As FCG concluded a short rest within a ruined tower, they prepared themselves to continue their delve into the icy caves. Malcolm examined the far side of the tower’s interior and discovered that the walls were weak in some areas. The strapping fighter broke through the far wall with brute strength, and revealed another cavern on the other side. The party decided it would be best to do some forward scouting before venturing through the newly made opening, and Triple J conjured another arcane eye with which to explore. While the eye floated about the surrounding caves, Endrin’s shadow, birthed from his own dancing lights spell, came to life behind him and began sapping his strength. Immediately Endrin extinguished the luminous globules, banishing the shadow back to the darkness.
Despite the malevolent shadow’s disturbance, Triple J’s eye explored the tunnels unhindered. Through the eye, FCG discovered a few locations of interest within the winding caves, including but not limited to massive ice chutes leading down to steaming pools, a subterranean grove of trees, an engraved stone slab, and the large disembodied head of an automated Aeorian sentry. Worried they would not be able to traverse back up the ice chutes, FCG chose to examine the upper caverns first.
First, the party headed to the cave containing the engraved stone slab. Upon pouring some hot water atop the stone, the ice melted away and revealed ancient Aeorian text underneath. Artaema translated the text aloud and said, “Take the free, self-guided, tour of the Ars Nubra Garden. Press the eye to cast the spell.” Hesitantly, Triple J approached and touched the engraved eye. Sure enough, another arcane eye appeared under the bard’s control. FCG spent the next hour scouting even further, discovering a larger group of Bladescarred further ahead along with the tracks of a large canine creature.
Carefully, pressing forward, FCG next arrived at the cavern with the large iron golem head. The head’s robotic voice greeted them in ancient Aeorian, before quickly switching to common. As the golem was clearly of Aeorian make, FCG asked it a series of questions about the surrounding caves, pathogen L-17H, antidote L-17I, and Aeor’s Genesis ward. Upon FCG’s display of the proper security clearance, the red agate necklace acquired from the ruined laboratory, the golem happily provided what intel it could. Satisfied as they could be with the golem’s limited help, the party bid the entity farewell and crept further down the tunnels.
FCG entered the next cavern cautiously, well aware of the disturbing, shivering, humanoid figures within. Malcolm tested the waters first and through a rock toward the cloaked figures, both of which were currently facing the walls. The figures’ reluctance to react only heightened the tension in the chamber. Triple J shrugged and began tiptoeing forward. The rest of the party followed closely behind.
As the nervous bard attempted to step past the shivering creatures, suddenly they both turned in the party’s direction and un-drew their hoods, illuminating the chamber in cold, blinding, white light. Blindness could not hinder Malcolm’s honed senses however, as the warrior engaged one undead luminous entity with trained precision. Eris brandished her moon-touched blade, set it ablaze with divine flame, and slashed bravely at the other. From around the corner, two more coldlight walkers joined the fray. Triple J caught wind of Bladescarred activity from the chambers beyond and suspected that the two newcomers would not be the last of FCG’s immediate enemies. Endrin and Nyx, both attempting to conserve their arcane energy, fired off bolts of flame at the hostile walkers. Despite cover fire from her allies, Eris still fell prey to the walkers’ icy touch. Triple J and Nyx prevented the situation from worsening by healing the fallen paladin immediately. In order to finish off the coldlight walkers, the party retreated to Artaema’s magic circle where they were able to vanquish their foes without sustaining additional damage.
No sooner had the last walker fallen than a party of Bladescarred, alerted by the commotion, came charging through a narrow tunnel into the cavern. Endrin seized the opportunity presented by the narrow tunnel and managed to catch all four Bladescarred in one of his famous gravity sinkholes. Enraged, the Bladescarred engaged the party in melee combat as best they could while hindered by Artaema’s magic circle. Malcolm and Eris battled the Bladescarred back, while Nyx and Artaema fired pot shots from further within the circle. Triple J even joined in the brawl, engaging the Bladescarred’s berserker with his Acheron Blade. Artaema finished off the Bladescarred flesh mender with an acid arrow, but not before they managed to blind Endrin with dark magic. Triple J scampered backwards after getting knocked down by the berserker’s superior brute strength and resorted to his tried and true dissonant whispers to send the ranging undead scampering away. Malcolm, Eris and Nyx finished off the berserker and one of the bandits before turning their gaze toward the sole remaining Bladescarred. Meanwhile, Endrin tried as he might, but failed to save against the crippling blindness still enshrouding him.
With the rest of his party now dead at his feet, the final remaining Bladescarred disengaged from FCG’s bruisers, made a break for it, and hollered something in yeti toward the direction from whence he came…
