The Living Past

The party tracked west to Empress Nikoleta's estate in the morning. Along the way, Kyllikki found smooth river pebbles like those she had gathered as a child. It was strange and disorienting to find her mother's favorite stone in a place she associated so closely with her father. The road leading to Pella's home was consumed by the abyss, and Kylli understood well the pain and anguish her friend felt at not knowing the fate of her family.
 
The stoop to Nikoleta's estate was covered with flowers, but the pretty tribute was overshadowed by grafitti carved into the stone that read THETIS LIES HERE. Despite this, Eren led the party onward. The air seemed almost electric with magical energy, and the gardens were untended and overgrown. In the receiving hall, Nikoleta's body was laid out in a glass casket. Eren asked the party to give him and Eli a moment of privacy, so they stepped back into the garden. The further they went from Eren, the heavier the air became.
 
When the party reentered the building a few minutes later, and proceeded to the next room, Eli's pendant rose off her chest and showed spectral images of a party with Eren and Nikoleta among the guests. The image replayed several times, but when Eli wandered toward the woman at the piano, the specters disappeared. She ran off to the parlor, and the party followed close behind. Here they were shown an image of a military man standing at attention as Nikoleta entered, looking thin. She asked him about a funeral, but he moved to draw his sword. Nikoleta threw him into a china cabinet that still stood broken in the room. That done, she exiled the man and his family beyond the empire. The scene faded as the man tried to crawl from the room. The party realized that this must be the man who killed Eren.
 
In the bedroom at the top of the stairs, the pendant showed a scene of Eli's mother sobbing and holding a woodcarving of a bird, carved by Eren. Nikoleta seemed to walk through the party to go and comfort her. Upset by this, Eli stormed from the room, and all followed her to Nikoleta's study. The scene here was unsettling. Nikoleta rose from her desk to fetch a book and clutched at her abdomen, bleeding and falling to the floor. At the sound of her scream, Eli ran off again. Eren remained to examine the room, and discovered several letters written in Dwarvish. He asked Kyllikki to translate them, and she was shocked to find that they were written by her father. The letters were written in codes that he had taught to Kylli as a child, telling of plans to trap a relic in a statue Nikoleta had commissioned. Kyllikki relayed this information to Eren, explaining that the Shatterstones were an ancient clan, oathbound to seal magic in stone. She broke into sobs, as this was the first sign of her father or clan that she had seen in fifty years. Eren embraced her, but at a hint from Pella, he pressed his forehead to hers.
 
Mollye and Eli returned to the study, the latter perturbed after witnessing another scene in the sun room. She took Kyllikki back to replay the scene, and Kyllikki wept as she watched her father talking to Nikoleta about the statue. It broke her heart to hear the sadness in his voice as he mentioned sending Kyllikki and her mother away. Eli stayed with her when the image finally faded, and played her the Dwarvish song Kylli had taught her.
 
After a few more mundane images with little substance, the party returned to the gardens. When they headed to the maid's house, the pendant revealed a scene of Eren embracing Nikoleta beneath a blooming tree. As it replayed, another figure appeared. The maid, Havva, was not a specter. Eren recognized her, but was suspicious and asked her the year. The date she gave was 2230, fifty-one years ago. The party learned that Nikoleta had been with child, but miscarried. The maid transformed into a monster, and the party had to fight her as well as the spirits of Eren and Nikoleta's lost twins. Kylli had her memory temporarily drained by the creature, but the party was able to defeat her before any real harm could be done.
 
Having exhausted all of their leads at the estate, the party resumed their earlier search for Sah-Ghan's contacts, the Nur. He discovered a marked door to a cellar that led under several buildings. Instead of the Nur, they found Chiron, apparently unharmed. He had few answers for how he had ended up in Racine, but he seemed to be himself and the party didn't question him further.
 
Eren discovered a rock puzzle in the wall, and Kyllikki quickly pushed him aside to tap the correct stones to open an archway. The hidden hallway beyond led to a series of larger rooms. Kyllikki took her time entering the space, admiring the granite work in the walls. Mollye showed her one of the many tiny figures scattered about the space - a marble figure of a dwarf woman with a hammer and a hawk. Her response was to describe the properties of marble, but Mollye asked her to hang on to the figure.
 
Most of the party delved deeper into the space, but Kyllikki remained. The feel of a granite wall beneath her hand was soothing after an emotionally trying morning. Sah-Ghan had also stayed behind, however, and they shared their first real conversation without shouting. He said that his family had died. The Nur taught him what he knows, but he was sorry now because he hadn't realized it was bad. Kyllikki couldn't really make heads or tails of what he was talking about, but could sense that he was upset by his memories. She set out her small collection of rocks for him, explaining that she collected them to help her remember. Sah-Ghan tapped the stones and made them chime like bells to play a song. She offered him the marble figure Mollye had entrusted to her, saying that he should keep it if he thought it might help. She did not name him as a friend, but felt more tolerant of his presence in the party.
 
When the party regrouped, they argued about their next destination. Eli summoned Nyx for advice. She grumpily directed them to the woods and asked for the figures scattered around the room. Eren asked Kyllikki to smash one with her hammer, but she refused after her talk with Sah-Ghan, concerned about the meaning of the figures.
 
Leaving Racine at last, the party paused at the gate. Here, Pella shouted promises into the abyss and left an offering of the flowers she had gathered on the road, which were sucked into the void.