The demilich, Timorei, let out an ear splitting howl. The monstrous noise was enough to frighten every member of FCG, however the sheer horror of it caused Triple J, Nyx, and Malcolm to collapse, unconscious. The situation immediately dire, Artaema attempted, unsuccessfully, to hold the demilich in stasis. Endrin too tried to contain Timorei within a resilient sphere, but found that his spell fizzled within Timorei’s anti-magic field. Eris sought to turn the tide of the battle and resuscitated Triple J, Nyx, and Malcolm with Bahamut’s light. Timorei cackled at FCG’s feeble attempts at magic and sapped their life essence with crackling necrotic energy, pushing Triple J to death’s door. Malcolm maneuvered around his allies, protecting them as best he could, while both Artaema and Endrin struggled to find purchase with their spells. Nyx managed to chip away at Timorei’s skull with blasts of eldritch energy. Eris attempted to command Timorei, but the spell failed due to Timorei’s undead nature. Frustrated, the paladin threw a spear at the demilich but that too was rendered inert by Timorei’s unnatural immunities. The entire tower trembled with Timorei’s rage, causing many of FCG to loose their footing. The demilich continued to sap the life from the party, seemingly regenerating from their siphoned life essence.
With the thought of vanquishing Timorei outright quickly becoming a distant memory, Malcolm began to plot the party’s escape while Endrin and Artaema turned their eyes to the vanity table and the tome within. Malcolm grabbed Eris, who had since been turned into a potted plant from a burst of wild magic. Timorei sucked more life energy from FCG, this time knocking Nyx out as well. As the tower shook again, Eris regained her original form and fell atop Malcolm. The two warriors rose and quickly stabilized Triple J before shepherding both the unconscious bard and sorceress down to the lower level of the tower. Artaema finally succeeded in freezing Timorei in time. Knowing full well that the stasis would not last for more than an instant, she made a break for the vanity table. Endrin shouted out to warn her of the trapped drawer. Artaema succeeded in dispelling the necrotic trap and grabbed the large ornate tome from within. Freed from his stasis but a moment too late, Timorei flew through the air toward the goliath wizard.
After depositing Triple J and Nyx down in the chamber below, Eris returned to the fray above while Malcolm gathered up Nyx and began carrying her out over the bridge which connected Timorei’s tower to the rest of the Animum Cor Meum. Up in Timorei’s bedchamber, Endrin launched firebolts at the demilich, covering Artaema’s break for the stairwell. Eris charged toward Timorei who was finally within reach of her blade as he floated just above the vanity table. Timorei attempted to blind the paladin with a cloud of mist before flying away, but Eris’ divine fury could not be stifled. As Timorei attempted to glide upwards, Eris swung her blade up and through Timorei’s jaw, smiting him with as much might as she could muster, sending shards of bone and gemmed tooth flying across the room. Enraged, the battered skull howled, terrifying Eris, Artaema, and Endrin. Timorei then flew across to the stairwell to cut off the party’s escape.
Fearing for the rest of his companions, Malcolm left Nyx on the bridge and began heading back to the tower. Crippled with fear, Eris, Artaema, and Endrin found themselves unable to move toward and past Timorei. The damaged demilich siphoned more life from the party, this time catching the still unconscious Triple J in one of the rays, causing Triple J to begin withering away. Slowly, the members of FCG still trapped in the bedchamber began battling their way down to the lower level, sustaining heavy necrotic damage and stumbling as the tower shook often. By the time all members of the party, save for Nyx, had made it down to the lower level, both Endrin and Triple J lay dying on the floor. Timorei enshrouded the party in a black mist. Malcolm rushed over to Triple J’s side and found a potion of healing on the bard’s person. As Endrin looked far worse given the vile curse that had befallen him, Malcolm chose to administer the potion to Endrin. However much to Malcolm’s shock and horror, the potion had no effect as the black mists prevented any in the tower from recovering vitality.
A few moments later, the black mists faded. Eris, too terrified to get any closer to Timorei, who now hovered just above the tower entryway, tossed a healing potion to Artaema. Artaema, looking quite drained and panicked herself, revived Triple J with the potion while Malcolm stabilized Endrin. Seeing no path to victory against the now fully recovered Timorei, Artaema fled the tower and began running across the bridge, tome in hand. Timorei quickly whirled around and followed Artaema out over the bridge. Eris healed Endrin with another potion. Finally all conscious and together, Triple J, Endrin, Malcolm, and Eris gave chase across the bridge.
Triple J sprinted past Artaema and right up to Timorei, but quickly found himself cut down by another of Timorei’s life draining rays. Endrin scurried underneath Timorei and readied his pocket of holding with the thought of stuffing the malevolent skull inside. Malcolm arrived on the bridge next. Seeing Triple J dying on the bridge right next to Nyx’s still unconscious body, along with the looks of fear and desperation in the eyes of both Artaema and Endrin, Malcolm knew what he had to do. The brave warrior called out to Timorei, “Stop! Stop! I will be your champion.”
Intrigued by Malcolm’s proposition, Timorei’s angered demeanor calmed as he floated down to Malcolm and circled the warrior inquisitively. Timorei agreed to cease hostilities against FCG and grant Malcolm his boon and tome in exchange for the fighter’s undying servitude when called upon. Triple J, who’d been revived during the discussion attempted to intervene and take Malcolm’s place but was unable to push Malcolm from the pink mists that now swirled about him. Thus, the pact was struck. Crying out about what Conan would and would not have wanted, Triple J offered himself up to Timorei in Malcolm’s stead, and while it was too late to free Malcolm, it was not too late for Timorei to claim a second champion. As pink mist began to swirl around Triple J, Eris yanked Triple J aside, despite Endrin’s attempt to stop her, and saved Triple J from the binding ritual. As part of their agreement, Timorei dispersed the mists within the Cognouza ward and gave FCG free reign over the Animum Cor Meum under the promise that no more of the demilich’s servants would hinder his champion, Malcolm.
Exhausted and severely injured, FCG made their way back down to the central chamber of the Animum Cor Meum. As Triple J began constructing the dome, Endrin and Artaema looked over Timorei’s grimoire. They identified the tome to be an artifact from the Age of Arcanum, a book of infinite golden pages containing many inscribed spells. Most curious however, were the last few pages of the book which contained a set of runes and writings, foreign and indecipherable to both Endrin and Artaema. Endrin mused that these writings could be the reason behind the Bladescarred’s desire for this particular artifact. Artaema agreed to let Endrin wield the grimoire for the remainder of their expedition so long as she got the chance to examine the tome with him once they reached a more hospitable location. Around that time, Triple J finished completing the dome. FCG crawled inside and settled in for a much needed, much deserved long rest. In the night, Malcolm dreamt horrible nightmares through which he was granted Timorei’s boon. Nonetheless, after eight hours, the party awoke rested though not entirely recovered from Timorei’s life drain. Still far beneath Eiselcross’ surface and with much of Aeor still to explore, FCG began to plot their next course of action.
