Leathery, sun-baked skin clings to the fiend’s pittled bones, tearing like dry parchment with a puff of sand as the creature moves. Inexplicably, old wounds heal as new ones open, creating a sanity-grating sound from the horror. The parched fiend’s body is humanoid, its legs ending in split-hooves. Its chapped lips are torn in a perpetual sneer, and sunken sockets are empty save a red pinpoint. The infernal carries a whip just as desiccated with itself that is covered in jagged salt crystals. Whenever in flight, the fiend manifests wings comprised of salt and sand.

Shepherds of the Damned. Mortals who succumb to the Demon Winds do not pass on to their just reward, but instead remain caught in its sinister flow. These spirits are stretched thin and crave the warmth they had in life. Most tatter away into nothing more than mournful sighs and pained screams. Some become undead horrors, and it is these specters that the parched fiend takes command over. It harvests their agony for other fiends to feast on when the mortal herd is thin and drives the specters forward when fresh prey needs to be broken.

Parched Fiend

Medium fiend, neutral evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)

Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)

Speed 30ft

Flight 50ft

Str 14 Dex 19 Con 16 Int 11 Wis 16 Cha 11

Saving Throws Str +5, Con +6

Skills Stealth +7, Survival +6

Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren't silvered Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities poison

Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13

Languages Infernal, Common

Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Flyby.

The parched fiend doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.

Hungering Horror.

If the parched fiend attacks a creature with 1 or more levels of Exhaustion, it gains advantage on that attack.

Innate Spellcasting (at will).

The fiend can innately cast Create/Destroy Water, requiring no material components, but only to destroy water. Its innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom.

Magic Resistance.

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

Actions

Multiattack.

The fiend makes two attacks.

Salted Whip.

Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage. In addition, a creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution save or be wracked with stinging pain and subtract 1d4 from all attack rolls and skill check for the next minute. If a creature receives any magical healing, this effect ends immediatly.

Call Victims (Recharge 6).

The fiend summons 1d6 specters to aid it in combat. These specters appear anywhere within 60ft of the parched fiend. They are loyal to the fiend and remain until they reach 0 hit points or are the parched fiend is killed. In addition, these specters lose Sunlight Sensitivity but gain vulnerability to radiant damage. The parched fiend cannot have more than 6 such specters summoned at one time.

Sandstorm (Recharge 5-6).

The grit fiend creates a 20-foot-radius sphere of swirling sand centered on a point within 120ft. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts for one minute or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it. Any creature other than a grit friend that starts its turn within the sphere takes 9 (2d8) piercing damage.

Fiendish Whispers.

The fiend can whisper a message and it is magically delivered to a creature it can see within 120ft. If the fiend knows the creature's name, the range increases to 1 mile. If the fiend has damaged the creature since the last sunrise, the range increases to the entire plane.