Centrum Glacies Session 141: Plague
Week 141 of the Dungeons and Dragons Campaign in Centrum Glacies continues as the party confronts another offshoot of a magical plague.
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!!!
The party had recently received a device that would help them detect Cult of Obsidian Members who were connected to Fel Fire Spirits. Teztcal didn’t seem to understand how this item worked. Instead, he claimed the device Elengon gave them was broken directly to his face. Specifically because it wasn’t detecting Obrom as a spy.
Trent looks at the Dragon and snidely remarked: “You don’t say.” There was a part of him that was convinced even after everything they had been through that Teztcal was a spy.
Jyona grew more frustrated by the minute with the constant accusations amongst those two. Back and forth their insults flew. And Obrom’s behavior in response was not helping. They all were at each other’s throats even after Olanna an actual leader of the Cult of Obsidian and an extremely powerful Psychic Vampire had told them that there were no spies in the group.
The party left Giant’s Haven still a little shaken from their recent adventure. But until they returned back to Zrin, there was no way for them to know how much Olanna was lying to them about. It would take a few days to make it back. And the group hoped that there wouldn’t be any trouble on the road.
The Plague
Naturally they were not so lucky. On the way back to Zrin, they passed one of the many guard towers along the road. The soldiers they asked for their attention and warned that there was a plague outbreak nearby. Of course it was on the road between them and the city. Since they wanted to return promptly, they had no choice but to try and fend it off.
Further down the road, they found the plague cloud as well as two already engaged with it. Specifically Zinbella and Vitality. The two requested immediate help. And the party naturally was willing to assist. They knew that as a Platinum Adventurer, Zinbella would have no problems confronting the Plague. But they were less sure about Vitality.
Vitality revealed that she had learned some sinister new power from the Spore Druids. Her body began to rot and as her flesh faded, a corpse emerged from her bag. Her once living bear had been zombified by whatever dark magic she was using. It was clear she had become some form of Undead since it caused Obrom’s brand to glow.
The Lich
Trent was disgusted by this transformation and asks what she had done to herself. Vitality in a voice that carried over through her zombie bear companion answered. She had fused her soul with that of her several dead animal companions to bring them all to life. Based on her description of the ritual, it was clear that she was a Lich now, just like the monster the party had fought in the Cursed Jungle.
It was clear that this new form was what Vitality would use to harm the Plague Swarm. And soon after, Zinbella revealed her own wretched transformation. The Psychic Vampire, Arch Spore Druid, naturally had a Demon form befitting her powers. Namely she became a sentient plague cloud herself and moved into the swarm to counteract it with similar power.
Between an actual Lich, a Spore Cloud on their side, as well as the several Demon forms the party possessed, they vanquished the Plague Cloud. Though Obrom lamented that he still was incapable of harming these sorts of monsters. He felt like he was falling more and more behind. But that was for another day was the way was clear.
Vitality spoke again to the party. And it was unnerving to hear her voice distorted between herself and her animal companion. “I have been denied my hunt. I must hunt.” That seemed rather ominous. Only made worse when she dashed out into the jungle. Likely to do exactly as she claimed.
Catching up with Zinbella
As she departed, even Zinbella, still in her spore form, admitted that she had no idea what dark power Vitality had used to transform into her current form. As an Archdruid, she felt obligated to watch the monster she had become carefully. Despite what Trent thought, she was still a Druid who cared about the balance of nature. And a Lich hunting out in the wilds was likely to destroy this balance.
The Druid had more to talk about them. And her next request was oddly courteous for the Psychic Vampire. She asked permission to enter their minds. She explained that there was a lot she needed to explain about her relationship with Olanna. And when Trent asked why she couldn’t just tell them, she explained it would be faster this way.
Countless images flashed through the party’s minds as she told them everything she could. About her first meeting with Olanna and how the Cult of Obsidian Witch had not asked anything of her, despite claiming to have empowered her with this strange gift. In all this time, she had never openly moved against Zinbella.
Speaking to them plainly after that rush of imagery, she revealed another matter that the party agreed with her on. Zinbella suspected that Olanna was in league with Hasheem, the face stealing malevolent spirt. And if that was so, then the Witch might be one of the most dangerous beings the party had ever confronted.
Understanding Danger
Speaking of that danger, Zinbella reminded them that given how powerful of a being Olanna was to have convinced everyone in the surrounding area that her graveyard lair was actually a forest, she was most likely in all their heads, including hers. And watching their every move. Planning against her was out of the question.
Trent in a show of good faith willingly showed Zinbella everything that went on in his mind during the encounter with Olanna in the caves. Realizing that Olanna had created another Psychic Vampire concerned the Archdruid. Especially given that she had not sensed this new being. But as this one was rogue too, it was very likely the party, or Zinbella herself would eventually encounter them.
The mist of spores also pointed out that Jak-Rath had a base in the Abyssal Mountains according to her scry ritual. Information the party had heard multiple times already. What they had not been told was that the Plague was highly concentrated there. It would be dangerous navigating that entire region.
The group parted ways with Zinbella who told them she intended to find her sisters and share what the party had told them. As for the party, they spent a few more days traveling to Zrin and headed straight for the orphanage.
Sisterly Confrontation
Once more they hoped for a lack of conflict. Again they were disappointed. Not only was the door to the orphanage open which put the kids living there at risk, but there was an argument between two people that the party had never expected to talk to one another.
The group entered the building and found both Cia and Adrenne. Not only did they seem familiar with each other. Apparently they were sisters.
Cia wanted Adrenne to return home. She begged her in fact. Cia it turned out had joined the Adventurer’s Guild disguised as a man so that no one would realize she was the Southern Empire’s Princess. And the entire reason she had joined the group and learned several fighting styles was to find the sister she had worshipped as a kid. Adrenne refused: “Your sister is dead. I am not her.”
Seeing this approach wasn’t working, and both noticing the party just standing there and listening to them argue, Cia asked Adrenne if she was aware that their brother was ruling the Southern Continent. And not well as she pointed out. In fact, as king, their brother had been the one who had locked Jyona and Trent as well as Malcolm in a cruel prison. The same prison where Jyona had suffered horrific injuries.
Failure to Deescalate
Teztcal tried to interrupt them in typical Teztcal fashion. Adrenne didn’t want to deal with him. She tried to shoo him away by claiming there was a ghost outside and that he should go investigate. But even his lack of intellect didn’t fall for such an obvious trick. He refused to leave.
Cia again begged her sister to come home with her. She didn’t care that she was a Vampire or considered herself dead. She missed her dearly and wanted her to come back so they could convince their Mother to lead the country again.
Adrenne fired back with heated emotion. Turned out she had some previous trauma to dump. Specifically she asked Cia and the party what they thought it was like to be turned into a Vampire at the age of 16 by an immortal pedophile. And she heavily implied that he had molested her several times. Once she had broken free, she had gone to hunt him down. Only her revenge had been stopped by the party who had slaughtered her former master before she could even say two words to him.
Hunting Vampires
Cia refused to let this stop her. In fact, hearing about how she had been treated only made her more willing to beg her to come back. She even pointed out that with their father’s health poor, it was only a matter of time before the Vampires had an opportunity to cause even more tragedy on the continent.
Adrenne was not convinced. And instead declared that she was here on a Guild commission to rid the city of a dangerous Vampire. Specifically the one in this orphanage. Cia stepped in to block her. As did the party
The matron Anithren came out of her room. She appeared to be in some sort of sleep induced trance so her words came out slurred. She scolded Adrenne, not only for threatening violence in this place, but making enough noise for the guards that owned this building and had their barracks connected to it would hear them.
Upon hearing that the guards would hear everything Teztcal loudly screamed “Obrom is a spy!” This chaos was ignored.
Cia pointed out as Anithren returned to her room, that no guards were listening. When the group, Adrenne included ask her how she is so certain of this, she reveals something else unexpected. She was the newest Psychic Vampire. Cia recounted an encounter that sounded all too similar to the one that Zinbella had described earlier.
Trying once more in vain to try and convince Adrenne to stand down, Cia even tried calling her “Adrianna” which must have been her true name. That didn’t work either. And Adrenne unfortunately prepared to attack her sister, pointing out that she was a Vampire Hunter. And that included Psychic Vampires.
Wrap Up
It looks like the two siblings are about to break out into a fight. What will the party do? And who will they side with?