Centrum Glacies Session 125: Giants Haven
Week 124 of the Dungeons and Dragons Campaign in Centrum Glacies continues as the party arrives at Giant’s Haven.
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.
Most recently, the party helped cause a complete planetary genocide. Save a few survivors, no one remains from that world. They are still grappling with this unfathomable loss of life and their role in making it happen. It is clear that their suffering is far from over. They can only hope they don’t cause untold pain to an even more untold more.
!!!Final Trigger Warning!!!
After taking a proper rest in a warm bed at the Adventurer’s Guild, the party prepared to head out for their next mission. They took their time, happy that now had a chance to breath after their tense battle with the Demon Dragon
Before they headed out, Jyona unveiled her new invention. Something extraordinary although mundane in execution. She had spent some time crafting a shared chest of holding with compartments for each member of the party. Best of all, each compartment was private to them.
Addek had been listening in. And perhaps it was because he was a pirate, but there was no way to know for sure, he moved over to the group. He seemed very interested in her invention. Perhaps he was trying to misdirect why he was interested, or perhaps he was being truthful, but he mentioned that the Dwarves in general would love something like this.
Trent suggested to Jyona that she should sell her inventions when and where she can. The thought had never crossed her mind. The Half Elf simply wanted to share knowledge without any material gain. It hadn’t even crossed her mind that anyone would think otherwise.
Leaving the Guild Hall
Teztcal and Kisara tried to sneak out while the rest were talking, but Jyona and Trent caught sight of them heading out. Rather than let them split the party again, they decided to grab Obrom. Following the two Dragons, the rest of the group followed them to make sure they stayed out of trouble.
The party followed the Dragons to Wurthu. The soldiers had not bared their path, and Wurthu did not seem surprised that they had returned. Teztcal demanded his Hydra head back since “the human” told him he’ll get him a hydra. Wurthu declined. He wanted to know the name of the human who had made this promise.
The Teztcal was oddly cooperative despite being told no. And so, Jyona decided that his good behavior is worth supporting him in this endeavor. She slowly convinced Wurthu to hand over the head back to them. Teztcal was very pleased. With the head retrieved, they left before the Orc leader could ask them to.
Leaving Zrin
The party returned to the Jungle of Giants, resting for one night along the way, the next day, they continued onward to follow Zinbella’s request. As they reached a bridge that crossed the river that they had accidentally spilled pollutants into, the guards at the nearby tower warned them that there had been lots of people going east but they hadn’t come back.
After another day of travel through the Jungle of Giants, mostly through the charred ashes of what was once the Cursed Jungle in fact, they eventually reach a town. A sign at the entrance gate called it: Giant’s Haven.
Giant’s Haven
Trent asked a guard if they saw any Druids passing through. They mentioned Zinbella a the sole Druid they had seen. And she rushed pass through. She hadn’t even stopped to rest in town.
Not in as much of a rush as Zinbella, the party explored the town’s commodities. And they started with a store labeled as “Pottery Shop”
Teztcal greeted the shop keep eagerly. He immediately warned them to be careful and not break anything, or they bought it. Obrom moved to greet him as well, but Teztcal claimed he was poor. Not knowing to question the Dragon the shopkeeper decided to ignore the Bard on that statement alone.
The shopkeeper introduced himself as Quennethor and rubbed his hands together when Teztcal said he is a Dragon. A Dragon with a lair of treasure. The merchant only grew more excited as he asked for a wall mount.
The Pottery Shop
Trent and Jyona couldn’t decide if they wanted to let Teztcal continue in his endeavor. It was clear that the shopkeeper was playing into his delusions to try and take as much gold from him as he could. To that end, Quennethor showed Teztcal a magical trophy mount made of enchanted gold. He claimed all sorts of features including self cleaning, essentially forever shine and several others
Jyona was a little suspicious of these claims. That was until she used her magic detecting eye which helped put her suspicions to rest. Quennethor was a sketchy man, but his claims were real. Everything in this shop was extremely well made.
The Dragon went back and forth with Quennethor. And the shopkeeper asked if Teztcal could really go a moment longer without this piece. He wasn’t ready for the response.
“Yes.” The response was quick and concise. Quennethor was taken off guard but quickly regained his composure.
Purchases
After hearing the price, Obrom walks up. “I’ll buy it for the dragon.” He stated, confident that he could financially handle this. He also saw this as a chance to try and convince Teztcal that they could be allies.
The shopkeep once again short circuited. He had been convinced that Obrom was poor. And it was starting to dawn in him that the Dragon wasn’t the most trustworthy person.
Jyona noticed something important that she had overlooked. Quennethor was not just a shopkeeper. He was a Wizard and of no small power. Once Obrom placed the gold on a nearby desk, the shopkeeper used a magical orb to count the coins and make sure that they were authentic. Once he was satisfied, he handed over the mount.
Obrom gave the mount to Teztcal. The Dragon grew excited but did not thank the Bard in any way. And neither did Kisara as the two left the shop. Before she left, Jyona asked for something far more simple. A Decanter of Endless Water which was a nice item to have, but nothing beyond the means of a Wizard with such a nice shop.
She paid for the item, complimented the craftsmanship and moved on. Trent and Obrom followed.
Long Lasting Insult
Obrom continued to be offended by being referred to as poor by Quennethor even after they left. It had left a bitter taste in his mouth. Made worse by the fact that the others pointed out that reacting to him being poor had been a ploy to trick him into spending money.
Jyona suggested picking up some guild commissions while they are helping Zinbella. Unlike Obrom and Teztcal, she was basically broke and for the sake of future projects she needed to fix that.
The party entered the Guild Hall. While not as fancy as the hall in Zrin, this Guild Hall still had been designed with care. Unlike the hall in Zrin though, this one did not permit the Dragons to enter. And they were technically criminals of some renown too.
Jyona once again vouched for them. And when the bartenders asked her if she was willing to accept any consequences of their actions, she willing said yes.
Shouting
Jyona for a second time promised to split her commission earnings with Teztcal. She hoped he would behave himself if she made this deal with him. All despite the fact that he did not need the gold at all.
The Bard, moved towards the bartenders and complained about how the shopkeeper treated him. This prompted every worker present to laugh. Apparently the antics of the local shopkeeper was well known.
The head bartender took pity on Obrom and gave him a free drink. Unfortunately the Bard got what he didn’t pay for. It was bottom shelf drink and he scoffed as he finished it. He wasn’t happy. Trent in passing said “I guess you shouldn’t have been poor”
This prompted shouting not just from Obrom, but from several other members of the party too. That noise disturbed the other people in the Guild Hall. Which included an old friend, Vitality. She was none too pleased with the noise, and screamed over everyone to SHUT UP!
Yet shouting wasn’t enough and Vitality moved over to the group to express how furious she was that they were making so much noise. She was having an important conversation with another Adventurer who looked familiar. Yet that person took advantage of the chaos to quickly flee the room.
Vitality was not pleased at this chain of events. She followed the other Adventurer’s example and left the Guild Hall in a furious huff.
Comissions
The party checked the commission board. There were two commissions but one specifically stood out to them. It was a request to explore a ruin nearby. Yet what really attracted their attention was that this was a Platinum Ranked request. The reason for this which only further had their full attention was because there were Cult of Obsidian members spotted near these ruins.
To fully inquire, they would need to speak to the towns Counselman. He was the leader of this place. Unfortunately The barkeep said that they were in the middle of a meeting and to not interrupt them. Not that this would stop Teztcal.
Meanwhile, there was a second commission. This one was written in an almost incomprehensible scribble “Cultists must die” The commission called for their heads. And that they would pay for each and every one. The party accepted that commission much to Jyona’s anger.
Wrap Up
The party will soon be on the hunt. And depending on Jyona’s mood, they might get into an argument over slaughtering Cult of Obsidian members.