The Burning Shrine
The Burning Shrine
The party is hired by a desperate cleric to rescue survivors trapped in a holy shrine that has been besieged by a cult of fire elementalists. After discovering the cult's leader has summoned an infernal patron, the paladin must choose between a costly rescue and a dangerous ritual that could collapse the shrine on all of them.
Read Aloud
The common room of the Wayward Wyvern reeks of spilled ale and smoke, but your quiet corner table shatters as a woman in singed white robes bursts through the tavern door, her face streaked with soot and desperation. Sister Meredith, a cleric you've heard whispers about, staggers toward the bar before spotting you—perhaps the only one here who bears the mark of faith. She approaches with trembling hands, her voice cracking as she begs: the Shrine of Eternal Dawn, sacred to the goddess Amaunator, has been surrounded by cultists since dawn. Her brothers and sisters are barricaded inside with refugees. The flames are spreading. She can pay, but more importantly, she needs a champion who understands the weight of holy ground.
Description
Sister Meredith is desperate and disheveled, having fled the shrine when the cult's forces overwhelmed the outer courtyard. She can provide the party with basic directions (the shrine is three leagues northwest, in the foothills) and tell them the cult's numbers (roughly a dozen robed figures, though she couldn't count precisely). She knows the cult chants in Infernal and calls their leader "the Seared Prophet." She offers 75 gold pieces from the shrine's modest coffers, plus a promise of gratitude from the temple hierarchy. The party can use Insight checks (DC 12) to sense she's hiding something about the shrine's true condition—she's afraid to speak of the spreading fires directly. A successful Religion check (DC 13) reveals that Amaunator worship is less common now, and this particular shrine is a place of pilgrimage for older clerics seeking contemplation.
DM Notes
This is the hook. Don't oversell it; let Meredith's fear do the work. If the party asks probing questions about the cult, offer hints but no certainties—the mystery should feel real. If they ask about payment, she can offer modest coin but should emphasize the spiritual weight. A Paladin will likely feel the pull of protecting innocents and holy ground; lean into that. If they're suspicious, Meredith can produce a holy symbol of Amaunator (a golden sun disk) as proof. The tavern itself is neutral ground; no one will interrupt them, but onlookers might remember the party was hired by a holy woman.
Read Aloud
The Shrine of Eternal Dawn crowns a rolling hillside, and you smell the smoke long before you see it. What should be a serene temple of white stone and golden trim is instead wreathed in orange flame. The courtyard walls, once pristine, are now blackened and crumbling, with scorch marks that climb toward the central dome. A dozen robed figures encircle the shrine, some chanting in harsh Infernal, others tending bonfires that feed the unnatural flames licking at the building's flanks. The fires burn with a sickly intelligence—purple at their hearts. As you crest the final ridge, one of the cult members points, and all eyes turn toward you. The chanting stops. Silence. Then a voice, smooth as silk and twice as venomous, calls down from the shrine's highest tower: "At last. The goddess sends her dog."
Description
The shrine is a three-story stone structure shaped like a cross, with a domed central chamber and four wings. The courtyard occupies the 100-foot square before it. The cult (Cult of the Infernal Flame—a splinter sect devoted to Mephistopheles) has established two bonfire camps, one on each flank of the main entrance, and stationed two guards at the door itself. The voice from the tower belongs to Thereus the Seared Prophet, the cult's leader, who stands 80 feet up, visible only from certain angles. Smoke fills the courtyard to 10 feet high, providing half-cover. Inside the shrine, the party can hear faint crying and prayers—evidence of trapped survivors. The fires spread along the shrine's wooden supports; if left unchecked for more than one hour, the entire eastern wing will collapse. The party gains this time pressure through careful observation (Perception DC 13) of the structural damage or by asking Sister Meredith. A successful Survival check (DC 12) reveals a partially collapsed section of the courtyard wall on the southern flank—a possible entry point that bypasses the main guards.
DM Notes
This is a classic siege approach. The party has several options: (1) Stealth approach via the southern wall breach; (2) Direct confrontation; (3) Attempt negotiations. The cult will not negotiate in good faith, but Thereus will taunt the party, buying time for something (see Scene 4). The smoke is tactically interesting—it hampers vision but also provides cover. Sister Meredith will hang back unless the party is in obvious dire peril; she's a non-combatant. Thereus's boast about the goddess sending her dog is a taunt calculated to provoke a Paladin. Let the player feel the weight of this moment without forcing a single path. If they ask about the survivors, make clear that the cries are real but distant—inside the shrine. The party should understand that their primary objective is not just defeating cultists but saving lives and stopping the fire spread.
Monsters
Tactics
The two Fire Guards (reflavored Cult Fanatics with fire-themed spells: burning hands, cure wounds, sacred flame) hold the shrine door and will not abandon it unless forced. They are fanatically devoted to Thereus and will shout warnings when the party approaches. The four Cultists (low-HP chaff, essentially commoners with AC 13 from robes) maintain the bonfires and chant to fuel the unnatural flames. If the party charges the front gate, the cultists nearest the bonfires will attempt to detonate them (DC 13 Dexterity save, 7 damage, fire). The guards will hold the door until reduced to 10 HP or fewer, at which point they'll retreat inside and attempt to bar it. Thereus will not engage directly unless the party reaches the tower entrance (a stairwell inside the shrine). If the cultists take more than 50% casualties, they will attempt to flee toward the tree line, abandoning the siege. The bonfires spread the unnatural flames; each round, increase the area of spread by 5 feet—this is purely narrative pressure and does not inflict damage on party members outside the shrine, but it should feel urgent.
Terrain
The courtyard is 100 feet square, bordered by low stone walls (3 feet tall, half-cover). Two bonfires occupy the north and south flanks, each 15 feet in diameter and rising 8 feet high (creatures in the flames take 5 fire damage, DC 12 Dexterity save for half). Purple fire spreads along the shrine's eastern wing. The southern courtyard wall has a 10-foot breach (collapsed stones), offering a stealthy approach. The shrine entrance is double doors of reinforced oak, currently guarded. Smoke fills the area to 10 feet high, granting half-cover for ranged attacks. The tower is visible from the courtyard but accessible only via the shrine's interior stairwell.
Read Aloud
The shrine doors swing open—either by the party's forcing them or after the Fire Guards fall—and you are hit by a wave of heat and acrid smoke. The interior is a vast cross-shaped hall, its ceiling lost to darkness and flame, with four passages extending in cardinal directions. The central chamber, directly before you, is a cavernous dome 50 feet high, its base ringed by pews now overturned and burning. At the far end, raised on a dais, sits the Eternal Flame—a crystalline artifact the size of your fist, glowing with pure white light, now surrounded by writhing purple fire that does not consume it but seems to feed on its radiance. To your left, the eastern passage is completely engulfed in flame and collapsed partially—impassable. To your right, the western passage is safer but thick with smoke. Ahead, a grand stairwell spirals up into shadow toward the tower. And below it all, you hear human voices: prayers, sobbing, the cries of children. They come from below—the catacombs beneath the shrine where survivors have taken refuge.
Description
The interior of the shrine is a complex maze of sacred spaces and structural danger. The central dome (50 ft. diameter, 50 ft. high) is the heart of Thereus's ritual—the Eternal Flame burns here, and the purple flames are the physical manifestation of his summoning work. The four passages represent the cardinal directions: North (to the refectory and dormitories, currently partially safe), South (to the library, also safe), East (collapsed and impassable, blocking this wing from aid), and West (to the ritual chamber and treasury, currently very hot). The grand stairwell (in the center of the dome, spiraling up 40 feet to the tower) is clear but exposed; climbing it in full view of the dome risks the party being spotted by Thereus above. Beneath the dome, accessed via a trapdoor near the western passage (DC 13 Perception to spot), lies the catacombs—a network of burial vaults where 14 survivors (including Abbot Helamar and six children) have barricaded themselves. The catacomb trapdoor is currently sealed from within; the survivors will only open it to people who speak Amaunator's liturgy or are vouched for by Sister Meredith. The party must decide: (1) rescue the trapped survivors below, (2) stop Thereus before the ritual completes, or (3) attempt both. The fires are spreading; in 3 more rounds, the northern passage will be cut off. The ritual will complete in 4 rounds if Thereus is not interrupted.
DM Notes
This is the moral crux of the session. The party cannot do everything at once—they must choose between immediate lives and the greater threat. A Paladin may feel torn. Offer no judgment; this choice should ache. Sister Meredith, if she's with them, will advocate for saving the survivors below, but she will also recognize that stopping Thereus is necessary. The purple flames are not just fire—they are infernal in nature and immune to normal fire suppression (a bucket of water does nothing). However, they can be disrupted by divine magic (Cure Wounds, Lay on Hands, channel divinity, etc.—any spell that deals radiant damage or restores hit points). The Eternal Flame itself is indestructible but can be used to break the ritual (see Scene 4). Provide the party with enough time to make informed decisions, but remind them of the ticking clock. If they rescue the survivors first, they will have to drag 14 people (including children) through the shrine—difficult, but possible. If they go for Thereus first, they risk the survivors perishing in the collapse.
Read Aloud
You climb the spiral stairwell, each step ringing with finality, until you emerge into the tower's highest chamber—a circular room open to the sky, ringed with ancient runes that glow with violet light. Thereus stands at the chamber's center, arms raised, chanting in Infernal that makes your teeth ache. Before him, a rift in reality itself is opening—a tear of absolute blackness ringed with flames, through which something vast and terrible is trying to push. You feel its presence like a weight on your soul. The Seared Prophet's voice cuts off mid-chant as he sees you. He smiles—a expression that contains no warmth, only certainty. "Ah. The Paladin comes at last. Witness the birth of a new age. Thereus has earned the favor of the Infernal Flame, and none shall stand against—" He chants a word of power, and the flames around the rift flare outward, seeking to engulf the chamber.
Description
The tower chamber is 30 feet in diameter, with walls of worked stone inscribed with thousands of tiny Infernal runes (a ritual circle of binding). The floor is marked with concentric circles, each inscribed in blood and ash. Thereus stands at the exact center of the circle. The rift to the Hells occupies a 15-foot-diameter space just behind him; any creature that enters the rift or is pushed into it must make a DC 15 Dexterity save or take 16 (3d10) necrotic damage as infernal energy tears at them. The flames around the rift deal 5 fire damage to any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the rift. The rune circle itself is a trap mechanism—if disturbed (by any creature other than Thereus walking across it without speaking a counter-incantation), the creature must make a DC 13 Dexterity save or take 7 (2d6) force damage. However, if the party speaks the liturgy of Amaunator (which Sister Meredith knows and can teach them, or which a successful Religion check DC 14 can recall), the runes lose their trap power for 1 minute. The ritual can be interrupted in three ways: (1) Defeat Thereus (he has 52 HP, AC 15); (2) Disrupt his concentration with a successful spell attack or saving throw while he's chanting (he has no other action economy); (3) Use radiant energy from the Eternal Flame (brought from below) to purify the circle—this requires a full action and a DC 13 Religion check, and it severs the rift immediately. Thereus will defend himself when attacked, using spell attacks and staying at range. If reduced below 10 HP, he will attempt to flee by jumping into the rift (which kills him, but he believes he's ascending). If the party uses option 3 (the radiant purification), they must have retrieved the Eternal Flame from below, which means they must have found a way past or around the purple fires—a secondary puzzle layered into the encounter.
DM Notes
This is the climax. Thereus is not a pushover combat-wise, but he's not designed to be a solo boss—the environment and the ritual itself are what make this dangerous. A level-5 Paladin can defeat him in direct combat, but they'll take damage. The real tension comes from the ticking clock (the ritual will complete in 4 rounds if undisturbed) and the moral choice: do they leave the survivors below to reach this chamber? This should hurt. Let the player feel the weight. Thereus should speak—he's a villain who loves his own voice. If the party has rescued the survivors already, they can have them wait in the courtyard while they handle this. If not, this is a high-stakes moment. The radiant purification option is available only if they've thought creatively about the Eternal Flame. Reward that creativity.
Monsters
Tactics
Thereus is not a melee combatant. On his turn, he uses his action to attack with a ranged spell attack (eldritch blast, +5 to hit, reach 60 ft., 1d10+3 force damage) or to cast a spell (if available). He has prepared: burning hands (centered on himself to hit multiple foes if they rush), scorching ray (targeting the single greatest threat), and fireball (he has one 3rd-level slot and will use it against multiple foes if they cluster). His movement is toward the rear of the chamber, keeping distance from melee attackers. He will not leave the ritual circle—doing so breaks his concentration on the ritual (which is an action economy trade). If the party attacks him directly, he will defend himself with counterspell if he has a reaction and a spell slot. If reduced to 10 HP or fewer, he will attempt to escape by jumping into the rift (a free action), which effectively removes him from combat. If the party uses radiant magic to disrupt the circle, he will immediately stop chanting and attack the one who performed the disruption with all available spells. He has AC 15, HP 52, and typical Wizard defenses (no armor, frail). His prepared spells are burning hands, scorching ray, fireball, hex (cast on the party's primary damage dealer before combat), and mage armor (cast before the party arrives—his AC 15 includes this). He has a spell save DC of 15 and spell attack bonus +5.
Terrain
The tower chamber is 30 feet in diameter, circular, with walls of inscribed stone. The rift occupies the far side; creatures within 10 feet of it take 5 fire damage at the start of their turn. The rune circle covers the entire chamber floor—it deals 7 (2d6) force damage to creatures that cross it without the counter-incantation (Amaunator's liturgy). The party can move across safely if they know or recite the liturgy. There is no cover in the chamber except for pillars at the edges (providing three-quarters cover if the party hides behind them, but this limits their approach to the ritual circle). Thereus stands at the exact center. The party must move to the center to attack him in melee, which means crossing the rune circle.
A crystalline vial containing ruby-red liquid that restores 4d4+4 hit points. Sister Meredith carries this as a gift from the shrine's stores. She gives it to the party after the session concludes, regardless of outcome.
A leather-bound volume inscribed with the liturgy and philosophy of Amaunator worship. Its pages are touched with genuine gold leaf. Worth 50 gold pieces to a collector, but priceless to the church. Abbot Helamar will give this to the party if they save him and the survivors.
A pendant crafted of mithral and gold in the shape of a rising sun, radiating faint warmth. This holy symbol grants +1 to Religion checks and can serve as a spellcasting focus for clerical magic. It is found in the shrine's treasury after Thereus is defeated. Anyone attuned to the shrine (particularly Paladins and Clerics) reports feeling a slight warmth when carrying it.
A journal bound in black leather, filled with cryptic notes in Thereus's precise handwriting. It contains the formulae for his spells (burning hands, scorching ray, fireball, hex, mage armor, counterspell) and notes on his heretical research into binding infernal powers. The book is worth 150 gold pieces to a wizard or scholar, but more importantly, it contains the address of a secret enclave of the Infernal Flame cult in a nearby city—a hook for future sessions.
A non-material reward. Abbot Helamar grants the party his personal blessing—they each gain advantage on one saving throw of their choice within the next seven days. This is a narrative reward, but mechanically significant.
Story Hooks
The discovery of Thereus's spellbook reveals that the Infernal Flame cult has a larger foothold in the region than anyone suspected. The address in the book—a warehouse in the city of Waterdeep—could be the starting point of a future adventure. Additionally, if the party saves the Eternal Flame, they learn from Abbot Helamar that it was created centuries ago by a paladin-saint of Amaunator, and legends say it can reveal the location of other shrines in need. This could seed future quests. Finally, Sister Meredith will remain in contact with the party and may appear in future sessions as a patron or ally.
Conclusion
Wrap Up
With Thereus defeated and the ritual broken, the rift collapses in on itself with a sound like reality tearing—but it seals cleanly, leaving only scorched stone. The purple flames flicker and die. The unnatural heat drains from the shrine as if a door has been closed. If the party rescued the survivors from the catacombs, they emerge into the courtyard as smoke clears and dawn breaks over the hills. Abbot Helamar surveys the damaged shrine—the eastern wing is a ruin, half the roof is compromised, and ash covers everything—but his voice is steady: the shrine can be rebuilt. What matters is that the faithful endure. Sister Meredith weeps quietly, relief and guilt mingling in her expression. She touches each survivor, ensuring they are whole. If the party retrieved the Eternal Flame, they place it in Abbot Helamar's hands, and he holds it aloft—the crystal glows brighter than before, as if acknowledging the victory. The goddess has been honored. The party is thanked by name and promised that their names will be inscribed in the shrine's rebuilt registry. In the days following, word spreads through the region that the Shrine of Eternal Dawn was defended by a champion of light, and the party's reputation grows.
Cliffhanger
As the party rests that night (in the shrine's intact western dormitory, offered freely), Sister Meredith approaches with troubling news: she has been contacted by an old ally—a Paladin of Lathander who serves as a scout for the Church. The scout reports that similar attacks are occurring at other shrines across the region. Cults of the Infernal Flame are rising, and Thereus's notes suggest they are all coordinated, working toward some greater summoning scheduled for the winter solstice—only two months away. Moreover, the scout carries a warning: the cult's true leader, known only as the Burned Prophet, was not Thereus. Thereus was merely a pawn, a test of the ritual. The real architect of this heresy is still at large, orchestrating events from the shadows. The revelation should sting like a betrayal: the party's victory, though real and meaningful, was only one move in a much larger game.
Next Session Hooks
- Investigate the cult's larger network using clues from Thereus's spellbook and the address of the Waterdeep warehouse
- Seek out the mysterious Burned Prophet and uncover their identity and endgame
- Protect other shrines across the region from similar cult attacks, racing against the winter solstice deadline
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