Glaistig

Medium fey, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 319 (22d8+220)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
28 (+9)	30 (+10)	30 (+10)	27 (+8)	28 (+9)	30 (+10)

Saves Cha +17, Con +17, Dex +17
Skills Deception +24, Perception +16, Performance +17, Persuasion +17, Stealth +17
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses tremorsense 120 ft., passive Perception 26
Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan, Terran
Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Nature’s Blast. Whenever the glaistig casts fireball, it can choose to make the explosion out of rocks dealing bludgeoning damage instead of fire damage. Alternatively, it can choose to make the explosion out of leaves dealing slashing damage instead of fire damage. The glaistig must use this ability when casting fireball.
• Earth Glide. The glaistig can glide through nonmagical, unworked earth and stone. While doing so, the glaistig doesn’t disturb the material it moves through.
• Innate Spellcasting: The glaistig’s spell casting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 25). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • At will: create or destroy water, freedom of movement, pass without trace, purify food and drink
  • 3/day each: fireball, flesh to stone, move earth
• Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the glaistig fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The glaistig makes three earth whip attacks or three leaf whip attacks.
• Earth Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, 10 ft. reach, one target. Hit: 23 (4d12 + 10) bludgeoning damage.
• Leaf Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, 10 ft. reach, one target. Hit: 23 (4d12 + 10) slashing damage.
• Reveler’s Rapture (3/Day). The glaistig can affect all creatures within 30 feet with a supernatural urge to dance. An affected creature must succeed a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or be forced to nothing on for 3 (1d4+1) turns but dance in place. The creature can attempt a new saving throw at the end of each round to end this effect.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

The glaistig 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 glaistig regains spent Legendary Actions at the start of its turn.

• Detect. The glaistig makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
• Nature’s Whip. The glaistig makes a leaf whip or stone whip attack.
• Reveler’s Suggestion (Costs 2 Actions). The glaistig can target one creature it can see to be the target of an ability identical to its Reveler’s Rapture ability.

LAIR ACTIONS

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the glaistig takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; The glaistig can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Vines begin to entangle one creature. The creature must succeed a DC 20 Strength saving throw or become restrained until the end of its next turn.
• The glaistig can summon one earth elemental under its control. This earth elemental has half the Hit Points of a normal earth elemental.
• The glaistig can cause a 10-foot radius area of unworked earth to grow full of obstrusive plants, making it difficult terrain.

REGIONAL EFFECTS

The region containing the glaistig’s lair is shaped by its power over nature, which creates one or more of the following effects:

• Plants within 5 miles of the glaistig’s lair grow at ten times their normal speed and often in the form of wild animals.
• Animals within 10 miles of the glaistig’s lair are less likely to attack people unless provoked.
• Intruders within 10 miles of the glaistig’s lair are more likely to be confronted by fey creatures warning them of the danger the glaistig can cause.

ABOUT

Hailed as either protectors or plagues, glaistigs are ancient fey, tied to the earth and wielding its powers. Although not evil, glaistigs are unpredictable and hot-tempered—easily stirred to anger and possessing powerful magic to deal great harm to the objects of their scorn. A glaistig resembles a comely human woman with greenish skin and the lower legs of a goat, similar to a faun or satyr. Glaistigs usually cover their bestial lower body in flowing robes or gowns, typically woven from leaves frozen in the colors of summer or autumn and adorn themselves with simple but elegant jewelry. Their haunting eyes show no pupils, and every step they take seems as one move in an endless dance. They can be whimsical, but often move and act with great deliberation, especially when their anger is roused.

Eldest Watchers. Glaistigs are among the oldest and most powerful fey in existence. Legends say that they were once incorporeal spirits of the earth that strove to protect early humans living the simple lives of farmers in harsh worlds, and it was through that protection and proximity that these spirits coalesced into the forms they now hold. Regardless of their origins, many glaistigs still protect swaths of rural countryside, forests, and swamps, as well as the people who live therein. Their protection is often unobtrusive; they prefer to manifest their power and protection from the camouflage of foliage, making it seem like the wilderness itself is acting against interlopers. In times of great need, however, or when they become very angry, glaistigs confront dangers in the open. Inhabitants of places protected by a glaistig often leave food, drink, jewels, and crafts at a designated place of honor, or gather to sing songs or tell tales for the glaistig to hear from the shadows.

Attachment to Innocence. While glaistigs themselves have no compunction about bending the truth or flagrantly dissembling, they take extreme offense when others lie to them, and are quite adept at sniffing out falsehoods. When a glaistig deduces that someone has lied to her, even if the untruths were spoken in an attempt at flattery, her outrage is such that she is unwilling to even speak with that person again.

Among some of the most prevalent cautionary tales involving glaistigs is that they sometimes lure young children deep into their wilderness homes, kidnapping them and even replacing them with some form of fey impostor. In truth, these fey enjoy the innocence, honesty, and playfulness of children, and usually keep them only to chat and dance with for a short while before sending them home unharmed.