The Nice Grower

Hook

Growmaster Brambledu initially claimed that a “nice grower” donated the alien growth found in the Crystal Gardens. The party later learned that the gift was soil brought from Lamordia by a powerful traveler.

Evidence

  • The creature was not native to Darkon.
  • It was connected to a magical network beneath the Gardens.
  • Upon death, the network absorbed most of its remains.
  • The party recovered its organic heart.
  • Brambledu described the donor only as a “nice grower.”
  • A garden janitor said the donor was a strong adventurer who arrived carrying soil from Lamordia.
  • The druids accepted the soil as a gift intended to benefit the Gardens.
  • The traveler left after making the donation.
  • The alien blight later emerged from the Lamordian soil.

Open questions

  • Who was the donor?
  • Did Brambledu or the druids ever know the donor’s name?
  • Was the creature knowingly introduced as a weapon, carrier, or experiment?
  • Is it responsible for the gray corruption or merely connected to it?
  • Were other donated specimens placed elsewhere in the Gardens?

Next steps

  • Ask Brambledu or the janitor for a physical description and the timing of the donation.
  • Search the Gardens’ donation or acquisition records.
  • Examine the heart for clues to the creature’s origin.