Session XL: The Lyrium Road part III Report

General Summary

The Knight's Mount

Having escaped the perils of a first boulder, the adventurers prepare themselves for another one. Balin Thornbow uses his Fire Rune to restrain the Knight while Oswald Fleetfeet attempts to use his time magic to freeze him. John Doe rushes up the mount to discover two Blade Minions are up top, a caster and a warrior. The knight uses his Legendary Resistance to escape Balin's fiery shackles as his Nightmare approaches, with which he prepares a charge. As John is heavily damaged by the blades, he manages to release an arrow in the Knight's shoulder, felling him to the ground with him breaking his neck in the process. The caster however heals the knight who mockingly claims he is powerful. Oswald then uses his Fire Wall to encapsulate and toast the caster, knight and mare. The mare however breaches the wall of fire in hopes of kicking one of the adventurers in the dirt. In the end, they dispatch of the bladeworks, melting the knigth's voidsteel (appears as blacksteel) half-plate out of shape, requiring 15 CP to be returned to normal. Furthermore, Balin scraps 0.5 a blade of voidsteel together while John collects Nightmare ashes from the deceased shadow-flame horse. They take a Short Rest to discover this cavern is a dead-end.

I'm not that easily downed

— Knight of Blades

Into the Lands of Fear

A crossroad camp

With the other cavern amassing to a dead-end, the White Flame continues its journey into the western cavern, where they previously saw a blade disappearing into. Once crossing the small tunnels, they see a humongous spire of Lyrium in the distance. Balin remembers the Knight warned them that this was the Fear demon's domain, and they decide to attempt to sneak past it. Upon setting up camp in a sheltered area, John is alarmed during his second watch by the green-spiked Terror demons approaching in the distance. He wakes his fellow adventurers who take up defensive positions: Balin climbs up some rocks and lays down for an ambush, while the others stick to the walls and hide behind rocks. Oswald perceives a fear demon climbing over the wall towards Nalan and unleashes a Fire Bolt on it, initiating combat.
All the adventurers unleash their wrath on the Terror Demon near Nalan, nearly collapsing it ("But for a single casting of Hunter's Mark"). They discover a second terror demon climbing up towards Balin as both demons suddenly unleash a terrible cry of terror. The adventurers all put their hands on their ears, in an attempt to dissuade the agonizing pain but to no avail. Each has a vision of one of their most terrible fears, before finding themselves on their knees near the Lyrium spire. Surrounding by green whirling clouds, they see the lord of the Lyrium Road in the distance.

A meet with utmost Fear

The Fear demon suddenly manifests for each of the individual adventurers like their darkest fear. Balin sees a mighty lich, Oswald the Lyrium Monstrosity fought but a few days ago and Nalan the High Flame of the Chantry of Fire clearly corrupted by the spawns of Beliar. The Fear demon first constraints them with chains dealing minor psychic damage, before he bids them to sit as chairs appear out of thin air. He tells the adventurers, he wishes to strike a bargain. He still owes a debt to Pavor, a demon of dread, and the fear demon wishes to be rid of this debt. As such, one of the adventurers shall become Pavor's mortal host. In return, the Fear demon offers one question answered with the utmost truth.
Balin asks what should happen if they dissuade his proposal. The fear demon opens the cloud curtain, revealing chained troglodytes forced to watch their worst fears over and over again as demons feast upon their emotions. The curtain is closed again with Balin feeling more terrified than ever. The fear demon asks either John or Oswald to step forth, as they are capable of magic and as such of hosting Pavor. Oswald offers himself as he hears whispers in his ears of the demon of the great power he will wield, the power to control the time magic, to bend all of existence to his will. Meantime, the other adventurers hear whispers such as "Only by a pact with our Lord may you stand against Vex" or "Vex shall mean the end of the world".
An altar appears from the ground as a knife materializes before Oswald who is guided by the fear demon to the altar. With the knife in hand ready to bleed in the chalice and call the name Pavor three times, a possession seems close at hand.

Current status adventurers

Character	Current HP / Max HP	Statuses	Hit Die Used
Balin	44 / 56?	Frigthened	1/7d10
John	57/72?	Frightened	7/7d10
Oswald	20/36?	Frightened	2/7d6
Nalan	40/76?	Frigthened	3/7d10

Road travelled

Rewards Granted

• Nightmare ashes
• Broken voidsteel half-plate armor
Mundus, Spellforce 1
Half-plate Voidsteel cuirass of Blades
Armor (Medium)
Very Rare Requires Attunement
Crafted from the black-steel appearing material the Blades of the Queen of Blades are made from, actual armor crafted from this material is rare and retains some of the blades' properties, but not their magic resilience.

The armor grants Disadvantage on Stealth, Resistance to Fire damage but Vulnerability to Cold damage. It's AC = 15 + Dex Modifier (max 2).
Type	AC	STR Req.	Stealth Dis.
Medium	15 + Dex Modifier (max 2)		Yes

Campaign

The Island of Runaar

Protagonists

Nalan

Oswald Fleetfeet

TN halfling(gnome) (cloistered scholar)
wizard 5

26 / 26 HP

STR
8

DEX
15

CON
13

INT
19

WIS
16

CHA
10

John Doe

Lawful Neutral Wood Elf (Inheritor)
Ranger 6

63 / 63 HP

STR
9

DEX
18

CON
14

INT
18

WIS
16

CHA
13

Report Date

21 Mar 2022