The Ford of Twin Spears

One-Shot · 6 PCs · Level 8 · Amazon–Spartan Border · ~3–3.5 hrs · Enc. 3 has 3 branches

Style: Faction crisis → Parley → Branched Hard finale | Win: End the war without executing Atalanta or Leonidas | Setting: Misthaven mist → sacred ford between Amazon hunt-camp and Spartan column.

Sister Eirene gives the Twin-Seal of the Ford. Enc. 1 scout collision; Enc. 2 expose Mask of Discord; Enc. 3 = Amazons / Spartans / Peace+construct.

"When bow and spear both cry injustice, bind crescent to lambda at the ford-stone — or gift the face you trust in battle." — Twin-Seal (23 words).

Major Beats

Misthaven — Eirene + Twin-Seal; mist to fordlands.
Enc. 1: Amazon vs Spartan scout ambush; de-escalate; recruit Myrto and/or Doulos.
Audiences with Atalanta & Leonidas.
Enc. 2: Proof hunt; expose Mask; lock Branch A/B/C.
Enc. 3: One finale only (see page 2).

Finale Branch Unlock

Branch	Unlock	Enc. 3
A Amazons	Pledge to Atalanta; no Spartan alliance	Party+Atalanta vs Leonidas host; Leonidas yields (nonlethal)
B Spartans	Pledge to Leonidas; no Amazon alliance	Party+Leonidas vs Atalanta host; Atalanta yields (nonlethal)
C Peace	Proof to both; expose Mask	Both allies vs Strife-Wrought Champion; seal bind

Creature List

Creature	E	M	H	Notes
Amazon Archer	3	4	6	Enc1 / Br B
Amazon Outrider	1	2	3	Enc1 / Br B
Spartan Hoplite	3	4	6	Enc1 / Br A
Spartan Lochagos	0	1	1	Enc1 / Br A
Atalanta / Leonidas	—	1	1	Iconic — no execute
Mask of Discord	1	1	1	Enc2
Strife-Wrought Champion	adj	1	1	Boss Br C

Difficulty

Tier	Adjust
As Written ★	6 PCs · APL 8
Library Standard	6 PCs · APL 8 — Identical to As Written — this guide’s baseline is already 6 PCs at average level 8.
Easier	APL 4–6: reduce minion counts ~30%; DCs −2; boss loses one recharge or legendary option.
Harder	APL 10–12: boss HP +25–35%; +1 legendary action; add a lieutenant or extra wave.

At a sacred river ford claimed by both Amazon hunters and a Spartan march column, pride and forged insults are hours from open war. The party arrives as envoys with a twin-faced seal — and must decide whether to stand with Atalanta , with Leonidas , or to bind both faces before a third voice of Discord finishes the slaughter for them. Meets the party in Misthaven (or aboard a mist-bound trireme). Hands the Twin-Seal . Begs them to stop a war that would curse the ford for a generation.

Creature / Enemy List

Creature	Counts / Notes
Amazon Archer	3 · 4 · 6 · Enc. 1 / Branch B
Amazon Outrider	1 · 2 · 3 · Enc. 1 / Branch B
Spartan Hoplite	3 · 4 · 6 · Enc. 1 / Branch A
Spartan Lochagos	0 · 1 · 1 · Enc. 1 combat / Branch A
Atalanta	1 · 1 · Ally or oppose (nonlethal)
Leonidas	1 · 1 · Ally or oppose (nonlethal)
Mask of Discord	1 · 1 · 1 · Enc. 2 reveal / flee to Enc. 3
Strife-Wrought Champion	1 adj. · 1 · 1 · Boss — Peace branch

DM Tips

As Written ★ — 6 Players, Average Level 8: Baseline for this guide. Numbers, DCs, and win tracks assume six PCs at average level 8.
Easier: APL 4–6: reduce minion counts ~30%; DCs −2; boss loses one recharge or legendary option.
Harder: APL 10–12: boss HP +25–35%; +1 legendary action; add a lieutenant or extra wave.

Encounter 1 — Fordfall Ambush

🗺 Terrain & Features Wooded slope → ford road — 100×60 ft ; stream (difficult terrain), fallen cedar (½ cover), two game trails. · Mist clears on a wooded approach to the ford. The party walks into a three-way mistake: Myrto 's Amazon scouts and Doulos 's Spartan runners each think the other side's reinforcements have arrived — and the PCs look like hired blades.

Style: Ambush / social de-escalation
Win Condition: Reach the ford alive with at least one camp willing to hear envoys (seal shown), without massacring either scout party
Show Twin-Seal immediately (action, visible): both sides pause 1 round; Persuasion or Performance DC 13 to freeze the fight (group check: 3 successes before 3 failures).
Insight DC 12: neither group expected the other — someone lied about reinforcements.
Raise empty hands + Medicine on a downed scout: automatic success toward that camp's trust.
Initiative as normal; Amazons skirmish from trees, Spartans shield-wall the road.
Nonlethal preferred — Eirene's mission fails socially if either scout leader dies.
Dropping a side to 1 standing fighter ends their aggression if the seal is shown.

Encounter 2 — Parley at the Ford-Stone

🗺 Terrain & Features Ford-stone plaza — 80×80 ft shallow water, twin altars (crescent & lambda), rope bridges, spectator banks. · Both camps face each other across the sacred ford-stone. Atalanta and Leonidas trade accusations: burned tents, stolen standards, murdered scouts. The truth is the Mask of Discord — an Eris agent wearing both sides' faces. Enc. 2 is where the party gathers proof and locks the …

Style: Dual audiences + investigation; optional confrontation
Win Condition: Obtain enough proof or firm pledges to enter dusk with Branch A, B, or C chosen
Speak with Atalanta: Persuasion/Insight DC 14. She wants Spartan confession for the burned hunt-camp.
Speak with Leonidas: Persuasion/Insight DC 14. He wants Amazon confession for the murdered helot runners.
Twin-Seal shown: advantage once per camp.
Need 4 successes before 3 failures (DCs 13–15). Skills: Investigation, Survival, Religion, Sleight of Hand, Arcana.
Clue finds: forged orders (both seals), Amazon boots with Spartan mud, a smiling courier who changes eyes (Perception DC 15).
Myrto/Doulos present: one free success if both recruited.

Encounter 3 — Three Paths at Dusk (Boss)

Ford 120×70 ft; shallow water DT; shield-wall starts on west bank. · Use the branch locked at the end of Enc. 2. All three are Hard. Remember: Atalanta and Leonidas are iconic — oppose to yield, never execute .

Maguffin: War branches — gift the matching Twin-Seal face to your champion. Peace — bind both faces at the ford-stone.
Foes: Leonidas + 4× Spartan Hoplite + 1× Spartan Lochagos
Terrain: Ford 120×70 ft; shallow water DT; shield-wall starts on west bank.
Win: Leonidas yields — 0 HP nonlethal, or aspis destroyed (AC 19 / 40 HP), or Persuasion DC 16 when he is bloodied and ≥3 hoplites are down.
Token: Gift crescent-face to Atalanta → +2 attacks/saves 1 minute; she may Pinning Shot without recharge once.
Failure soft: Party downed — Amazons extract; Spartans hold the ford (war continues; sequel).
Foes: Atalanta + 4× Amazon Archer + 2× Amazon Outrider
Terrain: Same ford; Amazons hold tree line & east bank; sniper nests (½ cover).

DM Callouts

Recruiting both is possible and strongly sets up Branch C.
RECRUITMENT. Heal her / spare her in Enc. 1 → she vouches to Atalanta (adv on first Amazon social checks).
RECRUITMENT. Return his stolen lambda token / spare him in Enc. 1 → vouches to Leonidas.
Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique

CREATURE STAT BLOCKS

Atalanta — Iconic

Medium Humanoid, CG · CR 8

AC 17 | HP 127 | Speed 40 ft. | DEX 20

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	16 +3 +3	20 +5 +9	18 +4 +4	12 +1 +1	14 +2 +6	13 +1 +1

3× attacks: Longbow +9 (1d8+5 +2d6 psychic if target hit ally); Shortsword +9.
Pinning Shot (5–6): restrain Str DC 16.
LA: Move 20 / Shot / Call Hunt (2).
Oppose = nonlethal / banner / surrender only.

Leonidas — Iconic

Medium Humanoid, LN · CR 8

AC 20 | HP 136 | Speed 30 ft. | STR 20

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	20 +5 +9	14 +2 +2	18 +4 +8	12 +1 +1	14 +2 +6	16 +3 +3

3× Spear +9 (1d8+5); Shield Bash prone Str DC 17.
Hold the Ford (1/rest): allies 15 temp HP.
LA: Command hoplite / +2 AC / Counterthrust (2).
Oppose = nonlethal / aspis break / yield only.

Amazon Archer

AC 15 | HP 39 | CR 2 · 2× Shortbow +5 (1d6+3)

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	12 +1 +1	16 +3 +3	14 +2 +2	11 +0 +0	13 +1 +1	12 +1 +1

Skirmish Step 10 ft after ranged atk

Amazon Outrider

AC 14 | HP 52 | CR 3 · 2× Spear +4 · Trample Dex DC 13

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	14 +2 +2	16 +3 +3	14 +2 +2	10 +0 +0	12 +1 +1	11 +0 +0

Spartan Hoplite

AC 18 | HP 45 | CR 2 · 2× Spear +5 · Shield Wall

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	16 +3 +3	12 +1 +1	14 +2 +2	10 +0 +0	11 +0 +0	10 +0 +0

Spartan Lochagos

AC 19 | HP 75 | CR 4 · 3× Spear +6 · Order Advance

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	18 +4 +4	12 +1 +1	16 +3 +3	11 +0 +0	12 +1 +1	14 +2 +2

Mask of Discord

Medium Fey shapechanger · CR 5

AC 15 | HP 84 | DEX/CHA 18

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	10 +0 +0	18 +4 +4	14 +2 +2	14 +2 +2	12 +1 +1	18 +4 +4

2× Dagger +7 (1d4+4 +2d6 psychic).
Discordant Whisper (4–6): Wis DC 15 attack ally.

Strife-Wrought Champion — BOSS

Large Construct · CR 9

AC 17 | HP 161 (120/200) | Speed 40 ft.

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	20 +5 +5	12 +1 +1	20 +5 +5	6 −2 −2	10 +0 +0	8 −1 −1

Glaive +9 (2d10+5) ×2 + Shield-Slam prone Str DC 17.
War-Cry (5–6): Wis DC 15 fear cone.
LA: Advance / Glaive / Split the Line (2).
Seal bind: lose LA + 30 psychic once.

KEY ITEMS

Twin-Seal of the Ford

Faces: Amazon crescent / Spartan lambda; olive cord.
Enc1–2: adv on one social check per camp.
War finale: gift matching face → champion +2 atk/saves 1 min + special once.
Peace finale: bind at ford-stone → boss loses LA + 30 psychic.

NPC QUICK REFERENCE

Sister Eirene — Quest Giver

Motivation: Keep ford shrine unbloodied.
Secret: Suspects a third framer.
Roleplay: Calm, urgent; rewards proof over body counts.

Atalanta

Motivation: Justice for burned hunt-camp; protect Amazons.
Secret: Will accept truce if Spartan innocence proven.
If opposed: yield conditions only — never execute.

Leonidas

Motivation: Secure march route; avenge murdered runners.
Secret: Respects lawful challenge and kept oaths.
If opposed: yield / aspis break — never execute.

Myrto / Doulos — Scouts

Myrto: Amazon boots on “Spartan” messenger.
Doulos: forged wax on orders.
Both recruited → free Enc2 proof success.

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