If the heroes choose to storm the city, Maximus is delighted. He orders his minotaur battalion to assemble at once, eager to demonstrate the weapon they have been preparing.

The war camp roars to life. Minotaurs march in ranks, hooves pounding like drums. Four dozen of them move beneath a massive, armored shell of curved iron and wet leather. Inside, you glimpse iron grapnels and barbed hooks, thick chains looped around wooden spools, and a pulley system so heavy it requires four minotaurs to brace it.

Maximus explains that they soak their hides to resist pitch and burning oil. The tesudo advances under fire, latches its hooks to the gate, and then the entire squad pulls as one. The pulleys allow the minotaurs to tear down the gate by brute strength.

The tesudo begins its slow march toward the great western gate. Before it reaches the gate, a small door built into the gate opens.

A small iron grate built into the massive wooden door swings open. A lone minotaur emerges. His horns are capped with bronze and his bright red cloak lifts in the wind. His spear bites into the earth, the shock running up the stone as if the bronze face of Sydon above the gate approves. “I am Taureus, Grandmaster of the Elements. I am a free citizen of Aresia. If your army desires this gate, send your champion. Let them face me.”

The minotaurs within the siege shell falter. Their hands slip on the chains. They stare at Taureus as though seeing an impossible dream. They have heard rumors that minotaurs were free in Aresia, but this is direct proof.

Maximus turns to the heroes, his face grim, and says, “One of you must answer him.”

If the heroes refuse to name a champion, the minotaurs balk. They will not drive their siege engine forward while one of their own challenges them in open combat.

The Duel#

The heroes must choose who will step forward to face Taureus (LN Grandmaster Monk, appendix B). Once chosen, allow the player a moment to declare what their character says or does before the clash begins. Before the duel Taureus will say the following:

“I, Taureus, bow to no army. Fight me, hero. Let the gods witness which of us was born to stand, and which to break.”

When the duel begins, have all players roll Initiative. On the turns of those not fighting Taureus, invite them to use their skills. They are spectators, yes, but they stand in the

fog of war. Their actions and observations may uncover signs that the duel is not honorable.

Taureus has not sallied forth solely to unsettle the minotaur battalions; he is bait. The Aresian leadership knows that the return of the Dragonlords spells the end for their city, and they have prepared a final, desperate counterstrike. Months earlier, Aresian counter-sappers infiltrated the tunnels dug by the Mytrosian engineers. Those sappers have carved multiple hidden exits into the Mytros camp. As the duel unfolds, disciplined monks slip quietly from these concealed shafts, positioning themselves for a coordinated ambush. Worse still, the sappers have hollowed out sections beneath the camp. Once the supports are pulled, entire war engines and supply lines may vanish into sudden sinkholes.

Skill Clues During the Duel#

Each of the heroes who is not participating in the duel can use their skills in order to ascertain the purpose of the duel:

  • History. A successful DC 18 Intelligence (History) check allows the hero to recall that the Aresians are famous for using duels to conceal other objectives. A subsequent check on the next turn reveals that one thing they are most famous for is using counter sapping against their foes.

  • Insight. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that Taureus is fighting like a man who is buying time. A subsequent check on the next turn reveals that the minotaur’s gaze flickers not just to his opponent, but over the Mytrosian army, as if anticipating something.

  • Perception. A successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that the body language of the Aresians on the walls is off. Instead of tenseness, there is anticipation, as if they know something is coming. A subsequent check on the next turn reveals that some of the soldiers in the camp are moving strangely, almost as if they are trying to move unnoticed.

Avoiding Catastrophe#

If the heroes share their suspicions with the other commanders, the Mytrosian leadership will brace for the possibility of a surprise assault. Troops are repositioned, siege crews stand alert, and scouts are posted across the camp. This preparation blunts the force of the Aresian strike, though it cannot stop it entirely.

Surprise Attack#

On the third round of the duel with Taureus, the Aresians spring their trap.

A scream tears through the camp. The ground splits open beneath siege engines, swallowing them whole with cracking timber and snapping chains. Red-cloaked monks erupt from hidden tunnels, cutting into startled soldiers. It is pure chaos.

If the heroes warned the camp:

To your relief, the Mytrosian lines lock into formation almost instantly. Soldiers brace shields, officers bark orders, and the attackers slam against a wall of steel instead of terrified backs.

Escalation#

Two Aresian Monks (appendix B) per hero break away from the melee and charge the party. Taureus remains locked on his chosen opponent, intent on ending the duel in blood.

Allow a few rounds of brutal fighting. Then the battlefield stills.

Shouts fade. Arrows stop. Soldiers instinctively part as three figures stride forward through the smoke. A one-armed elf monk. A muscular human with eyes like steel. A lithe woman who stands with perfect balance. The human monk stops, raises his chin, and points at you. “Here stand the Dragonlords, and yet your blades shake. Let me show you how Aresia greets pretenders, by breaking them until Thylea herself forgets their names.”

These three are Hiero, Leandros, and Halcyon (Grandmaster Monks, appendix B), two masters of Aresia’s martial traditions and Helen’s personal guard. They know that if they slay the Dragonlords here, Mytros will collapse in fear. They do not retreat. They fight to the death.

The Tragedy of Aresia#

If the heroes defeat the city’s champions, Aresian morale shatters. The western gate buckles, and Mytrosian soldiers flood through like water breaching a dam.

If the heroes stole the Palladium, read the following:

A deep groan rolls through the stone beneath your feet. High above, the ancient walls of Aresia tremble, as if exhaling their final breath. Cracks spiderweb across the masonry. Chunks the size of chariots shear away and tumble into the city. The cries of soldiers atop the ramparts are swallowed by the sound of stone collapsing upon stone. Then the wall gives way in a single catastrophic roar. A swath of the western battlements tears free and falls backward, crushing homes and defenders alike, pulverizing the very people it once shielded. The Tower of the Wind is crushed by the tsunami of stone and massive dust clouds billow skyward, blotting out the sun.

The collapse is the inevitable result of months of sapping and counter-sapping. The Palladium held the walls together, not merely magically, but structurally.

The Mytrosians still pour inward, driven by three years of hunger, disease, attrition, and rage.

Aresia burns. Flames climb from roof to roof, leaping like red serpents across timber and banner. Mytrosian soldiers kick in doors, drag civilians screaming into the streets, and butcher them where they fall. Others do worse. Shops that once sold jade masks and ceremonial blades now vomit smoke and ash. The dead lie in doorways. The dying try to crawl away. The last Aresian formations retreat across the northern bridge, a desperate knot of crimson cloaks vanishing into the haze, perhaps for one final rally.

The heroes now stand at a crossroads:

Š Chase the retreating Aresian defenders and ensure they

cannot regroup into a counteroffensive … Š Or stop the slaughter, halting their own army before it

destroys not only a city, but legacy.

Stopping the Slaughter#

The heroes have many potential methods to halt the Mytrosian rampage.

A successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check allows a hero to get any soldier within ear shot to obey their commands.

Spells#

The following spells are all effective in controlling the rage of the Mytrosian soldiers. Calm Emotions, Hypnotic Pattern, Mass Suggestion, Wall of Force, Wall of Stone.

Crossing the Thrake#

If the heroes pursue the retreating Aresian forces across the bridge and the Palladium still protects the city, read:

An old monk stands alone at the center of the bridge. His robes flutter in the wind, and he carries no weapon. His eyes meet yours without fear. “If you pass, you leave mercy behind,” he says quietly. “Do not do this.”

This is the final warning. If any hero steps onto the bridge, continue:

A horn sounds behind you. Once, twice, thrice … and then a fourth time. You turn in time to see cracks split the Tower of Wind from base to pinnacle. The bronze face of Sydon atop the tower peels away as stone collapses, revealing a massive humanoid shape beneath. Bronze limbs wrench free from rubble. The giant turns, its eyes glowing red. The colossus steps forward. Its first stride crushes a dozen Mytrosian soldiers into red mist.

This is the Bronze Colossus (appendix B), the final guardian of Aresia. It is named Talos and was built by the early Aresians with aid from Sydon. If the heroes do not deal with it, the colossus will rampage through the streets, killing thousands before its body finally breaks.

The old man is Laertes, the Grandmaster of Tranquility (LN Grandmaster Monk, appendix B). He will immediately attack the heroes, fighting to the death.

Aftermath#

Once the last threats have been dealt with, the heroes have time to assess the state of Aresia. If the heroes did not stop the sack of the city, then most of the population lies dead, enslaved or missing. The city itself is burning, centuries of history evaporating in smoke.

If the heroes took time to stop the worst instincts of the Mytrosian soldiers, then most of the destruction was kept to the Western side of the Thrake river. While thousands were killed, most of the population survived and will have an opportunity to rebuild.

Queen in Chains#

  • Queen Helen (appendix A) is brought before the heroes.
Even bound, Queen Helen carries herself with a ruler’s poise. When she speaks, her voice is calm. “You have your victory. Spare my people. Whatever vengeance you seek, take it from me.”

Queen Helen will provide the heroes with whatever they ask, whether it be the location of Narsus, the treasury or anything else within her power.

Narsus#

It doesn’t take long for the location of Narsus to be discovered. Refer to the Chamber of Beauty (area A6) for an audience with Narsus.

Backward The Siege Audience with the Queen Forward