Chaneque

Small fey, neutral evil

Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
Hit Points 32 (5d6+15)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
6 (-2)	17 (+3 16 (+3)	13 (+1)	17 (+3)	9 (-1)

Skills Acrobatics +5, Stealth +5
Damage Resistances bludgeoning and piercing from nonmagical attacks.
Senses low-light vision, passive Perception 12
Languages Abyssal, Common, Sylvan
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Innate Spellcasting. The chaneque’s spell casting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
• 3/day: fear

ACTIONS

• Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 +3) slashing damage.
• Throw Skull (Recharges after a Long Rest). Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 10/40 ft. range, one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed for 1d3 rounds. While the target is charmed the chaneque may issue telepathic commands to them, as per the spell dominate person. Whenever the charmed target takes damage, the target can repeat the saving throw. On a success, the effect ends.

ABOUT

These insidiously malicious fey lurk in the untainted depths of primeval forests. As nocturnal creatures, chaneques spend their days burrowed into the highest hollows of rotten trees. When night falls, they unfurl themselves from their resting places to hunt the forests for fairy heads and mortal souls. A typical chaneque stands about 3 feet tall, with blackish-red, rubbery flesh. It has long, filthy claws it uses to cling to trees.

Between the creature’s legs and arms hang wide, webbed flaps it uses for gliding. A chaneque also has long, ridged, batlike ears and needle-like teeth.

Arboreal Ambushers. Chaneques are ambush predators, preferring to stalk their prey to study its habits before attacking. Despite being a clumsy flyer, the batlike chaneque maneuvers well in the forest canopy, leaping about and using its winglike skin folds to glide from tree to tree, just waiting for an opportune moment to strike. When a chaneque attacks, it pops out without warning, attempting to startle victims before pelting them with tiny skulls capable of stealing their souls.

Headhunters. Driven by malice, chaneques see themselves as dutiful punishers of the fey. They hunt heads of brownies, pixies, sprites, and nearly any other fey they encounter.

They collect these creatures’ skulls and through dark rituals transform them into powerful, soul-stealing weapons. The chaneques then hurl the skulls at any creatures that dare transgress upon their territories.