Amelia Watson
"It is equal parts curious and unsettling that the only
human among the Hollow Myths turned out to be by
far the most enigmatic. If left alone, I fear this one will
create a temporal paradox in her carelessness – or worse, on a whim." – Myth Keeper Enma
The time-travelling detective is, at once, the most and least normal among the five Hollow Myths. If judged by her appearence, Amelia Watson is nothing more than a simple human investigator, though her dabbling in alchemy is an unusual one. Look deeper, however, and more questions are raised than answers. Her abnormally eventful past, her inexplicable luck that never seems to run out, and her ability to manipulate the fabric of time itself all defy explanation. Amelia's motives for entering the 'protection' of the Myth Keeper too are unknown, considering her abilities allow her to easily break free of Enma's contract. For now, the enigmatic detective bides her time, waiting until god knows when for god knows what.
Inexplicable Past. Amelia's past, at least when told by her, is a morass of nigh-impossible happenstances and close encounters with death. According to the various tales she has told, Amelia had suffered a head injury that left a cavity in her skull, been mistaken by a thieves' guild for their kidnapping target, and had her family cursed by a hag, all in her early childhood. The veracity of these tales is questionable, but considering the wealth of other abnormal traits posessed by Amelia, it wouldn't be surprising in the last if they were true.
Image Source
Art by @panappanapana (source deleted)
Alchemical Expertise. As well as posessing a nigh
unparalleled intellect, Amelia also dabbles in alchemy,
which in combat is put on full display via her syringes.
Amelia's syringes contain a great range of mixtures,
from a healing solution to suspiciously steroid-like
stimulants. More exotic effects of her syringes include
a mixture that hardens the skin to be as tough as
stone, and even a antimagic solution that purges the
target of magical effects for a time.
Perhaps the most notorious of her alchemical
inventions, however, is known simply as Watson's
Concoction. One injection of this translucent blue
mixture can induce a near-lethal level of nausea, exhaustion and loss of motor function. Amelia herself refrains from using this mixture unless absolutely necessary (probably because Enma's protection doesn't extend to being tried at the Hague).
Temporal Traveller. Undoubtedly Amelia's most bizzare trait is her ability to traverse the sands of time itself. The mechanics and logistics of this ability are shrouded in mystery, though Amelia claims that much of it is enabled by the pocketwatch she wears around her waist.
Amelia claims that she is reluctant to use this power to a great extent in combat, only using the various temporal powers of her pocketwatch to protect herself or allow her or her allies to escape. Contrary to this, however, her enemies often exhibit unusually bad luck when facing her, with Amelia avoiding their attacks as if she had already experienced them – perhaps while in a now-discarded timeline.
Magic Items
Being a human amongst supernatural entities, Amelia makes liberal use of magic items to bridge the gap in power, described in her statblock. In particular, she possesses a pocketwatch of unknown origin that allows her to speed up, slow down or even stop time.
Temporal Pocketwatch
Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement)
This gilded timepiece has 5 charges. While attuned to it, you can use an action and expend 1 or more charges to cast one of the following spells without concentration (spell save DC 19): haste (1 charge), power word stun (3 charges), slow (1 charge), or time stop (5 charges). The pocketwatch regains 1d4 + 1 charges daily at dawn.
Additionally, you can use an action and expend 5 charges to travel up to five years back in time. You enter an alternate timeline when you do this, and thus your actions have no effect on your original timeline. This property can't be used again until 30 days have passed.
Amelia Watson
Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 18 (glamoured studded leather armor)
- Hit Points 180 (24d8 + 72)
- Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 20 (+5) 17 (+3) 20 (+5) 18 (+4) 15 (+2)
- Saving Throws Dexterity +11, Intelligence +11, Wisdom +10
- Skills Acrobatics +11, Insight +16, Investigation +17, Medicine +16, Perception +16, Stealth +11
- Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 26
- Languages Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, Goblin, Thieves' cant
- Challenge 17 (18,000 XP)
Analyse Enemy. As a bonus action on her turn, Amelia can focus on a creature she can see, making an Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Insight) check contested by the target's Charisma (Deception) check. On a success, she can cause one of the following effects once on each of her turns when she hits the target with a weapon attack for the next minute:
- The target takes an extra 35 (10d6) damage.
- The target must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or be incapacitated and have its speed reduced to 0 until the end of Amelia's next turn.
- The target is slowed (as per the slow spell) until the end of Amelia's next turn.
If Amelia uses this trait on another creature, the effect immediately ends on the first creature.
Cunning Action. On her turn, Amelia can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Evasion. If Amelia is subjected to an effect that allows her to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, she instead takes no damage if she succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if she fails.
Lucky (3/Day). When Amelia makes an attack roll, ability check or saving throw, or when an attack roll is made against her, she can choose to roll an additional d20 and may choose which of the d20s are used for the roll. She can choose to use this feature after the dice is rolled, but before the outcome is determined.
Temporal Pocketwatch. Amelia's pocketwatch is a magic item that has 5 charges and regains 1d4 + 1 charges at dawn. She can expend 1 charge to cast the haste or slow spell without concentration (spell save DC 19), 3 charges to cast the power word stun spell, or all 5 charges to cast the time stop spell.
Actions
Multiattack. Amelia makes three weapon attacks and can use her syringe before or after the attacks.
+3 Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d4 + 8) piercing damage.
Syringe. Amelia draws a random syringe and injects it into herself or throws it at another willing creature within 30 feet. She may choose the target after rolling to determine what its effects are.
1. Antimagic Syringe. All harmful spells and magical effects affecting the target are dispelled, and the target cannot be targeted by spells until the start of Amelia's next turn.
2. Bolstering Syringe. The target has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage until the start of Amelia's next turn.
3. Haste Syringe. The target gains the benefits of the haste spell until the start of Amelia's next turn.
4. Healing Syringe. The target regains 27 (6d8) hit points and gains 27 (6d8) temporary hit points.
5. Restoration Syringe. If the target is blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned or stunned, the condition ends. Additionally, the target is immune to those conditions until the start of Amelia's next turn.
6. Strength Syringe. The target gains advantage on weapon attack rolls and deals an extra 9 (2d8) damage with weapon attacks until the start of Amelia's next turn.
Watson's Concoction (3/Day). Amelia injects a creature within 5 feet of her with a crippling toxin. The target must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or gain five levels of exhaustion. If the target is incapacitated, it has disadvantage on the saving throw.
Reactions
Uncanny Dodge. Amelia halves the damage that she takes from an attack that hits her. She must be able to see the attacker.
Legendary Actions
Amelia 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. Amelia regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
Move. Amelia moves up to her speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Weapon Attack. Amelia makes a weapon attack.
Timeline Substitution (Costs 2 Actions). After a creature's turn, Amelia rewinds time to the start of that creature's turn and forces it to take its turn again. Afterwards, Amelia chooses which version of the creature's turn happened. No one other than Amelia remembers the discarded timeline.
Syringe Roulette (Costs 3 Actions). Amelia draws three random syringes (rerolling duplicates) and injects them into herself. Any ongoing effects of the syringes last until the end of Amelia's next turn instead.
Ninomae Ina'nis
'Ninomae Ina'nis is a mild-mannered, calm and very polite girl. The ineffable thing that is her benefactor is another story.' – Myth Keeper Enma
Appearences can be deceiving. This applies to all of the Hollow Myths, but perhaps most of all to Ninomae Ina'nis. Bizarre physiology notwithstanding, Ina is a calm and polite individual, with a penchant for puns and rather talented at art. Everything else surrounding her, however, is anything but harmless. However it was accomplished, Ina was capable of stirring a long dead Far Realm entity from its slumber and be crowned as its sole priestess, granting her unfathomable magical power. The day that Ina or her patron wishes ill for mankind is the day that bodies break from the horrors of unreality, and minds shatter from the maddening whispers of enlightenment. Whether that day is tomorrow, or never; only Ina knows.
The Ancient Ones. Long before Ina, long before society and civilization as it exists today, longer still perhaps before cavemen huddled around embers in the dark, there were the Ancient Ones. It is not known how – and if – they were born, only that they were monolithically powerful. They were gods; if not by definition, then by practicality. Yet as powerful and all knowing as they were, they couldn't avoid the sole thing that could kill a god: time. Thus, their temples became ruins, their statues and tributes lost to the winds and eroded into dust. The Ancient Ones were forgotten.
By some unfathomable chance, however, one record survived. An esoteric tome, perhaps manifested into the world by the Ancient Ones themselves, written in scrawls and sigils inscrutable to a weak and raw mind. There, the tome remained, lasting through the waxing and waning of countless empires and dynasties throughout the multiverse, waiting for a mind strong and lucid enough to comprehend the maddening scrawls.
Priestess of the Unfathomable. Ina claims that she stumbled upon the Ancient Ones' tome completely by accident, but it's just as likely that the strings of chance were nudged by something to unite the two. In any case, Ina saw the dense scribbles and became the first, and only, person to understand its contents. According to her, the tome detailed some kind of ritual to contact and awaken the Ancient Ones, which she undertook soon after for reasons known only to her. Ina accpeted a deal from the ancient entity and became its sole priestess, gaining unimaginable magical power in the process – as well as a bizarre change in phisiology.
Seeming Benevolence. With her newfound power, Ina was entirely capable of subjugating thousands of souls, summoning untold horrors to the material plane, and tearing at the seams of reality itself. She decided to do none of that and instead spread the word of the Ancient Ones through upright and honest means, just as a normal cleric would spread the word of their god. In time, Ina amassed a cult following of sorts.
Much like its leader, the followers of the Ancient Ones are rather passive and nonthreatening, more resembling a charity than a cult. They are taught to spread the word of its god not through forceful subjugation, but instead through acts of benevolence, letting the gratitude of mortals do the rest. Whether this philosophy owes itself to Ina or the Ancient Ones is anyone's guess.
Image Source
Art by @STOMACH168
It is also possible that the benevolence of the cult is solely to attract new followers, and that once a critical mass has been swayed, Ina may abandon her charity and turn to subjugating the rest of civilization – or worse.
Magic Items
The tome that Ina used to contact the Ancient Ones still serves as the main link between her and her patron, with the words of the Ancient Ones often manifesting via maddening scribbles in its empty pages. It also serves as a very powerful spellcasting focus and carries a limited sentience inside it, allowing her to tether a spell's concentration to the tome instead of her own mind.
Tome of the Ancient Ones
Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a warlock of the Ancient Ones)
This ancient tome is covered in incomprehensible scrawls that are only legible if you have entered a pact with the Ancient Ones. While holding it, you can use it as a spellcasting focus that grants a +3 bonus to spell attack rolls and to the saving throw DCs of your warlock spells.
Additionally, when you cast a warlock spell that requires concentration, you can tether the spell's essence to the tome and cast it as if it didn't require concentration. This property can't be used again until the next dawn.
Ninomae Ina'nis
Medium humanoid (human), neutral good
- Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 150 (20d8 + 60)
- Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 18 (+4) 20 (+5)
- Saving Throws Con +8, Wis +10, Cha + 11
- Skills Arcana +6, Insight +10, Persuasion +11, Religion +6
- Damage Resistances acid, cold, psychic
- Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
- Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 30 ft., passive Perception 14
- Languages Common, Deep Speech, telepathy 30 ft.
- Challenge 17 (18,000 XP)
Amphibious. Ina can breathe air and water.
Eyes of the Rune Keeper. Ina can read all writing.
Fathomless Mind. Ina's mind can't be read, and she can't be contacted telepathically unless she allows it. Additionally, she has advantage on Constitution saving throws made to maintain concentration on a spell.
Magic Resistance. Ina has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spellcasting. Ina is an 18th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). She regains her expended spell slots when she finishes a short or long rest, and knows the following warlock spells:
1/day: eyebite, power word pain, psychic scream, reality break
Cantrips (at will): chill touch, eldritch blast, message, mind sliver, minor illusion, thaumaturgy, vicious mockery
1st–5th level (4 5th-level spell slots): arms of Hadar, detect thoughts, dispel magic, dissonant whispers, dominate person, Evard's black tentacles, hold monster, hold person, hunger of Hadar, shadow of moil, synaptic static, telekinesis, witch bolt
Tome of the Ancient Ones. Ina's tome is a magic item that acts as an arcane focus that grants a +3 bonus to spell attack rolls and the saving throw DCs of her warlock spells. Once per turn, when she deals damage to a creature with a cantrip, she may deal additional damage equal to her Charisma modifier.
Additionally, when Ina casts a warlock spell that requires concentration, she can tether the spell's essence to the tome, casting it as if it didn't require concentration. This property can't be used again until the next dawn.Actions
Multiattack. Ina makes three tentacle attacks.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 18). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. Ina has eight tentacles, each of which can grapple one target.
Teleport. Ina magically teleports, along with any equipment she is wearing and carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space she can see.
Whispers of the Ancient Ones (Recharge 6). Ina utters a maddening chant from her tome. Each creature of her choice that can hear her must make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or take 40 (9d8) psychic damage and have disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws until the end of Ina's next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and suffers no other effects.
Shatter Mind (1/Day). Ina telepathically sends a torrent of incomprehensible visions of the far realm towards a creature within 30 feet. The target must make a DC 19 Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throw. For each saving throw it fails, it takes 27 (6d8) psychic damage and has its corresponding ability score reduced to 1. While at least one of these ability scores is reduced in this way, the target is mentally crippled as per the feeblemind spell. The target can repeat its saving throws when it finishes a long rest, restoring the corresponding ability score on a success. A greater restoration spell or similar magic can also restore one ability score.
If the target fails all three saving throws, it is also stunned until one of its ability scores is restored.Legendary Actions
Ina 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. Ina regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
Teleport. Ina uses her Teleport action.
Tentacle Attack. Ina makes a tentacle attack.
Cantrip (Costs 2 Actions). Ina casts a cantrip.
Entreat the Ancient Ones (Costs 3 Actions). Ina regains an expended 5th-level spell slot.
Grasp of the Depths (Costs 3 Actions). Ina causes spectral tentacles to erupt in a 20-foot radius around her. Each creature of her choice in the area must make a DC 19 Strength saving throw, taking 22 (5d8) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that is restrained or incapacitated by Ina or one of her spells takes twice as much damage.
Calliope Mori
'At first blush, this charge seems absolutely terrifying to deal with. In practice, however, it feels oddly comforting to be able to put a face to the inexorable force of Death.' – Myth Keeper Enma
Among the bizarre ranks of the Hollow Myths, Calliope Mori is among the most feared. While her physical presence is already imposing enough with her wicked scythe and unearthly pale skin, her profession is what unnerves even the most stawart of people. Calliope is a reaper, and the sole student of Death. If she wished something dead, it will die, one way or another; few are the exceptions. Though she has halted her service since entering the Myth Keeper's contract, there's no telling when heads will start to roll again.
Pupil of Death. Even less is known about the entity called Death than Calliope. While it does hold dominion over life and the ceasing of it, whether it's the incarnation of the fundamental force of the universe or a proxy enacting its unseen will is anyone's guess. Nonetheless, Calliope's mortal life ended when Death took her under its tattered wing.
Thanks to this, Calliope has no shortage of options for inviting death upon her foes. Her scythe (affectionately named 'Ricky') is her most direct instrument of death, but she can also grasp the souls of creatures from afar, withering and draining its strength until it unravels from its body and perishes. Being a powerful undead, Calliope also has no
problem manipulating negative energy; most infamously, she can completely and indiscriminantely flood her surroundings with it, leaving the souls of the weak-hearted teetering at the edge of oblivion.
Relentless Hunter. For the most part, Calliope's job involves helping her master with its job, sheparding newly departed souls to the afterlife and keeping the gears of life and death turning. Every so often, however, there are beings that cause these gears to snag: ancient liches, transmuters that desire eternal youth, and any other being that lives far past its due. In those cases, Calliope's expertise is shown, as she departs from the underworld and ceaselessly hunts her quarry, no matter the distance. Any obstacle in her way, intentional or otherwise, is cut down with cold efficiency.
The hunt ends as soon as Calliope lays her eyes on her target, marking its soul for termination. The best thing for the quarry to do is to accept its long overdue death. Running, teleporting, planar travel, sequestering itself in the most obscure corner of the multiverse – nothing can get between Calliope and a soul she has marked. Once she closes the distance, a single swing of her scythe is all that is required for her quarry's instant death.
Undead Nature. Calliope doesn't require air, food, drink or sleep.
Image Source
Art by @haiki396g
Calliope Mori
Medium undead, lawful neutral
- Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 190 (20d8 + 100)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 21 (+5) 14 (+2) 20 (+5) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) 23 (+6)
- Saving Throws Con +11, Cha +12
- Skills Athletics +11, Intimidation +12, Perception +9, Performance +12
- Damage Resistances cold, lightning, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
- Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
- Languages Common, Undercommon
- Challenge 17 (18,000 XP)
Aura of Inevitable Death. Calliope emits an aura of negative energy within 30 feet of her, which she can activate or deactivate as a bonus action. Any creature within the aura other than her loses any resistance or immunity it has to necrotic damage, and can't regain hit points.
Eyes of the Reaper. Calliope can determine the exact amount of hit points and hit point maximum of any creature she can see that isn't a construct or undead, as well as its remaining natural lifespan, if any.
Innate Spellcasting. Calliope's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: spare the dying, toll the dead (17th level)
3/day each: antilife shell, death ward, shadow of moil, spirit shroud (necrotic)
1/day each: finger of death, soul cage
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Calliope fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Mark For Death (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). As a bonus action on her turn, Calliope can mark the soul of a creature she can see for collection. While a creature is marked for death, she knows the exact location of the creature (even if it's invisible or on another plane of existence), and has advantage on attack rolls against it. Additionally, she can use her bonus action to teleport to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the marked creature. When Calliope reduces a marked creature to 0 hit points, it instantly dies.
When a marked creature is killed by Calliope, its soul is sent to the underworld, and it can't be revived by any means short of a true resurrection or wish spell. Calliope can only have one creature marked at a time.
Turn Immunity. Calliope is immune to effects that turn undead.
Actions
Multiattack. Calliope makes two attacks with her scythe. She can replace any number of attacks with uses of her Wither Soul.
Scythe. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) slashing damage plus 24 (7d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest.
Wither Soul. One creature within 60 feet of Calliope takes 26 (4d12) necrotic damage and must make a DC 20 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, its Charisma score is reduced by 1d4. The creature dies if this reduces its Charisma to 0; otherwise, the reduction lasts until it finishes a short or long rest. Constructs and undead are immune to this ability.
Reap (Recharge 6). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature that is marked for death. Hit: If the creature has 100 hit points or fewer, it dies.
Memento Mori (1/Day). Calliope emits a wave of negative energy that brings a creature's soul to within an inch of death. Each creature within 30 feet of her must make a DC 20 Charisma saving throw or drop to half its current hit points. If a creature fails the save by 5 or more, it instead drops to 1 hit point. Constructs and undead are unaffected by this ability.
Legendary Actions
Calliope 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. Calliope regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
Judge Mortality. Calliope casts spare the dying or toll the dead.
Relentless Pursuit. Calliope teleports to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of a creature that is marked for death.
Scythe Attack (Costs 2 Actions). Calliope makes a scythe attack.
Siphon Soul (Costs 3 Actions). Calliope uses her Wither Soul and gains temporary hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt.