Centrum Glacies Session 89: To Save a Unicorn
Week 89 Dungeons and Dragons Campaign in Centrum Glacies continues with the party working towards saving a Unicorn.
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, 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 catching his breath and making sure the threat of the whale was gone, Teztcal once more split off from the party. But unlike many of his other misadventures, this one time he had a noble purpose in mind. He wanted to go fetch his child Mini Me
Obrom, ever hostile towards the crazed Dragon voiced his hopes that perhaps Teztcal would run into trouble all alone. If something happened to him, the world might be a better place for it. Trent groaned but couldn’t find any disagreement.
Split Again
Without Teztcal to cause confusion, the rest of the group headed for the center of Zrin. They needed to meet with the nobles of the city but had no idea where to look. Naturally as the leader of the entire city, Wurthu would know the answer. And so they headed towards him.
They were stopped by the wary Orc guards. Trent pointed out that this was guild business. The Orcs reminded them that they were the one and only power on the Abyssal Continent. Yet the group was rational enough not to argue with the Orcs further. They stated their intent to ask him about the issues going on with the water supply. And the guards let them pass moments later.
Once they were in front of Wurthu, the Orc leader asked them about what had happened in the cursed jungle. Their answers only lead to more questions. He asked next about the attack from the Whale. And he warned that only an extremely dangerous threat not of this world could trigger the city’s defense system.
The group talked with him for a time, but they had an immediate question. And so Trent asked how they could reach the noble quarter of the city. Wurthu seemed like he had more to say, on several topics in fact, but he was quick to answer this question.
Where the Nobles Live
Wurthu explained to the party there was another series of islands hidden by magic, that floated below the even higher floating orc city. It was a secret that was only mostly kept hidden. Though Obrom who had lived her for much of his life had never found out this detail.
Wurthu didn’t seem worried about letting them head up there though. In fact he revealed to them that a teleporter was right nearby. Anyone using it needed the Orc’s permission, but he had no issues sending the party up there. Through the teleporter they went. And to the no longer a secret to them floating city above.
Making More Mischief
Meanwhile, Teztcal made his way through the lower city district of Zrin and made it to Anethren’s Orphanage. As soon as he was inside, he started screaming for Mini Me to come to him.
Instead, his shouts attracted the matron’s attention. Mini Me was playing with the other children. It was likely that none of them had ever seen a Dragon before.
She complimented Teztcal on Mini-Me’s behavior. He was well behaved during his stay. Teztcal did not have a hand in this aspect in his son’s behavior. So this was Mini-Me all on his own.
Next, Teztcal left the orphanage and alongside Mini-Me tried to figure out where the party went. His search took him to the center of Zrin where he knew the leader dwelled. This seemed like a logical place to start.
Searching for Friends
He approached the very same Orc guards that his companions had been stopped by earlier. Unlike them, he was not an Adventurer. Also unlike them, he didn’t use their names to describe them. And the Orcs had no intention of letting him through.
He described his missing friends the best he could. But those attempts were not very well received. “The girl that likes to skin dragons, The human that is number 5, and the human that can turn into animals.” This was not enough to let him through.
The Orcs asked for Teztcal to give their names. Unfortunately he didn’t know their names. Instead he called them: “Number 1, Number 4, and Number 5.” This did not get him through either.
Teztcal started sniffing the Orcs for his party’s scent. He got right up in their faces which annoyed them. But since he wasn’t doing anything directly threatening they didn’t draw their weapons.
Through persistence and getting up in their personal space, the Orcs grew increasingly annoyed. But Teztcal wasn’t breaking any laws. After a period, the soldiers let him through. For now at least, Teztcal was being harmless and annoying rather than destructive.
A Lax Meeting
Wurthu let out a sigh as he saw Teztcal. The Orc let him know that his friends are up above. Naturally the Dragon wanted to join them on whatever they were up to.
Wurthu instead asked him to remain here. He suggested to the Dragon that until his party returns, he would prefer him to stay put. Teztcal agreed to not causing trouble. Which made Wurthu suspicious. Especially when Teztcal ignored the staying put part of the request.
Teztcal wanted to go where his friends had gone. And he had an item tat he intended to use to reach them. The Dragon, with his child right behind him, went behind a building where no one could see him. He had a plan. A sneaky plan.
He and Mini-me turned invisible. They both had rings that allowed for such an effect. And best of all, he could practice patience because the invisibility didn’t have a time limit. Turned out that his child was good at being patient too.
Magic Failure
Teztcal then tried to sneak back in past the Orc guards. There was a moment where he feared he had been discovered. But the Orcs didn’t move to stop him. He had succeeded in getting past. His child too.
Wurthu was another story though. In fact the moment that Teztcal and Mini-Me got close, the invisibility was dispelled. The city of Zrin had such measures in place to protect its leaders. But the older Dragon had no idea that this was a thing.
Naturally he noticed the two Dragons sneaking around. Wurthu then called out to them wondering what they might be up to. He suspected some sort of foul play given how Teztcal was behaving.
Deluded as he was, Teztcal genuinely thought he was still invisible. Multiple times, he ignored the Orc calling out to him. But it soon became clear even to him that there was no way for him to reach his friends above. Only Wurthu was able to grant such a request and the Orc had been firm with his denial.
Instead, Teztcal and Mini-Me left the center of Zrin and once more activated the invisibility of their rings. The two wandered around Zrin almost like ghosts, drawing all sorts of stares and confused sighs with their passing.
Meeting with Quinn
At the same time as Teztcal’s little adventure the rest of the party teleported up to the noble quarter of Zrin. This entire area sat on floating islands reachable by small teleporter stations. The group took a moment to take in all the view. The rest of the city was below and all the workings within seemed small and insignificant from this height.
After they took in the sights, they found Quinn Cambion nearby and waiting for them. He had a lot to discuss involving the Unicorn. And in turn, Trent especially had questions for him.
He informed the party that he intends the unicorn no harm. A mutual friend of his needs it for druid purposes. Trent was put on guard naturally. For he had a specific Druid in mind that he feared. Zinbella specifically. After everything she had put the party through, he had no intention of helping her.
Initially, Quinn did not recognize the name of the infamous Psychic Vampire. Instead, he mentioned another Druid, that the group had less suspicions of: Adriel. Naturally they should have guessed this. After all it had been clear at the meeting that the two were romantically involved in some way.
Quinn stated he needed to tell the party something away from the guards. This abrupt change in the conversation drew their attention. And so they followed him off to a quiet corner of the floating city.
Mission in Confidence
Once it was just the group and Quinn, he explained the real reason he had put the commission in. The unicorn was being hunted by one of the Thieves’ Guilds; The Underwheel.
Trent immediately agreed that the unicorn needed protection. In fact he was significantly more interested in fulfilling the request.
Quinn went on about being annoyed about being accused of an affair. He wasn’t married and even then marriages were for political advantage. Everyone married or not had side mistresses. Even the women!
Jyona blurted out “You sound like my father!” A proclamation that made the entire rest of their group, Quinn included look at her curiously.
Jyona shyly retreated from the conversation. Heavy in her thoughts was how she had almost given away information that she had no business blabbing about.
New Companion, Old Ally
Back below the floating city, Teztcal continued wandering around and heard a commotion coming from those same Orc soldiers that had given him trouble several times now. As he was bored, he continued to check out what was happening
A Dwarf that was dressed like a pirate walked up to the guards asking for immediate help. He called himself Addek and seemed desperate for some reason.
Allegedly Addek was panicked because a friend of his had run into a monster and was now sick with some sort of dangerous illness. The Orcs told him to leave, and threatened consequences if he did not comply.
Addek walked away dejected and frustrated. He looked like he had been prepared to fight, but had made a rational choice last moment.
As he left, Teztcal started hurling. The Dwarf had smelled so vile that it had made him nauseous. He lost his lunch and probably a bit else as it covered the ground around him.
The guards noticed Teztcal once more. Likely due to the noise he made while vomiting. They asked him what he was doing back here. The Dragon was unable to answer on account of losing his innards.
Return from Above
The rest of the party popped back down into Zrin from the warp point above. Teztcal was waiting for them as they appeared. Trent and Obrom immediately asked the Dragon if he had behaved himself while they were gone.
When he didn’t answer, the party turned towards Wurthu who was nearby to see if anything had happened. Relieved that nothing had, the Orc mentioned something else to discuss with the entire group.
He stated he knew how to deal with the elementals in the well. Unfortunately it would be quite difficult to accomplish. As they needed a rare plant called Dream Bloom. This plant was extremely rare and even the Orc with all his knowledge didn’t know where it grew.
Instead he gave them another lead. The Elf Elder on the Abyssal Continent had given this flower to Zrin in the past. If anyone knew where to find it it would be them.
But the Orc issued another warning. The Elves were not welcoming to outsiders. Perhaps Trent as a Druid could go to their village, but not the rest. However, he had a solution to this problem as well. Zinbella as well as her two sisters were all from this village. The Orc suggested that the party seek her out and ask for help.
Trent proclaimed he never wanted to touch Zinbella with a ten foot pole or be in her presence again. Wurthu stated out loud without thinking that there are many men and women who would disagree with Trent. Turned out the Psychic Vampire was infamous for her nights on the town.
Such a thought made Trent shudder. Wurthu for his part was embarrassed as he realized he spoke that aloud. The group left him with that awkward silence.
To Find a Unicorn
The party headed out into the Jungle of Giants once more. Quinn told them that they would find the Unicorn to the north.
Just like in the other areas of the jungle, several guard towers were set up all along the roads with Light of the Abyss Soldiers armed and ready to fight. They called out to the party as they passed and warned that a dangerous Hydra had been spotted nearby.
Teztcal slightly antagonized the guards when he heard their warnings. He wanted to know more about the hydra and where it was.
The guard lied to Teztcal. Clearly it was in the opposite direction of where the soldier claimed, but it was clear from the rest of the party’s reaction that they didn’t want to fight the Hydra.
Trent even shot the guard a thumbs up in approval. He was relieved that even the soldiers were willing to assist them in keeping their Dragon ally from doing something stupid.
To Not Find a Hydra
As the party continued towards where the Unicorn was located and where Teztcal thought the Hydra was, the party reached another guard tower. This time, they warned the group of the downs nearby and how many Adventurers had disappeared there as of late.
Teztcal didn’t care about the issue mentioned. All he cared about was finding the Hydra. He was dead set on finding the creature.
The group passed a third tower. At this one the of guards once more hailed the party. This time they asked the group where they were headed.
Trent informed them that they are heading northeast. Specifically they were commissioned to protect a Unicorn from a bunch of dangerous thieves. The soldiers were more than happy to point the group towards the northeast.
Teztcal asked about the Hydra. Catching on that the rest of the group didn’t want to fight the monster, this third set of Light of the Abyss Soldiers were more than happy to continue lying.
Unfortunately Jyona didn’t catch on to what was happening. And she almost blurted out this fact. Luckily Trent stopped her. But this action put Teztcal a little more on guard.
Unicorn Near
At the end of the road, the party deviated into the woods to find the unicorn. By this point Teztcal believed that he had been tricked. But he had access to a group he could question that had no connection to the party, or to all the soldiers they had recently encountered.
Teztcal consulted the crows about the Hydra. They were not happy to be summoned as usual. But also as the norm they gave an answer that was cryptic and unhelpful. Except this time it was.
They stated that they sensed no Hydra nearby. How crows were able to sense nearby monsters was anyone’s guess, but the dimwitted Dragon saw no issue with taking their advice. He was convinced he had been tricked.
Infuriated, Teztcal stormed off back down the road. The rest of the party let him go back on his own. They had a unicorn to find.
Stupid Confrontation
He confronted the guards at the third tower about their deception. They asked him why he thought they were deceiving him. Teztcal to his credit brought forth those who had spoken against the soldiers.
Teztcal pulled another feather from the bag to prove to them they were liars. The crow did state that it didn’t sense a Hydra. It also demanded to know why Teztcal kept summoning them for such mundane questions. This crow also disappeared. Its question answered.
The guards, not sure how to handle this entire situation, once again pointed Teztcal in the wrong direction back towards his party. Clearly they didn’t want this dangerous fool to meet his end against such a creature.
Teztcal, ever stubborn claimed that if there was no hydra, they would pay. A good thing that the soldiers kept to themselves how illegal it was to threaten a guard so openly.
Reunited for Differing Reasons
Teztcal headed back northeast towards the rest of the party. He was prepared to make them pay too if this all turned out to be a grand deception.
Naturally Trent and Obrom continued lying to him. Both were skilled by now at deceiving the insane Dragon. And besides, neither of them wanted to face a Hydra. Jyona still hadn’t caught on and also thought the Hydra was this way. This worried her.
Trent tried winking at Jyona. A hint and thanks at helping with the deception. Unfortunately she had not been part of this deception and openly asked why he was winking at her. Trent not having the energy to be frustrated with her too, simply remained silent.
Getting Near
The party felt the ground shaking as they headed further north. Something massive was moving around and the party feared that the Hydra really was this way.
All except Teztcal of course, who proclaimed that the ground was alive. A shame that he had a moment of higher intelligence. He wondered aloud why a hydra would be with a unicorn. Trent and Obrom silently groaned.
Underwheel Encounter
The group was certain the Unicorn was nearby. And the surprise appearance by Underhweel Thugs or at least people dressed like them only confirmed these suspicions.
Teztcal ignoring how tense the situation was, decided to ask them about the Hydra. The thug he asked looked confused by the question. He stated much to Trent’s dismay that there was no Hydra here. Why would any rational person want to find a Hydra after all.
Trent knowing that Teztcal was anything but a rational person, immediately lied by claiming “we came to warn you about the Hydra. Maybe you should leave.” This did not work of course. Still it aided them in their search since, one of the thieves let slip that they were looking for a Unicorn.
The Underwheel Goons, realizing they had tipped their hand, started looking for a quick solution. And as it turned out, one was flying about right next to Teztcal.
But if they thought kidnapping a baby Dragon for profit was a good idea, they learned the folly of their stupidity when the deranged person asking them questions about the Hydra revealed himself to be a Dragon.
They Underwheel Thugs panicked realizing that a full Dragon was ready to tear them apart. Their fears about a Hydra pale in comparison. Realizing that their hunt is over, the lead bandit tells the others to leave through sheer intimidation.
Truth of Missions
Once only the head Underwheel thug remained, he apologized profusely. And then explained that Adriel, one of their leaders and a Druid would be very upset if another got this Unicorn.
Teztcal asked if that was the name of the hydra. He as usual ignored the rest of the thugs statements that would have dissuaded such a question.
The fact that Adriel works with the Underwheel and was one of their leaders shook Trent a bit. This wasn’t how he had excepted this to play out. The thug in turn grew shocked when the party explained that Adriel had tasked them with getting the Unicorn.
The thug asked to leave as he had no interest in being eaten by a dragon. Since no one in the party said no, he ran off. Teztcal was worried that the bandit was going to go kill the Unicorn. And that they needed to hurry and find the Hydra.
Jyona finally was let in on the hydra lie. Teztcal was furious as he heard the truth admitted outright. For her part, Jyona let out a loud “OOOH”.
The Unicorn
Teztcal bumped into the Unicorn. It greeted him and warned the Dragon that the man they let run away had several sexually transmitted diseases. Teztcal was confused by this information. Mostly because he didn’t understand most of the words.
Jyona was completely stunlocked by the Unicorn’s existence. She was in so much awe that she was unable to move, much less speak. Obrom was also quiet. But that was because unlike the others who were either innocent or stupid, he was considered unclean by the Unicorn and would be unable to approach.
Teztcal continued to ask about the Unicorn’s earlier statements. Questions which the creature humored him with. But once more the answers only baffled him.
The unicorn informed the party that it was bound to this place. It cannot leave or it would fade away. Naturally the creature was being hunted for its horn. It was always that or the Unicorn blood that poachers wanted, or so the Unicorn claimed.
Death and Life
It stated mournfully, that it was approaching the end of its life. The party would not need to protect it much longer.
But rather than explain the significance of its death, the Unicorn explained how there would be a new Unicorn born somewhere else to make up for it dying. And it turned out that its final moments were coming. The creature approached Jyona who had not expected this turn of events.
Jyona was given the creatures horn as a gift. As the Unicorn faded away, Jyona recalled that such creatures could speak a language that had not been uttered on this planet for centuries. She thanked the creature in Celestial. A language that better conveyed that she understood the gravity of what the Unicorn had done.
Mission Complete
Teztcal mourned the death of Number 0. This number was reserved for the Unicorn. Clearly Teztcal considered that creature above the entire party as far as importance was concerned.
The group all returned to Zrin collectively all for different reasons. Teztcal luckily had forgotten completely about the Hydra. Trent was relieved that the Underwheel had not gotten the horn. Jyona was upset that the Unicorn had died at all. Obrom kept his thoughts to himself.
Teztcal once more split off from the group to try and find the thieves. He started in the lower city asking just about every person he came across for answers. He almost ran into some trouble when he called some Succubi Demons in the orphanage corner some derogatory names to try and get their attention.
At least they didn’t attack him. But they chose to tell him nothing about what he sought. Perhaps he should have respected them first.
Instead he went back towards the middle area of Zrin where he found the very same Orc guards in the same mood as before when they saw him coming. They asked what he wanted this time when he approached. The Dragon demanded to know where the thieves in this city lived. The Orcs with disgust pointed him towards the south towers. This was the section that the slums was inside.
Mission Not Over
Meanwhile, the rest of the party returned to the Guild hall to turn in the commission. When asked for proof of their deed, Jyona showed them the horn very carefully. It would no no one any favors if she damaged it.
They managed to get the horn, but Adriel has been revealed to be a thief, and leading the group who tried to claim the Unicorn for themselves. If she put in the commission, what will she think when the party shows up with its horn?