Atonement and penance for a druid/ranger...

[Arravis]

We had an interesting development in our game last night. We are in a high level (21st lvl) campaign that's been ongoing for nearly two years. One of the character's in the party is a Ranger 13/Druid 7/Divine Champion 1 follower of Melikki (FR, neutral good goddess of the forest, forest creatures, rangers, dryads, & autumn). This character, Tey'lan, is the ruler of a small village of 500, the surrounding lands and the leader of the adventuring group. Anyway at last night's game we had the wedding of two other party members and the officiator of the wedding was the teacher and mentor of Tey'lan. After the wedding there was an assassination attempt on Tey'lan's life, Tey'lan's mentor went out to seek the would-be-killer, as she did so Tey'lan's lover (whom was at the wedding) arrived at the scene and slew the old druiddess mentor. He used a 1-charge dagger (artifact) that destroyed her soul; there is no possibility of res (including true-res or wish). This event was witnessed by two people, one whom refuses to testify though.

The lover killed the druiddess because he blames her for his being kicked out of elven society 400 years ago. He has been seeking vengence on this powerful druidess for some time. This elf is a very manipulative and evil; but he is very charming and extremely careful not to ever be caught openly of wrong-doings. (For those that are familiar with FR we used Elaith Craulnober, but we made our own history and did not use Elaine Cunningham's version of him. For personality, think Bill Clinton & Lestat combined, lol) Tey'lan is very much in love with Elaith, but Elaith's feelings for her are truly unknown, but he claims to love her. Anyway, Elaith was arrested after one of the witnesses came forward. That night Tey'lan came to his cell and spoke with him and he told her much of his story. He claims that the old druiddess went to the elven council to tell them that he wasn't fit to wield his family's blade and to be their head. He also explained that his original involvement with Tey'lan was to fascilitate access to the old druiddess and that he had manipulated her in the past for his own ends and for her own good. Anyway, by the end of the meeting she returned his items and let him go free.

A number of things now...

I think that Melikki would no longer grant spells or druidic abilities to Tey'lan since this is a pretty agregious (sp?) thing to do in my opinion.

If Tey'lan sought atonement and penance, what would be a proper one for her in this situation? I'm fairly uncertain on this one and the main reason I've come here for ideas and aid on this. Well, opinions are welcome, thanks guys!

 

[Reynard]

Very interesting. just for the record, I would like to point out that *this* is what roleplaying is about, not delving into dungeons or slaughtering untold hordes of critters. (not that those things can't be foun or fit into a dramatic tale, but I digress..)

Anyway - I am not particularly familiar with the FR dieties, but I would assume that there is an "evil druid" deity. rather than immediately telling the PC that she has lost her druidic powers, have them shift slightly -- nothing appreciable game mechanics wise, but the feel or the flow or the connection to the world shifts, gets darker. As time goes on, the PCs druidic powers and spells create darker and darker anima/effects (ex: summoned animals are twisted or rabid, spells like entangle craeate thorns, etc..). Eventually, the characters learns or is told that she no longer serves Melikki, but rather whoever this dark druidic deity (alliteration rules!) is.

Two ways to go about this are with and without *player* consent. With the player's consent, the story involving ey'lan can become deep and involved and even a little frighteneing for the other PCs (esp. if their players don't know exactly what's going on). In addition, you and the player can set up the method by which the PC can atone during the "fall" so that it makes sense. On the other, it is tougher and scarier for the player if he/she(?) is kept in the dark. That will drive the player to seek out answers to why these wierd things are happening. More work for you, though. In either case, some atonement will have to occur, and it must involve Elaith. Maybe the dagger doesn't destroy the sould so much as forever trap it in the pommel, so that it can never be raised or reincarnated.

Jus a couple of ideas.

 

[Arravis]

There are evil druids in Faerun, but I don't see this as the road that is likely to be taken. Would her actions be evil or more... neutral? Perhaps one of the neutral druid-gods might take interest in her... she is a considerable power and would be a catch for any religious organization.

What I suspect will happen is that the moment she realizes her goddess is displeased she will seek atonement and do whatever it takes to right the wrongs. What that is, is what I don't know. It might involve Elaith, but it might not. The sin she's atoning for isn't the death of her mentor, but the freeing of the guilty party.

**Maybe the dagger doesn't destroy the sould so much as forever trap it in the pommel, so that it can never be raised or reincarnated.***

This is too easy, I want the sacrifice to be real, one that impacts not only the character but the player as well (to a degree). I also want a situation that isn't solved with a magic spell or any other easy solution. Sometimes in life, the solution is just "living" with what's happened.

 

[Arravis]

P.S.: Thanks for the compliment btw . I do try to run a very RP-intensive game.

 

[Reynard]

**Maybe the dagger doesn't destroy the sould so much as forever trap it in the pommel, so that it can never be raised or reincarnated.***

This is too easy, I want the sacrifice to be real, one that impacts not only the character but the player as well (to a degree). I also want a situation that isn't solved with a magic spell or any other easy solution. Sometimes in life, the solution is just "living" with what's happened.

Right, but Tey'lan's crime was not killing her mentor, but letting that killer go free. therefore, from a crime/punishment standpoint, atonement must come in the form of bringing the killer to justice. Granted, the removal of the mentor from the game does pave the way for this character, once she atones, to take that position herself (a nice reward for atonement).

On the idea about evil druid god influence: it was justa thought, and would only really work if you thought the player would get into it. I think it is too easy, however, to allow the player to just "realize her goddess is displeased and seek atonement". Because her crime was one born out of love, and Elaith's one born out of hate, there has to be a reckoning betwen the two.

It does beg an interesting question, though: was what the PC did actually evil, or oppose her alignment at all? If the PC was NG or CG, I would actually not punish the player for violating Tey'lan's alignment at all. The crime, rather, is that she allowed a person to go free who was subject to the justice of the druids. Of course, in the FR, the gods are rather active and it is not merely an organizational question.

 

[Arravis]

I agree. Does it break her alignment... I don't know. The only thing she's guilty of is a foolish heart. It's a tough one . I'm an ethical relativist in real-life, but in FR and D&D there is no such thing... I think it's a rather complicated ethical question to be honest.

Did she do wrong... I would say in her god's point of view, yes. And I do not think this should be simply solved by her realizing she did wrong and having an Atonement spell cast on her. Traditionally, an quest or some task must be achieved before atonement is given. What could that quest be? Bringing the killer to justice? It would seem the obvious one. And would a nature goddess be interested in "civilized" justice? (ie. the legal system).

 

[Zerovoid]

I don't actually know if the character needs to do any penance for this act. Its just my take on druids, but I figure most nature dieties don't care that much whether individual humans live or die. Its always part of the cycle of life, and Melikki won't care that much as long as there is someone else to take the old mentor's place in the hierarchy. So, I don't think Melikki would stop granting spells to Tey'Lan. This is after all a human matter. Its more likely that Tey'Lan would be shunned by others of her order than by her god.

I definatly think that having Tey'Lan track down her lover is a good course of action, whether it is at her diety's bequest, or because her own conscience starts to gnaw at her.

 

[Arravis]

Melikki tends to be one of the more human/elven etc, involved nature gods. Additionally the person killed was a druid, and they weren't just killed in a way that fits with nature. Her soul did not go to the afterlife, it was utterly and completely destroyed. I would count that as a high crime against nature.

I do agree that others of her order would definately shun her.