Temple of the Twin Suns

Initiating combat against the Aerosaur, the Vanguard launched a fierce assault as Percy cast Dimension Door to warp himself and the mangled Shasoth to safety. After Thalia, Percy, and Renatus took massive thunder damage—with Emelyne using Feather Fall to catch a falling Thalia—the party hit the soaring beast with Fireball, Call Lightning, and psychic strikes. Scaling back up the cliff, Thalia locked on with Hunter's Mark, while Sanasha struck with a handaxe despite taking 20 fall damage from a dramatic jump. Emelyne and Naoki kept up the aerial bombardment with fire and lightning. Ro’Zaad broke free from the beast's grip and plummeted to the ground family-guy style before chugging a potion. Furious after Sanasha smashed two Aerosaur eggs, the bird scooped her into the air and dropped her over the cliff—forcing Emelyne to sprint forward to catch her with a last-second Feather Fall. Sanasha lassoed the monster on her way down and climbed back up its leg, but a booming attack knocked Ro’Zaad, Sanasha, and Emelyne unconscious. Driven by Orcish Endurance, Sanasha revived herself, while Naoki revived Ro’Zaad using mystical petals. Thalia delivered the final, fatal arrow through the Aerosaur’s throat before crashing down the mountain, bringing the Alpha low.

Examining the nest, Emelyne fed a ration to the sole surviving Aerosaur chick whom they dub "Zappy" and collared it. Naoki convinced the group to bring the baby to Zorena, whom they found talking to two plant men, Bartholomew and Frederick. Astonished by the Alpha's death, Zorena agreed to care for Zappy and retain Shasoth, offering to regrow his missing limbs over two weeks using a specialized balm. Before unconsciousness claimed him, Shasoth warned them to beware of a giant spider carrying a castle on its back. However, a dire threat emerged for Thalia: her heart began failing, giving her one week to obtain Pixie Rose oil—a rare herb found in the Lammuld Wood or high-end alchemy shops—or perish.

Guided by Percy through a massive insect swarm using Emelyne's idea to mask themselves in mud, the party uncovered the ancient Temple of the Twin Burning Suns, dedicated to Silnor and Aolnor. Cleansing the temple's central mirrors reflected light onto the braziers, triggering a energy pulse that cleared the encroaching flora and shattered a central statue to reveal Zornindale—a ten-foot-winged, multi-eyed oracle who served all gods. Zornindale explained that the mountain's subterranean heat stemmed from Bjorn, a fire giant whose fallen heart created the crater known as the World Kiln. In exchange for their journey, Zornindale granted them one absolute truth. The Vanguard asked how to save their world from the cosmic entity seeking to return it to the void. Zornindale revealed that mortal unity paired with divine power was required, directing them to seek answers in the land between life and death beyond a summit gate that divides the lands. Ascending a gear-driven stone dais over molten magma, the Vanguard passed through a hidden, one-way alcove doorway—finally stepping out to behold the vast forests and great central tree of Draelwyrm.