When swathed in her natural scales, the Lady of Briers is a towering, wingless wyrm of indigo and lilac tones. Along her sinuous spine runs a ridge of tangled barbs that may be natural thorns or bone spurs; perhaps both. Her face is long but flat, like a crocodile, the edges lifting in a fixed, mocking smile. The Lady bears a quartet of powerful legs, the foreclaws of which are as articulate as any goldsmith’s hands. However, this is not the form in which the Lady of Briers is countered. Instead, people encounter a sultry elven woman with deep green skin and bright violet eyes. She keeps her raven hair in a plaited braid tangled with vines and wears a sweeping, black robe. The Lady carries an ornate staff embossed with mithril vine-work that is topped with a smoked-crystal crow skull. Few find it all that the forest gorse always parts for her and a sardonic smile hangs on her thin lips.

The Lady of Briers wants one thing, solitude. Her forest is her domain, her hunting ground, her laboratory, and her home. While she doesn’t mind sharing it with animals, the dragon finds even the most nature-honor elves intolerable. Why? Because she remembers a time, so she claims before humanoids prattled and scrambled across the world like unruly children. The Lady would give anything to bring the world back to that primordial state. For now, she’s content to keep her woods clean of the ‘filth.’ Most of the time, she will appear in her elven form first to trespassers and try and guide them out. If they are rude or combative, then the gloves come off. Outside the woods, she stirs up trouble between humanoid nations and tribes whenever she can. The Lady of the Briers believes as long as the vermin are killing one another, they will leave her and her woods alone. Hell, they might even wipe one another out and that would be just fine by her. Though, she has found their bones fine ornamentation for her bowers and groves.

Lady of Briers

Huge dragon, lawful evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points 195 (17d12 + 85)

Speed 40ft

Climb 60ft

Str 22 Dex 16 Con 20 Int 18 Wis 12 Cha 13

Saving Throws Con +10, Int +9, Wis +6

Skills Arcana +9, Survival +6

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 11

Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish, Sylvan

Challenge 14 (11,500 XP)

Freedom of Movement.

The Lady of Briers ignores difficult terrain, and magical effects can't reduce its speed or cause it to be restrained. She can spend 5 feet of movement to escape from nonmagical restraints or being grappled.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day).

If the Lady of Briers fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Staff of Power.

When encountered in her elf form, the Lady of Briers often carries a Staff of Power with 2d10 charges. If she wields this magic item she is considered a CR 15 creature.

Actions

Multiattack.

The Lady of Briers can use her Frightful Presence. She then makes three attacks: one with her bite and two with her claws.

Bite.

Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) piercing damage

Claw.

Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage.

Lulling Presence.

Each creature of the Lady of Briers' choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of hermust succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature takes any damage, it automatically wakes. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon's Lulling Presence for the next 24 hours.

Thorny Breath (Recharge 5-6).

The dragon exhales rapidly growing vines in a 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 54 (12d8) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A wall of thorns, as per the spell, sprouts in the area of effect for the next minute.

Shapechanger.

The Lady of Briers can use her action to polymorph into a wild elven female, or back into her true form. Her statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. She reverts to her true form if she dies. The Lady of Briers can use her Lulling Presence ability in her humanoid form as well as cast Wall of Thorns 1/day (DC 17, spellcasting stat is Intelligence)

Legendary Actions

The Lady of Briers 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. The Lady of Briers regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Shapechange (1 point).

The Lady of Briers uses her Shapechanger action

Claw (1 point).

The Lady of Briers makes a Claw attack

Engulfing Gorse (1 point).

The Lady of Briers targets a creature she can see within 120ft and thick vines explode from the air to engulf them. The creature must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity save or be Restrained for the next minute. An affected creature may repeat this save or a DC 17 Strength save, with the effect ending on success.

Bough Breaker (2 points).

The Lady of Briers conjures a tangle of grasping and slapping vines with a radius of 30ft. All creatures must succeed on a DC 17 Strength check or be pulled to an unoccupied square of her choice within the radius of effect and have their speed reduced by half until the end of their next turn.

Staff of Power (2 points).

The Lady of Briers uses an ability of her Staff of Power, if available