Chains on Caucasus
A storm-climb to the titan's iron crag.
📜 Session Summary
| Style High-altitude rescue with a moral branch, for 6 level-8 PCs across 3 rugged encounters. |
| Win Condition Break, loosen, or sanctify the chains so Prometheus' suffering no longer feeds the eagle-cult. |
| Loss Condition The cult keeps the wound open and turns stolen divine fire into a beacon for tyrants. |
| Setting Misthaven mist-shore → storm cliffs of Caucasus (three switchback ledges) → cult cliffside camp → iron crag where Prometheus hangs |
| Atmosphere High cold and thin fire · sparks from a divine wound falling like broken stars · a cult that has mistaken suffering for sacredness |
| Materials Black nail with coal-red seam, storm-ash, ichor-glow from Prometheus’s side, harpy-song carried on updrafts, bronze chain sealed with divine fire, charcoal words on sailcloth |
| Tone Mythic endurance at altitude — the party must decide what freedom means and whether mercy is worth the cost of carrying someone else’s consequence down a burning mountain |
| Players 6 × Level 12 · 3–3.5 hrs · 3 encounters |
| Key Ally Io the Wind-Lost (recruit Enc. 1) · Maguffin: Kindling Nail |
Description
Dione of the Ash Lantern arrives at the mist-shore still smelling of burnt sail-rope, carrying the Kindling Nail in a cloth that used to be white. She speaks quickly, in the manner of someone whose plan already has a failure mode she has decided not to mention: a cult of eagle-priests has reached the iron crag of Caucasus ahead of the party. They believe Prometheus’s daily wound is a renewable holy resource — that divine pain, properly harvested, becomes power — and they are bottling it in clay vats for distribution to ambitious tyrants across three city-states. The wound must not be allowed to keep producing. The cult must be stopped. Prometheus must not be killed, because his death would not end the fire, only scatter it uncontrolled into the world.
What Dione says last, quietly, is the complication: freeing Prometheus entirely may provoke divine reprisal. Zeus has not rescinded the sentence. She accepts a merciful half-measure — loosen the chains enough to end the cult’s harvest, seal the wound with the Nail, withdraw cleanly — but she will support full freedom if the party chooses it and accepts the consequence. The Nail, driven where iron learned cruelty and turned once for mercy or twice for rebellion, is the party’s only leverage over the outcome.
Enc. 1 (Climb): The Nail anchors one impossible crossing automatically (no check). Io can read the sparks falling from above — History DC 14: they are not Prometheus’s fire alone; they carry cult-worked additives that make the sparks magnetic to iron weapons. DC 17: the cult has been seeding the mountain with sympathetic nails since the new moon. Perception DC 13 at the rope bridge: a fresh harpy-mark on the anchor stone — the harpies know something new has come up the mountain.
Enc. 2 (Camp): The Nail driven into a spark vat (action, melee range) spoils its contents and negates the zealot fire-boost for that vat’s wielder for 3 rounds. Medicine DC 16 or Religion DC 16 spoils a vat without the Nail. The Chainbound Giant’s pain brand: History DC 15 identifies the brand as cult-standard — the Nail pressed to it (action) reduces the Giant’s Frenzy save DC by 4. Io can identify the rite-key bearer if she is present and treated as a person, not an oracle.
Enc. 3 (Crag): Three chain seals, each requiring an action and DC 16 check (Arcana, Religion, or Athletics). Each seal determines the moral outcome: Seal 1 = end the harvest / seal the wound; Seal 2 = loosen the torment; Seal 3 = full freedom. Nail in the central shackle: the party chooses the finish at DC 14 (Nail present) instead of DC 16 (without). Win condition: end Aetos’s rite and escape divine attention. Killing Aetos is optional and not sufficient.
Key NPCs
Dione of the Ash Lantern
Dione · Quest Giver · Neutral Good — Fire-scarred priest of Prometheus’s older, pre-torment myth. She came to Misthaven three days ago, sat on the same rock for two days, and finally stopped pretending she had another plan. She wants the cult stopped before they sell Promethean pain as miracle-fire to the wrong city. She will not commit to full freedom as the goal, because she knows what divine reprisal looks like up close. Secret: She has already been to the crag once. The burns on her arms are not from altar work. She did not tell anyone what she saw at the top because she decided it was too big to believe without proof. RP Hook: Ask her what she saw. She will answer with a question: “How much consequence is a correct decision worth to you?” Insight DC 13: she has already decided what she’d do in the party’s position — she wants them to choose differently. DC 16: she is protecting someone at the summit she has not mentioned. It is Prometheus’s own request.
Io the Wind-Lost
Io · Recruitable Ally · Neutral — She is pinned by a bloodsong lure on the second ledge, not charmed — just frozen, waiting for something that can hear her warning. She has been watching the cult for long enough to know which zealot carries the rite-key and which harpy is trained rather than wild. She will not follow someone who demands her prophecy like a service. She is not a prophet; she reads what she sees with unusual patience. Secret: She knows Prometheus’s full name for his older self, before Zeus. Using it at the crag grants a brief window of lucidity that can reduce Aetos’s rite window by one round. She will not offer this; she will only respond if asked with genuine curiosity rather than tactical interest. RP Hook: The recruitment path is save her without demanding anything in return — or share water and listen to her warning without interrupting. Either works. Insight DC 12: she is deciding whether the party is actually different from the last group of mortals who found the mountain.
Major Beats
- The Mist-Shore Briefing. Dione delivers the Nail and the mission. History DC 13: Prometheus’s old myth predates the eagle by three generations of divine politics — he is older than the punishment. DC 16: the cult’s methods are too systematic to be improvised; someone with significant resources set this up. DC 19: the sympathetic nail-pattern in the cliff matches a specific pre-Olympian binding geometry — this cult is not worshipping the wound; they are reinforcing it.
- Enc. 1 — The Climb of Stolen Sparks. Three switchback ledges, rope bridge, ash-snow chute, ruined shepherd shrine. Harpies serve the cult. Sparks from above fall magnetic to iron weapons. Io available to recruit at ledge 2. Group climb: 6 successes before 3 failures (DC 15: Athletics, Survival, Nature, or Medicine). Kindling Nail: automatic anchor at the bridge crossing.
- Enc. 2 — The Cult of the Open Wound. Cliffside camp: wind tents, spark vats, Chainbound Giant pen, altar crane, two elevations. Stealth or parley disables two vats before combat. Chainbound Giant is cult victim, not enemy — breaking its pain brand ends frenzy. Io identifies the rite-key bearer if present and treated with respect.
- Enc. 3 (Final) — Prometheus Beneath the Eagle. Iron crag: chain seals, eagle perches, storm gaps, Aetos commanding the dive. Three seals = three moral outcomes. Nail in the shackle = DC 14 instead of 16. Win by ending the rite; escape divine attention. At initiative 20, eagle dives — disable perches or Animal Handling DC 16. Io knows Prometheus’s true name — one round of lucidity if she is present and willing.
- Resolution. The cult’s harvest ends. Prometheus either freed, loosened, or wound-sealed — the party’s moral choice stands as the session’s legacy. Dione takes the report, acknowledges the consequence chosen, and says nothing further except: “Thank you for answering a question I couldn’t ask anyone else.”
Session Rewards
Keepable prizes earned by completing (or excelling at) this session. One character claims each reward unless noted. Full cards are under Reward Cards.
| Reward | Description | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Kindling Nail | Coal-seamed nail that wedges cruelty-iron and steadies a climb. | Free, loosen, or consecrate Prometheus's chains with the nail still yours afterward. |
Creature / Enemy List
| Creature | Easy | Med | Hard | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle-Cult Zealot | — | med | hard | CR 4 · Fanatic skirmisher |
| Crag Harpy Bloodcaller | — | med | hard | CR 5 · Aerial controller |
| Chainbound Giant | — | med | hard | CR 8 · Titanic bruiser |
| Aetos, Eagle-Wound Hierophant | — | med | hard | CR 12 staged · Boss cult priest |
| Io the Wind-Lost | — | 1 | 1 | Recruit Enc. 1 |
Encounter 1 — The Climb of Stolen Sparks
Overview
Ascend storm cliffs under harpy song while sparks from Prometheus' wound fall like meteors.
🗺 Terrain
Three switchback ledges, rope bridge, ash-snow chute, and a ruined shepherd shrine.
Encounter Roster (Hard)
- 2× Crag Harpy Bloodcaller (CR 5 · 1,800 XP each) on climb alarm
- +1 Harpy per failed group climb success
XP Budget (Hard)
- Climb track (no combat): skill challenge
- 2× 1,800 = 3,600 XP if harpies engage
- 3 harpies ≈ 5,400 XP — add watchers from camp if party charges
Mechanics
- Group climb: 6 successes before 3 failures at DC 15 using Athletics, Survival, Nature, or Medicine.
- Failure costs hit dice from cold and thin air, then draws 1–2 Crag Harpy Bloodcallers (2 on third failure).
- The Kindling Nail anchors one impossible crossing for automatic progress.
- Recruit Io by rescuing her from a bloodsong lure or accepting her warning about the chains.
Creature Cards
Dione of the Ash Lantern
Fire-scarred priest, quest giver
Motivation. She wants the cult stopped before they sell Promethean pain as miracle-fire.
Secret. She fears freeing Prometheus may start a divine reprisal and accepts a merciful half-measure.
Hard rule. Prometheus must not be killed; his death would not end the fire, only scatter it uncontrolled.
Kindling Nail
Adamant relic, chain wedge
Appearance: Black nail with a coal-red seam and a head shaped like a tiny torch.
Handout. "Drive it where iron learned cruelty; turn once for mercy, twice for rebellion."
Enc. 1–2. Can anchor a rope, calm divine fire, or grant advantage on one Athletics check during the climb.
Enc. 3. Wedged into the central shackle, it lets the party free, loosen, or consecrate the chains.
Io the Wind-Lost
Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Scout, omen-reader, and reluctant witness
AC 14 | HP 71 | Speed 30 ft.
Role: Scout, omen-reader, and reluctant witness
RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1). Save her from harpies without demanding her prophecy, or share water and listen to her warning.
Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Strike. Gore of wind +7 to hit, 13 piercing; can reveal a safe ledge once per encounter.
Crag Harpy Bloodcaller
Medium Creature · CR 5 · Aerial controller
AC 15 | HP 112 | Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft.
Note. Her song can be answered with Performance or thunder to break the lure.
Attack. Bloodsong DC 16 Wis or move toward the nearest cliff edge.
Encounter 2 — The Cult of the Open Wound
Overview
The camp clings to the cliff like a barnacle trying to be a cathedral. Four wind-tents staked with cult-iron stakes. Three clay vats on a heated platform, each emitting a low amber glow. A Chainbound Giant paces a pen of hammered rebar, its pain brand — a copper disc seared to its left shoulder — pulsing with each step. An altar crane on the upper ledge is aimed toward the crag above. The camp captain has not spotted the party yet. The rite-key hangs from a cord around the neck of the third zealot from the left, the one who keeps checking the brand to make sure it is still holding.
Raid or parley at the cliffside camp where zealots bottle sparks from the titan’s torment. The camp has two elevations: lower (tents, pens, vats) and upper (altar crane, rite-captain post). The Chainbound Giant is a cult victim, not an ally of the cult — its frenzy ends if its pain brand is broken. Vats spoiled before combat = zealots lose their fire-boost.
Encounter Roster (Hard)
- 5× Eagle-Cult Zealot (CR 4 · 1,100 XP each)
- 1× Chainbound Giant (CR 8 · 3,900 XP)
XP Budget
- 5× 1,100 + 3,900 = 9,400 XP base
- Giant freed early = it fights zealots (reduces XP pressure by ~3,900)
- Add 1 Harpy from ledge-alarm for full Hard pressure (~11,200 XP)
🗺 Terrain & Features
Lower camp 60×30 ft · upper ledge +15 ft (ladder, Ath DC 10) · 3 spark vats (difficult terrain adjacent; breaking one: 5 fire splash in 5 ft radius) · Giant pen (rebar gate, Str DC 14 to break or Animal Handling DC 14 to calm) · altar crane (upper ledge; crane arm can be dropped onto the lower camp: action, Ath DC 13; 12 bludgeoning in 10-ft radius, difficult terrain) · two cult-iron stakes at entrances (can be removed; removing them kills the magnetic spark enhancement in that zone).
Mechanics
- Stealth approach (DC 13): Group Stealth before initiative. Success: disable two vats (remove their fire-boost) and identify the rite-key zealot before combat starts. Partial success (3 of 6 pass): disable one vat and stay undetected for round 1.
- Parley / Ideological Challenge (Persuasion DC 15): Argue that harvesting a divine wound is not worship but exploitation — Religion DC 14 supports this argument (advantage on Persuasion). On success, 1–2 lesser zealots hesitate and do not attack round 1. The camp captain (rite-key bearer) never yields via parley alone.
- Break the Pain Brand (action, melee range): Arcana DC 14 or Religion DC 14 (or Kindling Nail pressed to it, DC 10). On success: Chainbound Giant’s Frenzy ends — it becomes Stunned until the end of its next turn, then fights zealots for 1d4 rounds before seeking the cliff edge. If Io is present, she can guide the Giant toward the pen exit (no roll; she knows the pain brand geometry).
- Spoil the Vats: Medicine or Religion DC 16 per vat (action, adjacent). Kindling Nail in a vat: automatic spoil (no check). Each spoiled vat: the zealot whose fire-boost depended on it loses the +7 fire damage for the rest of the encounter.
- Steal the Rite-Key: Sleight of Hand DC 15 against the identified zealot (advantage if they are distracted by the Giant or a parley). The rite-key is needed in Enc. 3 to access the chain seals without an Arcana DC 18 check per seal.
Creature Cards
Eagle-Cult Zealot
Medium Creature · CR 4 · Fanatic skirmisher
AC 16 | HP 88 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Fights harder near exposed drops but may flee if the eagle omen fails.
Attack. Hooked spear +7 to hit, 14 piercing and pulls 10 ft.
Chainbound Giant
Medium Creature · CR 8 · Titanic bruiser
AC 17 | HP 178 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. A victim of the cult; can be freed from frenzy by breaking its pain brand.
Attack. Iron sweep +9 to hit, 25 bludgeoning and knocks prone.
Io the Wind-Lost
Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Scout, omen-reader, and reluctant witness
AC 14 | HP 71 | Speed 30 ft.
Role: Scout, omen-reader, and reluctant witness
RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1). Save her from harpies without demanding her prophecy, or share water and listen to her warning.
Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Strike. Gore of wind +7 to hit, 13 piercing; can reveal a safe ledge once per encounter.
Kindling Nail
Adamant relic, chain wedge
Appearance: Black nail with a coal-red seam and a head shaped like a tiny torch.
Handout. "Drive it where iron learned cruelty; turn once for mercy, twice for rebellion."
Enc. 1–2. Can anchor a rope, calm divine fire, or grant advantage on one Athletics check during the climb.
Enc. 3. Wedged into the central shackle, it lets the party free, loosen, or consecrate the chains.
Encounter 3 — Prometheus Beneath the Eagle
Overview
The iron crag smells of blood that has been burning for a very long time. Prometheus is enormous — larger than expected, which somehow makes the chains look more deliberate. He does not look at the party with hope. He looks at them with something more careful than hope, as if he has been through enough versions of this moment to know the difference between arrival and rescue. Aetos, Eagle-Wound Hierophant stands at the altar crane station, woundfire lance raised, the divine eagle already circling. He is not surprised to see the party. He has been expecting interference and has prepared the space accordingly.
Three chain seals around Prometheus’s wrists and ankles. Each requires an action and a DC 16 check (Arcana, Religion, or Athletics; DC 14 with rite-key, DC 14 with Kindling Nail). Each seal worked changes the moral outcome. Win by ending the rite and escaping divine attention — killing Aetos is optional, not sufficient.
Encounter Roster (Deadly)
- 1× Aetos, Eagle-Wound Hierophant (CR 12 · 8,400 XP)
- 1× Chainbound Giant (CR 8 · 3,900 XP) — if not freed in Enc. 2
- Eagle Dive (Lair Action, init 20): Dex DC 16 or 22 (4d8+5) piercing + prone
- 2× Zealot reinforcements round 3 if rite still active
XP Budget (Deadly)
- Aetos 8,400 + Giant 3,900 + lair eagle + zealots = ~22,800 XP Deadly threshold
- If Giant freed in Enc. 2: ~8,400 + lair + 2 zealots still reaches Deadly
- Seal progress reduces Aetos damage — do not cut boss HP for puzzle wins
🗺 Terrain & Features
Iron crag 80×50 ft · Prometheus center-south (Huge, chained) · three chain seals at N/E/W positions · two eagle perches east and west (Ath DC 14 to climb, half cover; disabling a perch = eagle cannot dive from that quadrant until end of next round) · chain winches south (Str DC 16 to pull; pulling extends Prometheus’s arm into a melee reach zone for the party but also for Aetos) · three storm gaps (10-ft chasms; jump DC 12; fail = 30-ft fall, Dex DC 15 grab).
Mechanics
- Eagle Dive (Lair Action, Initiative 20): The divine eagle dives. All creatures in a 10-ft cone beneath an active perch: Dex DC 16 or 22 (4d8+5) piercing + knocked Prone. If both perches are disabled: eagle circles without diving for 1 round. Animal Handling DC 16 while adjacent to a perch calms the eagle — it does not dive for 2 rounds.
- Chain Seals (3): Action, adjacent to each seal. DC 16 Arcana/Religion/Athletics; DC 14 with rite-key or Kindling Nail. Seal 1 = wound sealed, harvest ends (cult loses their power source — Aetos loses Woundfire damage boost). Seal 2 = torment loosened (Prometheus can speak; his voice grants advantage on next check for one PC). Seal 3 = full freedom (Prometheus rises; Aetos must immediately disengage or be destroyed by proximity to the freed Titan). Io’s true-name option: if present, she speaks it — Prometheus is lucid for 1 round, during which one seal check has automatic success.
- Ending Aetos’s Rite: Three paths: (a) destroy Aetos, (b) work all three seals so the rite has no wound to operate on, or (c) use the Kindling Nail in the central shackle (action adjacent, DC 14 Arcana) to close the harvest mechanism directly. Option (c) is the Nail’s finale payoff — it ends the rite without requiring any seal to be fully worked, but leaves the moral choice unmade.
- Aetos’s Legendary Resistance (3/day): When he fails a save, he can choose to succeed instead. He uses it exclusively to protect the altar crane. If the party targets the crane (AC 14, HP 35) and destroys it, Aetos loses his Woundfire recharge and cannot use the crane-launch attack.
- Win Condition: The rite ends. The eagle’s command breaks. Prometheus breathes and says, quietly: “What kind of freedom are mortals ready to defend?” — a question, not a speech. The answer is the session’s legacy. If Aetos is alive, he retreats. He does not forget. The divine attention this has drawn is Dione’s consequence to carry.
Creature Cards
Aetos, Eagle-Wound Hierophant
Large Creature · CR 12 staged · Boss cult priest · Boss
AC 19 | HP 272 (16d10+176) | Speed 40 ft., fly 20 ft. (eagle mantle)
Role: Boss cult priest
Saves: Dex +6, Con +10, Wis +8 · LR 2/day
Note. Defeat by breaking his rite, freeing the eagle from command, or forcing retreat.
Deadly pressure. Win condition may be seal the wound, loosen torment, or full freedom — not always kill. Eagle Dive lair at init 20.
Multiattack. Two Woundfire lance attacks or one lance and Eagle Command.
Woundfire Lance. +10 to hit, reach 10 ft. Hit: 24 (4d8+5) radiant/fire and target cannot regain HP until start of Aetos's next turn.
Eagle Command (Recharge 5–6). Divine eagle dives 10-ft cone: Dex DC 16 or 22 (4d8+5) piercing and prone.
Advance (1). Move up to half Speed.
Strike (1). One Woundfire lance attack.
Crane Launch (2). Hurl a restrained creature 20 ft. toward Prometheus (12 bludgeoning, prone).
Rite Pulse (3). Each creature within 15 ft. of a chain seal Con DC 16 or 14 (4d6) fire (harvest pressure).
Kindling Nail
Adamant relic, chain wedge
Appearance: Black nail with a coal-red seam and a head shaped like a tiny torch.
Handout. "Drive it where iron learned cruelty; turn once for mercy, twice for rebellion."
Enc. 1–2. Can anchor a rope, calm divine fire, or grant advantage on one Athletics check during the climb.
Enc. 3. Wedged into the central shackle, it lets the party free, loosen, or consecrate the chains.
Io the Wind-Lost
Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Scout, omen-reader, and reluctant witness
AC 14 | HP 71 | Speed 30 ft.
Role: Scout, omen-reader, and reluctant witness
RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1). Save her from harpies without demanding her prophecy, or share water and listen to her warning.
Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Strike. Gore of wind +7 to hit, 13 piercing; can reveal a safe ledge once per encounter.
Chainbound Giant
Medium Creature · CR 8 · Titanic bruiser
AC 17 | HP 178 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. A victim of the cult; can be freed from frenzy by breaking its pain brand.
Attack. Iron sweep +9 to hit, 25 bludgeoning and knocks prone.
⚖️ Difficulty Scaling
As Written ★ — 6 Players, Average Level 12
- Baseline for this guide. Encounter 1–2 are Hard; the final encounter is Deadly for six PCs at average level 12.
- XP budgets (6×L12 thresholds): Hard ≈ 14,400 · Deadly ≈ 22,800. Prefer mythic pressure, lair actions, and elite packs over endless CR1 swarms.
Library Standard — 6 Players, Average Level 8
- Major dial-back: reduce boss HP ~35–40%; strip one legendary action and one recharge; Favor/track thresholds −2 where present; skill DCs −2; cut one full minion wave from each fight.
Easier (table still high-tier)
- APL 10–11: boss HP −15%; remove one legendary; final Deadly → Hard by cutting one elite.
Harder
- APL 13–14 or seven PCs: boss HP +15%; +1 legendary; add one lair pulse or elite reinforcement mid-finale.
📋 Appendix — Cards
Dione of the Ash Lantern
Fire-scarred priest, quest giver
Motivation. She wants the cult stopped before they sell Promethean pain as miracle-fire.
Secret. She fears freeing Prometheus may start a divine reprisal and accepts a merciful half-measure.
Hard rule. Prometheus must not be killed; his death would not end the fire, only scatter it uncontrolled.
Kindling Nail
Adamant relic, chain wedge
Appearance: Black nail with a coal-red seam and a head shaped like a tiny torch.
Handout. "Drive it where iron learned cruelty; turn once for mercy, twice for rebellion."
Enc. 1–2. Can anchor a rope, calm divine fire, or grant advantage on one Athletics check during the climb.
Enc. 3. Wedged into the central shackle, it lets the party free, loosen, or consecrate the chains.
Io the Wind-Lost
Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Scout, omen-reader, and reluctant witness
AC 14 | HP 71 | Speed 30 ft.
Role: Scout, omen-reader, and reluctant witness
RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1). Save her from harpies without demanding her prophecy, or share water and listen to her warning.
Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Strike. Gore of wind +7 to hit, 13 piercing; can reveal a safe ledge once per encounter.
Eagle-Cult Zealot
Medium Creature · CR 4 · Fanatic skirmisher
AC 16 | HP 88 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. Fights harder near exposed drops but may flee if the eagle omen fails.
Attack. Hooked spear +7 to hit, 14 piercing and pulls 10 ft.
Crag Harpy Bloodcaller
Medium Creature · CR 5 · Aerial controller
AC 15 | HP 112 | Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft.
Note. Her song can be answered with Performance or thunder to break the lure.
Attack. Bloodsong DC 16 Wis or move toward the nearest cliff edge.
Chainbound Giant
Medium Creature · CR 8 · Titanic bruiser
AC 17 | HP 178 | Speed 30 ft.
Note. A victim of the cult; can be freed from frenzy by breaking its pain brand.
Attack. Iron sweep +9 to hit, 25 bludgeoning and knocks prone.
Aetos, Eagle-Wound Hierophant
Large Creature · CR 12 staged · Boss cult priest · Boss
AC 19 | HP 272 (16d10+176) | Speed 40 ft., fly 20 ft. (eagle mantle)
Role: Boss cult priest
Saves: Dex +6, Con +10, Wis +8 · LR 2/day
Note. Defeat by breaking his rite, freeing the eagle from command, or forcing retreat.
Deadly pressure. Win condition may be seal the wound, loosen torment, or full freedom — not always kill. Eagle Dive lair at init 20.
Multiattack. Two Woundfire lance attacks or one lance and Eagle Command.
Woundfire Lance. +10 to hit, reach 10 ft. Hit: 24 (4d8+5) radiant/fire and target cannot regain HP until start of Aetos's next turn.
Eagle Command (Recharge 5–6). Divine eagle dives 10-ft cone: Dex DC 16 or 22 (4d8+5) piercing and prone.
Advance (1). Move up to half Speed.
Strike (1). One Woundfire lance attack.
Crane Launch (2). Hurl a restrained creature 20 ft. toward Prometheus (12 bludgeoning, prone).
Rite Pulse (3). Each creature within 15 ft. of a chain seal Con DC 16 or 14 (4d6) fire (harvest pressure).
Reward Cards
Post-session keepables. Reward is the first tag. Mechanics below are for ongoing use after this oneshot.
Kindling Nail
Reward · Wondrous · 1/Long Rest
Mechanics. Once per short rest, you have advantage on one Strength (Athletics) check to climb, anchor a rope, or force a portal. Once per long rest, as an action, wedge the nail into a chain, manacle, or binding within 5 feet: for 1 minute that binding can be opened without a check by you, or you impose disadvantage on checks to restrain a creature with that binding. While carried, you have resistance to fire damage from divine or eagle-cult sources once per long rest (reaction when you take that damage).
Appearance. A black nail with a coal-red seam and a head shaped like a tiny torch.
Lore. Adamant kindness driven where iron learned cruelty on the Caucasus crag.
Quote. "Drive it where iron learned cruelty; turn once for mercy, twice for rebellion." — Kindling Nail
Earn when: Free, loosen, or consecrate Prometheus's chains with the nail still yours afterward.