Apples of the West
A sunset orchard heist at the edge of Oceanus.
Style: Mythic island heist for 6 level-8 PCs, paced for 3 to 3.5 hours with stealth-first solutions.
Win: Escape the western orchard with three apples while Ladon remains asleep, bound, or misdirected.
Lose: Ladon fully wakes, the island folds into sunset, and the crew flees with a curse or no apples.
Maguffin: Sunset Shears · Ally: Aegle, Doubting Hesperid · QG: Mnestra of Misthaven
"Three sunsets, three fruits, three breaths: take only what the mist names, or the dragon remembers every thief."
Major Beats
- Mnestra names the three fruits and the taboo against killing the guardian.
- The island watches the party's shadows before it watches their bodies.
- Aegle reveals one sister wants the theft blamed on her.
- The final choice is speed, mercy, or bargaining under Ladon's waking eyes.
Difficulty
| Tier | Adjust |
|---|
| As Written ★ | 6 PCs · APL 10 |
| Library Standard | 6 PCs · APL 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. |
| Easier | APL 8–9: use the Library Standard (6×L8) box, then shave one more minion wave. |
| Harder | APL 11–12: boss HP +20%; +1 legendary; Favor/track +1 to win. |
Mnestra of Misthaven hooks the party. Maguffin Sunset Shears pays off in the finale against Ladon, Hundred-Eyed Dragon . Recruit Aegle, Doubting Hesperid along the way.
Creature / Enemy List
| Creature | Counts / Notes |
|---|
| Branchbound Watcher | med · hard · CR 3 · Patrol brute |
| Jealous Thorn-Nymph | med · hard · CR 4 · Social hazard and skirmisher |
| Dream-Moth Swarm | med · hard · CR 5 · Sleep alarm |
| Ladon, Hundred-Eyed Dragon | med · hard · CR 10 · Boss guardian |
| Aegle, Doubting Hesperid | 1 · 1 · Recruit Enc. 1 |
DM Tips
- As Written ★ — 6 Players, Average Level 10: Baseline for this guide. Numbers, DCs, and win tracks assume six PCs at average level 10.
- Easier: APL 8–9: use the Library Standard (6×L8) box, then shave one more minion wave.
- Harder: APL 11–12: boss HP +20%; +1 legendary; Favor/track +1 to win.
Maguffin reminder: Check Enc. 3 payoff on the item card (page 3/4). Reward players who keep the object in hand.
Maguffin detail
Sunset Shears
- Appearance: Tiny bronze pruning shears warm as late afternoon.
- Handout. "Cut the stem, not the fruit; cut the shadow, not the throat."
- Enc. 1–2. Advantage on one Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Wisdom (Perception) check involving orchard wards.
Ally snapshot
Aegle, Doubting Hesperid
- RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1). Expose the false serpent tracks without blaming her, or promise to take only three named apples.
- Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Encounter 1 — The Orchard That Notices
Land under a copper sunset and cross talking terraces before the island decides the crew are thieves.
- Run 6 successes before 3 failures using Stealth, Nature, Perception, Deception, or Performance DC 15.
- A failure wakes a Branchbound Watcher; two failures light a ward-lantern visible in Encounter 3.
- The Sunset Shears can quietly trim a ward-vine for one automatic success.
- Recruit Aegle by proving the tracks were planted or by swearing the three-apple limit.
- Tip: Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Inside guide and alarm-saboteur
- Tip: RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1). Expose the false serpent tracks without blaming her, or promise to take only three named apples.
- Tip: Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Encounter 2 — Sisters at the Golden Bough
Negotiate, distract, or duel the Hesperides' court while the named apples ripen one at a time.
- Social route: 4 successes before 2 failures at DC 16 earns ten quiet minutes at the bough.
- Combat route uses Thorn-Nymphs and Dream-Moths; each thunder spell or fire burst adds 1 wake token.
- Aegle can erase one wake token if a PC spends an action protecting her from accusation.
- Each apple takes an action and DC 15 Sleight of Hand, or automatic success with the shears.
- Tip: Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Inside guide and alarm-saboteur
- Tip: RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1). Expose the false serpent tracks without blaming her, or promise to take only three named apples.
- Tip: Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
Encounter 3 — Ladon Opens One Hundred Eyes
The dragon stirs as the crew races from the bough to the surf with golden fruit burning in hand.
- At initiative 20, add a wake token; at 4 tokens Ladon acts at full strength.
- The Sunset Shears cut a dream-vine, removing 2 wake tokens or preventing a breath weapon once.
- Win by escaping with all three apples, binding Ladon for 3 rounds, or trading one apple for safe passage.
- If reduced below half HP, Ladon roars; every PC must save DC 16 Wis or drop an apple or treasured item.
- Tip: Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Inside guide and alarm-saboteur
- Tip: RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1). Expose the false serpent tracks without blaming her, or promise to take only three named apples.
- Tip: Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
DM Callouts
- Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Inside guide and alarm-saboteur
- RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1). Expose the false serpent tracks without blaming her, or promise to take only three named apples.
- Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.
- Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Inside guide and alarm-saboteur
Extra Encounter Detail (from session guide)
- Tip: Keep page-3 creature AC/HP lines visible while resolving Enc. 3.
- Tip: Favor non-combat paths in Enc. 1–2; Enc. 3 should still feel Hard.
Quick combat reference
- Aegle, Doubting Hesperid — AC 15 | HP 66 | Speed 30 ft. · Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Inside guide a
- Branchbound Watcher — AC 16 | HP 76 | Speed 30 ft. · Medium Creature · CR 3 · Patrol brute
- Jealous Thorn-Nymph — AC 15 | HP 88 | Speed 30 ft. · Medium Creature · CR 4 · Social hazard and skirmisher
- Dream-Moth Swarm — AC 14 | HP 95 | Speed 30 ft. · Medium Creature · CR 5 · Sleep alarm
- Ladon, Hundred-Eyed Dragon — AC 18 | HP 205 | Speed 40 ft. · Large Creature · CR 10 · Boss guardian · Boss
Additional DM notes
- Motivation.** She needs the apples to ransom sailors trapped in a winter that will not end.
- Secret.** Her map was bought from a Hesperid who wants one sister discredited, not harmed.
- Hard rule.** She forbids killing Ladon; a dead guardian calls Hera's whole gaze westward.
- Appearance:** Tiny bronze pruning shears warm as late afternoon.
- Handout.** "Cut the stem, not the fruit; cut the shadow, not the throat."
- Enc. 1–2.** Advantage on one Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Wisdom (Perception) check involving orchard wards.
- Enc. 3.** Cut one dream-vine on Ladon; it loses a legendary reaction and cannot awaken fully for 1 round.
- 12 (+1)**STR**14 (+2)**DEX**12 (+1)**CON**12 (+1)**INT**14 (+2)**WIS**16 (+3)**CHA
- Role:** Inside guide and alarm-saboteur
- RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1).** Expose the false serpent tracks without blaming her, or promise to take only three named apples.
Pacing helpers
- Enc 1: End by ~45–50 min; if stuck, telegraph the non-combat path once.
- Enc 2: Spend recruitment / maguffin early so Enc 3 is not a blank check.
- Enc 3: Keep Hard, not Deadly — drop a minion wave before a TPK spiral.
- Table tip: Restate win condition when HP dips; players often forget the maguffin.
NPC / ALLY
Mnestra of Misthaven
- She needs the apples to ransom sailors trapped in a winter that will not end.
- She forbids killing Ladon; a dead guardian calls Hera's whole gaze westward.
Aegle, Doubting Hesperid
- Recruit Enc. 1: Expose the false serpent tracks without blaming her, or promise to take only three named apples.
- AC 15 · HP 66 · Star-thorn bow +7 to hit, 9 piercing plus 7 radiant; can also dim one ward-lantern.
Remember
- Escape the western orchard with three apples while Ladon remains asleep, bound, or misdirected.
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