Tale of the Lost Children
"There once was a child named Rudeus. Rudeus didn't like his parents, for they fought each other from dusk 'till dawn; over things he personally thought childish - and he was a kid! Their fights grew worse with each day until Rudeus could take it no longer. He bundled up his toys and all things essential and ran away to the forest amongst the mist.
He once heard a tale his grandmother used to tell him about fairies within, so he had no choice but to take refuge with them. Better than to sit up at night listening to their roars of anger. He quickly lost himself in the mist however, but the sun would not sit high in the sky for someone as unloved as he, so as darkness fell Rudeus began to think his brilliant plan a horrible mistake. And just when he was just about to give up - they came. Tiny little motes of light swimming amongst the dark. And he knew he was saved."
The tales of the Lost Children aren't widely known by many, but the few that do know the tale are incredibly cautious of forests when mist begins to roll in. They believe it to be when the veil between realms is thinnest, letting in otherworldly creatures. The worst of the bunch however, are the lost children. Some say they were taken away by nefarious fey and turned into sadistic little creatures. Others believe that an even worse fate befalls all of those missing children. None are quite sure of what happens to them, but the tale of the Lost Children has lived on far longer than any can remember.
Warped Children
The Lost Children are children of all races that have been either whisked away, or have ran away into the mists where the mysterious fairy queen have taken them. Turning children who wish to be as free as she into a fairy to walk amongst her in the mist. The children that take the oath to the queen and are accepted into the mists must undergo a metamorphosis, turning into tiny little sprites without a care in the world. Through their new eyes they see the world as a child would for as long as they remain, although that perception has been...warped.
Some villages have been completely destroyed by these Lost Children, leaving nothing by bone and bits of flesh for the carrions to scavenge. Most wandering knights and state officials that stumble upon this sight believe it to be the result of a monster attack, or bandit raid, but none realize the true implications of these terrifyingly warped children. They believe "Grown-ups" to be the root of all evil, and any rational thought thrust upon them is immediately disregarded by the mob mentality, as while they're fairies, they are most definitely still children -- and children can be cruel.
But nonetheless, children continue to go missing, as if entranced by these fairies and the escape they can grant those who are mistreated or neglected. The worst truth of it all as well, is that when a Lost Child dies, it reverts back to its original form. Many an adventurer has quit because of this.
Elves of the Misty Valley owned by the manga Berserk
Lost Children Swarm
Large swarm of tiny fey, neutral evil
- Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 60 (8d10 + 16)
- Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 20 (+5) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 16 (+3)
- Saving Throws Wis +3, Cha +6
- Skills Deception +6, Persuasion +6, Stealth +8, Intimidation +6
- Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
- Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
- Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10
- Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan
- Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Anything but a child. On first inspection, a Lost Child, or Lost Children swarm appear to be child-like fairies. A DC 20 Investigation check reveals that these whimsical fey-like creatures are actually terrifying insectoid abominations. Other abilities like true seeing reveals this on first glance.
Blood Frenzy. The swarm has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points.
Child-like Glee. When the swarm of lost children reduce a creature to 0 hit points, they conduct a morbid display of child-like glee on the corpse. Giggling, laughing, or recreating certain games a child would play; utilizing parts of the corpse in doing so. Creatures that see this display must make a DC 14 wisdom saving throw, or become frightened of the swarm for 1 minute. They can repeat this save at the end of their turn.
Innocence of a Child. When speaking to children, the swarm has advantage on all Charisma (Persuasion) and Charisma (Deception) rolls.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and it can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny creature. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
Actions
Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the swarm's space. Hit: 21 (6d6) piercing damage, or 10 (3d6) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.
Lost Child
Tiny fey, neutral evil
- Armor Class 14
- Hit Points 8 (2d4 + 4)
- Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 3 (-4) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 16 (+3)
Skills Deception +5, Persuasion +5, Stealth +8, Intimidation +5
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Anything but a child. On first inspection, a lost child, or lost children swarm appear to be child-like fairies. A DC 20 Investigation check reveals that these whimsical fey-like creatures are actually terrifying insectoid abominations. Other abilities like true seeing reveals this on first glance.
Blood Frenzy. The lost child has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points.
Child-like Glee. When the lost child reduces a creature to 0 hit points, it will conduct a morbid display of child-like glee on the corpse. Giggling, laughing, or recreating certain games a child would play; utilizing parts of the corpse in doing so. Creatures that see this display must make a DC 13 wisdom saving throw, or become frightened of the lost child for 1 minute. They can repeat this save at the end of their turn.
Innocence of a Child. When speaking to children, the lost child has advantage on all Charisma (Persuasion) and Charisma (Deception) rolls.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage. If the lost child has advantage on the attack roll, the attack deals an extra 7 (2d6) piercing damage.
Queen of the Lost Children
Not much is known about the Queen of the Lost Children, only that she and she alone is the one to sire them and is the one to house all the unwanted children of man within her forest. Those that have seen her and lived are usually children who become Lost Children, adopted into the family of fairies to live their days out in relaxation, fun and thrust together amongst a proverbial sea of new friends to bask in the joy of their new lives.
The other half of those who have seen the Queen of Lost Children have said she herself is a child as well. Albeit strangely inhuman, although that has be chalked up to her being some sort of fey creature. After all, she is humanoid, child-like, but there are strange insectoid-like features all across her body. Ranging from fuzzy feelers across her brow, to her hair being the shell containing the massive butterfly wings that sprout from her form. Portions of her body are covered in fur, and an extra set of mandible-like arms grow out of her torso.
A villager said the strange ornament sat upon her head was some curled piece of metal, -- to perhaps show her station? -- although he stated it struck like a whip and cleaved a boar in twain within the blink of an eye.
Rosine created and owned by the Berserk manga.
What whimsical stories parents tell to their children about the Lost Children and their queen are simply folktales passed down to them when they were a child. After all, they couldn't be real, right? Creatures of the night, they can believe, but fairies and mystical fey queens? Preposterous. Creatures of the fey are so very rare in the material plane anyway, so someone should have spotted this colony of fairies at some point, right?
Nonetheless, while villages chalk this up to rambunctious children simply running away, or a horrible monster attack; only few know the true ending to this story and it is not a happy one.
How to play Rosine in Combat
Rosine is a very Hit and Run type of boss, as she's a frail child. In combat she usually calls 1-2 swarms of the Lost Children to her aid if the party is large enough, or dangerous enough. Remember, her Poison Dust trait procs on when a creature enters it for the first time. So, fly around and stab the party with your proboscis and hope they fail the save. Sorry Melee combatants, but the ranged folk will probably be your best bet when it comes to Rosine. That and Sentinel. You can force Rosine to make a Con, or Dex save to see if she can stay aloft while taking enough damage, but that's up you, the DM. If you run this as a mythic encounter, whew boy it's gonna be a tough ride.
Rosine, Queen of the Lost Children
Small Fey, Neutral Evil
- Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 105 (21d6 + 42)
- Speed 30 ft., fly 90 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 22 (+6) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Dex +10, Wis +4, Cha +8
Skills Insight +4, Perception +8, Persuasion +8, Intimidation +8, Stealth +10
Damage Resistances cold, acid
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered
Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned, paralyzed
Senses darkvision 120ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP or 16,800 XP as a mythic encounter)
Flyby. Rosine doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when she flies out of an enemy's reach.
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If Rosine fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Rosine has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Metamorphosis (Mythic Trait; Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). If Rosine, Queen of the Lost Children is reduced to 0 hit points, she doesn't die or fall unconscious. Instead, she envelops herself in a cocoon, regains 105 hit points, and transforms. Her body is encased in a translucent cocoon as a nightmarish moth-like form forms around her. Her size becomes Huge and her flying speed increases to 120 ft.
Poison Dust. Each creature that enters, or starts its turn within 20ft of Rosine must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, they are considered under the effects of the Confusion spell and take 5 (1d10) poison damage at the start of their turns. A poisoned creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of their turn.
Skewer. If Rosine moves at least 40 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a proboscis attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or be skewered. A skewered creature is grappled (Escape DC 16) and travels with Rosine. While a creature is skewered, Rosine can't make a proboscis attack against another creature.
Actions
Multiattack. Rosine makes three attacks. One with her Proboscis and two with her Mandible Claws
Proboscis. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) piercing or slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.
Mandible Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage.
Legendary Actions
Rosine, Queen of the Lost Children can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Rosine, Queen of the Lost Children regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Flittering Escape. Rosine moves up to half her flying speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Proboscis Attack. Rosine makes a proboscis attack.
Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). Rosine beats her wings. Each creature within 10 feet of Rosine must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or take 12 (2d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. Rosine can then fly up to half her flying speed.
Mythic Actions
If Rosine, Queen of the Lost Children's mythic trait is active, she can use the options below as legendary actions for 1 hour after using Metamorphosis.
Crippling Claws. Rosine makes two attacks with her mandible claws. If both attacks hit the same creature, it takes an extra 7 (2d6) necrotic damage and must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or have its movement speed reduced to 0 until the start of its next turn.
Stop it! (Costs 3 actions). Rosine lets loose an inhuman screech of fear made in desperation. Each hostile creature within 60ft of Rosine must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or become paralyzed until the end of their next turn.
The Queen's Lair
Any forest the Queen decides to take root in will in time become her lair, bringing with it a number of interesting changes. The forests canopy within her domain is thicker and woven into other tree tops, making maneuvering through a might difficult if you don't have darkvision. In addition to this, thick mist permeates the woods of her home, shrouding most of the denizens within in a opaque veil.
Rangers and gatherers alike with a sense for navigation are also usually lead astray in the Queen's forest, which can in turn lead innocent people to their deaths. The woods after all, house a number of dangerous beasts, plants and sometimes even monstrosities. Best keep your wits about you.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Rosine, Queen of the Lost Children can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects. She can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:
-
Rosine briefly animates the dead trees around her lair to aid her in battle. Each tree attacks one creature within 10 feet of it, with a +10 bonus to hit and dealing 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage on a hit. If a Medium or smaller creature takes this damage, it is also grappled (escape DC 15).
-
Rosine flaps her wings and causes a gust of wind to carry her poison to a location within 150 feet. Each creature within a 20 foot radius of the point picked must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (4d4) poison damage on a failed saving throw and being effected by the Slow spell until initiative count 20. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn't effected by the other effects.
Rosine's Metamorphosis from the Berserk manga
Regional Effects
The region containing Rosine, Queen of the Lost Children's lair is warped by her presence, which creates one or more of the following effects:
-
Fey and Plant creatures are more common amongst the forest surrounding her lair.
-
Plant life is much more vibrant and alien within 1 mile of her lair, as portions of the feywild bleed in around her domain.
-
Small bodies of water within 1 mile of the lair become poisonous. They may look lovely and vibrant, but the surface is coated with the poison of Rosines wings. A creature that drinks the water must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 8 hours. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each hour.
-
The entirety of the forest of Rosine's domain is shrouded in thick mist, which lightly obscures the vision of travelers at the best of times and is considered heavily obscured at the worst of times.
Credits
- Made using GM Binder.
- Page stains by /u/flamableconcrete
- Created and edited by u/Macekill.