Centrum Glacies 2023 Session 46: A New Foe
Week 46 in 2022 of this Dungeons and Dragons Campaign in Centrum Glacies continues with the party realizing that they had fought against a new foe.
Like my other campaign, I’m turning this one into a book series. You can check out the first one here.
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 in the book series.
!!!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!!!
Teztcal as a Demon was able to fly above all the wolves and werewolves prowling the forest below. He used this advantage to not only talk shit to those stuck on the ground, but to also slaughter them easily with fire. He even aimed for the trees a couple times, not caring about preserving the forest at all.
Meanwhile, after mentally resisting for so long, Jyona fully got caught up in Demonic bloodlust. Which compelled her to grab one wolf like a club and use it to try bludgeoning the others to death. Something that she was able to do specifically because her current nature let her completely ignore the wolves who had surrounded her completely.
With significantly more durability than before, the Wolves couldn’t even hurt her much less slow her down. Not that they didn’t try, but their teeth couldn’t even pierce her demonically infused skin. Unfortunately for Jyona, she was also fumbling around. Her current form was not suited for such combat.
To a group transformed into actual Demons, wolves and even werewolves were nothing. Not a threat, not even a speedbump. Just corpses that still moved. Naturally this wasn’t even taking into account that this party was composed of two Platinum Adventurers, a Mythril ranked one, and a deluded Dragon. It was almost cruelty level.
With the monsters defeated and no sign of any other enemies, the party returned to camp to see how they would be compensated. Assuming they even would of course. Lots of people had made such promises and not delivered.
Mischief Failed:
When the party returned, the group noticed that all the guards were glaring at Teztcal. But as far as the group knew, he hadn’t done anything wrong this time. Unless he had of course. What had happened?
Well the group found out a moment later. Turned out that the idiot Dragon had tried to sow some paranoia among the Light of the Abyss Troops. But as they lived in a place where telepathy was everywhere, each soldier possessed an amulet that not only warned them of telepathic intrusions, but also the source of them.
Janshai Dretch wanted to speak with Malcom after nightfall. Apparently the werewolves had been their target, but the other monsters in the jungle that had attacked them had been due to a new enemy. And whoever this enemy might be, the Commander was worried about them listening to this conversation.
So while Teztcal and Jyona went and did their own thing around the camp, Malcolm, and Trent who had overheard this conversation, waited until the sun set. They didn’t need to wait long. Their adventure in the jungle had wasted most of the afternoon after all.
Fanatic Druids:
Janshai revealed in a hushed voice that the sentient trees were likely summoned by a group known as the Circle of Cleansing. They were a group of Druids that attacked anything unnatural with violent vigor. Even the soldiers tread carefully around them.
Ironically they shared most of Trent’s views. And this only solidified his despair. Even those who shared his views saw him as an enemy. The Commander continued explaining these how these Druids operated, with a warning that they could not be reasoned with if confronted.
For that reason, the group next elected to get out of the Jungle and head towards civilization. After learning that their Demon forms would not have them stick out as much as they feared, the party had a destination in mind.
Not too far north of here sat the former capital city of the Abyssal Continent. Called Zrin by the locals, Janshai told them to make for the refugee district to find someone who would know how to help them return to normal. He also told them that another commander stationed there would be able to pay them for their aid in the jungle.
Wrap Up:
Finally having an idea of where to go next, the party makes for Zrin. But what will they find when they get there? And will they be able to change back to their former forms?