Weary from their battle with the Aeorian monstrosities, FCG settled in for a short rest within the ruined archive of the Somnovem. Though they managed to restore some of their strength, the party was still unable to find refuge from the pink mist that invaded every corner of the city. During their short rest, Eris discovered a few useful books pertaining to Exandrian history and the Somnovem, among others. FCG felt the need to press on with haste and consulted their map of pre-Calamity Aeor. The party decided to head deeper into the Cognouza ward towards a structure labeled as the Animum Cor Meum.
However, a narrow chasm now separated the Animum Cor Meum from the rest of the city. Drained from all of their encounters within Aeor, FCG found themselves without any easy magical means of crossing and was forced to resort to a more rudimentary solution. Eris molded a stone platform from which Triple J leaned out over the chasm. With the use of mage hand, the bard was just able to tie a rope around a tree on the opposite side of the chasm. Malcolm secured the other end of the rope among the ruins of the archive while Endrin absent mindedly searched for components from which to fasten make-shift carabiners. Triple J assisted in the search for tools to aid in the party’s crossing and discovered some suitable chair legs which the party could use to hang from the rope. Malcolm and Endrin crossed the chasm first, both making it across with relative ease. Nyx attempted to cross next, but the frail Sorceress’ arms gave out halfway across and she began to fall. Endrin reacted quickly and gusted Nyx up a few feet, buying precious seconds. Eris responded next and lassoed Nyx back to the overhang of the archive with the use of lightning lure. Unwilling to take any more chances, Eris tied another rope to Nyx so that she could pull her to safety should the sorceress slip again. Nyx succeeded in crossing on her second attempt. Artaema attempted to cross next. She, however, was too exhausted to make it all the way across and instead decided to burn a little more of her now scarce arcane energy to cast fly on herself. Artaema then ferried Eris across while Triple J crossed via rope just for the thrill of it.
With all members now safely across, the party turned their sights on the shrouded garden before them. FCG steeled themselves and began traversing through the trees and mist until they reached a large cylindrical stone structure. The party traced around the structure’s exterior until they came across a stone door with the phrase, “Enter ye of Able Mind”, engraved above. Triple J muttered the tenets of Vecna at the door while Malcolm and Eris each tried to just open it. All three attempts failed. Endrin, figuring he was the most able minded member of group, attempted to open the door as well, but he too failed. Then, a spark of idea took hold in Triple J’s mind and he simply imagined the door opening. Sure enough, channeling the power of mortal imagination, as hinted at in one of the archive’s books, caused the stone doors to grind open.
Past the doors, the party took in the sights of a great round hall with a large table in the center. Nine chairs encircled the table, seven of which were occupied by spectral entities. Around the walls of the chamber were nine individual studies as well as nine staircases all curving up to an exposed second level. All at once, FCG felt an outside thought enter their minds. The spirits at the table telepathically questioned the party’s intentions and bade them come forward. As FCG attempted to respond, a horrible howl echoed through the great hall. In unison, the seven spirits began laughing, their laughter almost deafening in the party’s minds. The spirits then floated up from their chairs and coalesced into three spectral orbs. The orbs took the shape of three horrid ghosts, all three of which began a mental assault on the party.
As FCG charged forward to engage, they found themselves bombarded by waves of painful memories emanating from the ghastly amalgamated Somnovem. The party battled back as Artaema and Endrin unleashed massive fire and dunamancy spells that caused the whole chamber to shake. Eris did what she could to heal herself and protect the party, while Malcolm was forced to resort to the throwing of hand-axes as the Somnovem took flight. Nyx peppered the spirits with force and flame, and Triple J attempted to retaliate with psychic attacks of his own. Though they endured heavy torrents of psychic damage from the amalgamated Somnovem, FCG ultimately prevailed, Endrin crushing the skull of the last remaining with unbridled gravity.
As the chamber grew calm once more, FCG found themselves drawn to the second level of the Animum Cor Meum by a subtle musical tune echoing from somewhere above. As the party explored the second level, they discovered a series of smaller towers connected via stone bridge to the main structure. Amongst the debris within these towers, Endrin discovered a star patterned blue robe. The party eventually deduced that these towers were likely the living quarters of the Somnovem long ago. FCG explored the towers clockwise around the central chamber until the eventually came across one tower in particular that they discerned to be the source of both the eerie, now much louder, music and pink mist. Malcolm entered the tower first, followed closely by Endrin and the rest of the party. After a brief search for any unseen traps hidden within the dark room, the party made their way up the curved stair in the back. On the second floor, FCG discovered a tattered bed and a vanity table with a toppled stool beside it. The party quickly identified the source of the music, a small golden music box encased in a translucent blue dome atop the vanity table.
Endrin approached the music box to examine it further. The gnome wizard’s brow furrowed as he discovered that the music box was encased in magic similar to that of the stasis bubbles they had encountered previously in Aeor. As Endrin looked up from the music box to inform the rest of the party, he noticed a twinkle in the vanity table’s mirror. The twinkle drew the wizard’s gaze. As Endrin stared at the mirror, a skull with gemmed eyes and a jagged maw took shape in the pink mist behind him. After a moment, the rest of the party saw the ghastly visage as well. Endrin whirled around and the party took a step back as the skull mused and twirled about the room. Not immediately violent, the curious skull introduced himself as Timorie, one of the Somnovem. Timorei asked the party about their nature and intentions, and FCG responded with questions of their own. Between Timorie’s outbursts of angry threats, the party was able to learn that Timorei was the source of the foul pink mist. FCG also learned that Timorei once knew Vecna back in the Age of Arcanum. Timorie spoke often of his hunger for souls and how he was unable to feed due to his music box being trapped in stasis.
Endrin took another look at the music box, this time aided by the help of a detect magic spell. As expected, Endrin discovered powerful necromantic magic lingering about the box. However, Endrin discovered that the vanity’s drawer also reeked of necromantic energy, and that whatever object lay within the drawer was a source of great power for all schools of magic. The party inquired about the object within the drawer and learned that it was Timorei’s spellbook back from when the rest of his body was still intact. Tensions in the room heightened as Endrin threatened to dispel the magic on the drawer and Malcolm mused about ending Timorei outright. Timorei offered the party a pact: one of FCG would become his champion and do his bidding when called upon, hopefully resulting in the dispersion of the stasis bubble around the music box, and Timorei would dispel the pink mist as well as grant the party his spell book and favor. FCG contemplated the bargain momentarily before deciding it wasn’t worth it. The party instead began heading back down to the lower level of the tower with the intent of heading towards what used to be Vecna’s tower. As the party was leaving, Nyx began belittling Timorei’s shattered psyche, making fun of the demilich’s aggressive alter ego. With a parting comment, Eris straight up told Timorei that she hated him. The sudden slew of insults sent Timorei into a rage as he howled at the party with intent to kill…
