Jocelyn's Vignette

[HorizonsDream]

"I wouldn't ask for money, especially since I know a little bit of what he went through," Jocelyn said. "It would be good for him, probably, just to get out. Maybe I can even help him get a little reacquainted with the town."

[JadedDM]

"Oh," Sigrid says, brightening. "Well, alright then! I'll send him over tomorrow then. Maybe you can put all those hussies to work that follow after him, too."

Sure enough, Andar arrived the next day for therapy, and as Sigrid predicted, his following came with him. Having all those women hanging around the temple, with nothing to do, it was easy enough to persuade them to help out now and again while they waited for Andar's sessions to end.

Once word got around that Jocelyn offered free therapy, others started showing up, too. Turns out there's quite a few people who could just use someone to listen to their problems.

==========

End Scenario

Budget: Increased (+2 points)

Before proceeding, you'll need to decide where you want to add the points to:

Defense - 1
Decor - 2 (+1)
Hospital - 2
Morale - 3
Charity - 1
Holidays - 0 (+1)

[JadedDM]

Onix 20, 312 (1:00 PM)
Over a month has passed, the weather has become colder (although it never gets too cold here in the tropics).

The temple is a lot cleaner and nicer looking, thanks to all of the 'volunteers' that follow Andar to his sessions each day. This frees up Ursula and Jocelyn for other more important tasks, such as the therapy sessions they have been giving to the locals.

Andar visits once a week now, but so far not much progress has been made.

The main issue at the moment is that the Yule holiday is just a couple of days away, and there's almost no budget for it at all.

"We haven't had a proper Yule celebration since Pastor Richard died," Ursula explains. "A big one now could really help boost morale."

"There's just no budget for it," Linwood argues. "I'm sorry, I've gone over the numbers many times. At best, you can afford maybe a small party, and serve some of the kitchen food, but that's about it."

[HorizonsDream]

"I could give some of my own money to throw a bigger celebration," Jocelyn offers.

[JadedDM]

"Are you sure?" Ursula asks, surprised.

"Even if you do, there's the question of how to spend it. What kind of celebration do you want to do?" asks Linwood.

[HorizonsDream]

"Celebrations make people happy, so I'm sure," Jocelyn says. "So it should be a big one. How much money would you need to throw a decent celebration?"

[JadedDM]

"Again, it depends on what you have in mind," Linwood says.

"How did your family celebrate back where you come from?" asks Ursula.

[HorizonsDream]

"I was thinking two hundred gold," Jocelyn says to Linwood before she turns to her ward. "My family didn't celebrate holidays, at least from what I can remember of my mom. We were too busy trying to survive Draska. After she died, I became an orphan, and the orphanage was more about making money than celebrating holidays."

[JadedDM]

"With two hundred gold, we could do quite a lot," Linwood says. "Just about anything, really. Who do you want to coordinate it?"

[HorizonsDream]

"Who is good at throwing celebrations?" Jocelyn asks curiously. "Obviously, I wouldn't be the best person. I want this to look good. Not something that was thrown together in haste."

[JadedDM]

"I suppose you might find a volunteer or just pay someone else to do it," Linwood says.

"Or ones of us," Ursula suggests. "I do know the town better."

"And I know how to handle a budget without going over," Linwood adds.

[HorizonsDream]

"Ursula, I'll leave it up to you," Jocelyn says. "Just keep me in the loop, as I want to be apart of it."

[JadedDM]

Ursula puts on one hell of a show. It's quite expensive, though; the acolyte nearly spends the entire 200 that Jocelyn put up. Still, nearly the whole village turns up and celebrates and a good time is had by all. A large tree is set up and decorated, small presents are given to all of the children who show up, and a magnificent feast is whipped up.

It puts the people in such good spirits that membership, and thus donations, increase considerably.

==========

End Scenario

Jocelyn spends 150 GP.

Budget: Increased (+2 points)

Before proceeding, you'll need to decide where you want to add the points to:

Defense - 1
Decor - 3
Hospital - 2 (+1)
Morale - 3
Charity - 1 (+1)
Holidays - 1

[JadedDM]

Bludsin 14, 312 (11:00 AM)

Two months later, and things are looking up. Jocelyn has expanded the healing ward of the temple, and upgraded the equipment there. And she now has the money to help make up for the fact that the temple basically gives therapy for free.

Andar has made a bit of progress now, after four months of therapy. He no longer shrinks away or recoils in horror when speaking to women, but he's clearly still unable to connect with them in anything more than a superficial way.

It's also the Starlight Night tonight; an evening dedicated to romance and love. The kind of day where single people, like Jocelyn, tend to feel left out.

But that morning, someone comes to visit her, and it's none other than Skye again. "Oh, Pastor," she bemoans. "I need your help. I'm in love, and I don't know what to do! How can I make Andar love me back?" she asks, her makeup all smeared from crying.

[HorizonsDream]

~She wants me to tell her how to make Andar love her when I can't even get a man to love me?~ Jocelyn thinks to herself as she avoids the temptation to smack the girl over the head. Instead, she grabs a handkerchief and hands it over to the girl. "Andar is a going to be a hard man to win over," she explains. "He has been through a lot, and he isn't really comfortable around women," she explains. "Why are you crying?"