FCG waded through the subterranean forest and the necrotic mists in the direction Endrin believed to be straight ahead. Between the trees, the party encounter many relics of Ancient Aeorean life in the forms of park benches, statues, and fountains among others. After traveling for about an hour or so, a few members of the party began to feel ill from the persistent exposure to the foul mist. Nyx felt sick to her stomach while Triple J experienced momentary horrific visions. Nonetheless, the party pressed onward, eager to reach the wood’s end.
The snapping of a nearby twig broke the long eerie silence. Malcolm turned to look in the direction of the noise only to be blasted from behind by a bolt of mind rending energy. The bolt’s source soon became apparent as two large alien feline entities, with long eye stalks for tails, prowled out from behind the surrounding trees and charged head on at FCG. The monstrosities gnashed and clawed the party with their arcane augmented claws and fangs. The creatures even possessed the ability to redirect some of Artaema, Endrin, and Nyx’s magic back at them. Triple J was winked away from the material plane for a moment, thanks to wild magic, but not before he confused one of the monsters. Despite their strange mutations, the creatures could not withstand the onslaught of spell and sword from FCG.
In its death throes, one of the monsters let out a roar that seemed to shake the forest around it. Seemingly summoned by the death of its kin, a massive, two-headed, version of the same creature came bounding out from beyond the mist. Nyx immediately turned her sights on the creature and blasted it with eldritch energy. However, the sorceress’ attacks drew more ire than they did damage. The two-headed beast blasted Nyx with its tail ray before pouncing on her and bringing her to the brink of death as it took a bite out of her now unconscious body. Eris responded immediately and restored Nyx before she could bleed out. Endrin defended the pair with his newly acquired magic ring as he battered the creature backwards with a spectral ram. Malcolm and Artaema did what they do best and assailed the creature with blade and spell alike. Triple J managed to confuse the monstrosity with his signature spell, causing the creature’s two heads to nip at one another instead. Safe for but a moment, Nyx floated upwards from her prone state, seemingly fueled by some sort of divine influence, and filled the area with a burst of radiant healing energy as spectral wings shimmered upon her back. Reinvigorated, the party bore into the confused entity and utterly destroyed it.
FCG worried that the sounds of battle my draw more unwanted attention and fled for cover further within the forest. Triple J set up the dome in hopes that it would keep the necrotic mist at bay, but alas it did not. The party rested for a short while, but many members found themselves worse for the wear as the prolonged exposure to the mist continued to befoul their minds and bodies. Sensing the urgency of their current predicament the party made contingency plans for escape and continued through the forest with haste.
Before long, FCG encountered a break in the endless forest, a giant stone structure that sat in the middle of a clearing. As the party approached they discovered a winding dirt road near the structure that trailed off in multiple directions as well as a wooden sign with arrows in the same corresponding directions. FCG deduced that the large structure before them was some sort of art museum and that the areas referred to as “Cognouza” , “Craftsman’s Row” , and “Central Transit” lay along the path in the varying directions. The party briefly entered the art museum and its adjacent courtyards in hope of finding respite from the thick mists, but their search was fruitless. Instead they discovered many ancient works of art within as well as a small gathering of people enshrouded in a translucent blue stasis bubble within the museum’s central chamber. The party decided not to waste any time tinkering with the museum’s defense systems nor the potentially valuable art lining the walls and instead headed off in the direction of Cognouza.
Following roughly another hour of travel through the forest along the winding dirt road, the party eventually arrived at the stone archway of Aeor’s Cognouza Ward. Hesitantly, the party passed through the archway and into the long dormant necropolis. The party walked slowly along the ruined cobblestone streets, taking in the multitude of colorful buildings and eclectic architecture of the neighborhood. Awe and beauty aside, the party was reminded of the calamity that befell the city as they walked past, and over, the hordes of skeletons strewn across the ancient streets.
As FCG rounded a bend in the street, they came across a most peculiar sight. Before them was an ancient, ruined, town square. The square, however, was alive with spirits and ghosts floating around between spectral market stalls, mimicking the events of daily life. At the square’s center was a large fountain with nine humanoid statues within, all reaching up towards a stone carving of a Luxon beacon at the fountain’s apex. Cautious not to disturb the ghosts, the party walked up to the fountain for a closer look. Endrin examined the series of plaques running around the fountain’s circular base and inferred that the writing on them were the names of the statuesque individuals. As he read all nine names off to the party, the final name, “Vecna”, struck a grim tone that seemingly brought the whole square, FCG and spirits alike, to a standstill. Before the party could even begin to ponder the implications of Vecna’s depiction here, the spirits turned their gaze, now full of contempt, toward the gnomish wizard…
