The Shared Heart

[Harrowed]

The Shared Heart

Chief Scribe Elomin Oakenshield

Reference – Enchanted Items / First Age / Fey / The Shared Heart

Appearance – An object that is heart like in size and shape. It is made of interwoven vines that are have not been seen anywhere else. There are two types of  these mysterious vines that the object consists of. The first is a greenish vine similar to the Idelish vines. It is possible that the Idelish vine is a descendant of that vine. The second type of vine is also a mystery. It is a grey-hued thorny vine, like the first, its kind has never been recorded by any druids or botanists.

Two of the vines, one of green and the other of grey, loop out from the object. Weaved together they form the “chain” of the object. It is intended to be worn around the neck.

History – This enchanted item is ancient come into existance in the First Age. Aradil has been requested in the past to provide a full history of the object for the archives, she has refused saying only ‘Their time has past and may not come again’. The only other mention of the object comes from a scroll from that age that mentions the object. Since the story cannot be collaborated this scholar cannot vouch for its accuracy. The scroll appears to have been from an unknown person that was present when the object was found.

“It was a cold winter, even for the Veradeen. The fighting between the Erunsil and Orcs had slowed. Food was scarce on both sides and fighters had settled in to wait out the winter.

The Whisper carried a message from an Erunsil wildlander. A message that could scarcely be believed. I don’t remember all the details but I’ll tell you what I know.

The wildlander had seen a lone Orc approaching the edge of the forest. He must have been ready to strike him down when he noticed the Orc was carrying the body of an Erunsil male. He must have assumed that the Orc was scavenging corpses for food. Then came one of the strangest parts of the message, the Orc was crying. Can you imagine that? An Orc weeping! The wildlander must have noticed that the Whisper didn’t tell him about this Orc. That was what likely aroused his curiosity. The wildlander asked the Orc,

“What are you doing with the body of my brother.”

A tired grunt, “I’m returning him. What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Returning him?’, ‘that wildlander must have been mighty puzzled’

“He was my friend and to be buried among the trees was his last request.”

Without another word the Orc started digging. Those Vardatch’s must be just as deadly to the ground as they are to flesh because he dug those that permafrost and made a grave under a giant oak tree and placed his friend in between the roots.

While the Orc was digging the Wildlander snuck off to send his message through the Whisper. When he returned later he said that the Orc was sitting on the grave with his back to the tree. I guess it didn’t take him long to notice that the Orc wasn’t breathing.

I would guess he didn’t know what to do. So he sent another message and who answers him, but the Witch Queen herself! She told him to dig the grave back up and put the Orc next to the elf. The wildlander, I suppose he was shocked to be talking to Aradil, asked ‘Why’?

She answered, ‘He would have been a hope in a better time, now it’s too late. He died in service to the forest and it shall have him.’ The Wildlander said she paused for moment, “They were comrades and friends. That Orc served the forest as well as any other Fey and will be honored. The forest does not reject its own.”

That was all he need to hear and in the Orc went. He covered that grave up and returned to his village to tell them the tale. When he returned, the next morning, with the elder Blood they found a clump of vines in the shape of a heart resting on the snowy grave.

That’s all I know, I don’t know what happened to that heart thing after the Blood took it away. Except something another one of the Erunsil told me. He said that the wildlander that talked to an Orc on that cold winter day was never quite the same again. He became a quieter, more pensive warrior and since that day he always returns to that tree on that long winter night. I guess that he’s waiting for another Orc to carry his kinsmen home to the trees.

Chief Scribe Elomin Oakenshield

The Shared Heart carries powerful enchantments that show the common fey heritage between the Orcs and Elves.

1st The wearer gains a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Bluff rolls against Elves and Orcs
3rd The wearer can cast Protection from Evil twice per day. Effective against Elves and Orcs only.
5th The wearer gains the Leadership feat. The followers gained from this feat can only be Elves or Orcs.
7th The wearer of the object is considered to have a +4 Charisma bonus to Elves and Orcs only.
15th The Shared Heart protects the wearer with a permanent Sanctuary spell. A DC 18 roll is required to strike the wearer. This Sanctuary affects only Orcs and Elves.

By Harrowed