The Swineherd is more parasite than man now. It still bears a human face of limpid flesh from which its squid-like mantle sprouts. The meaty, pink tube contains all of its still-humanoid guts and comes to a sharp point at the end which is all that remains of fused leg and foot bones. A squirm of tentacles curls away from the swineherd's chin. These six appendages are each as long as a man’s arm with tips adored by bone hooks that were once phalanges.

Scourge Shepherd. Once, the swineherd was a humanoid. That was until the coming of The Pariah. In the grand aberration’s presence, the parasites within the swineherd’s livestock mutated into horrific, squirming horrors. Alas, they were still nigh-undetectable and it wasn’t long before the parasites made their way into human hosts.

Within a victim, the little creatures burrow their way into the victims’ brains, all the while excreting toxins that break down their bones and putrefy the flesh. The mental deterioration also makes the victims more susceptible to the Pariah’s calling. Within a few days, a week at most, the transformation is complete. In a gush of slime, the swineherd sheds what remains of its humanoid form and slithers into the nearest mudpatch or sewer.

It has the infected, twisted pigs to look after, after all.

Swineherd

Medium aberration, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)

Hit Points 76 (9d8 + 36)

Speed 30ft

Burrow 30ft

Str 18 Dex 8 Con 19 Int 6 Wis 12 Cha 8

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +1

Damage Resistancespoison, necrotic

Damage Immunities Condition Immunities frightened, poisoned

Senses tremorsense 10ft passive Perception 13

Languages Common, Deep Speech

Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Camouflage.

The swineherd has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in muddy and urban terrain.

Soothing Aura.

All aberrations of CR 3 or less within 60 ft of the swineherd gain advantage on Wisdom Saving Throws and are immune to the frightened condition.

Actions

Multiattack.

The swineherd makes four pseudopod attacks as one action.

Pseudopod.

Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage.

Vomit Mud (Recharge 6).

The swineherd sprays a 20ft cone of rancid, parasite-infested mud from its mouth. All creatures within the area of effect must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity save or take 10 (3d6) necrotic damage and be Blinded until the end of their next turn. In addition, creatures that failed the save are infested with parasites. These parasites function as per the Contagion spell and produce the sale effects as Flesh Rot, though the infestation is not a magical effect but a disease.

If a humanoid creature dies while suffering from this Flesh Rot, a swineherd will wiggle its way from the decaying remains within 1d4 days.