Sir Castille, the Everburning

Curls of spectral flame bind the ashen panoply together in the rough shape of a wide-shouldered man. Hints of his heroic jaw are hinted at beneath the helm’s beak, remnants of chiseled arms between the seams of stylized half-plate. The apparition’s cloak, composed of blackened feathers spread like phoenix’s wings. In one hand, the mad knight wields a flaming longsword with a hilt of bright feathers, in the other a warpick depicting a phoenix’s beak. Bent on purging wickedness from the world, nothing but madness swirls in the specter’s eyes. Madness and the ceaseless torment of an honor long lost

Burn It All Down! Sir Castille, the Everburning cannot be reasoned with. He cannot be bargained with. He absolutely will not stop until every ounce of corruption is burned from the world. This is not a noble goal, nor a sane one. The ravening phantasm will put an overly-rowdy tavern to the torch as quickly as he would a foul demon-cult. In either case, the collateral damage doesn’t matter either. If city blocks are set aflame, they must have housed some consumption anyway to have alight. Sir Castille is a fire unbridled, fueled by a fanaticism intensified by undead.

Terrible Prize. Sir Castille cannot form until all parts of the Ashen Panoply are brought together. This is usually done by an adventuring group that have stumbled across some pieces of it before seeking out the rest. Worse yet, the curse upon the armor is not readily apparent until all pieces are present and by then it is too late. The Everburning forms whenever they are within a mile of one another, sometimes immolating the unlucky sod who dons it all. Then Sir Castille makes a snap judgement over the assorted adventurers. If there is any whiff of foulness to them then a battle is inevitable. If not, the dire knight will fly off in search of ‘kindling.’

Sir Castille, the Everyburning

Medium undead, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 17 (half plate)

Hit Points 114 (12d8 + 60)

Speed 20ft

Fly 50ft

Str 18 Dex 14 Con 20 Int 13 Wis 15 Cha 18

Saving Throws Dex +7, Wis +7

Skills Insight +7, Perception +7, Religion +6

Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Damage Immunities fire

Condition Immunitiesexhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17

Languages Common, Dwarvish, Primordial

Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

Death Burst.

When Sir Castille dies, it explodes in a burst of phoenix fire. Each creature within 30 ft. of it must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 26 (8d6) damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

If any non-undead creature is reduced to 0 hit points due to the Death Burst, Sir Castille is restored to life in 1d4 rounds with 25 hit points. This ability cannot function more than once per a 24 hour period.

Flame Warden.

Whenever Sir Castille would take fire damage it heals half as much damage instead.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day).

If Sir Castille fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance.

Sir Castille has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Multiattack.

Sir Castille makes three attacks, two with Phoenix's Claw and one with Phoenix's Beak.

Phoenix's Claw.

Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage and 5 (1d10) fire damage.

Phoenix's Beak.

Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) slashing damage and 5 (1d10) fire damage. This attack has a 19-20 Critical range.

Fire Arrow.

Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, ranged 150/300 ft, one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage and 3 (1d6) fire damage. In addition, the next attack against the target has advantage until the start of Sir Castille's next turn

Heatwave.

Sir Castille lets loose withering heat in a 15ft radius, it must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution save or can either only Move or Take an Action and cannot take reactions until the end of its next turn.

Reactions

Burning Regrets.

Whenever Sir Castille takes fire damage, he may use his reaction to immediately cast Create Bonfire. However, Sir Castille does not need to maintain concentration on this spell. The bonfire lasts for its full duration, one minute, or until Sir Castille is reduced to 0 hit points.

Legendary Actions

Sir Castille can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Sir Castille regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Peck (1 point). Sir Castille makes an attack with the Phoenix's Claw.

Observe (1 point). Sir Castille makes a Perception check.

Flame Torrent (2 points). Sir Castille summons a wave of burning arrows. Each creature in a 60-foot cone must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 12 (3d8) piercing damage and 10 (3d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Immolation Burst (2 points). Sir Castille erupts in a halo of flame with a 10ft radius. All other creatures within the area of effect must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity save or take 20 (6d6) fire damage.

Blaise, the Ever Loyal

Whenever Sir Castille, the Everyburning first forms, Blaise's Barding is filled with the fiery ghost of his steed, Blaise. If any horse is wearing the barding at this time, it automatically dies as the flames consume it. Blaise uses the stats of a Nightmare but has an AC of 16 due to its barding. If Blaise is destroyed, but Sir Castille is alive, the undead knight can restore Blaise to life at the next sunrise.