Centrum Glacies Session 48: Muddied Waters
Week 48 in 2022 of this Dungeons and Dragons Campaign in Centrum Glacies continues with muddied waters. Their list of issues to resolve only grows greater.
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 recently was incinerated in lava. But rather than die, they have been transformed into Demons. And every moment they have to resist a bloodlust that is trying to take hold.
!!!Final Trigger Warning!!!
Jyona rushed towards the orphanage on the other side of Zrin’s lower city. The rest of the party minus Teztcal followed quickly behind. None of them knew what they might find away from the Demon Quarter. And they got plenty of passing glares from the Zrin Guards as they moved past the merchant quarter and towards the orphanage itself.
When they entered, Malcolm searched for the matron who ran the place. Trent followed close behind Meanwhile Jyona entered and started banging on doors. All three of them noticed an out of place band of guards blocking access to a hallway that looked nothing like the rest of the building.
Malcom heard a conversation on the other end of the orphanage. He overhears her being extorted by by a Dwarf with the Zrin Guards. Something about a cure for a sickness afflicting one of the children in exchange for favors. The Paladin didn’t like the word choice of this conversation. Especially given what he had already seen from these guards.
Double Dealing
After the Dwarf left, Malcolm approached the Matron. She introduced herself as Anithren and told them the Dwarf’s name: Simon Rakshasa. Given the way last names are granted on the Abyssal Continent, the Mythril Adventurer already knew this Dwarf was dangerous. And not just because one of his companions happened to be this very type of Demon.
She had something on her mind and looked to be in a panic when Malcolm asked the Matron about a young blue Dragon. Though she calmed down a bit when Malcolm mentioned they were looking for a girl dragon. And the name Apephe didn’t ring a bell at all.
But while she was no longer panicked at least, Anithren had something she needed to ask of the two. And she needed to speak in private. The two already knew there were guards watching this place. And it was becoming increasingly clear that the Zrin soldiers could not be trusted.
Victims
What she told the two only created muddied waters. There was a lot going on here. Notably, there was a blue dragon child locked away in a small room in the corner of the orphanage. And based on his behaviors and symptoms, it was clear he was a Vampire.
A good thing that the woman’s room was warded against listeners. Many in the city likely would have reacted negatively to a Vampire in their midst. Especially an orphaned child. But Simon claimed that he could cure the boy. But only if she did as he asked. Malcolm inquired what that meant. And the answer disturbed him.
Anithren was once an orphan herself. And had sold her body as a prostitute to make ends meet. A job she still made use of to protect the children here. But it was clear that Simon was taking advantage of her. Something Trent pointed out.
But what could she do? This orphanage was within Zrin. A place that Simon had some power over given his position in the guards. And even as high ranking adventurers, the party was reluctant to start any fights.
To Aid a Vampire
While the other two talked to Anithren, Jyona remained outside, depressed that she could not find Apephe. And while she was distracted, Teztcal arrived, having managed to find the orphanage by asking around the lower city. Growing bored, the Dragon turned Demon started poking her. But Jyona was so focused that she didn’t even notice.
Back in the warded room, Anithren finally got around to asking the two their names. But neither Trent or Malcolm gave her their real ones. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust the matron. They actually wanted to protect her from what might happen if she was connected to a Mythril Adventurer.
Trent used the name “James” and Malcolm, who didn’t come up with a different name as fast, simply used “Mal”. They hoped that this simple lie would protect Anithren and the children here from future tragedy. After they told these fake names, she begged the two to find a cure for the poor Blue Dragon. She would let them meet him later, but first for his safety, she requested the two find information on curing his illness.
While the two tried to figure out a way to break it to her that there was probably no way to cure the boy’s curse, Malcolm noticed another mark of a different curse on the woman’s neck. Although he didn’t quite know what it was, Trent recognized it immediately. The timer might have been stopped, but there was no mistaking that life drain curse that Engelique employed.
Curses
Jyona not being part of the conversation only muddied waters further because she could have put the matron at ease. Instead, Malcolm pointed out that she had been cursed. And that only left Anithren feeling more hopeless than before. But she put on a strong front. It was clear that this Elf had lived a rough life.
Malcom withheld all the information from the conversation with Anithren from Teztcal and Jyona.. Instead he steered the group back on course with the original task they had been assigned before they took that detour. It was time to leave the city by the east gate and head back into the Jungle of Giants. The group had a love letter to deliver.
The Eastern Jungle
Once the party was outside the city, they asked the Light of the Abyss Soldiers at the watchtowers dotting the road where the lake was. Following the road would lead them there was it turned out. And at another watchtower at a 4 way crossroad, the soldiers stationed warned not to go much further east.
Apparently the Circle of Cleansing was doing some Druid related work. And the group had been warned that the Druids would attack any Demon, including Platinum Adventurers. But that was fine. They had a task to reach the lake.
As they approached that lake though, the soldiers at that guard tower called out to them. The tower watching the lake was empty, and the soldiers had not returned. Fearing the worst, The Light of the Abyss Troops asked if the party would be willing to investigate what had happened.
Mystery of the Lake
Malcolm asked if anything happened in the area recently. And got an answer that provided an important hint. There had been a massive earthquake that caused water from the nearby river to start flowing into the lake.
And the river happened to be the same one that further south was filled with holy energy. Putting some clues together, the group had a suspicion that this single event might have served as a dangerous catalyst. Especially given the guards reported that some Merfolk lived in the lake. Peaceful beings who even helped the soldiers and provided them food. Muddied waters only briefly described this situation.
Upon arriving, Trent’s demon form started corrupting the water. Malcolm and Jyona looked around and saw the nearby Light of the Abyss camp completely deserted. There was no sign of any conflict. Instead it looked like the soldiers got up and left. Footprints all moved towards the lake.
Malcolm came to a horrible realization as Teztcal touched the water. Not only did he get burned by holy residue from the river, but his mistake triggered something even worse. And the Mythril adventurer heard danger from underwater moments before the rest of the party was forced to deal with it.
Deadly Song
A siren’s song began to surface. Trent became entranced by it and slowly walked towards the water. It took the combined force of Malcom and Teztcal to pull him away. And the Druid was uncharacteristically aggressive.
It was clear that not only could they not enter the water in their Demon forms, but that something had happened to the Merfolk below. With these conditions, the party could not deliver the love letter. The best they could do now would be report their findings both to the Light of Abyss Garrison as well as well as Maerwynn back in Zrin.
Away from the lake, the party confirmed with the guards at the crossroads tower that the water from the river had a hand in what was happening there. But when told about the magical song, the soldiers didn’t know how to react. The Merfolk had always been allies of the Light of the Abyss. They were not convinced that the troops from the camp were all dead.
But whatever the case, due to the missing troops, the ones stationed at the other towers were unable to leave their posts. Since it would be some time before reinforcements would arrive, they needed more rations.
So the soldiers gave some money to the party and asked for them to buy those rations for them. A good thing that Malcolm and Trent were not the thieving type. They asked where these rations could be bought in Zrin. Turned out they could get them from the very shop that Teztcal had gone to during their prior visit.
Back in Zrin
Trent and Teztcal went to shop for supplies. Things went better this time around since Trent knew how to properly buy items. In fact when he told Trinooa, the shopkeeper in question who the rations were for, she cut the price in half. Seemed that unlike the Zrin Guards, most people respected the Light of the Abyss.
Malcom spoke with Demon Orphanage Matron while Jyona tagged along. And during their conversation they learned some important truths. Maerwynn was in love with one of the Mermaids in the lake. And she stated again and again that none of the Merfolk would intentionally harm anyone. Something terrible must have happened there.
Originally, she had intended to use the letter delivery as a secret test before she revealed to the party how to turn back to normal, but now that wasn’t possible. Instead, she asked Malcolm to talk to her telepathically, for the sake of secrecy.
She told him where the party needed to go and a password to provide that would get them into a hidden town. Once they reached it, they would finally learn how to revert back to normal. If the other Demons learned about this other place, it might cause a riot or worse.
As they prepared to head back to the Eastern Jungle, Maerwynn warned the party that this other Demon town wasn’t exactly the safest place. Hence why adventurers could go, but the average person could not.
Wrap Up
The party still has a lot of muddy waters to cleanse. And getting their original forms back only helps solve one issue of many. But they are one step closer to solving the problems in Zrin and beyond.