Centrum Glacies Session 80: Deal with Druids
Week 80 Dungeons and Dragons Campaign in Centrum Glacies continues with the party trapped in a dangerous jungle. The party makes a deal with dangerous Druids.
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, psychological warfare, child abuse, slavery.
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 was incinerated in lava. But rather than die, they were transformed into Demons. They might be free from these transformations for now, but only time will tell what this means for them.
!!!Final Trigger Warning!!!
Teztcal thanks to his almost uncanny ability to be unable to read any room, began accusing The Druids of Cleansing of being accomplices of the Cult of Obsidian. This of course not only ignored a lot of logic, but also the fact that the Cult of Obsidian members the party had fought recently tried to kill the Druids. Luckily, the Druids promptly ignored him and focused on the rest of the group, specifically Trent.
Having cleared the way to them, the Druids pointed the party towards where their main enclave sat. And more importantly, a means for Trent to finally regain his Druids powers. Something he thought about constantly as the group passed through that second section of the Cursed Jungle and proceeded as instructed.
The Enclave
A large glow unlike the coldlights marked their destination. And as soon as they passed through a magic barrier unharmed, the Druids on the other side who had prepared to attack, took a more relaxed stance. Turned out that the barrier would have killed them if they had been with the Cult of Obsidian or cursed creatures of the Jungle.
Instead the Druids of Cleansing asked the party how they had cleared the way and what had happened to their allies closer to the outside. After a hurried explanation, and Teztcal going into his usual ravings, the group asked how they could assist in fixing the problems all around them. And their answer was at the other side of the enclave.
Rothomir
The party introduced themselves to Rothomir, The Archdruid of this Enclave. Hoping that this meeting wouldn’t fall into a battle manipulated by outside forces, the group tried talking things out. Luckily, Trent knew that this Elf was far more reasonable than the one they had slain. His eyes were focused on cleansing the forest. And Rothomir understood that Zinbella had set up prior events to play out how they did.
Finally finding a chance to truly rest without fear of being attacked, the group made use of some deserved downtime. Obrom decided to play a couple songs to entertain the enclave. And especially here in this dark forest, where music had not been properly heard in a long time, he got a full audience quickly.
Jyona talked to Rothomir after the others had walked away. She needed a sending stone for one of her projects. The Archdruid explained that the strange magic here prevents them from using a sending stone to call for help. But she corrected him and pointed out that she had a different purpose in mind for the item. He sighed and granted her request.
Teztcal being… himself was convinced that the Druids harbored malicious intent. And so he summoned the crows to ask their opinion on the matter. Naturally they called him a fool for asking if the “deer were spies”. And not only because the crows had once served the very Druids he was asking about.
He was not ignored in his actions. Naturally the Druids of the Cleansing were still Druids even if their methods were extreme. And they watched warily as Teztcal tormented the crows.
Trent’s Task
With the rest of the party finally distracted by other means, Trent finally got his chance to discuss Druids matters with Rothomir. He asked the Archdruid about the threats in the forest and what might be controlling them. Both agreed that it was obvious something was guiding the monsters in an organized manner.
Rothomir explained that the Druids had come to this section of the Jungle of Giants to clear out a mass overgrowth of trees. Mostly invasive species that did not belong in this region. But as standard methods had not worked in clearing it out, the Druids had decided to use a controlled burn instead. Something that both knew would not only remove the invasive species, but allow for new life to flourish.
Except it hadn’t. Instead the fires had mutated the entire region into the nightmarish realm it was now. And neither thought the fact that the Cult of Obsidian was here in wait was a coincidence. They clearly had a hand in whatever had happened here.
Threat of Infiltration
Trent also had dire news for Rothomir. And he was worried at how quiet the rest of his allies had been about it. Save Teztcal of course. But they all ignored him. The former Druid warned the Archdruid about the Cult of Obsidian Members that had infiltrated the circle.
Rothomir agreed that this was a dire problem, but there was no threat of those sleeper agents lurking here. He mentioned the barrier specifically as a means to keep them away. It was a magical shield that activated against malevolent intents towards the entire world.
Those who wished such harm were incinerated by the barrier. Especially people like the Cult of Obsidian member’s who’s hatred had burned that concept into their every being. The fact that Teztcal and Obrom were both her and unharmed meant that neither of them were in the Cult. Teztcal was still an insane Dragon though.
Missing Archdruid
There was another issue that Rothomir worried about. And as the words struck Trent, he become equally disturbed. Rothomir had been the second in command of this circle. The original Archdruid of this part of the Jungle had gone missing some time ago. Before the forest had gone dark in fact.
Given the Cult’s involvement in this crisis, the two were convinced that the Archdruids’ disappearance had to be connected to this larger problem. In fact, Trent thought the cult may have used the Archdruids in some sinister way to create this corrupted jungle.
There was one last thing that Rothomir wanted to discuss with Trent. But he first needed to go deeper into the Jungle. It would be more relevant after they saw what the Archdruid claimed would be their nastiest fight here yet. He feared that the source of the corruption would be nearby and thus the Cult of Obsidian’s nastiest level of resistance.
As the group set off towards their next fight in the Jungle, the Druids reminded them that they had a safe heaven behind if they needed to retreat and lick their wounds. It was clear that the Cult of Obsidian would be on high alert now. They couldn’t afford to be reckless.
Cursed Swamp
Once the group arrived at their destination, they knew things were about to be much worse. The Jungle had new features, and one that tugged that their noses with a fetid smell. They had found a swamp. And given how hostile everything else here was, they already knew that they had no business touching the water.
Instead, the party carefully made their way to the closest coldlight source, watching their feet to avoid the water. Unfortunately, they didn’t notice a different threat on land. Some of the shrubs were alive. And unfortunately, as Obrom had taken the lead, he was engulfed by a Shambling Mound.
As the fight continued, several more showed up. And the group fought against them, even as Obrom remained trapped within the first that had attacked. The party knew not to use fire by now, and with a combination of cold and holy attacks, they extinguished the monstrous affronts to nature.
More Undead
Jyona was worried that the group was running out of time. But she most of all, as she had temporarily accelerated time for herself and allies to give them a better fighting chance. But there was a cost to this spell as she froze in time for a bit as a countermagic took hold. Her final words were that she would cast a spell to let them walk harmlessly over the swamp water.
While she was frozen in time, more monsters emerged from the water. Tons more zombies, infected by the fungal spores in the air, and now empowered by the swamps too. Horribly enough, these Zombies were fallen Light of the Abyss Soldiers. The knights still had their armor on in fact. But worse was the Mages. They were still able to use some magic despite their cursed forms.
Jyona was out of commission, but her golem, once more repaired was not. It waded into the swamp to try and kill the Undead before they got too close. And unfortunately it discovered that unlike the air, the water itself was harmful. The very water started rotting the metal away.
Wrap Up
Zombies of fallen allies are starting to hound their steps, and the party still doesn’t know what evil at at the heart of this cursed jungle. Things are only growing bleaker as this quest continues.