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.

ENC 1 — The Orchard That Notices

Skill / Medium · ~45 min · Stepped beach, mirror pools, cypress ladders, and three ward-lantern paths into the orchard.

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.

ENC 2 — Sisters at the Golden Bough

Medium · ~50 min · Circular bough-platform over black water, harp dais, thorn hedges, and hanging mirrors.

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.

ENC 3 — Ladon Opens One Hundred Eyes

Hard · ~65 min · Falling apple bough, spiral root bridge, sleeping coils, and a moonlit surf exit 120 feet away.

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.

STAT BLOCKS

Aegle - AC 15/HP 66 - dims one ward-lantern
Branchbound Watcher - AC 16/HP 76 - grappling root lash
Jealous Thorn-Nymph - AC 15/HP 88 - poison charm pressure
Dream-Moth Swarm - AC 14/HP 95 - sleep dust alarm
Ladon - AC 18/HP 205 - waking eye tokens

Maguffin

Sunset Shears

Advantage on one Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Wisdom (Perception) check involving orchard wards.
Cut one dream-vine on Ladon; it loses a legendary reaction and cannot awaken fully for 1 round.

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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