Angel of Empyreus

Large celestial, lawful neutral

Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
Hit Points 445 (33d10+264)
Speed 40 ft., fly 90 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
29 (+9)	23 (+6)	26 (+8)	25 (+7)	18 (+4)	30 (+10)

Saving Throws Str +16, Int +14, Wis +11, Cha +17
Skills Arcana +14, Insight +11, Intimidation +17, Investigation +14, Perception +11, Religion +14
Damage Resistances fire, lightning, radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 21
Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 22 (41,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +7

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Celestial Arsenal. The Angel of Empyreus’ weapon attacks are magical. When it hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 27 (6d8) radiant damage (included in the attack).
• Authoritative Mien. The Angel of Empyreus can cast the command spell at will (spell save DC 25).
• Divine Awareness. The Angel of Empyreus knows if it hears a lie.
• Holy Aura. The Angel of Empyreus can project a 60-ft. aura of holiness as a bonus action. The aura affects all creatures within its area unless the Angel of Empyreus chooses to exclude a creature from the effect. A creature remains under the aura’s effect until it leaves the area, dies, or when the Angel of Empyrean chooses a new aura effect. Only one effect may be active at a time:
• Judgement. Creatures who start their turn in the aura must succeed on a DC 25 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, the creature gains a level of exhaustion as intensified feelings of guilt, doubt, remorse, and selfcriticism overwhelm the affected creature. Creatures who succeed on the saving throw are immune to the effect for one hour.
• Valor. Creatures who start their turn in the aura gain 15 temporary hit points, cannot be charmed or frightened, and have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The Angel of Empyreus can make three attacks with its holy avenger.
• Holy Avenger. Melee Weapon Attack: +24 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (4d6 + 9) slashing damage plus 27 (6d8) radiant damage. If the target is a fiend or undead, it takes an additional 22 (4d10) radiant damage.
• Blazing Radiance (Recharge 5-6). The Angel of Empyreus unleashes holy fire in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw or take 35 (10d6) fire and 35 (10d6) radiant damage. Creatures take half damage on a success.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

The Angel of Empyreus 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. The Angel of Empyreus regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Fly. The Angel of Empyreus flies up to half its fly speed.
• Sword. The Angel of Empyreus makes a holy avenger attack.
• Hurl Sword (2 Actions). The Angel of Empyreus hurls its sword in a 30-foot line that is 5-feet wide. Each creature in that line must succeed on a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw or take 23 (4d6 + 9) slashing damage plus 27 (6d8) radiant damage. The sword immediately returns to its hand.
• Recharge. The Angel of Empyreus recharges its Blazing Radiance.

ABOUT

A Celestial Commander. These valorous angels were created to punish the wicked and ensure the sincerity of the penitent. When Maligant called his heavenly hosts in the war of the Four Divines, the angels marshalled out with the other upper echelons under the command of the Arch Seraph Empyreus. When Aurelia sacrificed herself and revealed the madness of the war, the Angels fought on, refusing to admit that they were part of a calamitous tragedy, seeing surrender as tantamount to blasphemy. With the zeal of a censorious bureaucratic tyrant, they now wage a guerilla war with a piecemeal retinue of veteran battle angels, zealots, fanatic paladins, cohorts of penitent levies, and volunteer convert militia auxiliaries as part of an anti-corruption peasant revolt in the hinterland of Altenheim.

Fiendish Temptation. Each Angel keeps a copper cage under a velveteen cover inside a lead box encased in blessed orichalcum on a thick chain around its neck. In the cage is a pathetic, impish fiend of Malikir, withered like a raisin. The creature has an uncanny knack for teasing out corruption, and compelling wicked behavior in mortals. It only takes moments to get a confession once a weak-willed mortal has revealed their true self in the presence of the fiend.

A Corrupted Temperance. An Angel of Empyreus uses its original orders as a pretext for further violence.

It will never surrender. Surrender is a trick of the enemy.

It must fulfill its purpose. to root out corruption and sin, and it will do anything to find sin in mortal hearts. The imp claims to put mortals to the test, and the Angel knows what it is doing. It won’t kill the imp, as using the imp reveals the innate corruption in mortal souls.

• DC 10 Intelligence (Religion): The Arch Seraphs are attended by mighty angels who act as their lieutenants and execute the divine remnants’ orders.
• DC 15 Intelligence (History): Empyreus went into battle surrounded by an honor guard of fearsome celestials honed by aeons of divine war. Many of them remained at Empyreus’ side at the end of the Four Divines’ War, but not all remained loyal.
• DC 20 Intelligence (History): Peasant revolts and religious zealotry are on the rise in the Altenheim hinterland. Most say it’s the usual grievances, but some whisper that a commander of the celestial hosts leads the revolt, and its ranks swell by the day.
Section 15: Copyright Notice

Grim Hollow: The Monster Grimoire © 2021, Ghostfire Gaming Pty Ltd. Author: Shawn Merwin

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