Chains on Caucasus

Major Beats

1. Dione frames the mission as rescue, then admits rescue has consequences.
2. The mountain tests strength, mercy, and patience before blades matter.
3. The cult believes pain is a renewable holy resource.
4. Prometheus asks what kind of freedom mortals are ready to defend.

Difficulty

Creature / Enemy List

DM Tips

• As Written ★ — 6 Players, Average Level 11: Baseline for this guide. Numbers, DCs, and win tracks assume six PCs at average level 11.
• Easier: APL 9–10: use Library Standard, then Favor/track win −1 or boss HP −10%.
• Harder: APL 12–13: boss HP +25%; add a lieutenant; no free rest.

Ally snapshot

Encounter 1 — The Climb of Stolen Sparks

• 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 a Crag Harpy Bloodcaller.
• 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.
• Tip: Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Scout, omen-reader, and reluctant witness
• Tip: RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1). Save her from harpies without demanding her prophecy, or share water and listen to her warning.
• Tip: Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.

Encounter 2 — The Cult of the Open Wound

• Stealth or parley can disable two spark vats before combat begins.
• Each intact vat lets a zealot add 7 fire damage once; Medicine or Religion DC 16 spoils a vat.
• The Chainbound Giant attacks everyone until its pain brand is broken or the altar crane is dropped.
• Io identifies which zealot carries the rite-key if treated as a person, not an omen.
• Tip: Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Scout, omen-reader, and reluctant witness
• Tip: RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1). Save her from harpies without demanding her prophecy, or share water and listen to her warning.
• Tip: Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.

Encounter 3 — Prometheus Beneath the Eagle

• Three chain seals require actions and DC 16 checks; each seal changes the moral outcome.
• The Kindling Nail decides the finish: free him, loosen torment, or consecrate the wound closed.
• At initiative 20 the eagle dives; disabling perches or calming it with Animal Handling DC 16 redirects the strike.
• Win by ending the rite and escaping divine attention; killing Aetos is optional and not sufficient.
• Tip: Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Scout, omen-reader, and reluctant witness
• Tip: RECRUITMENT (Enc. 1). Save her from harpies without demanding her prophecy, or share water and listen to her warning.
• Tip: Aid. Acts on party initiative when recruited; prefers nonlethal when asked.

DM Callouts

• Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · 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.
• Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Scout, omen-reader, and reluctant witness

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

• Io the Wind-Lost — AC 14 | HP 71 | Speed 30 ft. · Medium Humanoid, Neutral · Recruitable Ally · Scout, omen-re
• Crag Harpy Bloodcaller — AC 14 | HP 90 | Speed 30 ft. · Medium Creature · CR 4 · Aerial controller
• Eagle-Cult Zealot — AC 15 | HP 72 | Speed 30 ft. · Medium Creature · CR 3 · Fanatic skirmisher
• Chainbound Giant — AC 17 | HP 148 | Speed 30 ft. · Medium Creature · CR 7 · Titanic bruiser
• Aetos, Eagle-Wound Hierophant — AC 18 | HP 196 | Speed 40 ft. · Large Creature · CR 10 · Boss cult priest · Boss

Additional DM notes

• 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.
• 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.
• 12 (+1)**STR**14 (+2)**DEX**12 (+1)**CON**12 (+1)**INT**14 (+2)**WIS**16 (+3)**CHA
• 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.

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.

STAT BLOCKS

Session reminders

• Io the Wind-Lost - AC 14/HP 71 - safe ledge omen
• Eagle-Cult Zealot - AC 15/HP 72 - pull spear near cliffs
• Crag Harpy Bloodcaller - AC 14/HP 90 - cliff-edge bloodsong
• Chainbound Giant - AC 17/HP 148 - iron sweep bruiser
• Aetos - AC 18/HP 196 - woundfire rite boss

Maguffin

NPC / ALLY

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