The Praying Lord

The forest folk say the Praying Lord lived under the dark, thick canopy before even the gods came to be. They also say it will continue long after the last divine spark has burnt out. To venerate this primordial beast is to be granted bliss, to spurn its brutal love is to invite madness and death. Rarely glimpsed, even by its devout, the Praying Lord may be a massive insect. Shaped like three layered leaves, its abdomen changes hue with the season and sports four spindly, spined legs. The lord's thin thorax would better suit a man and is leathery instead of chitinous. A pair of long limbs with scything forearms sprout from its midsection. From its shoulders, a squirm of fleshy tendrils hangs. The thing's head can best be described as a ring of eyes about a severed neck, and its mouth is little more than a bloodless gash in the 'stomach' region of its thorax. The Praying Lord wants nothing more than to be fed and adored. Well, and the utter obedience of its followers. Slay it and the things horrid truth is revealed.

Phase 2 can be found on this page after Phase 1

The Praying Lord (phase 1)

Huge monstrosity, nuetral evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)

Hit Points 138 (12d12 + 60)

Speed 40ft

Str 21 Dex 10 Con 21 Int 10 Wis 16 Cha 14

Skills Athletics +9, Nature +4, Religion +4, Stealth +8

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities frightened, poisoned

Senses passive Perception 13

Languages Druidic, Elvish

Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Forest Camouflage.

The Praying Lord has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in forest terrain.

Innate Spellcasting.

The praying lord's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: chill touch

3/day each: pass without trace, plant growth

Actions

Multiattack.

The Praying Lord makes two scything arm attacks.

Scything Arm.

Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6(1d8+2) bludgeoning damage plus 4(1d8) fire damage.

Torturous Visions.

The praying lord taps into the regrets and fears of a creature it can see within 90ft and recreates an illusory manifestation of those memories distorted to the extreme that is visible only to that creature. The target must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes frightened and restrained for the duration. At the end of each of the target’s turns before the spell ends, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take (22) 4d10 psychic damage. On a successful save, the spell ends. And the end of each turn, an affected creature may repeat this save with the effect ending on success. On failure, the creature takes an additional 22 (4d10) psychic damage.

Blissful Caress.

One creature within 10ft must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. Until this poison ends, the target is immune to charm and fear and also heals 5 hit points as long as it is not at 0 hit points. The target may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. At the end of the effect, the creature has disadvantage on all attack rolls and skill checks until the end of its next turn.

Phase 2

Victory over the forest horror proves to be fleeting. For even as its, insect-like body lays still and oozing, the gash in its stomach violently undulates. Within a few eyeblinks the tendrils about the Praying Lord's shoulder are sucked into its thorax and its true form slithers free. A great, pallid worm born for Far Realm that has burrowed into reality rears up ready to finish off would-be killers. The tendrils spill down its supple spine. Its face is far too human, save a dripping proboscis erupted from the puckered wound of its lower jaw. In this stage, the praying lord seeks to implant a new host for its parasitic soul. If there are none of its cult left to do so, a hero will do.

The Praying Lord (phase 2)

Large aberration, neutral evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 93 (11d10 + 33)

Speed 30ft

Burrow 30ft

Str 19 Dex 11 Con 16 Int 10 Wis 16 Cha 14

Skills Athletics +7, Nature +3, Religion +3, Stealth +3

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities frightened, poisoned

Senses passive Perception 13

Languages Druidic, Elvish

Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Innate Spellcasting.

The praying lord's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: chill touch

3/day each: pass without trace, plant growth

Regeneration.

The praying lord regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.

Actions

Multiattack.

The praying lord makes two attacks, one Constrict attack and one with its Proboscis.

Constrict.

Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and the aberration can't constrict another target. At the end of each of the praying lord's turn if the creature is still grappled it takes an additional 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning damage.

Proboscis.

Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) poison damage. A creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution save or be Poisoned for one minute. If a creature fails this save by 5 or more they are Incapaciated instead. At the end of each of its turns, an affected creature can repeat this save with the effect ending on success.

Implant Soul.

The praying lord inserts its proboscis into an incapacitated creature and implants a part of its soul into the target to grow akin to a parasite. The creature must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom save or be infected and the praying lord (phase 2) dies. An infected creature suffers from strange, torturous dreams at night of the praying lord's deeds and has their hit point maximum reduced by 5(1d10) after each long rest. If the creature is reduced to 0 hit points by this effect, they undergo a rapid, violent transformation as the praying lord (phase 1) bursts from their body reborn. If the creature dies any other way then the soul parasite dies with it. Otherwise, the soul parasite can be removed with a Wish spell or similar effect.