Glaugust 25 - Under the Old Starpear Tree
A. de Bar. "Abraham's Oak" from The Bible and its Story Taught by One Thousand Picture Lessons. 1908
Create Something Inspired By Kingdom Hearts Without Looking Up Anything About Kingdom Hearts
My first draft of this prompt was a trite little one page dungeon based on my hazy memory of the original Kingdom Hearts. About halfway through, I realized I'd rather make something someone might actually use, in whole or in part. So, here's a minor landmark to use in your hexcrawl:
The Starpear Tree
The starpear is a five-pointed yellow fruit with a banana-like skin and flesh akin to a slightly overripe apple. It grows from a large tree (pyrus stelarra) with many stout limbs that branch close to the root and spreading up to 15m. They prefer to grow in the open, far from overhanging canopies, so are often found in savannahs or atop small hills.
The starpear fruit is notable for the effect it has on those who eat it: a brief but intense feeling of profundity. The world feels important, fated, and predetermined. This is not entirely pleasant, but passes within minutes.
Ask a farmer about the starpear and they'll tell you that they are all but impossible to cultivate in orchards. According to folklore, if two people share a starpear, they become star-crossed - bound to meet one another again and again throughout their lives. Some share starpears as part of their wedding ceremonies or before sending a family member off to war. It's very romantic to meet your lover under the old starpear tree just outside of town, if a bit dangerous.
Ask an alchemist and they'll tell you the sense of profundity is produced by an isolatable compound found in the starpear. There are two common uses for it though there may be other esoteric
- When left to ferment to absolute dryness, it can be used to brew a strong, tannic alcohol with a sweet aftertaste known as starpy. This is a favored drink among nightwatchfolk and those prone to stage fright as even a sip gives the drinker a powerful feeling of certitude (+2 to saves vs fear).
- Alternatively, an alchemist can cold-press the small black seeds of the starpear (of which each fruit has exactly 10) to produce oil of import. Once coated, a weapon that strikes a critical blow strikes doubly so (double all effects or damage including any prior doubling).
Regardless, a bushel of ripe starpears will fetch a fair price in most major settlements.
Ask a priest and they'll say the farmer and the alchemist both have half the truth. The starpear is a great sign of both the existence and generosity of the gods. It fits comfortably in the hand, has a natural ripeness indicator in its skin that grows yellow when ripe, and imparts on those who taste it a brief experience of the divine order. Starpear trees are seen as auspicious locations for an anchorite to fast or a mendicant to camp. Perhaps that has less to do with symbolism though and more to do with the fact they provide good shelter, are usually found on high ground, and grow far away from other trees. (Camping under a starpear tree halves your chance of being surprised by an encounter).
Encounters under the Starpear Tree
- A charred ruin. This tree was recently struck by lightning and has burned to ash. This is a terrible omen. Doomsayers will say this signals the end of the current dynasty, or at least their disfavor with the gods. A sword, still hot from the fire, quivers in the wreckage.
- Two creatures (roll twice on your regional table) sit uncannily still, surrounded by half-eaten starpears. They touch at the hip.
- An anchorite lives up in the bows. He has sworn never to touch the ground again. He'll trade news of the wider world for minor blessings and healing.
- Moonshiners raking up fallen fruit. This tree is on the Duke's land, but he won't miss a few starpears. They'll defend their find against would-be competitors.
- A gaggle of lawyers and philosophers argue. A young nobleman was killed in a duel after sharing a starpear with a young lady from a rival house. The families have agreed to blame the tree rather than escalate their feud and have arranged a trial. The sentence will likely be death.
- A random player character's ex. It's totally improbable that they'd be here, but they'd love to have a moment alone with the PC.