Mercenary Knight

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.

While there are many fey who share a drop of royal blood with the King in Amber this warrior is a cut above the rest. As haughty as it is alien, the knight of the waning host represents the lowest strata of the entitled waning nobles. Proven worthy after countless battles, or through courtly guile, the waning chevalier is gifted a throneshard sword to go along with its status. From there the fey may become a battlefield commander, a lone and questing antagonist, or devious coutier. The last is by far the deadliest. While the chevalier is clad in eldritch leathers like other soldiers of the host it is also adorned with a motley of accessories befitting its knightly order and personal trophies. One knight might bear a gossamer tabard clipped into place by the finger bones of a troublesome, but vanquished rival. The next wears pauldrons of exotic chitin and a cape woven from hair strands stolen from their amorous conquests. No matter the particulars of its eccentric appearance the waning chevalier is a terrible force to behold on the material plane.

Crafted from chitin, this solemn knight's plate armor has been painted a stark black time and time again with inept strokes. It and her torn gauze tabard have been struck of any heraldry for Lady Blackshield serves the King Under Amber alone. Her name has been struck as well and she hides behind a thin veil attached to a crooked crown. With her liege forever imprisoned, she answers to no one but her conscience. Yet, Lady Blackshield toils for the Waning Court's best interests without hope of reward or rest. She just as often clashes with the Waning Princes' plans as she aids them and many of them would love to see her taken off the board. However, they fear what curse might fall on their head. A mistress of fear, Lady Blackheart slices through foes with ease, and those that survive often find themselves encased in the very same way her lord is... which leads one to wonder.

Lady Blackshield

Medium Fey, lawful evil

Armor Class 18 (plate)

Hit Points 171 (18d8 + 90)

Speed 30ft

Str 14 Dex 2 Con 20 Int 14 Wis 17 Cha 20

Saving Throws Con +9, Cha +8

Skills Animal Handling +7, Perception +7, Survival +7

Damage Resistances lightning, thunder, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened

Senses darkvision 120ft, passive Perception 17

Languages Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, Sylvan.

Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Aura of Arrogance.

If a creature misses the waning chevalier with an attack the creature has disadvantage on attacks against that waning chevalier until the end of their next turn.

Ephemeral Mien.

The waning chevalier ignores difficult terrain when moving. If the fey provokes an opportunity attack it may use its bonus action to gain a +2 armor class until the start of its next turn.

In addition, once per day, the waning chevalier may move as if it has cast the spell Misty Step.

Innate Spellcasting.

The fey can innately cast Calm Emotions (spell save DC 17), requiring no material components. Its innate spellcasting ability is Charisma.

The Wailer's Mantle.

Lady Blackshield's magical plate armor does not give Disadvantage on Stealth checks, nor does it have a Strength requirement. As long as Lady Blackshield is wearing the armor, any creature that begins its turn within 10ft of her and is frightened of her reduces its speed to 0 and takes 5 (1d10) psychic damage.

Actions

Multiattack.

The waning chevalier can make three melee attacks as one action.

Amberheart Blade.

Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) slashing damage plus 4(1d8) necrotic damage. The creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution save or reduce its speed by 10 feet for the next minute. If this reduces a creature's speed to 0, they are encased in amber, becoming incapacitated, gaining total cover, and no longer need to drink, eat, or sleep. Nor do they age while encased in amber. The creature must be broken out of the amber in some way. The amber has an AC of 15 and 30 Hit points and is immune to poison and psychic damage.

Deadwood Lance.

Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit. 12 (1d12+5) peircing damage.

Black Days.

A creature Lady Blackshield can see within 30 feet of her must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma Save or become frightened of her for 1 minute. The frightened creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Bonus Actions

Prideful Stride:

If the waning chevalier reduces a creature to 0 hit points with an attack they may immediately use the dash action as a bonus action. If the fey is mounted it may grant this ability to its mount instead.