FCG awoke in the heart of the Animum Cor Meum, still weary from their battle with Timorei and the effects of the Frigid Woe. Slowly, they prepared their spells, gathered their things, and set off for Vecna’s quarters. When they arrived at the bridge that should have ran to the god’s mortal abode, they discovered that the entire tower was missing. Upon further investigation, Triple J found that the bridge was not crumbled or in ruins but instead displayed a smooth, clean, break. The area below the brigdge where the tower should have been was clear as well. Eris sought to reveal the tower with her imagination, but the effort proved fruitless. Endrin and Artaema gazed upon the vacant space with detect magic and discovered traces of ancient and powerful teleportation magic. Malcolm and Endrin pondered the implications of their discovery, exchanging myths and lore dating back to the Founding of Exandria in an attempt to piece together what had happened here. Nonetheless, Vecna’s tower was nowhere to be found, and thus FCG set off towards Aeor’s Genesis Ward.
Upon their arrival at the vast chasm separating the Animum Cor Meum’s garden and the Grand Archive of the Somnovem, Artaema ferried the party across with arcane flight. As the party stepped out into Cognouza’s market square, they found themselves face to face with a familiar adversary, the Bladescarred warlock who’d nearly brought about FCG’s demise in the caves above. The warlock, certain that the FCG had beaten he and his troop to the coveted Grimoire Infinitus, demanded that the party had over the artifact at once. The warlock’s threats rang hollow in the ears of the emboldened FCG and combat ensued. Spells and counter-spells flew across the ruined marketplace. FCG’s frontline, which now included Triple J, made quick work of the warlock’s undead minions while Endrin, Nyx, and Artaema peppered the warlock and his shamanistic healer with evocation magic. A few bursts of wild magic, which resulted in two consecutive fireballs on top of FCG’s spell casters, threatened to turn the tide, but ultimately FCG was proving more than a match for the remaining Bladescarred. The battle looked won when Malcolm, after numerous failed attempts to intimidate the warlock into surrender, decided to just chop of the warlock’s head. However, the Bladescarred healer managed to regenerate in time to mend and re-grow the head of the warlock. Quickly, the warlock pulled out a shadowy tuning fork and teleported away despite the dual couter-spells from Endrin and Artaema. FCG finished off the Bladescarred healer and took a breather before continuing on.
Following their short rest, FCG headed south through the Cognouza Ward to the grand cylindrical hallways of Aeor’s central transit system. Carefully, FCG entered the hallway and began making their way toward the main junction of the transit space, passing by numerous ruined tunnels an connecting passages along the way. Eventually, the party arrived at a circular chamber, alight with a blinking red glow and containing a singular large metallic pillar in the center. Malcolm perceived that there were two other hallways adjacent to the chamber and discerned that the right-most was the way to the Genesis Ward. Malcolm beckoned for the party to follow and stepped into the circular chamber. As the fighter entered, the metallic pillar crackled to life with electrical energy and shocked him as it electrified the entire chamber. The noise of the blast seemingly disturbed a group of Aeorian Hunters, one of which came prowling from the right-most passage, the other of which could only be heard from behind Nyx.
