Session 17: Family Roots Report

General Summary

Last we left off, Aeren was drug back down into the hells for more "conditioning" and in the aftermath of the battle, the group found themselves at a loss with the events that had taken place. Corin was gone and Rhys was truly alone. Klaus had been hit with new responsibilities from a departed friend. Ghost had made a full recovery. Ray was dealing with the aftermath of his decisions. The group gathered up the remains of the two constructs and the ashes of Rhys's father and began prepping a funeral service for the departed. As ghost entered the room and was given the rundown, she noticed a familiar figure standing in the room where the battle had taken place, a spirit that gave off "bad vibes", and with the ring of a bell the spirit left. A somber atmosphere hovered over the remains of the mansion as Ray and Ghost explored some and found the land deeds to what remained of the town. Pocketing them, the group eventually rested for the night. The next morning, Rhys was having himself his 18th birthday that morning when everyone else came in before moving outside to send off the dead in a funeral service, sending them off into the ocean in a viking style funeral. They then headed out, traveling across the Nevermelting Fields and back towards civilization, keeping an eye out for the signs of the creature that had confronted Ray before. Following the thread of fate back towards civilization, they came upon the town of Nilulum known for their farming of Greycane where they came upon a small house. Ray noticed his mother outside hanging clothing, his younger sister Mira painting on the side of the house, and his father building an aqueduct in the fields next to the house. The curse had been fully put into place, but the Cyst family was adapting. Ray approached his mother and with a happy reunion, they spoke, explaining things that had happened, and Ray went into the house to see his child. Sitting at the table just inside was Liora who wasn't happy to say the least, before her laid out pieces of metal and gears and tech that just seemed like they wouldn't fit together again. As Ray approached her, she lashed out at him, picking up a piece of machinery and bringing it across his face before going to her room. Ray's mother also told them that she had spoken to Narci, and he was being a contributing member of society at Meggalor Mill. That night at dinner, Liora Cyst ate and went back to her room, still upset at her brother before Ghost intervened and decided to listen to her, have some girl talk, and made her forget all about why she was mad. The next morning the group went further into the port city, entering a trade teleportation circle that had been built to be able to get the fertilizer there quickly and to be able to export out for the oceanic trade routes. With a flash, they were at the mill and entered the town.

Klaus and Rhys felt a wave of calmness and understanding wash over them the moment they entered the town. Most people were out in the fields working while a handful prepared the community table for lunch. Klaus and Rhys partook, Ghost decided to climb a tree, and Ray had conversations with the mayor and had suspicions of this lovely, quaint, paradise of a town. After talking to some of the inhabitants, Klaus and Rhys decided to go farm in the fields. Such hard work tired them out but made them feel good. Connected to the land. A part of the community and then when dinner hit, they were more than happy to partake of all the fresh bounty that Ilmos had provided before retiring to a room in the tavern. Klaus before he laid down, decided to utilize one of his demi-godlike gifts to bring himself lucid clarity before turning in. Ray attempted to speak with his brother multiple times, but his brother didn't want to listen. He was happy here. Ray would be happy here, but he just couldn't see that yet. That night, ghost decided to do some snooping, entering in the fertilizer mill before noticing the sounds of children coming from under the ground. She spoke with Ray after finding him and the two investigated. Lifting a stone to a secret underground room, they noticed small green (almost plant-like children) playing on children's rides like seesaws, merry-go-rounds, and swings. After watching this, Ray decided to go back and get Klaus and Rhys to help with the investigation while ghost stayed behind to keep the perimeter. When Ray opened Klaus's door, he was shocked and appalled to see that Klaus was in the middle of gardening in his sleep. Planting seeds if you will. Cutting the plant back that Klaus was planting, they went to Rhys's room to find the same thing; however, Rhys didn't seem to mind as much as Klaus. As the group pressed forward, they unveiled another hidden chamber underneath where they originally were, revealing a large pit with body parts of the former children that they had previously seen playing that had been partially ground into what appeared to be fertilizer. As the group moved ahead, Rhys being the mature and good boy that he was, decided to shut the door behind them because manners. Further in, they ran across something interesting. A person, but it wasn't quite a person. It was a snake. The further they went in, the more and more snake people they found and fought until finally they reached the end of these caverns where the mayor, a large snake person, and a humanoid looking plant with roots spreading all around her stood before them. Before fighting, Ray stepped up and made a compelling argument that hesitantly, the group agreed to. He only wanted his brother back and they would leave. The plant-oid creature flicked her wrist and the pollen that had covered Rhys fell off and the group exited quickly. Ray found his brother back asleep and awakened him; a completely different person it would seem now. Ray semi-explained the situation and told them where their family was as well as dropping a particular name, "The RootMother" and Narci's eyes widened. A simple, "We need to leave..." was all he said, and he opened a portal to a tree in Nilulum where the group exited out into the night's sky, their family asleep and the two brothers now reunited.