Centrum Glacies Session 100.5: Crossing the Barrier
Week 100.5 of the Dungeons and Dragons Campaign in Centrum Glacies continues as Jyona reaches the edge of the Unseelie Court. To go beyond involves crossing a barrier.
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, and 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!!!
Klevor asked Jyona if she is sure she wants to strike another deal with Jorogumo. After her last one, she worried that unless she picked her words with care, she risked putting herself into a terrible situation. Instead, learned from her earlier mistakes, she reconsidered the situation and decided against it.
The artificer had been using the Archfey as a crutch for too long. She really wanted to prove her loyalty, and decided to do this task without a crutch. This time Jyona would succeed as herself fully.
For whatever reason, the Klevor’s face twisted into a sinister grin when he heard what she intended to do. The brutal Archfey exchanged some words with her as the two left the cave. He even have a few quips as they traveled through the darkness where the souls of the lost resided. But most of the journey onwards towards the Seelie Court was in silence.
Jyona observed the hungry souls dancing on the edge of the light as they go. But Klevor didn’t seem to notice them as the two passed through without incident. Perhaps to him this place was ordinary, but to Jyona who was not from the Feywild, this area was anything but.
Eventually they left the dark fog and came to a road surrounded by nothing but snow. Klevor told her to go onward alone and to keep to the road. She obeyed, knowing full well that warnings from Archfey were to be taken seriously.
Winter to Fall
As she got closer to the barrier between the two courts, the ground became more and more visible. The snow receded to reveal fall leaves and soil.
Midnight greeted her among the trees, stating this area was under her protection. Jyona couldn’t help but be excited seeing the Archfey and barely concealed it. The feeling was brief however as she took notice that the ground was once extremely fertile. Was being key, because it was clear that it was no longer fertile. Something was corrupting it.
She asked Midnight about the ground and got a history lesson on how the feywild began to disappear. Meteors falling from the sky were to blame. Wherever one struck, the world faded away. The impact itself was just as deadly as what came after.
This information concerned Jyona greatly, but the two had another task at hand. Without the Archfey’s help, Jyona would have trouble making it through this maze of leaves. So Midnight took Jyona’s hand to help lead her through the magical labyrinth of the forest.
Unknown Feelings
This simple contact between the two made the half-elf feel strange inside. A warm feeling she couldn’t quite place. The archfey’s hand in hers was comforting and delightful, yet she couldn’t exactly place why. Whether Midnight took any notice of this, Jyona never knew since she was too lost in her own thoughts trying to figure out her own feelings.
Jyona did notice however that Midnight was quite a bit taller than she was, with very large wings. This was probably the first time she had truly taken in the sight of the fey since she had arrived in the Feywild. An oddity for the artificer considering her previous behavior.
Her eye again caught on the fact the two were holding hands as Midnight lead her along. And again the elf couldn’t place why this pleased her so much.
The Barrier
As they got closer to the barrier Midnight stopped and turned to Jyona. She asked if the Half-Elf was sure she wished to continue with this task. The Archfey stated that this was extremely dangerous and that her mother was being unreasonable in the request. If Jyona wished to turn back, this was her chance. Midnight said she would not hold that choice against her.
In fact, Midnight intended personally talk to Queen Mab to help alleviate any consequences Jyona might face. Specifically if she decided against this plan. A plan that Midnight was making clear she opposed.
Letting out a sigh, Jyona put down her pack and rummaged through. She asked the Archfey if she had eaten recently. Midnight stated that she had. but then her stomach betrayed her lie and grumbled loudly.
Gift of Food
With a rather disapproving look, Jyona pulled out all of her remaining rations. She handed them to the Archfey as an act of complete confidence that she is was going to get them that food. She told Midnight to give that to whichever Fey she saw fit to and to make sure she ate some herself.
The Archfey tried to deny the gift, but Jyona was extremely persistent. The Half-Elf only agreed to take 2 of the rations for herself back. Midnight was worried about her starving without those rations. The Seelie Palace was still more than a day away.
They continued on the final stretch to the barrier. Eventually they came near to it. The ground was unusual, almost cave like. But the sky was visible. This was no cave. Just another strange place in the Feywild.
Gor-Venal
Sonic booms and sounds of dying redcaps could be heard the closer they got to the barrier that divided the two courts. Jyona knew who was fighting nearby. And Midnight did too. The Archfey stated that Jyona was going to have to get past her perceived friend, Gor-Venal, if she was to pass the barrier and the Seelie Court beyond it.
The two discussed and argued lightly about how to solve the situation peacefully. But Midnight pointed out how the redcaps, despite dying, actually enjoy this sort of thing. Klevor did not actually care about his minions getting cut down. He simply was upset about being slighted. The longer Jyona remained in this place the more she understood how much pride drove many of the beings here.
Naturally, the half-elf was conflicted about a potential clash with Gor-Venal, but realized that time was of the essence. She decided to cast invisibility on herself to get by without being noticed. Unfortunately she forgot to take off her scale mail before doing so and made noise while sneaking by.
Gor-Venal noticed the noise and asked who is there. But he was too distracted with the Redcaps to do anything further. And as he slowed down for a moment, more of the hostile Fey pressed in on him. But Jyona didn’t say anything or move to assist him. Not if she wanted to succeed in helping Queen Mab and Midnight.
Jyona instead decided to use her watch to teleport to the barrier. She had already avoided a bad situation. She didn’t want to risk making more noise walking. With one step forward she entered the barrier. As she went through and exits to the other side, she felt overwhelmed by a feeling of warmth.
Wrap Up
Jyona is about to enter the Seelie Court under orders from Queen Mab. But is there a hidden ulterior motive to this mission?