Sorrosworn
The Shadowfell's pervasive melancholy sometimes gives rise to strange incarnations of the plane's bleak nature. The sorrowsworn embody the forms of suffering that are inherent to the shadowy landscape, and they visit horror on those who stumble into their midst. Emotion Given Form. Each sorrowsworn personifies a different aspect of despair or distress. Some are manifestations of anger; others are loneliness given physical form. Their nature provides a clue both to understanding how they become more powerful and to overcoming them. Giving in to the negative emotions that the sorrowsworn represent causes these entities to grow deadlier. Fighting against these emotions can weaken them and drive them away.
The Apathy
Unlike most other sorrowsworn the Apathy is not created on the Shadowfell, rather, they come into being where the border between the Shadowfell and the Material Plane is thin, where the shadow plane's bleak nature infects the creature's nearby and they simply give up on life. The Apathy is formed from the soul's of these deceased creatures and they slowly spread out from there, always searching for more life to corrupt and drain, thus creating more of themselves. For from the corpse of a creature slain by the Apathy rises a new one as its very soul is consumed by this same emotion.
The Apathy hunts by a method similar to ambush and pursuit predators where it takes up a hidden and protected position and then waits for its prey to simply drop dead. A single Apathy is capable of eliminating entire towns if it goes unchecked.
Tips for running The Apathy
- The Apathy is a unique monster, most suited to a horror themed game, as its true power lies in being an unknown element.
- One recommendation is to place the Apathy in a town or city with many people and the Apathy being a recent arrival. Seed hints of the townsfolk growing slowly more lethargic over time as the party rests here, describe the peaceful atmosphere and have the townsfolk encourage the PCs to stay and rest. You may be tempted to not tell the PCs about their exhaustion levels as they accumulate them but you should make sure your player's would be okay with such a decision first. The game should still be fun after all, and they need to figure out something is wrong at some point, though wisdom saves should do the trick.
- An alternative is a large farmstead where the Apathy is trapped but has already claimed the people here, the ones it created have long left but the original remains, along with the bodies of the farmers who were too tired to ever wake up.
- Multiple Apathy can quickly overwhelm and utterly destroy a party, be careful with the number of this creature in any given encounter.
The Apathy
Medium monstrosity, neutral evil
- Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 285 (30d8 + 150)
- Speed 15 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 8 (-1) 21 (+5) 8 (-1) 18 (+4) 5 (-3)
- Skills Stealth +9
- Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing while in dim light or darkness
- Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, restrained
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
- Languages Common
- Challenge 13 (10,000)
Unstoppable The Apathy is immune to any effects that would reduce its speed and is not slowed by difficult terrain.
Aura of Indifference The Apathy emits an aura within 1 mile of it's location. Any creature that finishes a long rest whilst within this aura and unaware of the apathy must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 17) or gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures unaware of the apathy also do not recover exhaustion levels after a long rest whilst within this aura.
Life is Meaningless Any creature that reaches level 5 exhaustion because of the apathy falls unconscious and cannot be woken up until their exhaustion drops below 5.
Actions
Withering Scream. (Recharge 5-6) The Apathy emits a scream that drains foes of their will to live. Each hostile creature within 60 ft. of the apathy must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 17) or gain one level of exhaustion.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, Reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d12+2) slashing damage damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 12). The Apathy can only have two creatures grappled at the same time and cannot use its claw attack against another creature..
