Syrgja Journal Entry VII

After exploring around this seems to be some sort of harvesting or experimenting area. No survivors were left within. Daias family was found in a small containment area with their throats cut.
 
It took me awhile to enter the area with the bodies. I was afraid of what I might see laying there dead. Who I might see.
 
Bodies lie strewn haphazardly with the red crystal protruding out of their heads. I take a few pensive glances around the room. Nobody I recognize. They were also found with burn marks on their hands.
 
The elf girl recognizes a body from one of her contacts at the Otemus branch, though his corpse had obviously been there for a long time, she claims to have had contacts with him far more recently. Deception. Mistrust. Shapechanging.
 
Asai unsurprisingly tries to grab one of the crystals, probably to stuff as much in her pocket as her half decaying patch furred mittens could grab. Something strange happened as she touched it though. It seems as if the cats physical form finally matched the constant mewling about her old age. She hunched, her color left her fur, her eyes glazed over with a rheumy white haze.
 
We find a Journal among the bodies, its old and seems to be from around the time of Ewans mothers journal entries with some interesting connections between Subject 84 and Aerin Hearst.
 
From what we can gather, the orbs like we found in the Pendragon Hideaway draw the internal aether from these victims and causes these Red Crystals to grow. This in turn allows more orbs to be made, and by using the young the orbs are more pure. To what end these pure orbs are used for are is yet to be uncovered.
 
Using my axe I am able to carve off a shard of the Red Aether. My mind is scrambled as soon as my blade touched the crystal, but I am able to carve off a small shard.
 
I wrap the crystal up and tuck it away, hopefully it can help us figure out what is happening.
 
Leaving the lab, we seem to "lose" Asai. I cannot account for her whereabouts until were almost to the exit of the mine. Suspicious that she would slip away so close to a stronghold of the enemy. I doubt it is coincidence. I have a small discussion with Miriele about my misgivings on our recalcitrant cat friend. She doesnt share my suspicious sentiment, but she is still young. I pray to Kynthia that she can learn the of the realities of Durlon without it being a fatal lesson.
 
A small note, after striking the crystal the carved Orca tooth that I wear upon my neck has been thrumming with a very low vibration, and though my mind cleared and I have recovered from the damage of the crystal strike, something has changed within me. I feel an undeniable connection to my totem. I swear I can hear the call of the orca like a distant call in the recesses of my mind.
 
Returning to town we go to check to see if unSindri is at the Otemus branch. We check the living quarters, finding no Sindri but evidence of his being there. We find a list of 50 arcanists in the Sherborne, Dawndale, Glendine area. Chief among these names is Giselle, Ewans sister. Some name had stars marked next to them, with Daia having a bird symbol by hers.
 
Stig and I head to the temple of Zymmera to check on Daia.
 
She is still in a coma however with a little investigation, we notice a needle mark between her ring and middle fingers. We find that Sindri shapechanger had came to visit. I try to make very clear that Daia needs to be guarded at all cost, though I dont know if the guardsmen are capable of grasping the gravity of the situation.
 
Hearing a commotion, I head to the main worship hall and find a woman looking for her husband, Daniel who is an arcist that has gone missing...
 
Leaving the temple in the early morning light, the city is starting to wake, however there is an air of panic, something dark and chaotic is stirring today and shouts of names start ringing out. Something is terribly wrong. We break into a sprint towards the Pendragon Forge, not knowing what awaits us.