A druid's kindness
Mar. 3rd, 2020 01:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
enemyofperfectI don't know if I would have the skill or even the patience to do proper write-ups of D&D sessions -- mostly, I rely on a handful of worldbuilding notes, our searchable chatlogs, and the frankly incredible writeups amovingtarget does when she has the time.
But there was a moment in today's session that I particularly liked. It was whenamovingtarget's character, Tia, was celebrating the completion of a massive feast hall slash guest house with a party for all her friends and neighbors and everyone who'd worked on the construction, and she noticed that one particular worker, Garth Bellkeep, was missing from the party.
This was a guy she had feared and mistrusted for over a year, ever since he tried to ruin her reputation and drive her out of town. He's the estranged husband and father of two townsfolk she does like, and for as long as Tia has known him, he's done nothing but try to drag down anyone who's had any success or happiness. On the day of Tia's wedding, her friends made sure he'd be out of town drinking so that he couldn't interfere with her big day. So when he started working on the building project Tia had championed, she was deeply suspicious, even though he kept to himself and wasn't obviously making trouble.
But in today's session, when she went looking for him, she brought him a mug of ale, to share a little bit of the festivities with him even though he'd decided not to come. And when Garth said (very awkwardly) that he was trying to cut back on alcohol, she immediately volunteered to make him a personalized tea blend so he'd still have something special to drink. And before she left, she made sure to thank him for his help with the building, and tell him to keep up the good work.
Back at the celebration, when the townmaster commented on her generosity, Tia thought about it and said, "This town took me in. I think I'd rather not be part of casting people out, not if it can be helped."
This is what I love about DMing, even for a party of one. I threw in the detail of Garth joining in the work, but it could have gone nowhere, oramovingtarget could have taken it as an opportunity for revenge on someone who'd wronged her character, but this is the story we ended up telling together. I love the way it can always surprise me.
As a meta note, I ran this entry pastamovingtarget and got her permission before posting it, because Tia is -- perhaps more than most PCs -- an outgrowth of her player's exploration of who she is and wants to be. She has kindly encouraged me to go ahead and post. ♥
amovingtarget does when she has the time.But there was a moment in today's session that I particularly liked. It was when
amovingtarget's character, Tia, was celebrating the completion of a massive feast hall slash guest house with a party for all her friends and neighbors and everyone who'd worked on the construction, and she noticed that one particular worker, Garth Bellkeep, was missing from the party.This was a guy she had feared and mistrusted for over a year, ever since he tried to ruin her reputation and drive her out of town. He's the estranged husband and father of two townsfolk she does like, and for as long as Tia has known him, he's done nothing but try to drag down anyone who's had any success or happiness. On the day of Tia's wedding, her friends made sure he'd be out of town drinking so that he couldn't interfere with her big day. So when he started working on the building project Tia had championed, she was deeply suspicious, even though he kept to himself and wasn't obviously making trouble.
But in today's session, when she went looking for him, she brought him a mug of ale, to share a little bit of the festivities with him even though he'd decided not to come. And when Garth said (very awkwardly) that he was trying to cut back on alcohol, she immediately volunteered to make him a personalized tea blend so he'd still have something special to drink. And before she left, she made sure to thank him for his help with the building, and tell him to keep up the good work.
Back at the celebration, when the townmaster commented on her generosity, Tia thought about it and said, "This town took me in. I think I'd rather not be part of casting people out, not if it can be helped."
This is what I love about DMing, even for a party of one. I threw in the detail of Garth joining in the work, but it could have gone nowhere, or
amovingtarget could have taken it as an opportunity for revenge on someone who'd wronged her character, but this is the story we ended up telling together. I love the way it can always surprise me.As a meta note, I ran this entry past
amovingtarget and got her permission before posting it, because Tia is -- perhaps more than most PCs -- an outgrowth of her player's exploration of who she is and wants to be. She has kindly encouraged me to go ahead and post. ♥
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Date: 2020-03-04 07:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-03-04 07:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-03-05 11:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-03-06 04:26 am (UTC)Heee! Well, it's good to keep your options open. :')