The Hundredfold Binding

One-Shot · 6 PCs Lvl 12 · ~3–3.5 hrs · Rhodes · 4 Heliadae · Free Briareus (CR 16)

Style: Infiltration → Lens-works rescue → Ritual shutdown | Win: Free Briareus (Master Lock or 4 satellite locks) → 1–2 cleanup rounds

Villains: Actis (ray) · Macareus (captain) · Candalus (fever) · Triopas (siege) · Maguffin: Tenages’s Dial · QG: Electryone

"When hundred hands are pinned by jealous noon, turn Tenages’s hours against the locks — free the mountain of arms." — Tenages's Dial

Major Beats

Electryone + Dial on Rhodes shore.
Enc. 1: Solar automata / light geometry (skill or fight).
Enc. 2: Fever wardens; recruit Lamprias; Master Lock intel.
Enc. 3: Four distinct brothers; free Briareus; vow foreshadow.

Creature List

Creature	E/M/H	Job
Solar Automaton	2/3/4	Enc1
Fever Warden	2/3/4	Enc2
Actis	1	Ranged / refract
Macareus	1	Captain / buffs
Candalus	1	Fever AoE
Triopas	1	Siege melee
Briareus	freed	CR16 cleanup

Difficulty

Tier	Adjust
As Written ★	6 PCs · APL 12
Library Standard	6 PCs · APL 8 — Reduce boss HP ~30–35%, strip one phase or one legendary action; minion counts −30%; Phase/Deadly language becomes Hard if present.
Easier	APL 10–11: use Library Standard, then remove the deadliest phase rider.
Harder	APL 13–15: restore full mythic pressure — extra phase or spawn; DCs +2.

Misthaven’s mist clears onto Rhodes under a hard white sun. Electryone — daughter of Helios — reveals that her four exile brothers have returned to the Sunforge to bind Briareus , a Hundred-Handed One, with engines stolen from murdered Tenages. Free the giant; shame the jealous noon.

Creature / Enemy List

Creature	Counts / Notes
Solar Automaton	2 · 3 · 4 · Enc. 1
Fever Warden	2 · 3 · 4 · Enc. 2
Actis	1 · 1 · 1 · Ray / ranged
Macareus	1 · 1 · 1 · Captain / buffs
Candalus	1 · 1 · 1 · Fever / AoE
Triopas	1 · 1 · 1 · Siege melee
Briareus	freed · freed · CR 16 cleanup

DM Tips

As Written ★ — 6 Players, Average Level 12: Baseline for this guide. Numbers, DCs, and win tracks assume six PCs at average level 12.
Easier: APL 10–11: use Library Standard, then remove the deadliest phase rider.
Harder: APL 13–15: restore full mythic pressure — extra phase or spawn; DCs +2.

Encounter 1 — Geometry of Jealous Noon

Lens Burst (Recharge 5–6). 15-ft cone Dex DC 12; 9 (2d8) radiant. · The outer colonnade is a living diagram — mirrors and Solar Automata executing Actis ’s light-proofs. Actis is not here yet (vault balcony later); his geometry still kills.

Non-combat path: Group challenge with Tenages's Dial — Arcana/Investigation/Survival 4 successes before 3 failures (DC 14). Success: automata power down; Long Rest in a shaded alcove.
Combat path: 3 automata. Destroying all pylons (AC 12 / HP 15 each) deactivates remaining automata at start of next round.
Fail the skill path loudly → Hard Enc. 2 adds +1 fever warden.
Tip: Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique

Encounter 2 — Fever in the Lens-Works

Hot brass galleries smell of Candalus ’s craft. 3× Fever Wardens guard Lamprias chained beside a rack of binding lenses. A mural shows four locks around a mountain of arms. · Hot brass galleries smell of Candalus ’s craft. 3× Fever Wardens guard Lamprias chained beside a rack of binding lenses. A mural shows four locks around a mountain of arms.

Non-combat: Bluff as Helios inspectors (Deception/Persuasion DC 14) or vent steam to cover a stealth free (Stealth DC 13). Dial grants adv once.
RECRUITMENT: Free Lamprias → Master Lock ID + Help on Dial in Enc. 3.
Combat: wardens focus the Dial-bearer. Candalus’s voice echoes (no card yet) promising “hours of fever” if they press on.
Tip: Medium Humanoid, Neutral Good · CR 1 · Recruitable
Tip: RECRUITMENT. Free him in Enc. 2 (Ath DC 12 vs. fever-chains, or Persuasion DC 13 vs. guards). In Enc. 3 he can Help on Dial checks and knows which lock is the Master Lock (auto-ID).

Encounter 3 — The Hundredfold Binding (Boss)

🗺 Terrain Vault 80×50 · Briareus 10-ft center · 4 satellite locks at compass points · Master Lock on his chest-manacle · balconies +10 ft · kiln strips (Candalus). · Briareus kneels bound at center under the Heliorbit Manacles . The four brothers hold the vault:

Actis — west balcony (rays / refraction)
Macareus — north stair (captain / buffs)
Candalus — among kiln channels (fever / AoE)
Triopas — south floor (siege spear)
Primary win: Open the Master Lock with Tenages's Dial (action, adjacent) or open/destroy all 4 satellite locks.
Each brother still living complicates “his” lock (see Linked Lock traits). Dial bypasses the complication.
Nearly guaranteed win: The moment Briareus is freed, the encounter is won. Run 1–2 cleanup rounds while he uses Storm of Hands / Shattering Roar to erase remaining foes. Do not prolong a fair fight against CR 16.
If PCs insist on fighting after cleanup, brothers flee or drop; Briareus does not turn on the party.

DM Callouts

Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique
Medium Humanoid, Neutral Good · CR 1 · Recruitable
RECRUITMENT. Free him in Enc. 2 (Ath DC 12 vs. fever-chains, or Persuasion DC 13 vs. guards). In Enc. 3 he can Help on Dial checks and knows which lock is the Master Lock (auto-ID).
Wondrous Item (maguffin), Unique

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.

THE FOUR HELIADAE

Actis the Ray CR5

Ranged controller · balcony

AC 15 | HP 82 | Dex 18

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	10 +0 +0	18 +4 +7	16 +3 +3	16 +3 +6	14 +2 +2	14 +2 +2

Sun-Javelin +7 · Refract R5–6 Dex DC 14 (4d8) · Blinding Lattice · Step of Light

Macareus the Blessed Blade CR5

Captain · north stair

AC 18 | HP 97 | Str/Cha

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	18 +4 +7	12 +1 +1	16 +3 +3	12 +1 +1	14 +2 +2	16 +3 +6

2× Kopis +7 · Benediction +3 rad aura · Challenge · Banner 1/day · Parry

Candalus the Fever CR5

AoE / poison-fire

AC 14 | HP 90 | Aura 10 ft

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	12 +1 +1	14 +2 +2	16 +3 +6	16 +3 +6	12 +1 +1	13 +1 +1

Fever-Rod +5 · Kiln Bloom Dex DC 14 · Copper Vapor · West lock burns 2d6

Triopas the Sundering Spear CR5

Siege melee

AC 16 | HP 102 | Str 20

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	20 +5 +8	14 +2 +2	18 +4 +7	10 +0 +0	12 +1 +1	11 +0 +0

2× Spear +8 · shove · Pillar Crack · Charge stun Con DC 15 · South lock immune to damage

BRIAREUS (FREED)

Briareus CR16 Ally

AC 18 | HP 287 | Slam +14 (3d8+9) · Storm of Hands ×6 · Roar 6d8 thunder stun DC 19

	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
sc md sv	28 +9 +14	14 +2 +2	22 +6 +11	12 +1 +1	16 +3 +8	18 +4 +4

Do not run as a kill-boss. Cleanup only, then vow + exit.