Straightenin' up the 'Ouse o' Plenty

A simple man in simple clothes has been seen in Shadowdale working on the gardens around the House of Plenty. He wears a brown tunic and carries a bundle of gardening tools with him around the grounds. Mostly he seems to be plucking weeds from flower beds, adding mulch and generally making what's already growing around the House look better.

He greets anyone who approaches him with a smile and a friendly handshake. "Name's Jim Dillon. Gardener fer the 'Ouse o' Plenty. Nice ta meet ya."

He's full of small talk about gardening and weeds and the best ways to get rid of them. He's a nice guy and always willing to lend a hand to any farmers who might drop by the temple.

The Harvest Mistress would smile at his work as they are the only ones left after she sent all the other priests and priestess' away for safety reasons.

He'd smile back at the High Harvestmistress. "I 'ope it's to yer likin', ma'am. I was thinkin' 'bout maybe plantin' a nice rosebush in the back. Got a mind in me ta maybe put in a hedge row too if it ain't too much trouble."

After being away from the House of Plenty for a few days, Jim returns with some wildflowers in his pack and sets about planting them in the flower beds around the Temple; replacing some of the older flowers with some more vibrant ones in an effort to spruce up the place.

The next day he's seen counting steps, measuring and taking notes regarding the perimeter of the Temple grounds.

Tamara sees Jim sprucing up the House of Plenty. She will wave and curtsy if he notices her. "Hello Jim you have a nice garden going here, obviously a lot of work."

" 'owdy, ma'am. It's a good bit o' work keepin' the darned weeds from takin' over, it is. I reckon if no one bothered doin' it they'd grow up bigger'n stronger than they need ta. Sure would be nice 'avin' a bit o' company puttin' 'me in their place." He gestures to a big burlap sack filled with a bunch of pulled weeds.

"Ya don't know o' any place what could use a little greenin' in the forest do ya?"

No I don't know, I'm pretty much a city person. This wild land has me cautious and I rarely venture far. I would think it should be burned or disposed of! On another note business seems rather slow these days. Is the House closing down?

"Nah. It ain't closin' down. It's just got less folks 'round it lately is all. If yer interested in 'elpin' fill it up again jus' go on and talk ta the 'igh 'arvestmistress. She's right inside most days."

Oh! Just anybody can? I thought it was a religious organization.

The gardener chuckles softly and walks over to the door to open it up for Tamara. "Oh, 'at it is, ma'am. Open ta everybody. Front door's always open too. I'm sure Mistress Glamerie won't mind ya looking 'round for a spell. But I got some weeds ta get planted out where they won't do any 'arm. 'ope ya 'ave a nice day, ma'am."

Jim gathers up the weeds with their roots wrapped in small burlap bags and heads towards the east with a pleasant smile and a chuckle.

///Looks up at the open doors/// Perhaps another time thanks.

A couple of days later Jim returns with a small rosebush from the forest. People likely over hear him speaking with the now married Dragonfires about a hedge row. He takes them over and shows them some of his current work and Lilly (Blake) Dragonfire takes come cuttings from them and from the rosebush. For the "safety of the town."

The next day Jim spends most of the morning planting the small rosebush rosebush and then taking some more measurements. "Reckon I better get started on 'at hedgerow now."

Hesitantly a white haired, black skinned female approachs, unsure of her reception and ready to retreat.

"hello? Jim .. ?"

Jim looks up at the woman with a warm smile. "Well 'owdy, ma'am! Ain't seen ya 'round much lately but I reckon I been a little bit on the busy side." He gets up from his knees and dusts off his hands on his trousers and then gestures to the grounds around the House of Plenty. "Comin' along well 'nuff don't ya think? Might be a couple o' years before that rosebush gets big enough ta be pretty."

"Be puttin' in a 'edgerow soon 'nuff. Just gotta find a few 'edges what ain't gonna grow all that good where they're at out in the wilds. 'ow ya been farin'?"

She relaxes at his warmth

"Oh I've been good thank you"

Steps a bit closer to where he is from the distance she'd kept before.

"You're doing lovely work here. Is there, well, anything I can do to help? Anything you need? Maybe I can see if I can get it.

Oh, and if you like, I can plant some beech seedlings in the apartment to grow for a new hedgerow? or are you looking for hawthorne? it's very good for wildlife. It's bad luck to have in the house, though"

The Harvest Mistress comes out of the temple looking a bit ill and ragged looking.

Sees the door open and Harvest Mistress come out. Steps back a bit, watching.

Jim greets the High Harvestmistress with a warm smile and then a concerned look on his face. "Not quite lookin' like yerself today, ma'am. 'ow can a fella 'elp ya out?"

Tamara curtsies and departs in a hurry.

//Word of her hasty departure can be heard talked about among the beggars of Shadowdale. She left on a caravan to Amn./// (deleted the character))

The Harvest Mistress can be seen doing her walk about both day and night. Making sure the farmers are well and their fields are doing well.

Jim the gardener has been in and out of Shadowdale off and on for several days in a row. Occasionally he comes back with bushes from the forests that will make good hedges. He plants them in good growing spots in preparation for the start of a nice hedgerow around the House of Plenty.

Songbird offers to help, when she has time, a bit unsure of her reception

Iwean finds the spots where the bushes use to be. He sees the they have been taken with care and not just randomly yank out. He follows the trail to the House of Plenty. He'll watch from a distance. If he sees Songbird he will approach her. "Hello, is this another project?"

The Harvest Mistress would step out looking a bit worse for ware. Looking around the area suspiciously. She seems to grow more and more suspicious everyday. She is seen talking to herself or an invisible entity...is she going mad or s someone there?