The Wilting Court
One-Shot · 6 Players · Level 10 · Greek Mythology · ~3.5 Hours
📜 Session Summary
| Style Rescue & Redemption — negotiate, sneak, or fight to break a curse |
| Win Condition Reach Nyxantha in the Grotto and use Persephone's Tearstone to sever her shadowfire curse-bond without slaughtering the nymphs |
| Setting Mountain switchback pass → flooded meadow → mossy grotto at a sacred spring |
| Atmosphere Ancient beauty curdled into mourning — a sacred vale that should smell of rain and stone now smells of ash and grief |
| Materials Limestone, running water, living moss, ash-wood, river clay, thorn-briar |
| Tone Tragedy without a villain — the nymphs are not wrong about what was done to their home; they are only wrong about the cure |
| Players 6 × Level 10 · ~3.5 hours · 3 encounters (two avoidable) |
Description
A tyrant-satrap's foremen diverted a sacred spring and clear-cut an ancient grove to build a summer road. No one consulted the nymphs who had lived there for a thousand years. Their grief curdled season by season, fed and amplified by a Lampad named Nyxantha who arrived in the vale's darkest winter and has not left. The sisterhood calls itself the Wilting Court now, and they raid the pass with stone and shadow and song.
The contact is Elyria, a Naiad who broke free of Nyxantha's binding weeks ago and carries guilt for every day she waited. She hands the party a warm garnet stone — Persephone's Tearstone, single use — and begs them to reach the grotto without becoming the next thing the Wilting Court buries.
Three encounters frame the rescue: escort through the mountain pass where Wilting Court raiders strike from shadow, negotiation or infiltration at the flooded meadow where Thalassa can be recruited if the party proves they came to sever a curse rather than collect trophies, and the grotto confrontation where the Tearstone must touch Nyxantha's chest the moment her Grief-Bound stacks reach zero. Slay her instead and the nymphs do not stand down — the vale does not heal.
The Tearstone is not a weapon. It is pressed to Nyxantha's chest at the moment her Grief-Bound stacks drop to 0, severing the shadowfire bond that holds her to the vale. Used in combat without reducing her stacks first: the stone pulses and fails — she must be open, not merely present.
If Thalassa is recruited (Enc. 2): She knows Nyxantha's name-of-sorrow — the grief-word the Lampad cannot deny. Thalassa can speak it as an Action in Enc. 3, forcing Nyxantha to drop 1 stack immediately (once per encounter). DC 15 Insight on Nyxantha reveals she already knows someone brought the name-of-sorrow — and fears it.
Resolution note: If the party slays Nyxantha instead of using the Tearstone, the nymphs do not stand down. Elyria weeps. The vale does not heal. The reward changes — see Wilted Myrtle Trophy.
The Hook: The party meets Elyria in Misthaven, a mist-wreathed tavern between worlds. She begs for help before the Wilting Court's raids escalate into open slaughter on both sides.
The Maguffin: Persephone's Tearstone — a polished garnet stone that can sever an underworld curse-bond when pressed to its source at the right moment. Single use.
Key NPCs
Elyria
Elyria · Quest Giver · Neutral Good — A Naiad in a borrowed human shape, small and pale and visibly frightened. She sits down in Misthaven already talking, pressing the stone into a hand before she has introduced herself. She is desperately articulate about one thing: her sisters are not monsters. They are grief-wracked, bound, and misled by something that feeds on what they feel. Secret: she broke free of Nyxantha's binding six weeks ago — not through strength but through a moment of numbness when the grief went quiet. She has been trying to find help since. She feels responsible for everyone who has been hurt in those six weeks. DC 14 Insight to notice she holds herself personally accountable for every day she waited.
Petra
Petra · Oread Scout · Neutral — Stone-built and blunt-spoken, a mountain nymph who separated from the Court months ago when the raids started killing bystanders. She still believes the grievance is legitimate. She does not believe murder is the answer. She is alone on the pass because she refuses to join either side until something changes. She will test the party's honesty with a pointed question — not a trick, a genuine question about why they came — and guide them through if she believes the answer. Secret: She knows a path to the grotto that bypasses Encounter 2 entirely, but she will only share it if she trusts the party isn't there to execute her sisters. DC 13 Persuasion to earn trust; DC 14 if the party fought their way through Encounter 1.
Thalassa
Thalassa · Nereid · Neutral Good — Soft-voiced and sad, a sea-nymph far from any sea. She was bound to the Wilting Court during the floods that followed the spring's diversion — collateral damage, caught in the wrong valley at the wrong season. She is held in the meadow as a healer the Court cannot free and will not kill. Secret: She knows Nyxantha's name-of-sorrow — the grief-word that can open the Lampad's defenses. She learned it by listening, not by consent. Speaking it to the party is an act of trust she will only extend to someone who clearly intends mercy, not victory. DC 14 Persuasion; DC 12 if the party has already promised to spare Nyxantha.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tearstone Afterglow | Cool garnet glow that softens grief-curses and steadies one charm/fright save. | Spare Nyxantha — sever her curse with Persephone's Tearstone without slaughtering the court. |
| Wilted Myrtle Trophy | Blackened myrtle sprig that drinks shadowfire and hardens the heart for a blow. | Slay Nyxantha instead of cleanly severing the Tearstone bond. |
Creature / Enemy List
| Creature | CR | Easy | Medium | Hard | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nymph Skirmisher (Oread) | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Encounter 1; ranged Stone Fling + rockslide hazard |
| Nymph Skirmisher (Leimniad) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Encounter 2; entangling grass |
| Nymph Skirmisher (Meliae) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Encounter 2; ashfire lash |
| Nymph Skirmisher (Naiad) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Encounter 3; healing support |
| Nymph Skirmisher (Dryad) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Encounter 3; roots hazard |
| Nymph Skirmisher (Nereid) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Encounter 3; save support |
| Nymph Skirmisher (Oceanid) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Encounter 3; riptide zone |
| Nyxantha, the Grieving Torch (Lampad) | 9 | — | — | 1 | Encounter 3 boss; see Grief-Bound mechanic |
Major Beats
- Misthaven. Elyria arrives already speaking — a Naiad in borrowed form, visibly frightened, pressing a warm red stone into someone's hand before she has sat down. She explains the diversion of the spring, the clear-cutting of the grove, and the Wilting Court's raids. Investigation DC 14: the Tearstone came from the river-garnet veins below Persephone's garden — it is not a common object. DC 16: a Lampad named Nyxantha arrived in the vale during the worst winter after the defilement, and has not left. DC 17: Lampads feed on grief; Nyxantha is not suffering along with the nymphs. She is feeding.
- Enc. 1 — Mountain Pass Ambush. Three Oreads have rigged a rockslide above the switchback trail. They do not know the party isn't with the tyrant's foremen — presenting the Tearstone or naming Elyria bypasses the fight. If combat begins, the Oreads call parley when two of three drop below half HP. Petra watches from a crevice above — she will not intervene in combat, but she comes down afterward if the party showed restraint.
- Enc. 2 — The Flooded Meadow. Leimniades and Meliae guard a flooded clearing where captive laborers are penned and Thalassa is bound. Freeing the laborers earns passage without further combat. Freeing Thalassa and earning her trust unlocks Nyxantha's name-of-sorrow for the finale.
- Enc. 3 — The Grotto (Boss). Nyxantha stands at the defiled spring, the full Wilting Court around her. She has 3 Grief-Bound stacks; each must be reduced before the Tearstone can be pressed to her chest. Thalassa's name-of-sorrow (if obtained) can strip one stack as an Action. The Tearstone severs the bond, and Nyxantha collapses — not dead, but freed. The nymphs immediately lose the will to fight.
- Resolution. The curse broken, the Court disperses. Elyria is the first to weep — relief, not grief. The spring begins clearing within hours. If Nyxantha was slain instead: the Court does not stand down, Elyria is silent, and the vale does not heal. The reward changes accordingly.
Act 1 — The Mountain Pass
The path into the vale begins at a limestone switchback that narrows to three feet across and offers no cover from above. The wind smells of rain and something acrid — ash, or scorched stone. Looking up: three figures silhouetted against the pale sky, motionless. Then a shower of pebbles, the crack of a wedge being struck free, and the first rumble of displaced stone from the ledges overhead.
Encounter 1 — Mountain Pass Ambush
Overview
A narrow switchback trail winds up the mountain toward the vale. Watching from ledges above are three Nymph Skirmishers (Oread) who have rigged a rockslide to keep outsiders from reaching the Grotto — they don't know the party isn't with the tyrant's foremen.
- Style: Ambush / standoff — first contact with the Wilting Court
- Win Condition: Reach the vale, whether by talking down the Oreads or fighting through
Creatures
- 3× Nymph Skirmisher (Oread) — CR 3 (700 XP) each
🗺 Terrain & Features
Narrow switchback trail — 80×30 ft
- Boulder cover along the ledges; Oreads have advantage on ranged attacks from high ground
- One rockslide trigger zone spanning a 20-ft stretch of trail
- Reaching the ledges requires a DC 12 Athletics check, or disadvantage on melee attacks up at them
Harder: Add a 4th Oread and increase the rockslide save DC to 15.
Mechanics
Avoid Combat
- DC 15 Persuasion — proving you're not with the tyrant's foremen (showing the Tearstone or naming Elyria both qualify)
- DC 13 Insight or Nature — spot the ambush and call out peacefully before it triggers
- DC 12 — leaving a floral/wine offering at the trailhead shrine grants an easier check
- If the party advances aggressively or is spotted as hostile, the rockslide fires round 1: all creatures in the 20-ft zone make a DC 14 Dexterity save or take 3d6 bludgeoning (half on success) and are knocked prone.
- Oreads fight from high ground; melee attackers must spend a move action (DC 12 Athletics) to reach the ledges or attack up at disadvantage.
- If 2 of 3 Oreads drop below half HP, they call for parley instead of fighting to the death.
Resolution
- The wounded Oread Petra can be spared and recruited (DC 13 Persuasion once below half HP) as a guide — grants advantage on Survival/Stealth checks approaching Encounter 2.
Creature Cards
Nymph Skirmisher (Oread)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 (natural) | HP 45 (10d8) | Speed 30 ft.
Skills: Perception +4, Nature +3, Stealth +5. Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14. Languages: Sylvan
Fey Ancestry. Advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Multiattack. Makes two Nature Bolt attacks.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Stone Fling. Ranged spell attack +5, range 20/60 ft. Hit: 2d8 bludgeoning damage.
Act 2 — The Flooded Meadow
The switchback descends into a broad vale that should be a meadow but has flooded to the knee. Copper-green water and drowned reeds stretch across it; on the far side, stakes driven into the shallows mark a pen of exhausted laborers. Two nymph figures stand at the water's edge, arms crossed, watching the approach. Between them, half-submerged and bound to a post by a thorn-rope, is a pale woman whose tears are falling into the water and being pulled away by a current that should not exist here.
Encounter 2 — The Flooded Meadow
Overview
A waterlogged grove holds three vine-cages: two containing mortal laborers, one holding the bound Nereid Thalassa. Two Nymph Skirmishers (Leimniad) and two Nymph Skirmishers (Meliae) stand guard.
- Style: Infiltration / rescue
- Win Condition: Free the captives (and optionally Thalassa) without triggering a drawn-out alarm
Creatures
- 2× Nymph Skirmisher (Leimniad) — CR 3 (700 XP) each
- 2× Nymph Skirmisher (Meliae) — CR 3 (700 XP) each
🗺 Terrain & Features
Waterlogged grove — 100×60 ft
- Mud and standing water treated as difficult terrain
- Three vine-cages (AC 12, 10 HP each) holding captives — can be cut open or broken
Harder: Add a fire-aura zone around the Meliae dealing 1d4 fire per round to anyone adjacent.
Mechanics
Avoid Combat
- DC 15 Persuasion or Performance — appealing to the nymphs' grief (invoking Elyria or the Tearstone) causes them to stand down without a fight
- DC 13 Stealth — free all captives before the guards notice
- Meliae ignite Ashfire Lash zones (recharge 5–6) dealing 2d6 fire in a 10-ft line.
- Leimniades cast Tangling Grass (bonus action, recharge 5–6): 10-ft radius, DC 13 Strength save or restrained.
- Freed captives can assist with distraction, granting advantage on the next attack against a guard.
Resolution
- Freeing Thalassa (DC 12 Sleight of Hand to cut her bonds, or break her cage) recruits her for the finale — she knows Nyxantha's name-of-sorrow.
Creature Cards
Nymph Skirmisher (Leimniad)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 (natural) | HP 45 (10d8) | Speed 30 ft.
Skills: Perception +4, Nature +3, Stealth +5. Senses: passive Perception 14. Languages: Sylvan
Fey Ancestry. Advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Multiattack. Makes two Nature Bolt attacks.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Tangling Grass (Recharge 5–6). 10-ft radius centered on self; each creature makes a DC 13 Strength save or is restrained.
Nymph Skirmisher (Meliae)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 (natural) | HP 45 (10d8) | Speed 30 ft.
Skills: Perception +4, Nature +3, Stealth +5. Senses: passive Perception 14. Languages: Sylvan
Fey Ancestry. Advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Multiattack. Makes two Nature Bolt attacks.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Ashfire Lash. Melee spell attack +5, reach 10 ft. Hit: 2d6 fire damage.
Act 3 — The Grotto (Boss)
The grotto is lit from below — the spring, now a shallow black pool, pulses with a cold orange light that belongs to no natural fire. Nyxantha stands at the center, taller than she should be, her hair trailing shadowfire. The nymphs of the Wilting Court are arrayed behind her: Naiads, Dryads, Nereids, and one Oceanid — all with the same empty, fixed expression. They are not at rest. They are waiting for permission.
Encounter 3 — The Grotto (Boss)
Overview
The full Wilting Court has gathered in an underground cavern-oasis around Nyxantha, the Grieving Torch. A central pool, ash-tree stand, and stalactite ledges divide the cavern into four elemental "Court Zones," each tied to a nymph type.
- Style: Boss fight with a redemption objective
- Win Condition: Reduce Nyxantha's Grief-Bound stacks (or her HP) and press the Tearstone to her to sever the curse — this ends the fight peacefully rather than requiring her death
Creatures
- Nyxantha, the Grieving Torch (Lampad) — CR 9 (5,000 XP), Boss
- 2 active Nymph Skirmishers (cycling Naiad/Dryad/Nereid/Oceanid) present from the start
- Remaining nymph types (one of each not yet active) tied to ambient Court Zone hazards, not full combatants
🗺 Terrain & Features
Cavern-oasis — 90×70 ft
- Pool (Oceanid): whirlpool — DC 14 Strength save or prone + pushed 10 ft
- Roots (Dryad): snares — DC 13 Strength save or restrained
- Embers (Meliae): fire motes — 2d6 fire, no save, on ending turn in zone
- Stone (Oread): tremors — DC 13 Dexterity save or fall prone
Harder: Nyxantha gains a 4th legendary action and Grief-Bound starts at 4 stacks.
Mechanics
- Grief-Bound (3 stacks): Nyxantha starts Grief-Bound 3. She loses 1 stack whenever a creature succeeds on a DC 16 Persuasion/Performance check invoking Elyria/the vale's grief, or when she takes radiant damage.
- Reinforcement Cycle: Every 2 rounds (3 rounds at easier scaling), Nyxantha uses Summon Grief to call 1–2 new Nymph Skirmishers from the reinforcement pool, cycling type.
- Thalassa's name-of-sorrow (if recruited) can be spoken once as an action: Nyxantha makes a Wisdom save (disadvantage) DC 16 or loses 1 Grief-Bound stack automatically.
Entering an active zone triggers its hazard immediately (see Terrain & Features above); zones remain active for the whole encounter unless the tied nymph type is defeated.
Resolution
- The vale's spring and grove begin to visibly heal; Elyria's sisters are saved, and the world of the setting remains intact.
Creature Cards
Nymph Skirmisher (Naiad)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 | HP 45 | Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Healing Splash (Recharge 5–6). Touch an ally; they regain 2d8 HP.
Nymph Skirmisher (Dryad)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 | HP 45 | Speed 30 ft.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Grasping Roots (Recharge 5–6). 10-ft radius; DC 13 Strength save or restrained.
Nymph Skirmisher (Nereid)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 | HP 45 | Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Calming Tide. An ally within 10 ft gains advantage on its next saving throw.
Nymph Skirmisher (Oceanid)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 | HP 45 | Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Riptide. 15-ft cone; DC 14 Strength save or prone + pushed 10 ft.
Nyxantha, the Grieving Torch
Medium Fey (Corrupted Lampad), Chaotic Neutral · CR 9 (5,000 XP) — Boss
AC 17 | HP 168 (16d8+96) | Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Saves: Dex +8, Wis +8, Cha +9. Skills: Perception +8, Deception +9, Insight +8. Resist: cold, necrotic. Vulnerable: radiant (only at 0 Grief-Bound stacks). Senses: darkvision 120 ft. Languages: Sylvan, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
Grief-Bound (3 stacks). Loses 1 stack on a DC 16 Persuasion/Performance check invoking grief, or on taking radiant damage.
Shadowfire Bond. Reaction: redirect damage taken by an ally nymph within 60 ft to herself instead.
Torchbearer's Curse (Curse-Sever). A creature adjacent with the Tearstone may sever her curse (action) if she's at 0 Grief-Bound stacks or below 25 HP — ends the fight, all nymphs stand down.
Multiattack. Makes two Shadowflame Torch attacks.
Shadowflame Torch. Melee or ranged spell attack +9. Hit: 2d10+5 fire/necrotic damage.
Summon Grief (Recharge 5–6). Calls 1–2 Nymph Skirmishers.
Torch Flicker. Move up to half speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Wailing Chorus. Nymphs within 30 ft gain +1d6 damage on their next attack.
⚖️ Difficulty Scaling
As Written ★ — 6 Players, Average Level 10
- Baseline for this guide. Encounter 1–2 are Hard; the final encounter is Deadly for six PCs at average level 10.
- XP budgets (6×L10 thresholds): Hard ≈ 10,800 · Deadly ≈ 16,800. Prefer adding elite pressure, legendary actions, or terrain danger over bloating minion counts past the choke.
Library Standard — 6 Players, Average Level 8
- Dial back: reduce boss HP ~20–25%; cut one legendary action option or recharge breath to 6 only; Favor/track thresholds −1 where present; skill DCs −1; drop one minion wave or −2 CR1–2 creatures from Hard openers.
Easier
- APL 8–9: use the Library Standard (6×L8) box, then shave one more minion wave or remove one recharge ability.
Harder
- APL 11–12: boss HP +20%; +1 legendary; final encounter gains one extra elite or lair pulse; skill DCs +1.
📋 Appendix — Cards
Full stat blocks for every creature, NPC, and item in this session.
Creature Cards
Nymph Skirmisher (Oread)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 (natural) | HP 45 (10d8) | Speed 30 ft.
Skills: Perception +4, Nature +3, Stealth +5. Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14. Languages: Sylvan
Fey Ancestry. Advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Multiattack. Makes two Nature Bolt attacks.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Stone Fling. Ranged spell attack +5, range 20/60 ft. Hit: 2d8 bludgeoning damage.
Nymph Skirmisher (Leimniad)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 (natural) | HP 45 (10d8) | Speed 30 ft.
Skills: Perception +4, Nature +3, Stealth +5. Senses: passive Perception 14. Languages: Sylvan
Fey Ancestry. Advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Multiattack. Makes two Nature Bolt attacks.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Tangling Grass (Recharge 5–6). 10-ft radius; DC 13 Strength save or restrained.
Nymph Skirmisher (Meliae)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 (natural) | HP 45 (10d8) | Speed 30 ft.
Skills: Perception +4, Nature +3, Stealth +5. Senses: passive Perception 14. Languages: Sylvan
Fey Ancestry. Advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Multiattack. Makes two Nature Bolt attacks.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Ashfire Lash. Melee spell attack +5, reach 10 ft. Hit: 2d6 fire damage.
Nymph Skirmisher (Naiad)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 (natural) | HP 45 (10d8) | Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Skills: Perception +4, Nature +3, Stealth +5. Senses: passive Perception 14. Languages: Sylvan
Fey Ancestry. Advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Healing Splash (Recharge 5–6). Touch an ally; they regain 2d8 HP.
Nymph Skirmisher (Dryad)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 (natural) | HP 45 (10d8) | Speed 30 ft.
Skills: Perception +4, Nature +3, Stealth +5. Senses: passive Perception 14. Languages: Sylvan
Fey Ancestry. Advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Grasping Roots (Recharge 5–6). 10-ft radius; DC 13 Strength save or restrained.
Nymph Skirmisher (Nereid)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 (natural) | HP 45 (10d8) | Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
Skills: Perception +4, Nature +3, Stealth +5. Senses: passive Perception 14. Languages: Sylvan
Fey Ancestry. Advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Calming Tide. An ally within 10 ft gains advantage on its next saving throw.
Nymph Skirmisher (Oceanid)
Medium Fey (Corrupted), Unaligned · CR 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 (natural) | HP 45 (10d8) | Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
Skills: Perception +4, Nature +3, Stealth +5. Senses: passive Perception 14. Languages: Sylvan
Fey Ancestry. Advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Nature Bolt. Ranged spell attack +5, range 60 ft. Hit: 2d6+3 force damage.
Riptide. 15-ft cone; DC 14 Strength save or prone + pushed 10 ft.
Nyxantha, the Grieving Torch
Medium Fey (Corrupted Lampad), Chaotic Neutral · CR 9 (5,000 XP) — Boss
AC 17 | HP 168 (16d8+96) | Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Saves: Dex +8, Wis +8, Cha +9. Skills: Perception +8, Deception +9, Insight +8. Resist: cold, necrotic. Vulnerable: radiant (only at 0 Grief-Bound stacks). Senses: darkvision 120 ft. Languages: Sylvan, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
Grief-Bound (3 stacks). Loses 1 stack on a DC 16 Persuasion/Performance check invoking grief, or on taking radiant damage.
Shadowfire Bond. Reaction: redirect damage taken by an ally nymph within 60 ft to herself instead.
Torchbearer's Curse (Curse-Sever). A creature adjacent with the Tearstone may sever her curse (action) if she's at 0 Grief-Bound stacks or below 25 HP — ends the fight, all nymphs stand down.
Multiattack. Makes two Shadowflame Torch attacks.
Shadowflame Torch. Melee or ranged spell attack +9. Hit: 2d10+5 fire/necrotic damage.
Summon Grief (Recharge 5–6). Calls 1–2 Nymph Skirmishers.
Torch Flicker. Move up to half speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Wailing Chorus. Nymphs within 30 ft gain +1d6 damage on their next attack.
NPC Cards
Elyria
Medium Fey (Naiad), Neutral Good · Quest Giver, Non-combatant
AC 13 | HP 22 | Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Water Shaping. Can cast Create or Destroy Water once per day.
Wants her sisters' curse broken, not the sisters slain — desperate and pleading throughout.
She was bound by Nyxantha too but broke free weeks ago; guilt-ridden she didn't act sooner to stop it.
Anxious, tearful, will beg the party not to kill any nymph if combat turns lethal. Gives the Tearstone and a rough map of the pass at the hook.
Petra
Medium Fey (Oread), Unaligned · Potential Ally (Encounter 1)
Stats: Use Nymph Skirmisher (Oread) stat block — allied, starts at half HP once recruited.
Protecting the vale; deeply distrustful of outsiders sent by the tyrant's foremen.
Knows a hidden tunnel shortcut to the Grotto that bypasses part of the meadow ambush.
Gruff, tests the party's honesty before trusting them; recruited via DC 13 Persuasion after being spared below half HP.
Thalassa
Medium Fey (Nereid), Neutral Good · Potential Ally (Encounter 2)
Stats: Use Nymph Skirmisher (Nereid) stat block — allied, once freed.
Was captured trying to calm her sisters; wants everyone — nymph and mortal — to survive this.
Knows Nyxantha's name-of-sorrow, usable once in the finale to force an automatic Grief-Bound stack loss.
Gentle and sorrowful; hums softly while healing allies. Freed via DC 12 Sleight of Hand or breaking her cage.
Item Cards
Persephone's Tearstone
Wondrous item, no attunement required
A smooth garnet-red stone, warm to the touch. While holding it, you have advantage on Persuasion/Performance checks against creatures bound by grief or dark magic (such as the Wilting Court).
Curse-Sever. As an action, press it to an incapacitated or Grief-Bound (0 stacks) fey to instantly sever any underworld curse-bond, ending magical compulsion. Single use — crumbles to ash after severing one curse.
Reward Cards
Post-session keepables. Reward is the first tag. Mechanics below are for ongoing use after this oneshot.
Tearstone Afterglow
Reward · Wondrous · 1/Long Rest
Mechanics. Once per long rest, as an action, touch a creature within 5 feet afflicted by a curse, geas, or grief-fueled magical compulsion: that creature has advantage on saving throws against that effect for 1 minute, and if the effect allows repeated saves, it may make one immediately. While carried, once per short rest you have advantage on one saving throw against being charmed or frightened.
Appearance. A cool garnet ember on a myrtle cord, no longer a full Tearstone — only the afterglow of one.
Lore. Persephone's Tearstone spent itself freeing Nyxantha; the afterglow remains for those who chose mercy.
Quote. "Press the tear to the bond — not the throat." — Elyria
Earn when: Spare Nyxantha — sever her curse with Persephone's Tearstone without slaughtering the court.
Wilted Myrtle Trophy
Reward · Wondrous · 1/Long Rest
Mechanics. Once per long rest, as a bonus action, you gain resistance to necrotic and fire damage until the end of your next turn, and your next weapon attack before then deals an extra 2d6 necrotic damage on a hit. While carried, you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened by undead or fey.
Appearance. A blackened myrtle sprig stiff as wire, leaves edged in ash-violet shadowfire stain.
Lore. Taken from the grotto after Nyxantha fell; the vale is quieter, but the nymphs' grief still clings.
Quote. "The curse breaks either way. Clean is a kindness the dead cannot repay." — Wilting Court epilogue
Earn when: Slay Nyxantha instead of cleanly severing the Tearstone bond.