The Wolves at the Hearth of Eos, an artifact with the power

to end winter, and of the Order of the Shel-

Winter's End tered Flame, who oversee and protect it.
The party is asked to climb Ballast Moun-

T his adventure is designed for a party of three

to five 5th-level adventurers, and takes place
on the snowy slopes of a towering mountain.
Springtime is late in coming, and the party
finds themselves hunted by a relentless pack of
wolves on the slopes of a tall mountain range.
The party will have to overcome a pack of
demonic wolves as they help an ancient order
bring back spring to a land locked in winter.
Adventure Summary
The party is being hounded by wolves and the
cold when they stumble upon the mountain
hamlet of Sommertime at the base of Ballast
Mountain in the Shrouded Peaks. This winter
has lasted far longer and been far harsher than
anyone expected. There, the party learns of
tain and see why the hearth hasn't been lit yet.
Along the way, the party will battle the weather
and the wolf demon, Zuzu, who wishes for
winter to last forever.
The Hearth of Eos
In the early days of the world, the god Eos shed
light upon it, bringing warmth and holding back
the forces of evil. But there can be no light with-
out darkness, and eventually Eos slept. For a
long time there was only the ice and the shad-
ow of a never-ending winter, where demons
and monsters tormented forsaken mortals.
After many years, Eos re-awoke and found
the world had turned to despair in his absence.
The god banished the darkness again, but knew
he could not always be there to provide light to
the people or the world. So it was, the god built
the Hearth of Eos - an artifact that would allow

Wondrous One-Shot
The Wolves at
Winter's End
For more information on this adventure, the Greenwold, and
the rest of the Dungeon in a Box campaign, check out our site:

www.dungeoninabox.com
Copyright 2021 - Dungeon in a Box LLC
Written by Jameson McDaniel. Cover art by Adrien Gonzales.
Story by David Crennen & Roman Banfield.Edited by David Crennen
Dungeon In A Box is not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Wiz-
ards of the Coast® or Hasbro®. Dungeons & Dragons®, and D&D®
are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast®.

1
mortals to provide their own light, and drive
back the cold and darkness of winter when lit.
The Hearth of Eos looks like a fire pit for giants
and sits atop Ballast Mountain. When lit, the
warmth radiates outward, melting the ice and
ushering the return of spring. The Hearth of
Eos can only be lit once every twelve months,
though its fire only burns half that time.
With the power of light and warmth passed
on to mortals, Eos left the Material plane for
other realms.
Order of the Sheltered Flame
The Order of the Sheltered Flame received the
teachings of Eos, and is dedicated to ensuring
the Hearth of Eos is lit once a year. The Order
maintains a monastery built around the hearth
at the top of Ballast Mountain. Only members of
the Order have the power to relight the Hearth
of Eos each year.
The Order is peaceful, dedicated to tending
the flame rather than war. They believe in
balance of all things, and in bringing light to
the world where there is none.
Zuzu the Wolf
A demon of cold and despair, Zuzu the Wolf
wishes for winter to never end. The demon
recently returned to the world after being ban-
ished to the lower planes by Eos long ago. It
lead an attack on the unprepared Order of the
Sheltered Flame, destroying the monastery
and killing all the members, save for one - a
female dwarf named Ella Hammersworn.
Haven In the Snow
T he adventure begins with the party lost in
the Shrouded Mountains, having been driven
off course by a blizzard. Only a half-day of rations
remain, and making matters worse, a wolf pack
has been following the party all day. Read or
paraphrase the following aloud:
The frigid air howls past, stealing all the
moisture from your dry, cracked lips. The
heavy snow makes the trek an exhasuting
Reading the Entries
This adventure references the three
primary 5e sourcebooks–monster
entries are found in the MM, spells and
rules for players are in the PHB and
game rules & treasure are found in the
DMG.
• Monsters are listed in bold.
• Spells are listed in italics.
• Sidebars like this, provide optional
rules and supplemental adventure
information.
slog. Somewhere behind you are the wolves
that have been following your trail.
The peak of the Ballast Mountain looms high
in the distance. Thankfully, you know there is a
town not too far from here - a small mountain
village called Silverlode. With relief, you spot its
high wooden walls in the distance.
At the same moment, you realize the howl
wasn’t coming from the wind. The wolves are
nearby and will be upon you soon! You must
either stand and fight, or run for safety.
If the party chooses to make a stand and
fight, five dire wolves encircle the party mem-
bers and attack, with two more dire wolves
joining at the start of the second round, and
two more at the end of the third round.
If the party flees, they must make a DC 15
Strength (Athletics) group check to get to the
walls before the wolves catch them. On a failure,
three dire wolves cut off the party, with two
more arriving at the start of each round until
all nine dire wolves catch up.
In either case, after three rounds of combat,
a hail of arrows falls around the party, injuring
and driving off the wolves.
Read or paraphrase the following aloud:
The whistle of arrows descends upon you,
piercing your four-legged foes. Turning to look
for the source, you see three villagers have come
out of a small door in the wall and are firing
arrows at the wolves. Leading them is a skinny
2
man with wild red hair. The wolves disengage
and retreat to the cover of the forest. The man
waves at you to follow him into the village
through the small door.
With a slam, the door is shut behind you.
“That was a close one,” chuckles the red-
haired man, “Any longer, and we would have
had to play tug of war to get you in.”
This red-haired figure is Ian Alfonse - he
and his two friends, Lucy and Riley, make up
the town guard (all three are scouts). The
town is small: a handful of houses with a gen-
eral store at its center, and high palisade walls
encircling it all. Ballast Mountain looms high
over the town, cloaking it with its shadow. A
small crowd has come to see the new arrivals
and tend to their wounds. The party is led into
the longhouse where food is provided to the
hungry travelers.
There are only basic services in Silverlode.
The general store provides any item in the PHB
that costs 25 gp or less, and also doubles as
a drinking establishment for the locals. A few
cots in the store room serve as bedding for
travelers.
Shortly after the party arrives, an elderly
half-orc woman with long hair wearing several
animal pelts approaches the group with Ian.
She is introduced as Mother Griss (a druid),
the town leader and healer.
Mother Griss asks the party for help. She
tells them there is a monastery atop the moun-
tain - an Order that protects a beacon of sacred
flame. Normally, the beacon is lit at the end of
the year, signaling the end of winter. This year
the beacon was not lit, and the winter has only
grown harsher.
One of the Order, a dwarf named Ella Ham-
mersworn, had been living in town the last few
months to help educate the village youngsters.
When the beacon was not re-lit, she went up
Pace Feet Per Day
Fast 1500 - 5 penalty to passive Wisdom (Perception) scores; no foraging
Normal 1000 None
Slow 500 + 5 bonus to foraging or able to use Stealth
Stopped 0 Allows the party to recover from exhaustion
3
the mountain on her own to see why. That was
a month ago, and there has been no word from
Ella or the monastery since.
Mother Griss asks the party to investigate
- to look for signs of Ella or clues as to what
happened at the monastery. Ian has offered to
guide the party. The town is poor, but Mother
Griss can provide the party with equipment at
no cost.
Each party member is given their own
Explorer’s Packs, along with these additional
items: a set of Cold Weather Gear (thick coats,
gloves, and the like), a week of trail rations,
a climber’s kit, and a tent. The Cold Weather
Gear provides resistance to cold and automatic
success on Extreme Cold checks.
If the party is hesitant to help, Mother Griss
offers up her family heirloom as payment, a
solid gold sunburst pendant worth 250 gp.
The next morning, the party finds Mother
Griss and Ian waiting for them at the gate.
Mother Griss offers a quick prayer for them,
and Ian confirms that there have been signs of
wolves since they were chased off.
Ballast Mountain
The party must to ascend 20,000 ft. to reach the
Monastery of the Sheltered Flame at the peak of
Ballast Mountain. The GM may use the overland
travel rules presented in the DMG to handle this
travel time. In addition, the following special
rules apply to the party's climb. Mother Griss
or Ian can provide this detail to the party as
necessary before they set out.
Travel Pace. Travel pace ascending the
mountain is slower than typical overland travel.
At a normal pace, the party can ascend 1,000
ft. a day. At a faster pace, they can climb 1,500
ft. in a day, but characters will have a penalty
to their passive Perception and cannot forage.
Effect
Moving slower allows them to forage and refill
supplies, but may increase their Pursuit Level
(see pg. 6). Additionally, the only way to reduce
exhaustion levels with a long rest is to spend
a day Stopped.
Cold. If the party forgoes their Cold Weath-
er Gear, follow the extreme cold rules (DMG
pg. 110).
Foraging. Hunting enough food to survive
off of each day requires a DC 15 Wisdom (Sur-
vival) check. On a failure, the character fails to
find enough food for the day. Failing this check
by 5 or more means the character stumbles
onto thin ice, and must make a DC 15 Dexterity
saving throw to avoid falling in and suffering
the effects of frigid water (DMG pg. 110).
Mountain Encounters
Every day spent on the mountain poses its
own trials. Once per day, roll a d20 and con-
sult the Mountain Encounters table. Ignore
the Pursuit Level values until the party meets
Ella Hammersworn. After ascending 7,000 ft.,
run the Frozen Bridge encounter in the next
section.
d20 Mountain Encounters
1 - 13 No Encounter
14 - 15 Terrain (roll once on the Terrain
Encounters table)
16 - 17 Creature (roll once on the Creature
Encounters table)
18 - 20 A terrain with a creature in it (roll once
on both the Terrain Encounters table
and the Creature Encounters table)
Terrain Encounters
Roll a d6 to determine the terrain type:
1. Icy River - A river blocks your path. To cross,
each character must succeed on two sequential
DC 10 Strength (Athletics) or Wisdom
(Survival) checks. Any character failing by 5 or
more plunges into the icy water and gains one
level of exhaustion. If the party succeeds on at
least half of the checks, decrease the Pursuit
Level by 1.
Zuzu’s Dire Wolves
All dire wolves in this adventure are
controlled by Zuzu and have the fiend
type (rendering abilities that target
beasts, ineffective). A successful DC 15
Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) check
reveals their unnatural heritage.
2. Rockfall - The pebbles above begin to give
before large boulders and ice come tumbling
down. Each party member must make three
DC 12 Dexterity saving throws, taking 4d6
bludgeoning damage and losing 1d4 days
of rations on each failed save. Decrease the
Pursuit Level by 1.
3. Thick, Thorny Bramble - The thorny and
twisted frozen shrub has grown over the
path. It reeks of demonic energy. The entire
area counts as difficult terrain. The party can
cross it at a slow pace for the day and take
no damage, or cross at a normal pace, with
each character taking 8d4 necrotic damage.
In addition, at a normal pace, all characters
must make a DC 10 Survival check or their Cold
Weather Gear becomes damaged and unusable.
4. Natural Hot Spring - This natural hot spring
will remove two levels of exhaustion and heal
the party if they spend a day stopped here.
Increase the Pursuit Level by 1.
5. Unnatural Ice - As you round the corner, you
find part of the mountain has been frozen in
unnatural ice. Your pace is slowed for the day
as you navigate it without sliding down the
mountain. Increase the Pursuit Level by 1.
6. Sudden Hail - Abyssal words are carried on
the wind and the sky opens up, unleashing
constant hail, forcing the party to a slow
pace. The party can move at a normal pace
but each character takes 6d6 bludgeoning
damage and lose 2 hit dice. A fast pace is
impossible.
Creature Encounters
Roll a d6 to determine the creature type.
1. Yeti Strike (Medium) A pair of yeti
summoned by Zuzu to block the party’s path
ambush the party from muddy snowbanks: one
yeti in front of the party, the other behind.
4
 2. Eagle Nest (Hard) - A Giant Eagle nest with
eggs blocks the path. Seven giant eagles fly
overhead and attack if the party gets close to
the eggs. If the party defeats them, or succeeds
on 3 DC 14 Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks,
they find a large silver sculpture of a fish
(worth 400 gp), though carrying it grants
disadvantage on Dexterity ability checks and
saving throws.
3. Silver Goats (Medium) - Ten silver giant
goats with pure white eyes attack the party.
These agents of Zuzu attempt to push the party
off cliffs or into dangerous terrain.
4. Starving Owlbears (Hard) - Three starving
owlbears attack the party. A DC 14 Wisdom
(Animal Handling) check deduces the ravenous
creatures could be placated by each being given
3 day's worth of rations. If the owlbears are
defeated, the party finds 3 potions of greater
healing in their nearby den. In addition, their
pelts can be used to make Cold Weather Gear if
necessary.
5. Bear Battle (Hard) - Three dire wolves
doing battle with two injured brown bears.
A successful DC 14 Dexterity (Stealth) group
check avoids the wolves’ notice, and the
Pursuit Level does not increase. If the party
aids the bears, one of them is actually a druid.
She leads the party through a shortcut, which
reduces the Pursuit Level by 2, and can provide
the party with additional Cold Weather Gear if
necessary.
6. Hunting Giant (Hard) - The party enters the
hunting ground of a frost giant. The giant
has dug four, 10x10-ft. pit traps in the ice, and
covered them with snow. Each pit is 10-ft.-
deep. An adjacent character can notice a pit
trap with a DC 12 Perception check.
The Frozen Bridge (Hard)
When the party has ascended 7,000 ft., they
reach a gorge crossed by a narrow bridge.
When the party arrives, read or paraphrase
the following:
You round a bend and see a rickety rope
bridge, barely 5-ft.-wide, hanging before you.
It spans a 75-ft. crevice 50 ft. above a raging
river. Ian ushers you across before following in
the rear. As you reach the halfway mark of the
bridge, you notice a humanoid figure wrapped
in thick furs standing on the other side. They
5
seem to be calling you to hurry. Turning to look
behind you, you see wolves racing across the
bridge after you.
The bridge begins to sways with the activity.
At the start of their turn, each character must
make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to
maintain balance (the GM may also choose to
roll for the wolves). On a failure, the creature
falls prone.
The fur-cloaked figure fires arrows at the
wolves from the other side. Ian is caught by a
wolf and knocked prone before he reaches the
halfway point. When he goes down, he cries out
“Get out’a here! Cut the rope, and I’ll take
‘em down with me!” he shouts, wrestling with
the wolves.
The bridge has an AC of 9 and 15 hit points
(vulnerable to slashing damage). If it is cut
with Ian on it, he plunges into the river and
is swept away, but takes any wolves on the
bridge with him. Any natural 1 on an attack
roll hits the bridge instead of the target. If the
party chooses to fight, they must move single
file onto the bridge. Moving past another char-
acter requires an additional DC 10 Dexterity
(Acrobatics) check. Use the scout stats for the
mysterious figure. There are six dire wolves
total. A winter wolf watches from behind them
all. If the party clears the bridge of wolves, the
winter wolf and the rest of its pack flee into
the woods.
When the wolves are defeated, the hooded
figure gives a moment of silence for Ian (if he
has fallen), before introducing herself as Ella
Hammersworn. She guides the party to her
hideout, an abandoned owlbear cave not too
far from the bridge. She stoically walks with a
limp and strained expression. In the cave she
tells the party about the Hearth of Eos and the
Order of the Sheltered Flame. She corroborates
Mother Griss' story. Ella knows that the winter
will never end unless the Hearth of Eos can be
lit. The fact that it has not been lit yet means
something terrible must have happened to the
monastery.
Ella also reveals that she bears the blessing
of the mantle of the hearth lighter (see pg. 7)
- a magic granted to the Order by the power
of the hearth. Only someone with this blessing
can light the Hearth of Eos. Unfortunately, she
was not able to reach the peak on her own. She
reveals a particularly bad bite on her thigh that
looks infected - a cursed wound she received
from a large white wolf while trying to reach
the monastery. The wound cannot be healed
without powerful restorative magic (spell of
at least 6th-level).
Ella knows that these are not normal
wolves, but servants of Zuzu, a demon from
long ago. She suspects the white wolf was
Zuzu himself. Due to her wound, she can only
move at a normal or slow pace. Each morning,
a character may make a DC 12 Wisdom (Med-
icine) check. On a success, Ella can move at a
fast pace for the day. On a failure, she moves
at a slow pace.
Ella has access to the spells outlined in the
Hearth Lighter Mantle (pg. 7). She draws on
the hearth’s power to keep the cursed wound
from getting any worse, but can only do so as
long as she has one spell left on her spell list.
The party is able to take a long rest in Ella's
cave.
A Cold Snap (Deadly)
When the party reaches the top of Ballast
Mountain, read or paraphrase the following
aloud:
After weeks of traveling, the peak is almost
in sight. The air is thin and Ella has grown pale
and weak, requiring frequent breaks to catch
her breath. She moves under her own power...
but only barely. The winds are heavy, as a dark
storm has plagued your path up the last leg of
the mountain. The snowfall has cut visibility in
half.
As you come around a final turn you see
it - the ruins of a large stone monastery in the
swirling snow. Inside, you can see what must be
the Hearth of Eos: a large stone fireplace that
still stands in the ruins. A cry of grief leaves Ella's
throat. The entire Order must have died here.
Apart from the hearth, almost nothing is left
standing. As you take in the sight, a bone chilling
howl rises around you. From the shadows of the
Pursuit Level
The distance between the wolves and the
party is measured in Pursuit Levels, with
5 meaning the party runs into the wolves
and a 0 meaning the wolves have lost the
party’s trail.
The Pursuit Level begins at 3. When
the party reaches Pursuit Level 5, three
dire wolves attack the party. Roll on the
Terrain Encounters table to see where
this occurs. If the Pursuit Level reaches
5 during a creature encounter, the three
wolves join the fight at the start of the
second round of combat.
Four more dire wolves and a winter
wolf attack the party 1d4+1 rounds after
the first wolves arrive. The party can try
to flee and evade the wolves. Run this as
a chase scene (DMG pg. 252). If the party
eludes the wolves, the Pursuit Level is
reduced to 4.
If the party is in danger of falling to
the wolves, allow the party to escape due
to unforeseen intervention. A wandering
frost giant may attack the wolves for being
on its territory, or the clamor of battle may
set off an avalanche. Try to avoid doing
this more than twice, to avoid removing
risk of failure from the adventure.
The party can increase or decrease the
Pursuit Level in the following ways:
• Decrease the Pursuit Level by 1 if the party
travels at a fast pace for the day.
• Decrease the Pursuit Level by 1 if the party
travels at a slow pace and covers their
tracks. This requires a successful DC 14
Wisdom (Survival) check.
• Increase the Pursuit Level by 1 each day
the party travels at a slow pace without
covering their tracks.
• Increase the Pursuit Level by 1 each time
the party has a random encounter with
a creature, unless they can avoid the
encounter.
• Increase the Pursuit Level by 2 each time
the party spends the day stopped.
• Certain random encounters will increase or
decrease the Pursuit Level.
6
ruins, a pack of dire wolves steps forth, their lips
currled back into snarls.
Six dire wolves attack the party, targeting
Ella as a priority. Due to her wound, Ella has
four levels of exhaustion - she has half her hit
points, moves at half speed, and has disadvan-
tage on all attacks, saving throws, and ability
checks.
To ignite the hearth and end winter, the
party must escort Ella to the Hearth of Eos.
Although weary and injured, Ella fights cou-
rageously. Zuzu has a trap planned for Ella,
however. The demon hides in incorporeal form
in the darkness under the hearth. When Ella
approaches to light it, a winter wolf appears
from the shadows and bites her, killing the
dwarf where she stands.
If Ella dies before she reaches the Hearth
of Eos, the winter wolf reveals himself to the
party as well.
When this occurs, read or paraphrase the
following aloud:
The white wolf emerges from the deep
shadows and addresses you in a human voice
dripping with hate: “This is my winter. It will
never end.”
The wolves snap and growl at the you, eager
to rip you to pieces. All at once, the winds die
away and a single beam of sunlight breaks
through the storm cloud, illuminating Ella’s
body. A voice rings out in your heads at once,
clear and strong:
"You brought me to the hearth but I cannot
light it. Only one of you can. Who will take up
my mantle?"
Time freezes for the party as they make this
decision.
The GM should grant the players 60 sec-
onds, in real time, to choose who will take
up the mantle of the Hearth Lighter. Once
someone has been chosen, Ella appears in a
ghostly visage and places her hand on their
head. The chosen character feels the warmth
of the Hearth Lighter enter their body. Once
done, the character understands that the only
way to light the Hearth of Eos is to first defeat
Zuzu. Time snaps back and the remaining
wolves charge to attack.
7
Zuzu has the stats of a winter wolf with the
ability to cast misty step at will, and the power
to enter the Ethereal plane. Zuzu targets the
Hearth Lighter above all others.
If the new Hearth Lighter is killed, the man-
tle passes to the next member that accepts it.
If the entire party is killed, the mantle is sent
off to anoint another worthy being, somewhere
far from here.
When the Hearth of Eos is lit, read or para-
phrase the following aloud:
As you reach the cold stone of the Hearth
of Eos, you feel a blaze ignite. Any remaining
wolves flee for their lives. The clouds part and the
sun shines on the mountain once more, melting
the heavy snows.
The trip down takes considerably less time
and all along the way, signs of spring can be
seen. Upon reaching Silverlode, the doors are
thrown wide open and your return is celebrated.
A feast is held that night so you can recount your
adventure and the fate of Ella. Mother Griss
sheds a tear for Ella’s passing but thanks you all
for your heroism and vows to expand the Order
of the Sheltered Flame to help you, and all future
Hearth Lighters, on their journey.
Hearth Lighter's Mantle
You have been bestowed with the Hearth
Lighter's mantle. With this mantle, once
per year, the Hearth Lighter must return
to Ballast Mountain to light the Hearth of
Eos. The mantle may also be passed on to
another willing host by using a ritual that
takes 24 hours to perform.
Hearth Lighter powers: The Hearth
Lighter may cast each of the following
spells once, without using a spell slot or
requiring material components. These
spells may not be cast again in this way
until they return to the Hearth of Eos and
relight it at the end of the next winter.
While the character has at least one of the
spells available, they have a +1 bonus to
Constitution and Wisdom saving throws.
Wisdom is the spellcasting ability for
these spells: dancing lights, faerie fire, heat
metal, and fireball.