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.
Baron Perdrix of the Red Pear appears much as a typical waning court noble, as above, with a few exceptoions. A quartet of giant direfly wings protrude from his back, the base of which are scarred with the foul insects' honeycombs. This seeping hive extends up and over the rounds of his shoulders, giving the impressiong of pauldrons. He carries a shilleglagh crafted from deadwood that is tipped with a ball of blood-honey amber with a fat direfly trapped within. Lastly, Baron Perdrix's chin and the front of his throat are stained crimson from his all-fruit diet.
Baron Perdrix of the Red Pear
Medium Fey, lawful evil
Armor Class
19
Hit Points
119 (14d8 + 56)
Speed
40ft
Flight
40ft
Str 16 Dex 18 Con 18 Int 12 Wis 16 Cha 20
Saving ThrowsDex +8, Con +8, Cha +9
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered
Damage Immunities lightning, thunder
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion
Sensesdarkvision 120ft, passive Perception 13
Languages common, sylvan
Challenge
12 (8400 XP)
Innate Spellcasting
Perdrix is a 5th level spellcaster with a spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 spell attack modifier). The fey can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At Will: Witch Bolt
Magic Resistance.
Perdrix has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Uncanny Mein.
Perdrix adds his Charisma bonus to his AC. In addition, any blood-amber weapon has the finesse quality when he weilds it.
Actions
Multiattack.
Perdrix makes two blood amber shilleglagh attacks as one action.
Blood Amber Shillelagh.
Melee Weapon Attack: 8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) Psychic damage. In addition, if the target is a creature it must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma Save or have Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Skill Checks until the end of its next turn.
Rhymes (Recharge variable).
To use a rhyme Perdrix must be able to speak. The fey's rhymes are considered magical effects.
Bloody Rhyme (Recharge 5-6): Perdrix speaks a line of razor-sharp blood-honey shards into being that is 5ft wide and 30ft long. All creatures in the area of effect must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity save or take 28 (8d6) piercing damage and be restrained for the next minute. Creatures may repeat this save at the end of each of their turns, losing the restrained condition on success.
Buzzing Rhyme: Perdrix targets a creature he can see within 30ft that can hear him and assaults it with the mad whispers of direflies. This has the same effect as the Confusion spell with a Wisdom saving throw DC of 17, except Perdrix does not need to maintain concentration on the effect.
Cloying Rhyme: Perdrix targets a creature he can see within 30 ft that can hear him and his words invoke the most sickly sweet smells the creature can imagine. The creature must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be Poisoned for the next minute. At the end of each of its turns, the creature may repeat this save with the effect ending on success.
Harvest Rhyme: Perdrix targets a creature he can see within 30ft that can hear him and marks them with his words. At the start of Perdrix turn of that creature has taken damage since the start of Perdrix's last turn, is within 30ft of Perdrix, and Perdrix is not at 0 hit points, Perdrix regains hit points equal to that creature's hit dice. If that creature is reduced to 0 hit points Perdrix also automatically regains 10 hit points at that time in addition to the healing at the start of his turn. This effect lasts for one minute or until the marked creature is dead. Perdrix cannot target a new creature with Harvest Rhyme while another creature is marked with Harvest Rhyme.
Melancholia Rhyme (Recharge 5-6): Creatures within 10 ft of Perdrix that can hear him are afflicted by uncontrollable sobbing and must make a DC 16 Charisma saving throw or have their speed reduced to 0 and suffer 14 (4d6) psychic damage. At the end of reach turn, the creature may repeat this save, effect ending on success. Creatures that succeed on the save gain advantage on saves against the Melancholia Rhyme for the next 24 hours.
The Red Pear Tree.
The encounter below is written as the twelfth and final floor of a dungeon within a towering, direfly infested tree bearing vile, red fruit the size of boulders. This is written as a Waning Princes scenario. This is written as a hard to dangerous encounter for level 10-11 player characters.
Encounter
The final level of the Red Pear Tree, which is its topmost part, is accessed by a tight, blind staircase from the level below. It is not so much a room as a tall, bird-cage like structure crafted from the tangled, barbed branches of the tree itself. Here Baron Perdrix sits on a throne of blood-honeycombs atop a dias of crusted-together humanoid bones. There are a handful of mismatched tables and chairs around that are not arranged with any rhyme or reason. Books, scrolls and paintigs are piled atop, under and beside the furniture; the tell-tale sign of a lazy soul. Baron Perdrix does keep a relatively clean writing desk. When inspiration strikes him and managed to overcome his idleness, the noble fey pens poetry ranging from bawdy, to melencholy, to darkly humorous.
Lair Actions.
When fighting inside his lair, Perdrix can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Perdrix can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects:
Perdrix can't repeat an effect until they have all been used, and it can't use the same effect two rounds in a row.
Defeating Perdrix in his lair awards experience points as if he was 13th level (10000 xp.)
Grasping Gorse.
The living tree animates to its lord's defense. All creatures within 15ft of Baron Perdrix must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be pulled 10ft in a straight line toward the fey and then take 3d8 piercing damage if it is within 5 feet of him.
Fruit Fall.
A boulder-sized pear from the tree rapidly ripens and explodes at a point Baron Perdrix can see within 30ft. This produces a vile spatter with a radius of 10ft. Creatures in the area of effect must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution save or be Poisoned until the end of their next turn.
Wraiths of the Five Rings.
The baron calls upon the five spirits bound to him. The hands of these apparitions grasp at the fey's foes. All creatures within 30ft of Baron Perdrix must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity save or take 1d8 necrotic damage and cannot regain hit points until Initiative Count 20 next turn.
Treasure:
With enough time, one can scrounge up several rare books from amid the baron's collection. Likewise, his poetry, loose sheafs in clasped covers, is quite good and has a unique flare to it. Amid the detritus can also hide whatever macguffin drew the heroes to assault the Red Pear Tree as needed.
The baron's blood-honey shilleglagh is a magical mace that deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage plus 1d8 psychic damage in the hands of a mere mortal. In addition, it does function as a rod of the pact keeper +1 for a warlock whose patron is an archfey.
Flight 40ft
Str 16 Dex 18 Con 18 Int 12 Wis 16 Cha 20
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered
Damage Immunities lightning, thunder
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion
Sensesdarkvision 120ft, passive Perception 13
Languages common, sylvan
Challenge
12 (8400 XP)
At Will: Witch Bolt
Innate Spellcasting
Perdrix is a 5th level spellcaster with a spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 spell attack modifier). The fey can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:Magic Resistance.
Perdrix has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Uncanny Mein.
Perdrix adds his Charisma bonus to his AC. In addition, any blood-amber weapon has the finesse quality when he weilds it.
Actions
Multiattack.
Perdrix makes two blood amber shilleglagh attacks as one action.Blood Amber Shillelagh.
Melee Weapon Attack: 8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) Psychic damage. In addition, if the target is a creature it must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma Save or have Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Skill Checks until the end of its next turn.Rhymes (Recharge variable).
To use a rhyme Perdrix must be able to speak. The fey's rhymes are considered magical effects.
Bloody Rhyme (Recharge 5-6): Perdrix speaks a line of razor-sharp blood-honey shards into being that is 5ft wide and 30ft long. All creatures in the area of effect must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity save or take 28 (8d6) piercing damage and be restrained for the next minute. Creatures may repeat this save at the end of each of their turns, losing the restrained condition on success.
Buzzing Rhyme: Perdrix targets a creature he can see within 30ft that can hear him and assaults it with the mad whispers of direflies. This has the same effect as the Confusion spell with a Wisdom saving throw DC of 17, except Perdrix does not need to maintain concentration on the effect.
Cloying Rhyme: Perdrix targets a creature he can see within 30 ft that can hear him and his words invoke the most sickly sweet smells the creature can imagine. The creature must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be Poisoned for the next minute. At the end of each of its turns, the creature may repeat this save with the effect ending on success.
Harvest Rhyme: Perdrix targets a creature he can see within 30ft that can hear him and marks them with his words. At the start of Perdrix turn of that creature has taken damage since the start of Perdrix's last turn, is within 30ft of Perdrix, and Perdrix is not at 0 hit points, Perdrix regains hit points equal to that creature's hit dice. If that creature is reduced to 0 hit points Perdrix also automatically regains 10 hit points at that time in addition to the healing at the start of his turn. This effect lasts for one minute or until the marked creature is dead. Perdrix cannot target a new creature with Harvest Rhyme while another creature is marked with Harvest Rhyme.
Melancholia Rhyme (Recharge 5-6): Creatures within 10 ft of Perdrix that can hear him are afflicted by uncontrollable sobbing and must make a DC 16 Charisma saving throw or have their speed reduced to 0 and suffer 14 (4d6) psychic damage. At the end of reach turn, the creature may repeat this save, effect ending on success. Creatures that succeed on the save gain advantage on saves against the Melancholia Rhyme for the next 24 hours.
The Red Pear Tree.
The encounter below is written as the twelfth and final floor of a dungeon within a towering, direfly infested tree bearing vile, red fruit the size of boulders. This is written as a Waning Princes scenario. This is written as a hard to dangerous encounter for level 10-11 player characters.
The final level of the Red Pear Tree, which is its topmost part, is accessed by a tight, blind staircase from the level below. It is not so much a room as a tall, bird-cage like structure crafted from the tangled, barbed branches of the tree itself. Here Baron Perdrix sits on a throne of blood-honeycombs atop a dias of crusted-together humanoid bones. There are a handful of mismatched tables and chairs around that are not arranged with any rhyme or reason. Books, scrolls and paintigs are piled atop, under and beside the furniture; the tell-tale sign of a lazy soul. Baron Perdrix does keep a relatively clean writing desk. When inspiration strikes him and managed to overcome his idleness, the noble fey pens poetry ranging from bawdy, to melencholy, to darkly humorous.
Lair Actions.
When fighting inside his lair, Perdrix can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Perdrix can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects:
Perdrix can't repeat an effect until they have all been used, and it can't use the same effect two rounds in a row.
Defeating Perdrix in his lair awards experience points as if he was 13th level (10000 xp.)
Grasping Gorse.
The living tree animates to its lord's defense. All creatures within 15ft of Baron Perdrix must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be pulled 10ft in a straight line toward the fey and then take 3d8 piercing damage if it is within 5 feet of him.
Fruit Fall.
A boulder-sized pear from the tree rapidly ripens and explodes at a point Baron Perdrix can see within 30ft. This produces a vile spatter with a radius of 10ft. Creatures in the area of effect must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution save or be Poisoned until the end of their next turn.
Wraiths of the Five Rings.
The baron calls upon the five spirits bound to him. The hands of these apparitions grasp at the fey's foes. All creatures within 30ft of Baron Perdrix must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity save or take 1d8 necrotic damage and cannot regain hit points until Initiative Count 20 next turn.
Treasure:
With enough time, one can scrounge up several rare books from amid the baron's collection. Likewise, his poetry, loose sheafs in clasped covers, is quite good and has a unique flare to it. Amid the detritus can also hide whatever macguffin drew the heroes to assault the Red Pear Tree as needed.
The baron's blood-honey shilleglagh is a magical mace that deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage plus 1d8 psychic damage in the hands of a mere mortal. In addition, it does function as a rod of the pact keeper +1 for a warlock whose patron is an archfey.
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