Centrum Glacies Session 158: Nine Days Part 5
Week 158 of the Dungeons and Dragons Campaign in Centrum Glacies continues as the party finally take a chance to relax over the course of 9 days. This part five of their mini vacation.
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 Trent and Obrom went about their day, and the Dragons were still nowhere to be found, Jyona remained at the Guild Hall fiddling around with parts of her golem. All the while she explained the complexities of what she knew about Strevale’s political climate to Midnight. As a former Princess and powerful Unseelie Fairy, this was a topic that drew her attention.
Midnight was a being of contracts and rules. Obligations and how they worked were her bread and butter. And so the more that Jyona explained the happier she grew. And unlike Jyona, she had also enjoyed her time in the Ethereal Plane. Not just because she had regained some of her power, but also because getting into a game of wits with a Night Hag had been fun.
Dangerous Witches
Persephine and Engelique entered the Guild Hall later in the day. The Mythril adventurer drew complete attention from everyone present. Many hadn’t seen her before and she was legendary all over the world of course. That one seemed to be used to reactions when she appeared. But also didn’t seem interested in talking to any of the lesser members of the Guild. She sat in the corner, content to be left alone. Engelique, almost as dangerous as her best friend, and only one rank below her, moved towards Jyona though.
She had information to share about a certain missing Dragon friend. The Witch was able to prove and confirm that Apephe was alive. Unfortunately she could not discern her location, and if Jak-Rath had her in his clutches, then perhaps being alive was itself a terrible thing. Despite that possibility, Jyona was overcome by joy. Also, despite the fact that this Woman had almost killed her several times, not to mention drained the life out of an unspeakable number of innocent people, she held the Witch in a tight hug. That news was uplifting.
The Half-Elf asked the Witch about the Demon Orphanage Matron. Amelia had hinted that the Coven that Engelique co lead had bought the property long ago. Unfortunately, Engelique had not paid much attention to the orphanage in years. This revealed something Jyona hadn’t thought of. How long had the Witches been planning this entire Coven Scheme? She didn’t care much for Rulf though. She did remember him. And not fondly.
She smirked recalling an incident with that guard captain. That one had tried flirting with her. And when she hadn’t given into what he said, he made her more than a little uncomfortable. But as Engelique was a powerful Witch, she came up with a proper way to ensure that the pervy guard captain would never bother her again. She muttered something about shrinking his.. umm.. assets for a week. Jyona didn’t ask further.
After Engelique shared the rest of that story, she moved to join Persephine. Neither one choose to speak the rest of the time they were in the Guild Hall except with each other. But Jyona wasn’t left to her own devices for long.
Wrapping Up the Day
Cia who had also stayed at the Guild Hall all day approached Jyona. The two chatted casually probably for the first time that the two had known each other. And even though the young Psychic Vampire claimed that she and her sister were off to a rocky start post reunion, the fact that she seemed to be at ease told a different tale.
While they enjoyed their talks, Obrom returned to the Guild Hall. He was completely oblivious to the fact that someone had tried to poison him. Probably for the best. Especially as only 3 days remained until the wedding. Not wise to stir up trouble this close to the deadline.
Meeting Addek
The next day, Trent was back in the guild hall. His business with Adriel was at an end until after the wedding. With not much else to do, he decided to rest at the inn. Obrom and Jyona were present too. But they mostly kept to themselves. Jyona was still processing what she had experienced recently while Obrom was figuring out how to make amends for some of the things he had messed up recently.
Addick came into the Guild Hall looking for Cia. As Obrom and Jyona were in their rooms, and Trent was the only one of the group present, he approached the Druid. If he had asked the other two if they had seen her, he would have gotten a proper answer. Unfortunately, the Dwarf Pirate managed to ask the one person of the three that hadn’t seen her the day before and so he only could say that he hadn’t.
Trent moved their talk to a different topic. He instead asked about how it had been traveling with Li-Ang and Ratha. Addek explained that it had felt like two separate groups even when they had traveled together. He noted that the old Wizard was rarely far from the Elf Elder’s side. The Dwarf suspected they were friends long before they joined the Guild.
The Druid had another important thing to ask the Dwarf. With his mind focused almost completely on a certain Dark Elf and crushing his neck, Trent asked Addek about his travel plans. After all, the Dwarf was going towards the Abyssal Mountains. The region that Zinbella was convinced housed the mad scientist’s prime lab.
About the Mountains
He told the Druid that he hadn’t been home in a long while. Addek hoped that those who had charged him with crimes were gone. Either dead or otherwise. The Dwarf hinted at his greater age than he appeared. As an offer of friendship as well as a veiled plea for help, Addick also extended an offer for the party to join him. After all, it was known that they were hunting Jak-Rath. And if the Dark Elf made his lair in the mountains, then the Dwarves were the best place to get help finding him.
Eager for more information, the Druid asked Addek to tell him everything he knew about the Abyssal Mountains. On that point he eagerly told what he knew. Trent didn’t like what he heard.
It turned out that mountains were heavily infested with the plague. It was far more concentrated than anywhere else on the Abyssal Continent. His advice was to go underground and not above. He remarked that flying around the mountains was tantamount to suicide. With two days soon remaining until the wedding, Trent joined Addek by drinking himself piss drunk.
The Gift
Jyona joined Trent and Addick that next morning. Or tried to, but it turned out that the two had continued drinking together through the night.
They invited her to join them. Normally Trent would not have offered but his judgment was clouded by the drink. Before she agreed to or rejected their offer, she gave the Dwarf a translated full blueprint to the shared lockbox of holding. She asked a Guild Bartender to watch it for him so that he would not forget it later.
Even in his drunken state, Addek saw the incredible gift for what it was. He asked her while slurring over his words what he had done to deserve such a wonderful gift. Jyona recalled a dreadful time in the recent past where she had almost been pulled into a horrible trafficking incident that she hadn’t the means to escape. That was until Addek had accidentally stumbled into her and saved her life.
With that out of the way, Jyona gave into peer pressure and joined the other two. Turned out she was a rather loud and rude drunk. None of them had known this would happen, certainly not Jyona who had barely drank in her entire life. With her more free flowing brain She let slip a hint that she was hiding a part of her past from her friends. Notably the fact that she was a secret noble.
Trent noticed that the drink was making her more loose lipped than usual. And given that he was too, he let his intrusive thoughts become questions. He asked about her golem and if it might be affected by the Cult of Obsidian.
Jyona was appalled that he would assume that. She explained, while slurring over her words that she had gone to great lengths to ensure that it would be impossible for anyone to have had a hand in it. This was her creation and meant for no other. Given that the cipher she used was long and complex she had to explore other reasons for what had caused its unusual behavior. Namely that it is starting to act of its own accord without her orders.
Wrap Up
One day remains until the wedding. The party has planned to reunite in time to properly prepare for the big day. But what will happen that Tim a former Mythril Ranked Adventurer wants them nearby?