Nobles of the Waning Court - The beauty of ripe fruit blended with the dread within autumn’s long shadows, every noble of the waning court is a vision to behold. Black, pupilless eyes dominate their fine-boned faces while sharp teeth lurk behind plush lips. The faeries’ ears are pointed like an elf’s, but slightly shorter. This is due to the antelope-like horns spiraling from their temples, the base of which are riddled with red-stained honeycombs. Waning court nobles wear their hair long, often braided with bones and sticks, and is a color of fall leaves. Their skin tone can best be described as bloodless. Commonly, these fey wear leathers cured of eldritch animals, cloaks made from a nightmare or displacer beast pelts, black iron plates, and amber adornments with petrified insects within. Most find their mien more savage than aristocratic. Stray direflies are their constant companions, always buzzing cryptic prophecies as they crawl about.

Bearing rusty great-axes and a terrifying mein, the waning hews are line breakers within the fey host. Their armor is stained blood red with golden leaves and human bones stitched to its seams. Hews are known for wearing their hair in long, plaited braids with dried brier vines weaved throughout. Their unnerving grins never waver in the thick of melee, malefic mirth forever sparkling in their eyes.

Waning hews produce a dreadful miasma in which shadows grow longer, smells more pungent, an eerie creaking and whispers lace the air. Those affected by the aura go mad with fear, casting aside common sense in favor of self-preservation. However, this is the state the hew wishes its prey to be in, scattered and reeling. Once a hewer has the advantage it quickly hacks its prey apart and claims further grisly trophies.

Waning Hew

Medium Fey, lawful evil

Armor Class 14 (studded leather armor)

Hit Points 144 (17d8 + 68)

Speed 30ft

Str 18 Dex 14 Con 18 Int 11 Wis 11 Cha 16

Saving Throws Con +7, Wis +3

Condition Immunities frightened

Damage Resistances lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons

Senses darkvision 120ft, passive Perception 10

Languages common, sylvan.

Challenge 8 (3900 XP)

Magic Resistance:

The fey has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Autumn’s Long Shadows:

Any creature which begins its turn within 10ft of the waning hew must make a DC 14 Charisma save or be frightened until the end of its turn. The hewer may activate or end this effect as a bonus action.

Fell the Shaking Trees:

If the waning hew hits on a melee attack against a creature that is frightened it deals an additional 7 (2d6) damage. If the waning hew reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack it may immediately use its bonus action to make an attack against a creature within 5ft.

Innate Spellcasting:

The hew’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components at 5th level:

At Will: Magic Mouth, Witchbolt

2/day: Thunder Step

Actions

Multiattack

The waning hew makes 2 hewing axe attacks as one action

Hewing Axe:

Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d2 + 4) slashing damage.