Editing Session 135 The Chill of Despair

{{Session
|campaign=Echos of Lyhnn
|session_date=12 July 2025
|game_date=Morning-Afternoon, CY627
|synopsis=their treacherous journey north, the party, having discovered unsettling human footprints circling their camp, faced a brutal ambush by two yetis and an Ice Devil, a battle that ultimately resulted in the tragic death of Durmen as a second Ice Devil was summoned.ambush while heading north from Oakhaven.
|summary=
==== Continued from [[Session 134 Frozen Folly]] ====

==== Echoes of the Fallen Giant ====

The chill of the morning air offered little comfort after the prior day's ordeal. With the frost giant's colossal form now still, the adventurers set about the grim task of looting. Durmen, ever the pragmatist, bartered with Aldran for the giant’s grotesquely detached left eyeball, securing it for a sum of 120 gold pieces. The giant’s magnificent Owlbear cloak, a garment worth a fortune at 700-800 gold pieces, was not merely a trophy; it became their immediate salvation, fashioned into a makeshift shelter against the biting cold as they sought what little rest the remainder of the night offered. Dawn, however, brought a disquieting discovery: a trail of human-sized footprints circled their camp two or three times, a silent testament to unseen watchers before the tracks continued north, a chilling omen of what lay ahead.

==== Ambush from the Frozen Wastes ==== 

[[File:The Chill of Despair.png|thumb|The Chill of Despair]]

As the day wore on, the landscape became increasingly desolate. It was late afternoon when the party stumbled upon an abandoned hunting camp nestled beside a small, thawing river. An eerie silence hung in the air, broken only by the trickle of melting ice. But this peace was a cruel illusion. As they cautiously approached, two hulking yetis burst forth from the ruined hunter's cabins, their roars shattering the stillness as they charged the unsuspecting adventurers. Before the party could fully react, the ground behind the snow beasts erupted, and a terrifying Ice Devil clawed its way from beneath the frozen earth, joining the assault with malicious intent.

==== Clash of Ice and Steel ==== 

The battle erupted in a whirlwind of ice and steel. Balmaris, recognizing the infernal threat, attempted to banish the Ice Devil, but his magic faltered, failing not once, but twice. Ricfire, swift and cunning, maneuvered into position, his short bow singing as he landed a precise sneak attack on the fiend. The Ice Devil retaliated with brutal efficiency, its spear lashing out to strike Nail, Aldran, and Balmaris. Yet, fate, for a fleeting moment, smiled upon them; the devil's next strike, aimed at Aldran, was a critical fumble, leaving the fiend vulnerable and granting Aldran a newfound advantage in their desperate struggle. The party, seizing the moment, launched a valiant, coordinated assault, inflicting grievous wounds upon the infernal creature.

==== A Friend's Final Breath ==== 

Amidst the chaos, tragedy struck. One of the rampaging yetis lunged, its claws tearing into Durmen. The monstrous beasts continued their relentless assault, their chilling gazes attempting to freeze the party, though their magical efforts failed, they landed solid melee blows. Just when it seemed the tide might turn, the Ice Devil, with a horrifying display of infernal power, summoned a compatriot Ice Devil. A glowing portal rent the air, revealing a hellish white arctic vista – a glimpse into one of the planes of hell – as the new demon stepped forth. And as if to compound their despair, Nail suffered a critical fumble in his attack against this fresh horror, leaving him exposed.

[[File:Ice_devil_summoning.png|thumb|The Ice Devil Summoning]]

With grim determination, Durmen swore to eliminate the nearest yeti, unleashing a devastating volley of magic missiles that left the creature severely wounded. The yetis, battered but unbowed, were now on the brink of defeat. Yet, in a final, agonizing twist, the yeti that Durmen had targeted retaliated, blasting him with a chilling gaze that froze the very life from his body. Durmen fell, dead. The beast, its victory secured, then turned its predatory gaze upon Ricfire, its claws extended for the kill.

The biting wind howls over the fallen. With Durmen’s light extinguished, and two Ice Devils now looming, how will the remaining adventurers weather this storm of ice and blood?

|key_npcs=
[[Leia]]
}}