Eikthyrnir

Huge aberration, neutral evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 161 (17d12 + 51)
Speed 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	9 (-1)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)

Saving Throws Strength +8, Dexterity +7, Wisdom +6
Skills Nature +3, Perception +6, Religion +3, Stealth +7
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned, prone
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Understands Common, Elvish, Sylvan but can’t speak them
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Special Traits

• Charge. If the eikthyrnir moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a pincers attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
• Hallucination. When a creature starts its turn within 60 feet of the eikthyrnir and is able to see the eikthyrnir’s eyes, the eikthyrnir can magically force it to make a DC 12 Charisma saving throw, unless the eikthyrnir is incapacitated. On a failed saving throw, the creature can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn and rolls a d8 to determine what it does during that turn. On a 1 to 4, the creature does nothing. On a 5 or 6, the creature takes no action but uses all its movement to move in a random direction. On a 7 or 8, the creature makes one melee attack against a random creature, or it does nothing if no creature is within reach. Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can’t see the eikthyrnir until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at the eikthyrnir in the meantime, it must immediately make the save.
• Keen Sight and Smell. The eikthyrnir has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.
• Probing Telepathy. If a creature communicates telepathically with the eikthyrnir, the eikthyrnir learns the creature’s greatest desires if the eikthyrnir can see the creature.

Actions

• Multiattack. The eikthyrnir makes one attack with its pincers and one with its hooves.
• Pincers. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 16) and restrained until the grapple ends.
• Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one prone creature. Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
• Enslave (3/Day). The eikthyrnir targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed by the eikthyrnir until the eikthyrnir dies or until it is on a different plane of existence from the target. The charmed target is under the eikthyrnir’s control and can’t take reactions, and the eikthyrnir and the target can communicate telepathically with each other over any distance. Whenever the charmed target takes damage, the target can repeat the saving throw. On a success, the effect ends. No more than once every 24 hours, the target can also repeat the saving throw when it is at least 1 mile away from the eikthyrnir.
• Nightmare Haunting (1/Day). The eikthyrnir magically haunts a sleeping humanoid on the Material Plane within a 1 mile range. A protection from evil and good spell cast on the target prevents this contact, as does a magic circle. As long as the contact persists, the target has dreadful visions. If these visions last for at least 1 hour, the target gains no benefit from its rest, and its hit point maximum is reduced by 5 (1d10). If this effect reduces the target’s hit point maximum to 0, the target dies, and if the target was evil, it rises as a mummy under the eikthyrnir’s control. The reduction to the target’s hit point maximum lasts until removed by the greater restoration spell or similar magic.
• Skewer. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one incapacitated humanoid grappled by the eikthyrnir. Hit: The target takes 55 (10d10) piercing damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the eikthyrnir kills the target by skewering it on a tree.

About

This shadowy thing only roughly resembles a huge elk, with bright red eyes cloaked in a hooded head that swings from its pendulous neck. Jutting antlers and a pair of human-like arms protrude from its face.

An eikthryrnir stalks travelers who enter the forest and “marks” future converts who has suffered from emotional pain. That person is given a choice; worship the eikthryrnir or die at its hands. Those who are not marked by it are tortured and sacrificed, their blood acting as nourishment for Yggdrasil.