Perūn's Golden Apples

Perūn's Golden Apples

Though Perūn worship may be relatively new to Gray Realm, there are several shrines to the old Thunder King dotting the highlands, and it is here that his Golden Apples are grown. Though gardening may seem a strange practice for the priests and clerics of a warrior deity to the uninitiated, any Bard worth his Lute Strings knows that in these parts the Golden Apple is a symbol of destruction, especially of an apocalyptic variety. Those carried by Perūn himself are said to be so powerful that with a toss in the air they would call down a wrathful maelstrom that would burn the world over, but the variety grown in the shrines is a mere fraction of this power, a gift from the Master to his Servants to protect them from danger. Apples are given to Clerics and Paladins upon completion of their studies and training, and before they leave the shrine to travel the land. The apples are considered a most precious boon and a symbol of dignity and honor amongst worshippers, and therefore the price for stealing an apple is death...

Attributes:

Despite their simple appearance, the apples are capable of a myriad of fantastic actions. Simply traveling with the apple on one's person is quite beneficial in and of itself, as the apples are said to protect their holder from bad luck, fell magicks, and (of course) damage from lightening. Also if the apple is thrown high into the air, it will summon a mighty lightning bolt to strike the throwers enemies asunder. However, the apple will be lost in the process, as Perūn will accept the apple as a sacrifice or offering. Eating the apple will heal its consumer of all ills and even bolster their strength on the field of battle, but those that eat them should take special care to save the seeds. For, if planted, a tree will grow from the spot over night, granting many beneficial wards to those under its branches. The tree will sprout leaves of a lovely orange ochre, but it takes certain magical and botanical knowledge to cultivate more of the enchanted apples.

Stats:

Wards: when held the apple grants its holder +2 to WIS checks against arcane and illusory spells. It also halves damage from lightning or lightning based magic, and grants the holder a natural +1 to AC. These effects dissipate after the holder consumes or throws the Apple.

Consumption: eating a Golden Apple heals the consumer for 1d8+2 health points, cures them of all diseases and poisons, and grants them +2 to attack and to damage for 1d4+CHA bonus rounds

Lightning: throwing a Golden Apple into the air will call down a lightning strike that acts as Chain Lightening, wherein the bolt will strike a primary target dealing 1d6xCaster's Level damage, and will then arc to strike as many secondary targets within fifty feet as the Caster's Level for half of the damage dealt to the primary target

Divine Tree/Circle of Protection: in 24 hours of planting the seeds of a Golden Apple, a mighty tree will grow from the spot standing thirty to forty feet, with branches extending forty feet from its trunk. All party members standing under the tree's shade (ie within a twenty foot radius from the trunk) will receive the same wards that holding an apple would grant, along with casting Bless (+1 to hit, +1 against Fear) and will heal the party for 1d4+1 health points every three combat rounds. Creatures and opponents of any evil alignment cannot enter the circle, though they are still capable of firing arrows and long range spells within the ring. If the spell Unhallow is cast on the tree it's leaves will become dark purple or black and all wards and beneficial spells will be inverted, but the tree will whither and die after twenty four hours unless hallowed again within that time.