prisoner and carrying her to safety in his sword. This has the effect however of shattering the sword as it attempts to hold a soul too powerful for it.

Carrying on the party come across a ritual in full progress around the body of the tender. As they move to intervene it seems as if the participants are fighting amongst themselves before someone cracks the fabric and the tender herself is pulled through as a lush calm forest seems to superimpose on the forest of turean. After beating back the Herb gardener again the party talk to the turncoat who is to no ones great surprise a follower of the traitor. He attempts to persuade the party to bring the traitor through as well to help but fails to persuade them as they decide instead the push through the warring forest towards the centre of the calm zone. As they do they fight of the vines and beasts of turean. At one point Jimmy falls and lies seemingly dead upon the floor. Vincent attempts to drive out the whatever is effecting him and instead meets with jimmy's sword. After learning that only the sword can truly kill him vincent calls on the tenders power to resurrect jimmy.

Pushing on the party are assailed by some form of mental attack. Whilst most of the party easily shrug this off. Richard Silver is overcome and finds himself overwhelmed with despair. Jimmy attempt to fix this by stabbing him with the sword of hope. This seems to work as pandora leaves the sword and moves instead into Richard curing his ailment and infusing him with new purpose.

Pressing on again the party eventually reach the central glade in which hangs the tenders body. The herb gardener now infused with draconic vines seems to be attempting to finish his ritual. He is eventually beaten down however and Vincent retrieves the tenders body. As he does so he feels something try to enter him and accepts as the surrounding forest seems to rush into him as the Tender attempts to use her priest as a lifeboat out of the dragon. At the same time the traitor priest sacrifices himself to allow the traitor to posses Annabel to aid in the parties escape. The tender is not particularly pleased by this and the two argue for a short time before the encroaching dragon forces everyone to flee towards the exit. As they flee however Annabel is struck down and the Tender refuses to help forcing jimmy to resort to having to transport both Annabel and the traitor out in his sword instead. Outside they are met by Auln the first and least as well as other representatives of the tender church. They demand the body be handed over to them going so far as to attack when they are refused. Eventually however Auln is excommunicated and the fight comes to an end with the body being handed over to the villagers.

Once things have settled down Vincent has a somewhat fraught conversation with the Tender before he resurrects Annabel from inside Jimmy's sword.

Jimmy examines the body of The Tender whilst the villagers enjoy a party he has put on for them. Things of note are that the body looks like it is freshly dead and in fact blood still seeps from the wound over the heart. The body also seems to not really have any traces of soul in it and indeed seems incapable of holding a soul itself as if it is a broken vessel. After this examination he suspects that the Tenders weakness comes from the fact that she was forced to ascend after she was already dead but is unsure how to fix this. He also spends some time attempting to take over a portion of the Herb Gardiner's criminal empire now that he is dead. He finds that his gang quickly splits up with several others also grabbing pieces of it. He is however able to overtake a substantial portion mostly centered around the growhouse in the docks with whom he had made previous contact.

He also travels to the village and makes sure the cavern is properly shored up and and leaves a small garrison behind to ensure that the Tenders resting place remains undisturbed. He also plants a crop of healing medicinal and alchemical herbs around the tomb. As he works to help the villagers and ensure their future safety he feels a change come over him as he gains the divine favour of the Tender. When he later examines starmirror it does not seem to have suffered any permanent side effects. The soul he called out appears to have been destroyed but he suspects this was a special effect of calling it out whilst inside a dragon rather than a normal thing. The sword does seem upon closer examination to be hardened and more hopeful this will have no obvious effect but should be taken into account in any future interactions with the sword.

Vincent uses Auln excommunication to get him cast demoted and assumes the position of First and Least himself. Once in power he begins to attempt to increase the power of the church militant increasing the martial training which Tender priests receive and promoting those of a more martial bent.

Consequences

Richard Silver

  • Silver has merged with the being from the dragon known as pandora. This gives him access to the primal tree with a purview of hope. He will also be aware that he is sharing his body with another being. This being may occasionally talk always being encouraging. It will never however attempt to interfere with his ability to do as he wills.
  • When he bleeds his blood appears to be somewhat infused with mana. This means that any open wounds will ping as mana to mages and also gives him access to the mana distillation skill for free.
  • The malady of his soul is now fixed as the gaps are patched up with another being.
  • Having been named as a champion of the Tender church by The new first and least whilst possessed by the Tender he gains access to the Holy crusader Combat path in addition to his current one.

Annabel

  • Has gained access to the true face of the traitor epic tree.

Jimmy

  • In the scramble after the Herb Gardeners death has successfully taken over part of the Herb gardeners business. This is mostly based around the grow house in the port district. He also manages to recruit one of the herb gardeners exxcomunicant tender priests to his employ.
  • Has gained the divine favour of the Tender.

Vincent

  • Has become the First and least of the Tender.
  • Having had the effects of traitors cloak torn from him he is now immune to it's effects in the future and will instead be under a roleplaying effect of feeling great anger towards the user.
  • Gains the salvation blessing of the Tender.

Salvation

As you sense your connection to the Tender deepening you feel that she has chosen to aid you in her own particular way. She has empowered you such that you can bring the full force of her power to “heal” the Leader.

You may, while in the presence of the Leader, engage him in Psychic combat as something approaching an equal, in an attempt to “heal” him of his current destructive outlook. While you have doubts about whether the Leaders attitudes are something which can be healed by the Tender, there is a side effect of this blessing that you are aware of. While you are using this ability against the Leader, he will be unable to wield his divine power against your allies.

Following the use of this blessing you will count as having the Gaze of the Gods for the rest of the Adventure. However, you will also find yourself slowly merging with the great pool of healing that is the Tender, disappearing from the mortal realm shortly after the adventure.

resources/adventure/a_tender_heart.txt · Last modified: 2015/07/01 21:46 by matthewa