I am looking for a quest for the Heortling farmers settlng in the valley of Cradles to use to adapt their farming techniques to the new terrain. I guess the premise is:
"The old ways are not working: it is too dry, the river floods too often, our crops wilt and our herd beasts are unhealthy. Let us perform the Ernalda Feed the Tribe Heroquest."
Cue KoDP heroquest - but wait! Things do not follow what was expected. I have the basic idea mapped out but would appreciate any feedback and suggestions from this list.
The key difference appears when the questers visit the Aldryami and get the burrowing seed which they expect to be Adborl and to lead them to Maran Gor. Instead, they get another seed (symbolising the different plants that grow in the valley) which leads them not to Maran Gor but (and this is where I am looking for opinions) to the Wicked Writher who has, instead of Barntar, Ronance, working as its thrall. The Wicked Writher is somehow convinced to release Ronance and together Ernalda and Ronance venture deeper to what would have been Ty Kora Teks cavern but I can only think of tenuous links to Zola Fel, to Darkness (following a Waha frees the protectress path), to Genert (dead land god) to Hyena (eater of the dead land god), Eiritha (buried earth goddess with appropriate herds in her womb), even Seolinthur (what with his Rudder n'all).
The key parallel is that irrigation - represented by Ronance and his
lifebringing Chariot, pulled by serpents - replaces Barntar as the guy who
brings fertility to soil.
The destructive Earth (Maran) is replaced with the destructive Waters (Wicked
Writher). Replacing Esrolas seeds which return life we have maybe Seolinthur?
the 48 old ones? Kinope? Redwood spirits? Dew Maid? ..... replacing Uralda we
have a Herd Protectress?
I am not sure about the final guardian, Ernalda's unborn daughter who has death and vengeance in her. So any ideas on that would be useful.
This quest therefore demonstrates to both the players and characters the new links that are needed for the river/irrigation based agriculture of the valley, and makes the quest a bit more exciting by have a bit more of the unexpected. I don;t know what the Aldryami get out of it, perhaps the Aldryami are influenced by their kinsman, Lord Pavis? The end result is that the immigrant Heortlings learn new ways to farm and possibly learn to do a bit of mixed worship of local spirits.
Keith Nellist
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