Centrum Glacies Druids Interlude Session
Here is an interlude session in my Centrum Glacies. Specifically a Druids Interlude.
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!!!
Zinbella brought Trent back to the Orc town. And not for a casual stroll. Turned out that she needed two more Druids on this little adventure. Though Trent technically outranked the other Elf, years of training under Druidism made him follow her orders as well.
The three Druids followed Zinbella through another one of her strange teleportation spells. Trent felt dizzy each time he had used this power. Perhaps the Psychic Vampire was using some form of astral energy.
When they arrived on the other end, Trent saw the Abyssal Desert. Notably they were near the most dangerous place he had been near. The volcano in the center of this dustbowl and the Cult of Obsidian Base. After telling them that they needed to go inside, Trent saw that Tolith also had reservations.
But how would the Druids get in there? Trent had been told that these were legitimate and active volcanoes. He could feel the heat even here. Independent of deserts own heat that was. Worse, the entire place was guarded by Fire Elementals much larger than normal. And glowing with a dark green flame too.
Entering a Volcano:
But Zinbella had a plan. She through some ability could transform the other two Druids into those same elementals. The Psychic Vampire would then use the two as a shield protecting herself. Naturally the other two had reservations with this plan. But relented realizing that if Zinbella was putting herself in danger, that they might be able to actually trust her.
Zinbella did some of her signature Psychic Magic and just like that, Trent understood how to change into a form of fire that perverted reality. Tolith had already assumed the same form. Trent was glad that the party had never truly fought a full powered Zinbella. It was crazy what she was capable of.
Warning them telepathically that they needed to enter at the crater rather than the main entrance to the Volcano near its base. Doing the opposite she claimed would make the elementals attack. And even all three wouldn’t be able to safely deal with what would happen.
Once they entered the base, it was clear that the Cult of Obsidian had even stronger forces in their bases, than the ones out causing problems in the world. A good thing that the three were blending in. But Zinbella warned that they had to avoid the corner rooms in this square shaped fortress inside the volcano.
If they walked into those rooms, it would alert the countless cult members through the entire Volcano that there were intruders. Fire Elementals normally didn’t come into the base, much less those rooms. Instead she led them through the base and towards a staircase that went even deeper into the earth. Trent grew suspicious that she knew her way around this base at all.
Lava Cave:
Under the base the three found massive caves filled with lava. This was how the Cult of Obsidian moved around the Abyssal Continent. And since there was toxic gas and lava, most of not everything else couldn’t follow them here.
But Trent asked her in this fiery and desolate place what reason they had for coming here. And how it helped his group reach Jak-Rath. Tolith had similar reservations. Apparently they could only remain in this fire form for a little while longer.
Zinbella answered the Druids’ questions soon after. Apparently the Cult of Obsidian used these tunnels to control lava flows between their volcanoes. And currently those flows were all directed at Jak-Rath’s laboratory. Not only would they be able to figure out its location, but this would remove a major obstacle protecting it.
But now that their work was done, they needed to flee. And fast. Apparently the lava shift would cause an earthquake and draw all sorts of attention. They needed to be long gone by then. And that meant they would need to go out the front door and get past all the fire elementals guarding the entrance.
Fleeing:
As the three exited the volcano, their forms started reverting, and the Elementals attacked. They couldn’t fight here. It was too close to the extreme heat. Trent had to drag Tolith away as she ate the majority of the Fire Elementals attacks as the three fled.
To surprise of no one, Zinbella had fled ahead, first and protecting herself above all else. At least she didn’t leave the other two Druids to die. Luckily the Elementals did not chase them far. It seemed that they had been commanded to guard the entrance.
End of An Adventure:
Zinbella took the two back to the Orc City once they had recovered a bit from their little adventure. While there, Trent asked Zinbella how she knew about the bases layout. And surprisingly she had an answer that satisfied him. Since the volcanoes were all artificially made, the bases were all identical. And she added that this wasn’t the first one she had been in.
Once more Trent realized that it was luck that the party had not received her full wrath. They might not have survived. As the Psychic Vampire answered his questions, she smirked and once more promised to leave Trent’s group alone as thanks for assisting her. Still she warned that they shouldn’t trust any Platinum Adventurer. Especially Engelique.
The deadliest Druid Trent had ever met left without another word. He hoped she would keep that promise long enough for them to survive whatever would happen next.
Tolith gave Trent a dagger that would warn him of nearby felfire before she returned to her shop. Warning Trent that his little adventure with Zinbella was only the start of something worse, he needed that dagger to protect himself.
Wrap Up:
Armed with this new tool, Trent sat at the inn wondering when the rest of his friends, and that Dragon that he didn’t fully trust would arrive. They had a battle with Jarrar coming and he needed to be ready.