Quietkeeper
Large aberration, neutral
- Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 286 (44d10 + 44)
- Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 19 (+4) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 22 (+6)
- Saving Throws Intelligence +8, Wisdom +9, Charisma +11
- Skills Perception +9, Stealth +6
- Damage Resistances psychic, thunder
- Condition Immunities blindness, deafened
- Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Percpetion 19
- Languages Deep Speech
- Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)
Aura of Indifference. Any creature of the quietkeeper's choice that starts its turn within 75 feet of it must make a DC 19 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, the quietkeeper can choose one of the following effects:
- For the next eight hours, the creature becomes indifferent to one creature, object, or location of the quietkeeper's choice. The creature gains disadadvantge on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws relating to the object of indifference. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each hour or when they are confronted with evidence that their disinterest is irrational, ending the effect on a success.
- Until the start of the creature's next turn, the creature becomes indifferent to their surroundings as a wave of apathy overtakes them. The creature is incapacitated.
A creature can only be subject to one of these effects at a time. If a creature's saving throw is successful, it is immune to all quietkeepers' auras of indifference for 24 hours.
Aura of Silence. The quietkeeper can activate and deactivate this aura as a bonus action. While it is activated, all sound within 75 feet of the quietkeeper is silenced, as though by the silence spell.
Quiet Movement. The quietkeeper makes no sound when it moves. It has advantage on stealth checks.
Actions
Multiattack. The quietkeeper makes three talon attacks or two spine attacks.
Spine. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 75/300 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d8 + 1) piercing damage
Talon. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d10 + 4) slashing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 17). In addition, the target must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be incapacitated as long as it is grappled in this way. An incapacitated creature can repeat the save at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success. The quietkeeper can grapple up to two creatures at a time.
Quietkeeper
An archaeologist delving into forgotten tombs is suddenly uninterested in digging any deeper. A wizard fighting cultists of the Far Ones finds her spells silenced, and is soon overwhelmed. A ranger sees the shadow of giant owl pass over the moon, and feels their stomach clench. That was no owl.
Silent Guardians. Quietkeepers are creatures sent from the Far Realm to watch over things of interest to their master. They appear at sites of cult activity, forgotten shrines to silence, and the rare, peaceful corners of the world where nothing has changed for centuries. Once there, they hide themselves away, observing and warding away any wayward adventurers.
Unsettling Form. The silhouette of a quietkeeper is similar to that of a giant owl. They have the same wings, talons, and feathers. However, instead of a beak and eyes, their face is replaced with one huge eye with inverted whites and pupil. There are other differences as well. Most noticeably, dozens of black spines (easily detached and flung) are nestled among their feathers, and their talons extremely articulated. Many quietkeepers are fond of emphasizing speech with unsettling gesticulations.
Servants of Peace. Quietkeepers are not commonly seen, as they are the agents of Distant Peace, a Far One which rarely interacts with the mortal world. They are only sent when Distant Peace has been drawn to a particular location (either intentionally or not), and remain in place, preserving stillness and quiet, until destroyed.
Hidden Violence. Quietkeepers do not jump straight into combat, preferring to use their auras to quiet any disturbances which arise. If those options prove ineffective, however, they leap into battle with ferocity. Their favorite tactic is to seize enemies, fly up while they are incapacitated, and drop them. They prioritize spellcasters and ranged attackers who can hit them in the air, patricularly those that could ground them. There is no quicker way to anger a quietkeeper than clip its wings.