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Events

Solara appears paralyzed in fear as she realizes, in the chaos of escaping, she teleported everyone to the Nexus Ward instead of The Gardens. This is where the Phaerimm Queen feeds off the main battery powering Valendri. Sundara hears a woman in her mind, “Granddaughter, the joy I feel at seeing you, the magic is intoxicating.” The group tries to escape on foot, but they keep losing moments in time instead blinking closer and closer until they appear in front of the Nexus Battery. The battery appears to be a conglomoration of the living phaerimm queen and the inorganic arcanotech. With no other options, the group encourages Sundara to commune with the battery to see if there is anything she can do. Fearing she will simply be torn apart or cause some irreversible destruction she tells them to leave with her mother if anything happens.

Upon communing with the nexus battery she is teleported to a throne room with a familiar looking elf, she meets Sundaria, her grandmother. Sundaria tells Sundara how during the first Phaerimm invasion she was captured and Valender sealed her away in her Phaerimm form before casting Karsus Avatar. She remained sealed away until an unsuspecting Valendrian came along and she influenced their mind to release her. Sundaria request a new world for the Phaerimm to consume in exchange for them leaving this current world. Although their actions thus far has already left the weave tattered, they would leave before wiping the world clean. While having this mental conversation/vision, the group watches helplessly as Sundara’s body is being held amidst the massive gaping maw of the Phaerimm Queen and is gradually being drawn in.

Sundara realizes that unless she agrees to this promise she will be consumed, thus she agrees. The Phaerimm stab her with a stinger as “insurance” and release her back to her friends and family. They teleport out of the Nexus Ward to The Icebreaker. Solara goes to speak to the council and the group returns their Psionic Weapons in preparation to leave Valendri. There appears to be newfound hope in the eyes of some of the Valendrians. Sundara and Solara have a heartfelt goodbye and The Icebreaker is pushed off the Skyshattered Isles.

The group decides to travel to the Delmiri Desert next to return the Staff of Rivers and Winds to Ironsoul. Allara discovers the staff is made of an unknown, undiscovered metal and has the ability to disrupt certain abilities such as that of a mindflayer. As they approach the desert, Samugi sends a message to Ironsoul who tells them to seek the cave beyond the canyon to find him. Once in the desert, they notice a number of Oni scattered about. They find what appears to be a war camp burning a pyre of Oni bodies. Despite being suspicious of them, the group tries to converse with them about where Ironsoul’s cave might be. The hunters say the only cave nearby has a dragon in it and offer to fight it together to get its hoard. It appears to be a ploy though, as once their remaining companions appear they turn into Oni themselves and attack.