Medium aberration, any evil

Armor Class: 18 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 130hp (20d8+40) [20d8+40]

Speed: 30 ft , can hover

STR

16 +3

DEX

16 +3

CON

14 +2

INT

20 +5

WIS

14 +2

CHA

20 +5

Skills: Arcana +10, Insight +12, Perception +7, Intimidation +15

Damage Resistances: necrotic; poison; acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities: fire; cold; force; psychic

Condition Immunities: blinded, charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious

Senses: Environment Sense. In addition to the regular five senses, the Perishing can sense their entire environment in a 60 ft. radius. This grants them advantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks within that radius.   Passive Perception: 17

Languages: Telepathy

Challenge Rating: 15

The Perishing by Rebecca Lavoie

Actions

Multiattack. A Perishing makes two attacks, one with each claw. It can choose which type of attack it delivers with each strike. All attacks made by a Perishing are considered magical.   Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d8+3) 3d8+3 slashing damage.   Rotting Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. On a hit, the target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be reduced to 0 hit points. A creature affected by a Rotting Touch has to make a death saving throw immediately. On a failure, the creature's body rots away into a pile of dust and goo within seconds. Armor or clothes do not protect from the effects of the Rotting Touch. Braythian Champions are immune to this effect.   Rotten Communication. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. On a hit, the target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, or the touched limb (or other body part) instantly whithers and dies, effectively crippling the target. Nothing short of a wish spell can cure this condition. No matter the result of the saving throw, the Perishing can telepathically communicate with a target it succeeded to touch. Their "voice" sounds like rolling thunder mixed with dark, guttural sounds and thousands of far-away whispers that somehow make sense in the target's mind. Usually, the Perishing sends a single message or asks a single question. But in theory, the creature could lead a complete conversation once the telepathic contact is established and the touch is not interrupted. Braythian Champions are immune to the effects, but the telepathic communication can still be established that way.

Legendary Actions

A Perishing 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. A Perishing regains spent legendary actions at the start of their turn.  

• Deadly aura. The Perishing emits a strange vibration. Three short, rapid pulses surge over a sphere with a radius of 60 ft. Every creature within this area - dead, undead and even constructs - feel like they have been touched by something wrong and tainted. All affected creatures must make a Constitution saving throw against DC 18, or suffer 2d4 points of necrotic damage (rolled once for all affected creatures). The Perishing can choose to exempt specific creatures or groups of creatures from this effect.
• Gaze of Pain. Staring at a single target creature within 60 ft., the Perishing can summon horrifying pain in the target's body. The victim has to succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against DC 18, or suffer from horrifying agony. The target is stunned until the end of their next turn, and makes all following checks at disadvantage for 2d4+1 rounds.
• Paralyzing Gaze. Similar to the Gaze of Pain, the paralyzing gaze affects one creature within 60 ft. The target has to succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for one minute. The effect feels like every single muscle and sinew in the body is strained to its limit. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a success, the paralyzing effect ends.

Regional Effects

The ground touched by a Perishing instantly turns dark, often pitch black, in a 5ft. radius, and all plants, fungi etc. die. As the creature travels, it leaves a trail of death and darkness behind. The effect does not discern between the type of ground - soil, rock and even water is affected the same. Water (or any other liquids) tainted like that become sluggish and thick, and only slowly mix with surrounding liquids.   Tainted ground is incapable of hosting any kind of life. For nature to reclaim such areas, healing or curing spells of at least second level are needed. Casting spells like Lesser Restoration or Mass Healing Word regenerate a five-foot cubic area. Spells of 5th level and higher add another five feet for every level above four. The caster has to succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against DC 15, or the spell is wasted without any effect. Casting a holy aura using the Hallow spell works similar, but the caster has advantage on the Wisdom saving throw.   An area that is not restored slowly taints its surroundings. Thirty days after the Perishing touched the ground, the flora in a ten foot area around the tainted ground turns dark, twisted and highly poisonous. Every thirty days after, the area gradually grows by ten feet. After fifty to hundred feet (150-300 days), the growth stops. From one day to the next, the entire flora in the affected zone dies. Living or undead creatures within the area suffer one point of damage every turn.   These secondary taintings can be undone the same way a directly affected area can be regenerated.   Variations of this effect have been observed, where a Perishing created a corrupted area instead of a dead one.