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Waning Weeper




Nobles of the Waning Court - The beauty of ripe fruit blended with the breach 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.

Unlike other waning nobles, the waning weeper dons no armor. Instead, the woman wears a once-white dress soiled by grave dirt, undead secretions, and spilled blood. A veil of corpse colonist silk drapes around the blueblood's face and is affixed to her horns via amber growths. While the lace obscures the fey's features, her sinister beauty still translates with little lost. Nor does the waning weeper carry an armament befitting her rank. Her weapon, besides necromancy, is a rusted spade with a heft infested with direflies. Her crying never ceases, though it dies down during a conversation. The noblewoman can ramp her endless sobbing up to ear-splitting decibels and has a shriek that can rival a banshee's.

Death's Diva. In the waning courts a noble fey's death isn't an uncommon occurrence, nor is it a somber one. Waning Weepers orchestrate wakes for the deceased full of dancing, drinking, and other debauchery. Often, one wake rolls into another and the guests for the first stick around for the second, third, and beyond. It is also not uncommon for a new body to turn up during this celebration when the carousing gets out of hand. The waning weeper just smiles through her tears and plans for another evening. These almost endless parties lead to exhaustion for most, but the waning weeper is a consummate professional. She uses restless dead for both servants that never tire and unceasing, macabre entertainment. Lastly, the highborn keeps the party going even when everyone is dead, pardon the pun, on their feet. Her enchantments force the celebrants to get moving and ensure those that have passed are properly respected.

Waning Weeper

medium fey, lawful evil

Armor Class 14

Hit Points 105 (14d8+42)

Speed 30ft

Str 11 Dex 18 Con 17 Int 13 Wis 15 Cha 18

Saves Con +6, Wis +5

Condition Immunities Exhaustion, Intoxicated

Damage Resistances lightning, thunder, bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from non-magical weapons that aren’t silvered.

Senses darkvision 120ft, passive Perception 12.

Languages common, sylvan

Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Bitter Tears.

Any creature that starts its turn within 30ft of the waning weeper that is not deafened must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma save or succumb to depression and lethargy. An affected creature is slowed until the end of its turn. During this time and affected creature's speed is halved. In addition, an affected creature can't take reactions, and it can either take an action or a bonus action on its turn, not both.

While the weeper never stops crying it can activate and deactivate Bitter Tears as a bonus action. Constructs and Undead are immune to this effect.

Innate Spellcasting.

The waning weeper's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +4 to hit with spell attacks). She requires no material components to cast her spells.

At will: Animate Dead, Inflict Wounds, Toll the Dead

1/day each: Blight

Magic Resistance.

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

Mourning Glory.

Undead creatures within 30ft of the waning weeper have Advantage on saves against any effect that turns undead.

Actions

Spade:

Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage. In addition, a damage creautre must make a DC 14 Constitution save or contract Sewer Plague.

Wail:

Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 60/120ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) thunder damage.

Wake for the Dead (Recharge 6).

All creatures within 20ft must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma save or begin cavorting, dancing, and wailing in a twisted celebration for the dead for the next minute. An affected creature must use all its movement to celebrate without leaving its space. However, the creature can down a drink, eat several bites of food, or even drink a potion as a bonus action while celebrating; even if affected by the Bitter Tears ability above. At the end of each of its turns, an affected creature may repeat this save with the effect ending on success.

Other creatures had Advantage on attack rolls against an affected creature. Creatures immune to charm are immune to Wake for the Dead.

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