Groom Minion: Advanced Nepenthe Cultists

There are certain personalities that are attracted to the cold, beautiful abomination known as Groom; the dispossessed, the lost, and the suicidal. Once in the construct's orbit, their minds warp as they are exposed to the dead shard of divinity within the stoic destroyer. Their already fragile grasp on reality melts away and they become obsessed with garnering the Groom's acceptance and love. Unfortunately, the living golem is capable of neither. However, the Groom will use their infatuation to fulfill his aims. Often that is destroying the order and peace in a region so he can usurp control, or just because he loathes the honor and love the local powers represent. From time to time, the Groom mobilizes them against his hated creator and foe, the Relict.

Lineament. If the cult exists for more than a couple of months inevitably a handful of its members improve their oblivion connection to the point where they become lineaments. No longer strictly mortal creatures, their body is infused to the marrow with entropic power. On top of a completely blackened face and mirror-like eyes, a lineament's outline is traced by a solid, black 'glow' no matter the angle one views them from. With focus, this abyssal contour explodes from their body and their enemies a taste of the end to all things.

Bliss. No longer a person, a nepenthe bliss is the precipitate of psyche-obliterating meditations and rites stretching over years. Because of the high potential for self-destruction among the nihilism-fuel fanatics running across a bliss is incredibly rare. The bliss can be best described as a hazy afterimage of a person. Much like the apparitional lethe, its face is a dark cavity with glassy, unblinking eyes. The rest of its body is monochrome and greyed, though still quite substantial thanks to the spike-ridden plate mail the Groom gifts them. That is until the bliss lets their husk rupture and the horror's true nature rolls out; a shard of the cold, life-snuffing gap between the spheres.

Unfortunately, upon their apotheosis, the otherwise aloof Groom actually takes a keen interest in the bliss. The effects of this are two-fold. One, the rest of the cultists foolishly believe they one day will eventually reach this stage and thus earn the Groom's 'love'. Two, the golem takes the ageless bliss into his confidence and keeps them on even after the chaotic congregation burns itself out. They become his agents in the world and at times honor guard. Though, with their deteriorated minds they act more like puppets than anything else.

Nepenthe Lineament

medium humanoid, chaotic evil

Armor Class 15 (scale mail armor)

Hit Points 71 (11d8+22)

Speed 30ft

Str 14 Dex 10 Con 14 Int 7 Wis 16 Cha 7

Saving Throws Con +5, Wisdom +6 Damage Resistances cold, poison, psychic

Condition Immunities frightened, poisoned

Senses darkvision 60ft, passive Perception 13.

Languages common, deep speech

Challenge 5 (1800 XP)

Thoughtless:

The nepenthe cultist has Advantage on saving throws against enchantment spells and charm effects.

Wisp of Oblivion:

Once per day the nepenthe cultist becomes an ethereal silhouette and may use its turn to mimic the effects of the Misty Step spell. All creatures within 5ft of where the cultist appears must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.

Actions

Multiattack:

The cultist makes two melee attacks or two ranged attacks as one action.

Longsword:

Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage, or 7 (1d10+2) slashing damage if wielded two-handed.

Heavy Crossbow:

Range Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage.

Annihilation Burst (Recharge 5-6):

The nepenthe lineament malignant outline erupts from its form. All creatures within 10ft of the cultist moved from must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or take 10 (4d4) cold damage and 10 (4d4 psychic damage) as well as being stunned until the end of its next turn.

Reactions

Greater Entropic Strike.

When the nepenthe cultist hits with a weapon attack it may use its reaction to force the struck creature to make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On failure, the creature takes an additional 7 (3d4) cold damage and 7 (3d4) psychic damage.

Nepenthe Bliss

medium abberation, chaotic evil

Armor Class 18 (platemail armor)

Hit Points 115 (14d8+52)

Speed 30ft

Str 16 Dex 15 Con 16 Int 5 Wis 16 Cha 6

Saving Throws Str +6, Con +6, Wisdpm +6

Damage Immunities cold Damage Resistances poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Condition Immunities frightened, poisoned

Senses darkvision 60ft, passive Perception 13.

Languages common, deep speech

Challenge 7 (1800 XP)

Empty Mirror:

The nepenthe sublime has Advantage on saving throws against enchantment spells and charm effects. If the sublime succeeds on a save against an enchantment spell or effect, the creature casting the spell or using the ability must make a new save against that spell or ability at the same DC as if the sublime cast the spell or used the ability.

Wisp of Oblivion:

Once per day the nepenthe cultist becomes an ethereal silhouette and may use its turn to mimic the effects of the Misty Step spell. All creatures within 5ft of where the cultist appears must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.

Actions

Multiattack:

The cultist makes two attacks as one action.

Longsword:

Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage, or 7 (1d10+2) slashing damage if wielded two-handed.

Crossbow:

Range Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) piercing damage.

Fog of Eradication (Recharge 6):

The sublime becomes a swirling cloud of frigid, enervating energy with a radius of 30ft until the beginning of its next turn. During this time the sublime becomes immune to cold, poison, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage and resistance to acid, fire, lightning, and thunder damage. It becomes immune to the frightened, incapacitated, stunned, petrified, poisoned, and prone conditions. It cannot move or take reactions.

All creatures that begin their turn within the fog or enter the fog must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom save or take 12 (5d4) cold damage and 12 (5d4) psychic damage and suffer the effects of the Confusion spell for the next minute. At the end of each turn a confused creature may repeat this save, effect ending on success.

The fog of eradication also pulls creatures and objects to it due to unnatural gravity. All creatures that begin the turn within 30ft of the fog cloud (within 60ft of the sublime) must succeed or a DC 14 Strength save or be drawn in a straight line into the fog of eradication and placed in the first 5ft square in that straight line. If that square is already occupied by a creature a size or smaller both creatures are knocked prone in that square. If that square is occupied by a larger creature then the drawn creature is knocked prone in that square.

Once the fog of eradication ends the nepenthe sublime may reform within any unoccupied square within 30ft that was within the fog cloud.

Reactions

Greater Entropic Strike.

When the nepenthe cultist hits with a weapon attack it may use its reaction to force the struck creature to make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On failure, the creature takes an additional 7 (3d4) cold damage and 7 (3d4) psychic damage.