Centrum Glacies 2021 Session 20: Among the Orcs
Week 20 in 2021 of this Dungeons and Dragons Campaign in Centrum Glacies continues as the party stays among the orcs for a bit of rest.
Like my other campaign, I’m turning this one into a book series. However I’m still working on that project. Give it some time.
Anyway, just like my other campaign, there is a whole lot going on and I don’t want to elaborate on every moving piece in the story. You can see the whole thing once the book series starts hitting virtual and real shelves.
!!!Trigger Warning!!!
This story deals with a cruel world with some horrific twists. So far, this campaign has featured: Animals getting killed, Genocide, lots of body horror, evil cults, brainwashing, torture.
Most recently one of the party members had an eye gouged out and lost an arm. Not exactly the way it happens in Berserk, but that might have been the inspiration for it. The group at large is currently succumbing to magical wounds that appear to be turning them into Demons.
!!!Final Trigger Warning!!!
The party finally stepped into Orc Stronghold after fighting through a canyon of Demons and worse. But the didn’t feel safe just yet. The Platinum Adventurers were only one step below Mythril. And one of them lead a Cult that had tried countless times to kill them. Both groups in fact.
Found that it was more border town than some bustling capital. The Orcs didn’t seem to be a trusting lot. And they built their buildings of some unknown material that no one in the group could identify.
This unusual tech naturally attracted Jyona’s attention. The others knew that she needed to be restrained. Persephine a Mythril Adventurer who had already proven stronger than them all had warned against letting things happen like that. She had told Malcolm of dire consequences in fact. Whatever she feared needed to be dealt with.
Malcolm and Trent investigated the shops. It was clear that other powerful warriors with many experiences greater than theirs was hunting them. Maybe the Orcs had some tech they were willing to share.
Shoopkeepers:
They first spoke to a Dwarf. Turned out that the Orcs didn’t run the shops here. They would keep their secrets. Even with Jyona constantly dangling in Faustus’ pet Demon’s mouth.
But he was a Gold Adventurer named Darbag and had more than a little experience making oddities. But pointed out that he was a prisoners of this town since Gold Adventurers could not run around freely. Though he realized that Malcolm had the power to change that. Not that the Paladin trusted it. He still told them about ways he could enchant their weapons and armor.
Enchantments:
He would just need spare parts taken or more likely looted from Cult of Obsidian Members. Trent actually was more considerate of this merchant at the mere mention of killing them.
Next up, the two spoke to a Gnome, Thakani by name who worked with enchantments. She was also a tinkerer. Her specialties lied in jewelry and she even claimed that items that Trent considered remarkable were far too low quality
Jyona got jealous as she was within earshot. But the Demon was linked to a half Demon who was mentally and socially withdrawn at the moment. And Faustus exerted his will directly on the creature. She wasn’t going anywhere. At least not without screaming. Naturally that is the route she chose.
A Sketchy Shopkeeper:
Before they could speak to the other two merchants, Adrene talked some sense into Faustus. He couldn’t just stare into space. And neither could Jyona stay stuck at the main gate. The warlock decided to come with. Though he came alone
The Demon stayed behind and kept Jyona with it. But the Vampire somehow reminded the half demon of another person he currently cared about. Simply dragging him away was something a certain young Dragon would do.
Meanwhile Trent and Malcolm talked to the scummiest human they had ever seen. Everything he said just ooze of con. Especially frightening when he openly told them his wares were powerful but with dangerous and potentially fatal side effects. What sort of compulsive liar openly mentioned that part of his craft?
They didn’t want to learn his name, but the human forced his words into the air, adding waste to them. Vallois. Just the way his name sounded compared to everyone else screamed that he was unique. And with all the other vibes Malcolm was getting from him, the two didn’t stay too long.
Another Druid:
After leaving him rather quickly, the two went to talk to the Elven shopkeer. Immediately she cemented herself as the most trustworthy of the four. The rest all managed to come together at this last location. Faustus even let the Demon bring Jyona along.
Tolith by name, she revealed to Trent that she was a Druid. He had countless things to try and gleam from her. She had a couple questions for him too. All of this was spoken in the unique language that all practitioners of their craft knew. In a way, it was the Humans way of proving he was serious about his abilities.
Jyona too drew her interest. After a couple conversations about the Cult of Obsidian and a base they held not far from here, she told them that she had more information to give to Jyona and Trent. They seemed willing to talk. She seemed the most truth worthy of the non Orcs.
Malcolm however, reminded the group that these four were gold adventurers. They were only slightly less dangerous than Platinum. More importantly, these ones had been selected by the guild to come here. Even if they were trapped here, they knew secrets about the world that it was clear most didn’t.
Yotul:
But they didn’t have a chance to sit on it. They had gone through some dangerous territory on the way here. Now they needed proper rest. When they had first arrived, they had been shown where to find the inn. So the party ducked inside a basement hatch and found a much more accommodating place than they thought.
The group met an Orc named Yotul upon entering inn. She immediately drilled questions into all of them. She was made of tough stuff. At first not much she volunteered was helpful. Just more of the same talk from earlier. But then she dropped a certain name: Urubark. That was a name that they hadn’t heard in a long time. But they remembered and apparently so did his mother. She stood before the party after all.
She ran the town and the inn. And they earned a lecture too. She reminded them that most travelers here were Platinum Adventurers and up meaning they were less impressive than elsewhere. With that out of the way, Yotul gave them some ground rules and explained a few important matters. Namely how much danger they were in by being underequipped and the talk of many Adventurer. And she wasn’t direct. Clearly she feared the guild more than she was letting on.
Choices:
Trent and Malcolm both considered heading out of the encampment. Yotul warned them how stupid that would be. She pointed out that while they might have explored many places, they did not understand how the Abyssal Continent worked. For example, the valley they had passed through recently would be filling up with swarms of the fly plague.
They listened to her warnings. The group didn’t know until that statement that the plague could move at all. Being more sensible than Jyona and Faustus wasn’t an amazing thing to brag about, but it was something at least. They decided to stay the night. After all, Trent had something he could accomplish.
To Sleep:
Faustus didn’t care about much. He was simply happy to rest. Stating that all that mattered was saving Apephe, he went to the nearest room to get some rest. The Warlock didn’t even ask how much it cost. He was too intent on a bed. The others decided to take care of the matter.
As it turned out, she didn’t charge them. It was costly enough just to make the journey. Yotul was just pleased that there were visitors at all. A good thing that she was sounding generous, both Trent and Malcolm feared what might have happened had it not been a free room.
Adrene said she wouldn’t waste the night. As she didn’t need sleep, she volunteered to scout to the north and see what was out there, After all, she pointed out that all the Demons had fled that direction. Clearly there was a reason why.
Vital Conversations:
Trent and Jyona woke up later that evening to speak to Tolith again. They both had reasons to want to talk further with the Elf, but Trent rushed out the door first. He had not spoken to another Druid in a long time. This would be a much needed experience. Plus he had some questions only she could answer right now.
She quickly asked him if he had learned to shapeshift. Turned out that such a skill was more unique to the Elves. This did explain why they hadn’t taught him directly. And why that book was so important. Maybe he shouldn’t have told the other Druid about it? Well he couldn’t share those secrets with anyone else. It was a bit of relief to finally ask another Druid what they would do in his situation.
A Reason to Kill:
She said that it was obvious what needed to be done. Kill them and take the book back. It seemed pretty obvious in hindsight. Those were Druid secrets. Meanwhile, those secrets were now held but defilers of the world. Willingly she would give information if he would fix this issue immediatly.
She told the two about a base not far from their current location. It was filled with recruits to the Cult. The party would have no trouble fighting them at all. But she did an important warning to them both. They needed to stay on the lower levels of the base. Go too high up and they would attract attention too dangerous.
Trent mentioned that they were Platinum Adventurers with one of the Mythrils among them. Tolith wasn’t impressed. Even if they were strong. There were too many dangerous people nearby. Other Adventurer’s would prey on them in a weakened state if given the opportunity. Which is why she told them of some items that she could use to help them out.
Wrap Up:
Before they left, she gave Jyona one final warning. Her human heritage would hold her back. She needed to spend some time with her true people if she wanted to properly understand the world. Not sure how to respond, and with Trent more fixated on the book, the two returned to the inn to get some proper rest.
The party feels safe in this Orc Border Town. But not safe enough to ask what the name of the place is. Oh well, maybe they will wizen up next time. Things might be at rest now, but things will be tense soon enough.