Centrum Glacies Session 153: Slander
Week 153 of the Dungeons and Dragons Campaign in Centrum Glacies continues as the party reunites just in time for Kisara to write letters filled with Slander.
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!!!
As the party was getting prepared to leave the Mythril Adventurer Realm, Tim offers to just take them directly to Zrinn. Kisara for some reason wanted to go back to the Nobles Section of the city. And despite their business there being at an end for now.
Obrom, Jyona, and Tim all look at her suspiciously. Tim especially wanted to know why she wanted to go back. Especially given that she and her “father” had committed all sorts of crimes, intentional and accidental. When asked why, she mentioned that she wanted to learn more about how the nobility lived. An answer that kept Tim a bit on edge, but an understandable statement given she was still a child.
Tim sent the party back to the Noble District. And Kisara did look around. She asked Jyona questions and Teztcal as well. Tim watched from afar until he was content that no foul play would happen. But he left too soon as she did do something. Not dangerous by any means. But she had been scribbling on a piece of paper. And as the party departed back to the land below, she dropped it in a manner where she knew the guards watching would notice.
Meanwhile Trent made his way back to Zrin with haste. He shapeshifted into a small bird to make the voyage quickly. Not wanting to go into the Elf Village or walk the long road back. When he made it back to the city, he asked the guards for permission to enter. They almost laughed, pointing out that as a Platinum Adventurer, who were they to block his movements?
Before he made his way into Zrin, Trent had one final question for the Defenders. He needed to find his group and knew one surefire way to do so. And so he asked if they knew of the going ons of a certain mad Dragon. Naturally all Defenders of Zrin knew about Teztcal given his many crimes. They pointed towards the middle and indicated that Wurthu would know.
On Talks about Clothes
Back at Wurthu, Jyona found out from the Orc that the adventurer’s guild would be happy to upgrade their wardrobes far better than he would. Not to mention money from Zrin was needed elsewhere. As far as wedding attire though, he was more than happy to cover the costs given everything they had done for the city.
As the group headed to the Adventures Guild to figure out their clothing situation, Trent found them. Back with the rest of the party, he asked if the Dragons had killed anyone while he had been gone. Jyona stated that they had both been on their best behavior.
Unbeknownst to Jyona, Trent, Obrom, and Teztcal, but assumed to be known by Kisara, someone up on the floating islands had picked up Kisara’s note at that very moment. This note had the capacity to set problems in motions. The contents of that note were as follows:
Obrom an Obsidian spy?
Made deal with Olannah
Demon
Collaborated with Jak-Rath
Left us to die in desert
Not attacked in volcano by cult
Killed innocent fly demon
Constantly summons ghost monsters
Friendly with Mortina
The Note
The party entered the guild hall. And found the place as usual occupied by other Adventurers. Since they were prominent in their own right, they had already met many of the others on the Abyssal Continent. Which is why they knew who Ba-Arda was, even if the odd Elf didn’t know them. But he was small fry compared to two others. The first was Adrenne, their Vampire Hunter friend who was also a Platinum Adventurer. The other one there was another Platinum Ranked, and also the leader of the Cult of Obsidian: Elkor.
Kisara slipped another note to Adrienne and winked. It had the exact same text as the first. And she hoped that her “mother” would be pleased with her handiwork. The Vampire was not amused in the slightest. Rather than compliment Kisara, she ripped the note apart, and then set the remains of fire until even the ashes were gone.
“Why’d you do that, mom?” Kisrara asked and started sobbing. Adrenne, forced to use surprisingly firm motherly language, told her not to slander people. Kisara ran off furious. Instead of listening to her “mother” she begins writing another note.
The vampire turned to Teztcal before he ran after his daughter and scolded him for not teaching her properly how to respect others. Including those she didn’t like. Teztcal being just as mature as their “daughter” took a defensive stance and said “Kisara doesn’t lie.”
“She doesn’t lie,” Adrenne agreed. “But you do.”
Elkor and Trent
Trent approached Elkor and straight up asked him “What do you need with Jyona?” Neither Jyona or Obrom who overheard this knew what he was talking about. And the Dark Elf himself did not see it that way at all. In fact, he pointed out that he had assisted her. And regardless of the fact that the party saw him as an enemy.
The Druid remained suspicious and venomously racist. And even with Elkor pointing out that he was succumbing to dogma fueled by High Elves who pushed those same racist values onto Humans like Trent. When he tried to counter that as the Leader of a group that committed atrocities around the world, he was one to talk, Elkor retorted that as a minion of Druids who didn’t respect him, Trent in a way was no different than the Obsidian.
Jyona grew anxious as she watched the tension rise between the two. Especially Since Elkor’s words clearly stung Trent. But whatever intense situation was building, quickly deflated as soon as Trent chose to walk away from the Dark Elf.
Jyona took what advantage she could and scooted over to share a drink with Elkor. She took no time in asking him about the potential for peace and if there were any hard feelings about their recent actions. They had stormed into one of his bases and destroyed everything after all.
He didn’t answer in a way she expected. In fact his words shocked Jyona. As it hinted as a schism within the Cult of Obsidian. He explained that Jak-Rath was growing bold. His experiments seemed to be focused on him and not on moving the group’s goals forward.
Elkor and Obrom
Speaking of Jak-Rath, Elkor asked Obrom if there were any lingering side effects of his brand. The Bard tried to brush it off, but the Dark Elf mentioned that it was no small matter. He went on to explain how the ghosts were rips in the fabric of reality keeping him from transforming into a Demon.
Some of Jak-rath’s experiments involved finding a way to delay it. A feat that stopped Obrom cold. Jyona immediately jotted that down in her journal. That was vital information that Elkor was passing to them.
On the other side of the room, Adrienne asked Trent if he knew her “daughter” was leaving notes that talked about slander about the party. Obrom expresses concern about these notes and the problems they could cause. Adrienne explained to the party exactly what the note contained.
There was a joined party sigh. Jyona raised her voice “KISSAAAARA!” “TEZTCAL! YOU TOO!” Obrom and Trent whispered to each other out of Jyona’s earshot about leaving the dragons behind if this would continue to be a factor. Unfortunately Jyona’s cries were ignored as the two Dragons were focused on their own talk.
Obrom instead wanting to break the silence since what Jyona screamed about could easily have turned his way. He asked Adrenne why she was staring daggers at the Elf across the room. Quietly so that her target would not hear them, she mentioned that the Gold Adventurer across the room had a Vampire scent about him. He was probably a thrall.
The group didn’t react. They were far too focused on Kisara and Teztcal. Which caused Adrenne to fly into a rage. Which only grew more intense, when Obrom mentioned offhanded that the Dragons needed to be reigned in.
Adrenne and Obrom
She grabbed him by his chin. And his heightened strength in his current form did not compared to her power as a Vampire. A fact he found frightening enough to focus completely on her. “You are an adult. They are children. Start acting like an adult.” She demanded.
With her point made, the Vampire left the Adventurer’s Hall. She mentioned something about going to see her sister now that they had a chance to reconcile. She had nothing to add save one final glare Obrom and Trent’s way.
Obrom was stunned into an even greater degree than before he had spoken to Adrenne. He considered the Vampire’s words, wondering why they had slashed through him like daggers if they were not worth consideration.
Unfortunately, the warning that Adrenne had given them had not been something to ignore. Especially now that she was gone. Ba-Arda left soon after she did. A fact that Trent quickly picked up on. With Jyona elsewhere and Teztcal and Kisara in another room, Trent only had Obrom as someone to warn.
Violet and Trent
Violet winked into existence and reminded Trent that there was always another person who could trust nearby. She reminded him that she could easily handle herself. She was a Vampire Hunter after all. And a talented one given what Trent had told the Fairy about her. This also was the wise move because Wurthu had made clear that they needed to avoid antagonizing Vampires for a long while.
She had more to say on the other issue the party was dealing with now that Trent was paying attention to her. Violet told him to stop treating the Dragons as enemies. In fact she took it her lecture further. He needed to be at a little more trusting and lot less racist. Every time he tried to interject, she cut him off.
The fairy seemed overly pleased with her pep. She put her hands on her hips and let loose a wide smile indicating she was getting what she wanted. And just in time for Jyona to return from her interactions with her own fairy companion in tow.
Midnight tried to discuss the goings on of the party with Jyona. Unfortunately, the Hald-Elf was overwhelmed as she was trying to hold her best to hold the party together. With that on her mind there wasn’t really much to discuss other than Midnight giving her some reassurance to keep at it. They would figure out why Teztcal was as immature as he was. Jyona already had an inkling into why.
Obrom’s Misstep
Obrom approached the two dragons. An action that the Fey immediately alerted Trent and Jyona to keep things from going sour. The Bard was intending to talk to the two Dragons. Which was a good thing. At least at first. But that changed when he actually opened up his mouth.
He very awkwardly tried to extend an olive branch. In fact he had every intention of clearing the air. He started by pointing out that he was not Jak-Rath. In fact even after running afoul of his experiments, until soon before meeting the party, he had never met the madman before.
The Bard made things far more awkward and took away all chance of reconciling with them by turning this conversation around and making it about himself. He pointed out it wasn’t right for the dragons to blame him for everything that tied him to the Cult of Obsidian. Sadly, he came off very condescending in his speech. His point was missed while Teztcal focused on the tone instead.
The Dragon stood up, very serious-like and shifted into his Dragon Form. He showed Obrom right then and there as he flipped a nearby table, just how he felt about what the Bard had just said to him and his daughter. In the most serious and intimidating voice he’s ever done “If you don’t leave right now, I will kill you.”
Jyona and Obrom
Obrom quickly choose the best course of action. Realizing that to call Teztcal’s bluff now might risk their friendship and that of the entire party, he excused himself from the situation. He whispered to Trent after he exists the room, “Was that big boy boots enough?” The Druid didn’t know how to respond.
Teztcal finished consoling Kisara. With no more interruptions, the two were able to talk things over. Cries turned into snickers. The two had big plans. And as usual, that meant a problem for the rest of the party.
Jyona excused herself from Teztcal and Kisara’s presence. She had remained by them, staying quiet and listening when it was clear no one in their group was. In the other room, she quickly found the idiot bard and slapped him across the face.
“OW! What was that for” The Bard asked, completely missing the point, and gravely underestimating how awful he had been in the other room.
Trent somehow missed the point too. He asked why they even put up with the dragon. Proving in a clear way that Teztcal and Kisara had every reason not to trust the two.
Jyona wasn’t having it. She mentioned the last time the group had dealt with a young and immature Dragon. “Why can’t you do this now when we’ve already done this before with Apephe!?”
Elkor and the Dragons
As the party continued arguing, their Fairy Companions getting in some choice words of their own, Elkor left the main room and entered the foyer. While he was clearly intending to leave, he saw the two Dragons. He seemed to have some insight into their affairs. Perhaps he was watching the group somehow.
He offered Kisara gift to try and comfort her. Teztcal who above all things always felt the need to protect his daughter and so he made the rational decision. He told Elkor to keep his gifts. The Dragon didn’t trust the leader of his and Kisara’s enemies.
A point that Elkor empathizes with. In fact, he came to talk to them to make it clear that no one in their party was some secret spy for the party. He would know of course.
The Dark Elf, as a Platinum Adventurer and not as the Cult of Obsidian Leader genuinely wanted to know and discuss why the two Dragons hated Obrom. As their companion it seemed much more logical to work together. Teztcal answered almost too fast for Elkor to finish his thoughts. “He’s an asshole”
Kisara added more to that answer whispers “Jak-rath” That was what she thought of when her “father” said asshole.
Elkor stated that if the two hated Jak-Rath, then infighting was not the way to defeat him. In fact the Dark Elf mentioned that he could think of no one that benefited more from infighting than the Mad Scientist. For whatever reason, possibly a sinister one, the Dark Elf also wanted the group to resolve their differences. And he seemed to have an idea on how to.
Elkor appealed to Teztcal’s delusion. Asking if the Dragon truly was a God. He pointed out that a God didn’t need to bother himself with the petty squabbles of mortals. And other such intelligent ideas that would have worked if Teztcal wasn’t a dunce. Instead he missed the point entirely and left Elkor a bit bewildered.
Olanna and Trent
For the members of the party that had not been part of Elkor’s lecture, another villain was more than happy to show up. Olanna or at least a projection of her appeared in the main guild hall. “Wow, you really botched this, didn’t you?”
Trent and Obrom asked her a series of questions about Elkor and the overall leadership of the Cult of Oracles She ignored almost everything they asked. All but one thing. The Psychic Vampire mentioned that Elcor was more personable than Trent might think. Following the theme of the night, she also went on to scold them for their treatment of the dragons. Something odd was really happening when so many of their enemies was telling the group to get along.
Trent tried to interject a defense or argument. But Olanna was not having it. The Witch loomed large and threatening via Thaumaturgy enough to completely quiet the entire city the way she appeared. “Enough excuses! Be better!”
The Druid only found Elkor to be a worse enemy of his ally had appeared to try and get the party to agree with him. That seemed like a sinister plot on par with whatever Jak-Rath conspired to do.
With his business finished, and probably patience too, Elkor left the Guild Hall, only adding more questions to everyone’s minds. Except Teztcal of course who was too angry to think. Olanna left at the same moment, only solidifying the idea that both had come to this place to work together.
Jyona and Trent
Obrom left a scathing remark about Elkor as the fellow Bard and clear enemy was no longer listening. “he should go back to school and learn how to be a better person.” Layered as both an insult and acknowledging a rival it was a potent statement.
Jyona meanwhile got involved in all the scolding. She told Trent the Dragons, up until the note incident, they were on their best behavior. And they only became a problem more openly when he returned. She brought up Apephe again asking why he was acting so different around these two.
Violet again found a chance to lecture Trent. It was pretty wild just how many people had lectured members of the party in one sitting. This time, she talked about Trent’s own behavior. He needed to drop the ego yesterday.
Trent instead dug in his heels further. and even upset Jyona with his attitude. Stating “No one but Zinbella has been helping me with my book” which of course crushed Jyona who had been helping him ever since she met her original goal. Jyona had joined the adventure’s Guild to be rid of Engelique’s Curse. A mark that no longer bore into her flesh. She had dedicated her life to helping Trent stop Jak-Rath.
Midnight and the Dragons
Midnight tried to comfort her, but Jyona just shook her head tearfully. She didn’t want to interact with anyone in this room. So she left and decided to try her luck with the Dragons. Midnight of course followed her. And tried her hand and trying to mend everyone’s breaking friendship.
The Fey tried to ask how the dragons are doing and what the note said. Like Jyona, Midnight took a very parental approach to the dragons. She tried multiple times to apply logic, but like when Elkor tried using rational arguments with Teztcal, the Dragon’s lack of intelligence overlooked her compliments. Instead he found her words insulting.
Wrap Up
Things didn’t end on a happy note or a fulfilling one. Once more the entire group is at each other’s throats. And too many people seem intent on helping and harming them. All for different reasons and this shattering because of a simple letter filled with slander.