Session 30: Bloodlord Varrox

As we considered the next move at the open statue portal, Grace and Pyre joined us After a brief discussion, we decided that pressing on quickly was more important than resting.
 
Jumping through the portal, Scar was immediately met with enemy attacks. As the rest of us came through, we witnessed some of the enemy warmages completing the ritual to summon forth a Slaughter Demon on a large altar.
 
As the battle raged, Grace found himself in hand to hand combat, Reaper was taking damage across the field after charging in. Reaper, having already been significantly injured in the previous fight, eventually fell to the Slaughter Demon, which seemed to immediately kill him.
 
After finishing off the enemies, we flocked to Reaper’s body. Neither Bait nor Pyre had their revive spells prepared, and we started to determine how we could take care of our fallen brother. Soon after, however, there was a bright light, and a figure appeared on the altar. None other than someone who bore an incredible resemblance to Reaper, but wearing a helm that seemed to match his magical gauntlets. This person claimed to be Reaper, even though we still had his dead body among us.
 
We were not sure that we could trust this new arrival, but we also knew this could not stop us from completing our mission. Examining the pillars around the altar, I did not find anything that seemed to relate to Reaper’s return, but I did note a supplicant form in front of an archway portal.
 
Scar immediately took this as the way forward and knelt in front of the archway at the head of the altar, opening yet another gateway.
 
As we filed through the archway, we finally found the Bloodlord Varrox and more of his troops. We joined the battle quickly. The Bloodlord was a difficult foe, surrounding himself with eldritch flames which damaged us with every hit. Scar and I harried him, though, channeling smites into him to make each hit count. Eventually, Varrox attempted to flee through the portal we used to access his space. We pursued, and I was able to slay him with a couple more hits. As his body disintegrated with the final blow, the whole area shook with his demise.
 
The battle finally over, we examined the rest of his tent, finding a couple of interesting items, most notably a magical sand table and a compendium of battle strategies apparently authored by the Bloodlord.
 
Afterwards, I raised the question of our plans moving forward, of the Commander’s desire for carving out a region of his own. I asked the others of this versus remaining a more simple mercenary company, and the perils of becoming a player in the power struggles of the region and the world at large. It seems that most were inclined to follow Scar in the path of conquest, although I think that this and other things may bear some deep reflection and discussion.