Centrum Glacies Session 99: Centaur Plight
Week 99 Dungeons and Dragons Campaign in Centrum Glacies continues as the party is pulled into a Centaur plight.
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!!!
After fighting the Centaur and the palm tree Treants, the party Teztcal included returned to where they had sat on the path. They hoped that doing so would prevent the Archfey from growing upset with them. But that wasn’t the case as the Fey returned and asked why Teztcal thought it was wise to attack the Centaur.
Teztcal tried to claim it was self defense. That the Centaur had attacked him. Yet the Archfey pointed out what both the rest of the party and the Centaur themselves had said. That the Dragon had insulted them. And repeatedly at that.
Yet the Dragon didn’t see how he had insulted the Centaur. In fact his words only insulted the Archfey who was baffled that he held so strongly to this idea.
“Is this what being polite is like on your world?” The Archfey asked. Trent and Obrom of course pointed out that Teztcal was far from polite on their world. And that his behavior was unacceptable there and here.
Trick Revealed
The Archfey stated that everything that had happened including him leaving and the Centaur appearing was a test. Specifically a test to see if they would be allowed to meet with Queen Titania of the Seelie Court. A test that they had failed.
The Archfey admitted that he was fond of trickery, but what Teztcal had done was far from that. In fact, he finally gave his name: Puck the Archfey of Trickery itself.
Puck then went on to explain to Teztcal that he had to follow their rules while in their world. Doing the opposite would be more than a simple hinderance. It could prove fatal to all three. And they were already on a clock since Midnight’s curse prevented them from sleeping.
Teztcal was ignoring all the hints and recommendations. Instead he dug his heels in and debated with Puck. A good thing that the Archfey was more patient than he had any right to be.
A Solution
But his patience was starting to wear thin. Instead of talking to the Dragon further, He turned to Trent and Obrom. He recommended that they do the talking in the future instead of Teztcal. And not just while in the Feywild.
Puck then vanished, but not before leaving an important clue. “Follow the centaur if you wish to make things right.” It was clear that unless they solved the mistake they made that Queen Titania would not allow them to meet with her.
Trent played into Teztcal’s delusions to try to get him to listen. Clearly this was the best way to get the Dragon to do the right thing. And they needed to hurry. Daylight was burning and they would soon feel the effects of the curse.
The party followed the Centaur tracks. It wasn’t hard to follow the hoofprints in the desert sand. And the Centaur hadn’t exactly hid where they had fled.
Dealing with the Centaur
They did not find a warm reception waiting. Instead the party found a heavily guarded fortress with countless Centaur as guards. And each one trained their bow on Teztcal. One soldier approached the group showing that he meant to speak to them.
Trent and Obrom said that they were here to apologize and set things right. But the Centaur didn’t let them finish. Instead he cut Obrom off mid-explanation and commanded them to speak to their leader.
They were ordered to put their weapons at the bridge. An obvious command and one that the group had no issues obeying. However, the Centaur also demanded that the dragon revert to human form.
Teztcal had been told not to talk, so with angry silence, refused to respond. And he didn’t transform back. The Centaur said that they would not attack him, even though they had lost soldiers to his Dragon breath. But he would not be allowed inside unless he complied.
Obrom and Trent were allowed to enter the Centaur fortress but had to leave their weapons and armor at the main entrance. The Centaurs stated that they would be given their things back when they return to leave. So long as they didn’t commit any crimes while here of course.
Trent bowed to the centaur leader upon being introduced. And the group didn’t waste words. Obrom stated that he was here to apologize on Teztcal’s behalf.
The Centaur leader in turn apologized for his soldier’s aggression. He admitted that his soldier’s actions were in part because he was distraught over his son. A younger Centaur was laying in a nearby bed. And he was locked in a sleep from pissing off an Archfey. Essentially the complete opposite curse from what the party now dealt with.
Chance at Redemption
The Centaur leader informed the two that they would be granted a chance to redeem themselves if they accepted a mission from them. And doing so would allow them to meet with Queen Titania.
Trent told the Centaur Chief that he was willing to help them regardless. And he informed him that he and Teztcal had run into a hostile Archfey which had cursed them. Understanding how tough it was watching a loved one slowly die, he declared that they would gladly help.
Obrom asked for an explanation between the Seelie and Unseelie. He was tired of exploring the Feywild blind. The Centaur Leader explained the differences between the two courts. Notably the Seele Court represented spring, summer, and life. Meanwhile the Unseelie Court represented fall, winter, and death.
As the conversation continued, the Centaur Chief warned them that it wasn’t just any Fey that had harmed his son. The reason that Queen Titania was involved was because it was her own daughter that was responsible.
Another Conflict
Understanding the risks and danger did not deter Obrom and Trent. They offered to help the Centaurs. The Centaur chief had one other request though. He begged the group to tell Teztcal to stop with the insults. Especially the neighing noises. It was an insult that made the Centaur angry in ways he didn’t know how to describe.
He then asked the two adventurers why they let Teztcal travel with them at all. Clearly he was making their lives harder. They explained to him that Teztcal was a powerful fighter and that they depended on his skills. The Centaur Chief mentioned that he had soldiers like that. They were kept in cages until needed on the battlefield.
With that agreement finished, Puck appeared once more and revealed that he had been watching. It was time for him to take the party to Queen Titania. Puck flew over to Teztcal and warned him that upsetting the Queen would be fatal. It would be in his best interest to remain silent when they met her.
He flew back to the other two and also warned them that confronting Violet would be dangerous. She was comparable in strength to Midnight and the group had a curse to remind them constantly of how that encounter had gone.
Path to the Spring Palace
The party left the Centaur fortress collecting their things and Teztcal on the way out. Puck led them back through the summer desert and back to the fields of spring where they had first entered the Feywild. Every single step of this journey had been a test thus far.
After even more walking, the group finally reached the outskirts of the Spring Palace. Puck asked them how the palace looked from a distance.
Trent stated that he found it impressive. To which Puck smiled and replied: Right answer
He then nullified their voices from carrying with a spell. Now that no one could hear their responses, he asked them a second time. But Trent a second time responded that the castle was grand.
Puck seemed disappointed that Trent hadn’t seen many castles if he found this one magnificent. The Seelie Court was not creative when it came to these sorts of things. “The Unseelie one is much ‘cooler’ ” Puck claimed. Naturally they would have to deal with dangerous Fae to see it.
Queen Titania
As they entered the spring palace, Puck went through a magically protected door to speak with the Queen. The party could not just waltz in there after all. He needed to check to see if she was ready to receive them.
He returned soon after inform them that Queen Titania was ready to speak to them. And so they went through the enchanted door and entered the royal chamber.
Queen Titania introduced herself and King Oberon. She knew the party already and had no need to ask for their names. She mentioned Jyona almost right away and informed them that she was within the Unseelie Court. Their worst fears were realized.
She asked them why they had come here. And Trent explained all three reasons. They needed the Dream Flower. They needed to meet up with Gor-Venal, a Platinum Adventurer and rescue Jyona. And once in the Unseelie Court, they wanted to know why they were stealing food.
The Queen addressed Teztcal directly. He was quiet at first due to being commanded into silence. But she demanded she speak and he wisely answered her questions.
Explanations
She asked him why he kept pronouncing Fae as Fee. It turned out that Teztcal didn’t notice a difference in what he was saying. Queen Titania advised him not to speak the word Fey at all then. In the presence of anything living in this world if that is the case.
Queen Titania then brought up her daughter and the Centaurs. This was the main reason she had called them here and all three gave the Seelie Queen their undivided attention.
The Queen needed someone to talk to her daughter for her. The Archfey was “troubled” and as a mother, she knows that Violet, won’t speak to her or even listen.
Queen Titania explained what she had done without being prompted. It was clear she cared deeply about her daughter. She explained that there were not that many young fey in their world. Certainly not an Archfey like her. But there was one other around her age. Midnight, the Archfey and Princess of the Unseelie Court.
Queen Titania was not pleased with herself for breaking their friendship apart. But given the war between the two courts, it was needed. It wouldn’t work for the princesses of both to be together. Both due to appearances and the possibility of harm coming to them.
But then the Queen’s voice shifted. And she talked about how none of that justified Violet’s behavior. Harming the Centaur who had nothing to do with either the Seelie or Unseelie. Instead, its clear that this spell she cast is a result of lashing out due to that friendship being broken.
To Serve the Queen
Understanding what they needed to do, and seeing how delicate the situation was, Trent asked where her daughter was hiding. Queen Titania was happy to hear that they would help, even knowing the full problem and the family matters connected to them.
The Queen knew where she was and was more than willing to tell the group. Violet was hiding near the Centaur. Close enough so that she could watch how her handiwork played out.
She then requested Puck to lead them back to the desert and the Centaur. From there she hoped that they would find Violet and fix a problem that the Queen was unable to hide her personal stake in.
She turned to Oberon and stated that she knows what he did. Queen Titania sounded frightening as she mentioned that they would be having a long talk after their company was gone.
Puck lead the party back to the desert. It didn’t take as long as their first time here, but the daylight was fast ending and it would be night soon. They wouldn’t be able to rest and already it was almost a day past.
Puck’s Request
But despite their resources being potentially stretched thin, Puck had a request of his own. He was worried that the party might not be able to deal with Violet’s attacks. So he drew a dagger. The Archfey decided to test their resolve.
“Draw steel”. He called to them. And he informed them he wanted to see them go all out. They did not need to fear harming him. He was confident that his power far eclipsed their own.
The party worried about what the Archfey might do to them, drew their weapons. At first, they were reluctant to go all out, especially given their lack of rest ability. But Puck assured them that this wouldn’t weaken them. He claimed he would restore them to a prior state after he had his fun.
A Clash with an Archfey
Puck essentially toyed with them and goaded the group into going all out. He meant it when he wanted to see what they were capable of. And when they honored his request, he showed respect by upping his own game.
At the end though, he was content with what he saw and cast a spell that they were not ready to deal with. Puck altered gravity itself and forced the group into the air. Even Teztcal who could fly normally was disoriented and the Archfey left the group hanging upside down.
And then to end it all, he released the gravity spell and cast mass suggestion instead. And his command was simple and fatal. He demanded the party to dive headfirst into the ground with no regard for their personal safety.
Trent and Obrom fell under this final spells power, but Teztcal thanks to his ring, blocked the mental attack out. Lucky for them all that Puck saved them all from being smashed into the ground. He declared that he had seen enough and was satisfied.
Final Warnings
As the battle ended, Puck fulfilled his promise and restored the group to how they were before the clash played out. Notably he questioned Teztcal on how he had accomplished such a feat.
Trent and Obrom mislead Puck with their answers and didn’t tell him about the ring. For a change Teztcal thought the same as them. He did not ruin the trick and kept his silence. perhaps he realized as his companions did that revealing this secret to the Archfey was a bad idea.
He then went on with some advice. A hint that he knew more about the object than he let on. Specifically, he told Teztcal tell Violet how it worked. Being able to secretly block her telepathy was a powerful trump card and a possible way to save all their lives.
Puck continued with his advice. And a warning that he could not follow them. He was not sure what the Archfey might demand of the party, but he was certain that memories would be involved. Puck hinted that this was her thing just as trickery was his own.
Before they left, Puck advised the party against angering her. Especially if she pulled them into her domain. Even begging was a good idea if nothing else worked. Puck made it clear that things would go just as badly as they had with Midnight if they clashed with her.
With that rather ominous warning, Puck wished them luck and bade them continue on. His warnings didn’t inspire much confidence. But the party was determined to help the Centaur. And so they ventured forward where Puck had told them and they soon found what they sought.
Violet
The party found themselves drawn into a strange looking labyrinth. The desert sands had long vanished leaving no trace that the party had been there moments before.
“Took you long enough.” Violet made it clear that she was responsible for what was happening.
Trent quickly bowed. He had no intention of fighting her and assumed that flattery was the pathway of least resistance. A wise choice since she complimented Trent’s politeness. No hostility from this meeting thus far, Trent continued using this tactic.
Additionally she was able to tell they had a run in with Midnight. She claimed that the Unseelie’s Magic hung all about them. Violet knew why they were here and she cut to the chase. She explained why she took the memories of the Centaur. He had approached her and insulted her several times over. Violet had given him many chances to relent.
Insightful Mistake
Obrom tried to garner some insight into Violet’s words. And to his shock, the Archfey wasn’t telling them the full truth. He was certain of it. But how did he go about getting the truth out of her without putting them in danger?
Naturally Trent realized that there must be more t this. He asked Violet about the specific things that the Centaur said. But she danced around the question and didn’t give a definitive answer.
Unfortunately, before Trent could push the topic further, Obrom misspoke and made a terrible mistake. He said that it wouldn’t be wise to lie to her elders. Very foolish considering that the Archfey was much older than all of them.
She laughed at Obrom questioning why he would make such an assumption about age. A good thing they hadn’t offended her. Instead they made themselves lesser in her mind.
Discussions of Etiquette
Trent tried to use Teztcal as an example of someone not understanding they were rude. He had planned for the Dragon to misstep, but Obrom was usually more sensible than this. Still, he tried to recover things, desperate not to offend her.
Unfortunately she had a strong counterargument. she pointed out that the centaur has lived in this world his entire life. And thus would know better than to behave this way. It was a bad example.
He asked her if there’s any way they can get her to give the Centaur his memories back. Naturally as the rest of the Fey, she was ready to make a deal to give those memories back. But she would need something from them first.
But she didn’t tell them what that thing was. Instead, she wanted to play a little game. Violet wanted them to run around the labyrinth she had summoned and fight the monsters lurking around each corner. All of this for her entertainment.
They didn’t get a chance to discuss the terms of any agreement, Violet vanished and the way deeper into the maze opened. Trent was upset with Obrom and let his feelings go through. But he cooled off quickly. So far at least, Violet was not hostile.
The party began traversing the labyrinth. They didn’t need to look long to find monsters. Upon entering the first room, a barrier blocked their way forward and back. And a monster they had fought countless times was on the ground ready to engulf them for getting too close.
Wrap Up
The party’s encounter with Midnight was a disaster. And Puck has proven that he is far too powerful to handle. What will they do if Violet turns hostile?