Centrum Glacies Session 146: Psychosis
Week 146 of the Dungeons and Dragons Campaign in Centrum Glacies continues as Teztcal succumbs to Psychosis.
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!!!
While the rest of the party clashed with the Platinum Adventurers, Teztcal and Kisara were elsewhere. They traveled around Demontown looking for a shop that sold something very specific. Something that Teztcal needed for a secret purpose.
A mosquito-like demon greeted them. They manned the shop all alone. “Hello bug person” Teztcal said, trying to start a conversation and potential sale with them.
Kisara corrected him “It’s called a Chasme, my dear father.” Armed with a headband of intellect, Kisara’s intelligence far outstripped that of Teztcal’s own.
Teztcal got right down to business. He asks the shopkeeper if they sold poison. Specifically a poison for people that turn into giant monsters….a Deadly poison he specifies. For someone like that.
“How deadly are we talking?” The Shopkeeper Chasme asked. It didn’t bother the Demon that Teztcal wanted to murder someone. A sale was a sale after all.
The Shopkeeper asked for an offer. And became even more interested when they found out Teztcal was a dragon. Teztcal foolishly tried to swindle them. For all his power he remained as ignorant as ever as he tried to swindle the Chasme.
Trades and Tricks
This action left the shopkeeper insulted. They made it clear that if Teztcal wasn’t going to make an actual offer, then it would be best to leave. Something Kisara and he considered for a moment. But that changed as he decided to look through his belongings for something to trade.
Teztcal looked through everything he owned and stumbled upon his 2 golden earrings. He had never been able to figure out what they were and had simply held onto them in case that ever changed. And he was ready to sell them. That was until the Chasme revealed that it was a pair of Earrings of Message. They were willing to buy them for 200 Gold total.
The Dragon decided to hold onto them. He didn’t fully understand what they did, but the description that the Chasme gave made them sound valuable. Instead he offered a feather from the bag of crows. The shopkeeper had watched Teztcal pluck the feather from the bag and knew at once that Teztcal was trying once more in vain to swindle them.
Growing frustrated, the Chasme asked Teztcal about who exactly he intended to poison. And the Dragon responded that he needed to kill an adventurer. Realizing that such a poison would cost a remarkable amount, especially if they were planning to go after a higher ranked member, the shopkeeper made this clear. When Teztcal asked for an estimate, the Chasme cited at least twenty thousand to be safe.
The Dragon decided against paying such an extreme amount, especially when he wanted to use as much gold as he could for his lair. And so he called Kisara to follow him out. They were done here, much to the Chasme’s frustration.
Psychosis Begins
Yet Teztcal stopped right before the door. The Dragon saw his own Demon Form appear before him. The visage asked why he didn’t buy the poison. In fact it made a much more violent suggestion. Teztcal should TAKE the poison by force, because he is a GOD. The dragon began to laugh maniacally in agreement with what he was hearing
“Look, that’s just a bug. That’s worse than a human.” His Demon told him. Kisara for her part was very worried about what was going on. As far as she could tell, her father was talking to himself and laughing hysterically.
The shopkeeper also asked if he was ok. Teztcal didn’t answer. Instead he stabbed him with his demonic fork. Somehow, without transforming. The Chasme tried to flee and failed. Their cries fell on deaf ears as just outside, the rest of the party continued their battle against the rest of the Platinum Adventurers with a majority of Demon Town watching.
Kisara was terrified and tried to reason with him. She even dropped her “smart” voice. Teztcal’s voice spoke to him in turn. “Ignore that voice. It isn’t your daughter.” Kisara asked again what he was doing. Teztcal’s demon voice made him ignore her again.
In one more fatal blow, Teztcal killed the Chasme and flattened its corpse into paste.
Worse hallucinations of phantoms appeared around him. Teztcal began attacking at illusions in his head wildly and flinging fire every which way. The shop began to burn and between attacks, the Dragon looted the shop and found more than enough of what he needed.
Panicked Daughter
Kisara fled the shop in a panic and began looking for the party. Along the way, a Demon asked if something was wrong.
Kisara, not really trusting the demons yet, lied. Her message was for the party alone.
Not having time to walk, and in a true panic, she transformed into her dragon form and flew towards the party as fast as her wings could carry her. A worried Jyona spotted her, looking around as the group recovered after their battle with the Platinum Ranked Adventures. When she landed, the Artificer asked her what was going on. As well as asking where her Father was?
Kisara started crying as she tried her best to explain about killing a fly and burning the place. Unfortunately, her boosted intelligence vanished whenever she transformed so her words made less sense. Jyona understanding how worried the Dragon was, hopped on Kisara and they flew over towards the shop.
Trent overheard the conversation and Jyona gave him a “follow us” look before leaving.
As they reached the shop, they found Natu, the Pit Fiend and leader of Demontown was already there. He entered the burning building with the others following behind.
Natu’s Quick Thinking
Natu demanded to know what Teztcal was doing. The dragon ignored him and was laughing maniacally as he “attacked the ghosts” Yet the Pit Fiend did not ignore Teztcal. Especially not when he saw what remained of the dead shopkeeper.
Understanding something that the rest of the group did not, he cast Hold Monster on the deranged Dragon to stop his rampage.Meanwhile the rest of the group remained speechless and kept in shock by what they were seeing.
Naatu explained what was going on. There was a condition that afflicted some of the Demons here from time to time. They suffered form of psychosis that caused violent outrages and hallucinations. As the party was discussing what to do with Teztcal, his psychosis wore off. Not that anyone knew this though.
The smoke from the building began to choke a few of the party members. And so Natu asked if they were willing to risk Teztcal being dangerous. They were willing and so he released the spell. When the Dragon made no move to attack, the Pit Fiend directed the group to leave the burning building.
Teztcal had no memory of his actions. And grew alarmed and surprised in equal measure when he learned that he killed the shopkeeper. A story that Kisara supported and so he believed it to be true.
Seeking a Frozen Flame
When the group arrived in the chapel, Natu returned to the town proper to help put out the fire. Meanwhile, the two Maiden Demons that lived in the chapel asked Teztcal if he ever had experienced hallucinations of his demon form that talk to him.
Teztcal said “No” since as far as his memory was concerned, such a thing had never happened to him. Understanding more than the Dragon did, the Maidens came to an agreement. Teztcal could not be arrested as psychosis was a condition that unfortunately they knew all too well. They instead moved to bar him from returning to Demon Town.
He started to blame Obrom for trying to frame him for the murder. Jyona gave him a swift kick in the shin to get him to shut up before he made the situation worse. For Jyona, Teztcal decided to listen. Natu took Kisara and Teztcal beyond the city limits
The remaining party asked him about frozen flames. Unfortunately, The Druids of Cleansing had destroyed the remaining ones the party hadn’t used use. But this entire visit hadn’t been pointless. Natu had an idea where they could look. The Cult of Obsidian had to have Frozen Flames, as many of their members could transform back and forth. And the closest base of theirs was in the desert.
Outside Demon Town, Kisara asked Teztcal if he was ok. He claimed he was just fine. Jingling from his pockets alerted him to the poisons still on his person. And his wicked ideas could commence as planned.
Suspicions Remain
Trent and Naatu spoke briefly before the party left. The Druid brought up his suspicion that Teztcal was a cultist.
The Pit Fiend also confirmed that he couldn’t be one. “The members of the Cult of Obsidian have a unique mana signature from the Felfire they are imbued with,” he explained.
Natu did have one final warning for the party. The psychosis condition tended to affect many Demons. If they ever heard whispers from their demon forms they needed to immediately warn the others as that was the primary sign of a psychosis event oncoming.
As they were preparing to leave, Carac and Haalsaanthur asked about what had happened with Teztcal. When Trent told them about what had happened with the Dragon, they grew worried, but not surprised. The wizard warned that every time there was a mental break from the Demonic psychosis, the time between events shortened. Teztcal was likely to suffer another episode of psychosis soon.
Something that the fighter pointed out and found strange is that he had never heard of this happening to a Platinum Adventurer. Jyona pointed out that Teztcal had not been let into the Guild at all. The wizard is shocked to hear the guild refused to let him even take the entry tasks. Trent, still convinced that the Cult of Obsidian is involved and the cause, brings that up again.
But that couldn’t be it. Carac pointed out that Elkor, the LEADER of the Cult of Obsidian was a Platinum Adventurer. And Jarrar not withstanding, there were several other members of the group within the Adventurers’ Guild. There had to be another reason that the Guild wouldn’t let Teztcal in, and whatever reason that might be, had grim tidings.
A Talk with Olanna
Obrom suggested that Teztcal might be a linchpin for what is to come. And that there was something overall strange about this situation. Trent meanwhile kept bringing up that Teztcal was a good fighter so they need him. Jyona marched up to him to talk about his repeated phrasing of that. She was not happy about how he viewed the Dragon at all.
Before they could leave, a certain Psychic Vampire appeared and only in the heads of the party based on their new friends’ reactions. Olanna stated that psychosis and understanding it was her specialty. For a favor, she was willing to aid the party in this endeavor. But she would need to think on what that favor might be.
Trent asked Olanna if she would be willing to track Teztcal. She reiterated that she was tracking all of them. And with an increased interest given what had happened in Demon Town. She pointed out that she wasn’t the only one tracking the party. Wurthu was as well. In her cryptic way, she wished them well and vanished.
A Gift from New Friends
Carac and Haalsaanthur asked who they were talking to. Likely out of worry of a potential sign of psychosis. The group didn’t answer, but their next actions proved that it was nothing dangerous. As a sign of friendship, they gave Obrom a special orb. If the group found themselves in danger, this one use item could reach the two no matter where they were. And they could come assist. But since it was a one time use item, Carac warned that it should be only used wisely.
Leaving Demon Town and their new friends behind, The party met back up with Teztcal and Kisara. They took the road through the Jungle of Giants and headed back towards Zrin.
As they got ready to rest for the night, Jyona pulled Trent aside to have the conversation she wanted to have earlier. Specifically, She had an issue with Trent still treating Teztcal as an outsider and an “asset” rather than the child he is. Seeing what was happening, she encouraged him to try and nurture both the kids so that they wouldn’t become a danger to everyone.
Trent however, while left thinking about what Jyona told him didn’t fully agree. Thus their conversation stayed at an impasse. The party rested with no monsters to cause them problems. They had 14 days remaining until the Wedding.
Returning to Zrin
3 days passed as they traveled back to Zrinn. Knowing that their next task was in the desert, the party headed straight for the center of the city, where Wurthu and that portal awaited.
The Orc was in conversation with the magicians Yinbella and Bodric. Apparently Wurthu was forbidding them from using the portal. But before the group could overhear what else was being discussed, Teztcal tried to barge his way in.
The Orcs were used the the Dragon’s antics by now and let the party through to talk to Wurthu. The Orc told told an impatient Teztcal to hold on while he dealt with the magicians.
Yinbella had been hired to entertain the nobles and make money. She was furious that she wasn’t being permitted to enter the floating upper ward. and also pretty whiny about it all the while. Bodric for his part, promised that she wouldn’t cause too much of a problem. Which he failed to demonstrate as the two argued about who led the trope and who was the assistant.
Wurthu begrudgingly let them through proceed. While he seemed certain that the two would cause a problem in the near future, it didn’t appear to be his place to deny them work they had already been contracted for.
Returning to the Desert
With no remaining distractions, the party was able to approach him. Obrom stated rather bluntly that he was starting to grow suspicious of Wurthu’s intentions. For his part, the Orc didn’t seem bothered by this accusation. Instead, he noted his demon form. The Bard told him that Jak-rath happened. Which it turned out was enough for him to go by.
They asked permission to warp to the desert. Wurthu was much quicker to grant this request. They went through the portal and returned to the place where Teztcal was born.
Wrap Up
There are 11 days until the wedding. Hopefully the party can locate a Frozen Flame and prepare for this event in time.