Session 4: The Cost of Aetherium

General Summary

Last we left off the group found themselves meeting Liora Cyst at the entrance of the mines with contractors from the The Continent of Grenias from the Nether Region Industries company. Delving down into the caverns the group encountered a number of beasts ranging from puddings to razor horrors, but the group was able to overcome the challenges. Taking breaks and slowly moving forward, the group descended downwards into a large chasm where they were able to locate the Aetherium vein. After mining for a while there was a great rumbling around them and a giant purple worm erupted from the ground and began attacking it. Boots aka Ghost began making tactical shots while Ray Cyst hurried his sister to the top. Unfortunately, with the fights and now this the group of 3 kobolds that had entered with them were all dead with the last one becoming worm food. The group hurried out of the cavern and made their escape to the entrance of the mineshaft where they all breathed a sigh of relief. Looking around there was smoke and dust in there and only two kobolds hanging around that informed them that there had been a cave in due to an earthquake that occurred earlier.

The group made their way towards the site of the destruction and found that it was one of the schools. Ray joined in the group of mechs that began digging through the rubble, pulling out survivors as quickly as he can. Aeren Grimvein found Ray's sister under the rubble and attempted to pull her out, noticing that her right arm had been crushed underneath a large section of building. As he pulled her out her hand was clutching onto a piece of parchment that had the words "Bes...Brot....Ev" and a portion of a face that appeared to be ray's. Attempting to heal her, he found that everything on her had healed up except for her right arm. Calling out to his companions, she was transferred over to her mother where she too attempted to heal her; however, it failed. In a panic, the Cyst family gathered and immediately decided that they needed to take her to seek medical attention in Trealing. After some time, the bodies of 13 children laid out on display into the evening where Ghost placed candles and performed a ritual for the dead while the rest of the group slowly made their way towards the cyst house. Ray used the sending stone to reach out to his brother to let him know that the family was headed towards Trealing. Doc found Swordbearer Annghorhast and discussed what had happened to him to which the beginning of the reply was, "And there is your goddess." More discussions of faith ensued between the two as they made their way back and eventually through prayer Doc found that this was a punishment handed down from the dark goddess to where the child's suffering was his suffering due to the choices that the group had made and nothing in life was without consequence. Annghorhast attempted to comfort Doc, telling him that the threads of fate had marked the child and that death would be the lesser of living with what had happened to her. Thrown back by this realization Doc reeled with various emotions, completely taken aback by the choices that lay at his feet; meanwhile, the group all eventually all gathered at the Cyst household, all tired, battered, and beaten down from the events that had unfolded. Ghost attempted to comfort Aeren; however, almost immediately he fled to the Temple of Bhita that was there to find answers. The rest of the group had already fallen asleep when he returned and he too laid down for a long rest, reflecting and dreaming of the events that had unfolded. The sun rises in the morning to greet everyone and slowly each of you start to awaken to this new day.