Adventure Idea: The Fruit of Dawn [Archive] - Wizards Community

Adventure Idea: The Fruit of Dawn [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
PSchirf
01-21-04, 12:57 PM Adventure Idea: The Fruit of Dawn

This adventure hook can be used in any small village, but it was originally created for a desert setting, with the “village” being an oasis camp.

In the center of the settlement there is an old tree that appears to be dead. Using thin rope the locals have hung dozens of baskets, clay pots, bowls, and open sacks in the tree’s branches. Two men with spears guard the area at all times. The men claim to be guarding the settlement as a whole but, if questioned specifically about the tree, will state that local law forbids them to answer any queries about the tree.

Reason: Every morning, just as the sun rises, the tree grows leaves and fruit, and then sheds both, all within a minute of time. The fruit caught in the hanging items is extremely tasty and very nourishing. Any of the fruit that hits the ground is rotten and too sour for humans to eat. Surprisingly, the local pigs (or goats if the culture doesn't eat pork) prize the fruit on the ground and devour it rather quickly each morning, leaving little sign of the sequence. The good fruit is collected and taken to the local Lord (a clan chief, wise man, knight… just about anything works), who generously passes it out to the oasis residents each day.

The selling of the fruit is an offense that traditionally brings the death penalty to both parties involved in the transaction. The current Lord (who is a good man) is loath to level such a penalty, however, and will instead hold anyone involved in the crime for random. Since the old law demands deaths for the crime the ransom set is the heads of criminals wanted for more serious offenses.

How to use this:

One party member could be involved in the purchase of a fruit, but it may be better for an NPC companion to be held in ransom. Perhaps the best way to use the adventure is to use the setting for a few times before having the sale of one of the fruits take place.
PSchirf
01-21-04, 08:56 PM comments? additions? spin-off ideas?
underpantsgnome
01-21-04, 09:31 PM I like it, its a pretty cool idea. Origional, but not stupid. I give it a 7. What I dont like is how there isnt a real adventure here. Sure you could come up with one, but right now I see it as something cool to remember the town by.
Dont know if that is what your were going for, but thats what happened.
cheshire_grin
01-22-04, 10:41 AM Actually, what this would be great for would be as a side quest for a low-level party; they're traveling somewhere else, they stop in the town (perhaps after getting mauled by a previous encounter), they get involved with a sale/ransom, they leave the town after completing the scenario.

Their travels take them through the town a few more times, enough for them to make a friend there or at least to be familiar with the area and its residents.

Some time (and levels) later, weird things start to happen in the general area of the town. Naturally, the PCs investigate, but find nothing concrete.

More time passes, and the area has gotten downright evil. The commoners are terrified, people are disappearing, refugees are streaming out of the area -- those that survive the trip. The survivors are huddled in town, around the tree, which for some reason seems to exude some influence that protects the villagers; perhaps some clues that eating the fruit provides a magical protection from evil. The PCs might even acquire some of the fruit for their own use while investigating.

The twist is, of course, that the tree itself (or whoever planted the tree) is responsible for the problem; the tree seems benevolent, but its fruits actually have a slow corrupting effect, so that the people who have eaten the most fruit (and thus are probably the area's respected residents and local heroes) are the most affected. They may not even know they're the ones doing the killing and other evil things.

That should be a tidy little mystery for the PCs to come back to, and with luck you can actually corrupt one or more of the PCs along the way, always a fun time. ;)
Aurotuli
01-22-04, 08:26 PM The devilish tree. Interesting idea, cheshire_grin, but I prefer the idea of a celestial tree (a sort of manna equivalent). Perhaps the reason the villagers that gather around the tree seem safer is because of a Hallowed affect centered on the tree - itself a living alter to a god of NG nature (life, death, and rebirth as a continuous cycle that should be celebrated, etc). Fiends are seeking to corrupt it via those corrupting those that live nearest to it, taking delight in turning those that protected the tree into those that might seek to harm the tree.

Perhaps a tiefling necromancer took offence at the tree and, before leaving, turned a townsman he murdered into a wight. Since then the wight has slain others, themselves rising as wights. The guards were among the first to be slain. Those that seek to leave soon find themselves hunted down and similarly slain. Perhaps the first wight is unusually powerful (maybe spell-stiched?).

The idea has merit, even if the PCs never pass through the town again, they will have an interesting memory to take with them. And if they do come upon the town again, the setting still has the potential for interesting adventures.
PSchirf
01-23-04, 03:33 PM I'm more apt to make the tree a holy site than a corrupting monster.

Still, I can see having the fruit useful in some less than good way. Perhaps the juice from the fruit can be combined with some other materials to make a drink that allows sunlight fearing undead to walk in the daylight for one day provided it's drank on the same day that the fruit falls. This would justfy the extremely harsh penalty for selling the fruit.

A necromancer or a vampire could hire the party to get some fruit from the tree without the party understanding the end goal. Better yet, if he approaches one of the party's NPC travelling companions or a close friend to do the deed... Purchasing the fruit may be the first method of acquisition the person tries. If the money is right perhaps one of the guards would be willing to risk discovery. This could quickly lead to the party having to save the life of their friend by bringing the evil source of the plot to justice.
BRJN
01-23-04, 11:13 PM Maybe when you put the Tree's fruit in a preservative - something natural such as amber or honey - and later eat it, it has the effect of some low-level Clerical spell, such as Cure Light Wounds, Poison Antidote, Protection From Evil.

The stiff penalty could be because the Tree needs a lot of nutrients &c nearby, and taking away fruit will, in effect, dissipate the local nutrition level. The Tree is very good at recycling itself, directly or at a few levels of remove.

For a real puzzler, the same Tree that is so highly prized and treated with such Tender Loving Care is also where the entire town takes their chamberpots &c and dump the contents on the Tree's roots. By lunch time the area stinks! By nightfall the smell &c are gone.
Master RikT
01-24-04, 03:14 PM I just thought of a good campaign title, probably for a d20 modern campaign: 'The re-opening of the garden of Eden'. That would have to be something with forbidden fruits and invading monsters I guess...
PSchirf
01-28-04, 09:46 AM I attempted to use my Fruit of Dawn hook on my players this past weekend. Previously, the characters had rescued a young boy from several other youths who were beating the boy after having robbed him. Because the characters were not willing to help the disguised antagonist I had the antagonist approach and successfully hire the boy to do the deed. A resident, the young man sold the fruit but bragged to his friends about the very large (to him) sum of money he just gained from the sale. He was reported and hauled into custody. He quickly confessed, and a hunt for the other person involved in the transaction was mounted. The party of player characters were unwilling to take part in either the hunt or in any rescue of the youth. Their lawful slant resulted in the statement: "The boy broke a law which he knew before he broke the law. Therefore, he deserves the punishment, which he also understood ahead of time."
NeutralNeutral
01-28-04, 09:56 AM If selling the fruit gets the death penalty, why would any villager risk death selling one?

Also, would it not be simpler for the Lord to guard the tree, and put one loyal retainer in charge of fruit collection?
PSchirf
01-28-04, 09:59 AM > If selling the fruit gets the death penalty, why would any villager risk death selling one?

People risk death all of the time even when money isn't involved. Offer some kids a large sum of money and you'd be surprised what they'd be willing to do.

> Also, would it not be simpler for the Lord to guard the tree, and put one loyal retainer in charge of fruit collection?

The tree is guarded, but the fruit that is collected is passed out to all citizens.
PSchirf
08-21-04, 10:27 PM My players are headed back to the village where this tree stands. I'm looking for new suggestions for it's use.
Cymraegmorgan
08-22-04, 01:24 AM Prior to the arrival of the PCs, raiders killed the guards and took several baskets of the fruit. Part of the tree's magic is that all of the fruit is consumed close to its roots. With much of the fruit now miles away, the tree is beginning to wither. Can the party bring back the fruit before the tree dies? Are the raiders the pawns of an evil Druid out to bring a blight to the village?
Airsucker
08-22-04, 06:58 PM I like the idea. I'll think on it and see if anything stirs up.

I do think the tree should have something to do with divinity, or cycles.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
PSchirf 01-21-04, 12:57 PM	Adventure Idea: The Fruit of Dawn This adventure hook can be used in any small village, but it was originally created for a desert setting, with the “village” being an oasis camp. In the center of the settlement there is an old tree that appears to be dead. Using thin rope the locals have hung dozens of baskets, clay pots, bowls, and open sacks in the tree’s branches. Two men with spears guard the area at all times. The men claim to be guarding the settlement as a whole but, if questioned specifically about the tree, will state that local law forbids them to answer any queries about the tree. Reason: Every morning, just as the sun rises, the tree grows leaves and fruit, and then sheds both, all within a minute of time. The fruit caught in the hanging items is extremely tasty and very nourishing. Any of the fruit that hits the ground is rotten and too sour for humans to eat. Surprisingly, the local pigs (or goats if the culture doesn't eat pork) prize the fruit on the ground and devour it rather quickly each morning, leaving little sign of the sequence. The good fruit is collected and taken to the local Lord (a clan chief, wise man, knight… just about anything works), who generously passes it out to the oasis residents each day. The selling of the fruit is an offense that traditionally brings the death penalty to both parties involved in the transaction. The current Lord (who is a good man) is loath to level such a penalty, however, and will instead hold anyone involved in the crime for random. Since the old law demands deaths for the crime the ransom set is the heads of criminals wanted for more serious offenses. How to use this: One party member could be involved in the purchase of a fruit, but it may be better for an NPC companion to be held in ransom. Perhaps the best way to use the adventure is to use the setting for a few times before having the sale of one of the fruits take place.
PSchirf 01-21-04, 08:56 PM	comments? additions? spin-off ideas?
underpantsgnome 01-21-04, 09:31 PM	I like it, its a pretty cool idea. Origional, but not stupid. I give it a 7. What I dont like is how there isnt a real adventure here. Sure you could come up with one, but right now I see it as something cool to remember the town by. Dont know if that is what your were going for, but thats what happened.
cheshire_grin 01-22-04, 10:41 AM	Actually, what this would be great for would be as a side quest for a low-level party; they're traveling somewhere else, they stop in the town (perhaps after getting mauled by a previous encounter), they get involved with a sale/ransom, they leave the town after completing the scenario. Their travels take them through the town a few more times, enough for them to make a friend there or at least to be familiar with the area and its residents. Some time (and levels) later, weird things start to happen in the general area of the town. Naturally, the PCs investigate, but find nothing concrete. More time passes, and the area has gotten downright evil. The commoners are terrified, people are disappearing, refugees are streaming out of the area -- those that survive the trip. The survivors are huddled in town, around the tree, which for some reason seems to exude some influence that protects the villagers; perhaps some clues that eating the fruit provides a magical protection from evil. The PCs might even acquire some of the fruit for their own use while investigating. The twist is, of course, that the tree itself (or whoever planted the tree) is responsible for the problem; the tree seems benevolent, but its fruits actually have a slow corrupting effect, so that the people who have eaten the most fruit (and thus are probably the area's respected residents and local heroes) are the most affected. They may not even know they're the ones doing the killing and other evil things. That should be a tidy little mystery for the PCs to come back to, and with luck you can actually corrupt one or more of the PCs along the way, always a fun time. ;)
Aurotuli 01-22-04, 08:26 PM	The devilish tree. Interesting idea, cheshire_grin, but I prefer the idea of a celestial tree (a sort of manna equivalent). Perhaps the reason the villagers that gather around the tree seem safer is because of a Hallowed affect centered on the tree - itself a living alter to a god of NG nature (life, death, and rebirth as a continuous cycle that should be celebrated, etc). Fiends are seeking to corrupt it via those corrupting those that live nearest to it, taking delight in turning those that protected the tree into those that might seek to harm the tree. Perhaps a tiefling necromancer took offence at the tree and, before leaving, turned a townsman he murdered into a wight. Since then the wight has slain others, themselves rising as wights. The guards were among the first to be slain. Those that seek to leave soon find themselves hunted down and similarly slain. Perhaps the first wight is unusually powerful (maybe spell-stiched?). The idea has merit, even if the PCs never pass through the town again, they will have an interesting memory to take with them. And if they do come upon the town again, the setting still has the potential for interesting adventures.
PSchirf 01-23-04, 03:33 PM	I'm more apt to make the tree a holy site than a corrupting monster. Still, I can see having the fruit useful in some less than good way. Perhaps the juice from the fruit can be combined with some other materials to make a drink that allows sunlight fearing undead to walk in the daylight for one day provided it's drank on the same day that the fruit falls. This would justfy the extremely harsh penalty for selling the fruit. A necromancer or a vampire could hire the party to get some fruit from the tree without the party understanding the end goal. Better yet, if he approaches one of the party's NPC travelling companions or a close friend to do the deed... Purchasing the fruit may be the first method of acquisition the person tries. If the money is right perhaps one of the guards would be willing to risk discovery. This could quickly lead to the party having to save the life of their friend by bringing the evil source of the plot to justice.
BRJN 01-23-04, 11:13 PM	Maybe when you put the Tree's fruit in a preservative - something natural such as amber or honey - and later eat it, it has the effect of some low-level Clerical spell, such as Cure Light Wounds, Poison Antidote, Protection From Evil. The stiff penalty could be because the Tree needs a lot of nutrients &c nearby, and taking away fruit will, in effect, dissipate the local nutrition level. The Tree is very good at recycling itself, directly or at a few levels of remove. For a real puzzler, the same Tree that is so highly prized and treated with such Tender Loving Care is also where the entire town takes their chamberpots &c and dump the contents on the Tree's roots. By lunch time the area stinks! By nightfall the smell &c are gone.
Master RikT 01-24-04, 03:14 PM	I just thought of a good campaign title, probably for a d20 modern campaign: 'The re-opening of the garden of Eden'. That would have to be something with forbidden fruits and invading monsters I guess...
PSchirf 01-28-04, 09:46 AM	I attempted to use my Fruit of Dawn hook on my players this past weekend. Previously, the characters had rescued a young boy from several other youths who were beating the boy after having robbed him. Because the characters were not willing to help the disguised antagonist I had the antagonist approach and successfully hire the boy to do the deed. A resident, the young man sold the fruit but bragged to his friends about the very large (to him) sum of money he just gained from the sale. He was reported and hauled into custody. He quickly confessed, and a hunt for the other person involved in the transaction was mounted. The party of player characters were unwilling to take part in either the hunt or in any rescue of the youth. Their lawful slant resulted in the statement: "The boy broke a law which he knew before he broke the law. Therefore, he deserves the punishment, which he also understood ahead of time."
NeutralNeutral 01-28-04, 09:56 AM	If selling the fruit gets the death penalty, why would any villager risk death selling one? Also, would it not be simpler for the Lord to guard the tree, and put one loyal retainer in charge of fruit collection?
PSchirf 01-28-04, 09:59 AM	> If selling the fruit gets the death penalty, why would any villager risk death selling one? People risk death all of the time even when money isn't involved. Offer some kids a large sum of money and you'd be surprised what they'd be willing to do. > Also, would it not be simpler for the Lord to guard the tree, and put one loyal retainer in charge of fruit collection? The tree is guarded, but the fruit that is collected is passed out to all citizens.
PSchirf 08-21-04, 10:27 PM	My players are headed back to the village where this tree stands. I'm looking for new suggestions for it's use.
Cymraegmorgan 08-22-04, 01:24 AM	Prior to the arrival of the PCs, raiders killed the guards and took several baskets of the fruit. Part of the tree's magic is that all of the fruit is consumed close to its roots. With much of the fruit now miles away, the tree is beginning to wither. Can the party bring back the fruit before the tree dies? Are the raiders the pawns of an evil Druid out to bring a blight to the village?
Airsucker 08-22-04, 06:58 PM	I like the idea. I'll think on it and see if anything stirs up. I do think the tree should have something to do with divinity, or cycles.