House of Plenty

The House of Plenty is a temple of Chauntea in Shadowdale. This is known by the locals as The Garden for its encircling structure of ordered vegetable patches and orchards.

The Temple of Chauntea was founded in Shadowdale immediately following the Time of Troubles. It originally operated out of Beregon Hillstar's barn for its early services but soon gained sufficient support (and money) to build its own temple complex.

The Temple is built on an area known earlier as the Bog. It was always a swampy marsh, and several buildings erected in its confines fell quickly into ruins. The last major structure on the site was a manor house built by Jyordhan for his lieutenants (agents of Zhentil Keep, including Lyran the Pretender). When Castle Krag fell, the manor house was burned to the ground as well, and its foundations were gone within two winters.

With the aid of the Circle, from Druid's Grove (who have since moved on), the followers of Chauntea drained most of the bog and stopped the natural spring beneath it. They also destroyed a number of undead creatures who had made the wreckage their home. They erected a low temple surrounded by columns in the same manner as the menhirs that occupy the Grove. Services are held outdoors in a comfortable amphitheater, rain or shine. Given the agrarian nature of the community, Chauntea is a very popular goddess.

The grounds of the House of Plenty are made up of the Gardens, a well-ordered area of vegetable and flower gardens, including topiaries (sculpted trees), a small orchard, and a garden maze. Here most of the lay followers and priests work during the day. Not only do they raise enough food to feed themselves and many of their neighbors, but they also experiment with new breeds of plants which can withstand the cold Dalelands winters.

The leader of the Chaunteans in Shadowdale is High Harvestmistress Glamerie Windbough, a calm, introspective woman who sees all things as passing in cycles, like the seasons of the year. She is capable of raising the dead, but unwilling to do so in most cases, as death brings life, just as the dead plants may be composted and used to nurture new growth. Adventurers with dead companions may not be willing to listen to gardening advice, so they often go elsewhere for healing, unless the party has been in the service of protecting Shadowdale and the surrounding forests.

Harvestmistress Windbough has two assistants and fourteen other priests. In addition, there are thirty-six women and men who service as lay followers and help in the garden. Most of these are refugees from other parts of the Dales who were uprooted by the Time of Troubles.

Inhabitants

 * High Harvestmistress Glamerie Windbough