Session 13: The Train and the Temple Report

General Summary

Last we left off; the group stood face-to-face with a group of Grugach elves that had mistaken Ray for his brother Narci Cyst. After some conversation, Ray was able to convince them that he would bring his brother back for safe passage through the woods as well as the right to trade with them. They agreed because Ray was extremely charismatic...apparently. The group moved along the outer edges of the woods where they came upon the entrance to the Vault of Screams where his sister Liora Cyst had finished up rebuilding the train, unfortunately it would need a pretty large power source (aka noose) to power it. After some catching up, sharing of smutty books with Boots aka Ghost, the group loaded themselves into the train and sped through the tunnel towards the temple. They were attacked by the flayed skin and undead miners that had perished in the mine during the fall of the abericlase 10 years ago as well as some oil mephets that had snuck aboard the train. Powering through it, the group managed to get to the end of the tunnel, but the tracks had degraded over time, and they plowed into a snowbank. Before them was the temple along with the remains of what appeared to be radio towers glistening in the snow. Entering into the temple an eerie presence fell over them as the first room they were attacked by a spider construct. Defeating it and dismantling it, they continued onwards into the temple where they found a vending machine with expired potions of healing. Moving further into the temple they found where they needed the bell as well as the compass to traverse through a room. Closing doors behind giant constructs, they found their way into a room that seemed to control parts of the temple. It took Ray some time to figure out how to turn off the magnetic floor, but he was able to, and the group moved through, utilizing the scepter of seasons for the last door before they entered a giant room full of gears and an entity with brains wrapped around it awaiting them. When Ray introduced himself, a brain lit up and a male's voice came out, one of his former ancestors. He pointed towards a table where the plans of the forge lie and Ray was able to pick something else up, a railgun, named "Bhita's Wrath." Probing further, the group ended up agitating the entity and it attacked. A fight ensued that left the group on the ropes, just barely surviving before Ghost took the final shot to destroy this creature. Once the creature had died and the influence of the primordial god of Undeath was removed from the temple, a familiar face to one not there appeared to the group, congratulating them. Hydall God of the Arcane, spoke to them, telling them that they had gotten farther than any before them and that this entire ordeal was a ruse. He had created The Pilgrimage Trials as a way to cleanse the temples from undeath's presence where the gods could not enter, but it was twofold. The artifacts that they gathered were components of a spell meant to free the primordial gods that they had imprisoned so long ago and rewrote history. To the victor goes the spoils. Amahri Rhea also spoke up, questioning his bloodline to which the response given back to him wasn't what he was looking for. He was his father's mistake from his own choices, but there was a chance. Hydall unlocked something in the boy and we shall see what comes of that. With Hydall stating his piece, he left them to their own desires, praying that they would continue their quest; however, Ray did one additional thing. With the guardian removed, the power was able to be turned back on...and so he did. Leaving the temple and preparing for the long walk back to civilization red lightning crackled off in the distance as a storm blew in and the iStone rang and a familiar voice of Ignor Ramous echoed, sounded battered and worn down.

"Ray. I couldn't stop her. Dot's death. Too much to bear. City in shambles. We tried. She's too strong. I'm sorry...War...is coming."