Carcus
Locations in Carcus
The Confinements
Despondence Reach
The Solitude
Weeper’s Silence
Land of the Besiegers
Horribus Caves
The Nightmare Stables
Sanadara Palace
Gennax
Iconoclast Spire
Dormant Portal
Fiendish Aristocracy of Carcus
Fiends Native to Carcus
Apophians
Iconoclasts
Qutrub
Locations in Carcus
The Confinements
Among the Outer Planes, Carcus is unique in that it is completely enclosed within the Confinements, nigh-impenetrable rock that is exuded from the Outer Barrier itself and is perpetually worn away by the Frictional Barriers. The Confinements impose a singular oppression over the plane, for even the natives know that they are effectively trapped here just as much as any damned soul.
The Five Rivers flow through the few gaps which exist in the Confinements, filling them completely as they rush through and merge into the Confluence at the heart of the circular plane, with the Cocytus even splitting apart into two distinct courses in order to manage this. Whilst it is known that the mysterious Boatmen do not dare sail the Confluence of any plane, they are spotted still on the Five Rivers as they pass into the central Confinements. No attempt to follow them and find out more has been successful.
Despondence Reach
One of the largest areas of Carcus is Despondence Reach, a choking ash field dotted with towers resembling withered claws reaching up from the poisoned earth. Each of these is the personal domain of a rakshasa jaduraja, a sorcerer-king of immense power and equally awesome arrogance. Whilst Vornoth claims their allegiance, their obedience is in truth a matter of expediency rather than conviction—and only for so long as they remain useful will Vornoth tolerate this.
Half-buried in Despondence Reach is the immeasurable elderfiend Ulupi, she who is Worldeater and Sunswallower, coiled the countless miles around Sanadara Palace at the behest of Vornoth, her head resting upon the end of her own tail. Her slightest movement causes earthquakes that can be felt across the plane, and she has only grown larger and stronger since her own confinement here, watching for any attempt by Ravana Samraat to flee his palace.
The Solitude
The Solitude is the uncontested territory of the apophians, unholy serpentine spawn of Ulupi. The entire region is covered with their discarded skins and shed scales, decaying slowly into razored dust that billows up with each passing breeze. Any unfortunate who breathes this in and cannot immediately heal the damage suffers an agonizing death as their throat and lungs are ripped apart from the inside out.
Though normally averse to coming together, apophians will sometimes be struck by an urge to do precisely that, and gather in their thousands across the Solitude to wrap certain souls in their possession—those of captured coatls and nagas are especial favorites—within their sheddings. Over the course of three weeks, the souls will be transmogrified into new apophians, their former lives not even a memory.
Weeper's Silence
Some say that the Weeper for whom this region is supposedly named was Bemit, the sacrificial deity created by Vornoth for no reason other than to die for the Darkest God, and who realized this fate at the last moment. Others claim it was Nergal who gave it this name, though for what reason is unclear. Still more say that the name is just a reference to the crushing despair that souls within Carcus feel, making them unable even to mourn their damnation.
Whatever the truth, it is in this largest and most grim of regions that Vornoth chose to delve into the Confinements and construct his cave-fortress of Horribus. Those armies of his in Carcus which are not continuing the siege of Gennax are nearly all located here and are uniformly bored. Traversing this region is thus extremely dangerous, since the assembled fiends have precious little else to do but cause pain and death whenever the whim strikes.
Land of the Besiegers
Countless names have been given to this part of Carcus over the centuries, and many great and terrible battles have been fought here. At present, it is known as the Land of the Besiegers, for the vast majority of it is nothing more than a military encampment for the forces of Vornoth as they attempt to breach the divine wards protecting the Death God Grlarshh within his final stronghold of Gennax.
It is illuminated by the Phlegethos, spiralling through the air above the earth as it passes directly through Gennax—which was actually constructed around the River of Fire—and is surrounded by great stairways used by the yugoloth fiend-mercenaries to reach and sail upon the river itself into Gennax upon rafts of pure magical force as only they are permitted. Attempts by the besieging fiends to replicate this feat inevitably end in fiery failure.
Horribus Caves
The Horribus Caves are a recursive miniature of Carcus as a whole, growing ever more smaller and more claustrophobic as one descends ever deeper into them. In addition to serving as a highly defensible garrison, Horribus also functions as a near-inescapable prison for particularly dangerous extraplanar foes. Even Abzu has been incarcerated here twice, leaving only due to death and discorporation.
Though long reserved for only the most elite soldiers of his Carcusite armies, Vornoth has recently opened the caves up to the sibling triad of elderfiends who created the iconoclasts. The trio of Minos, Rhadamanthys, and Sarpedon are now regular sights in the tunnels. Whilst their progeny continue to prefer their singular spires for the most part, they do not scorn the opportunity to pursue souls once beyond their influence within Horribus.
The Nightmare Stables
Whilst wild nightmares can be found throughout the Hells, they are bred and trained for warfare in Carcus, in the aerial stables above the Horribus Caves. The stablemaster is the Godsliver Fiend Ephialtes, who harnesses the power of the Winds of Pain—the tumult stirred up by the Acheron as it hurtles along the ceiling of Carcus—to infuse the nightmares with horrific strength and endurance. Whilst most creatures are helpless when caught up in the Winds of Pain, the nightmares of Ephialtes are mighty enough to survive and even fly freely in them.
Sanadara Palace
Nothing else in Carcus compares to the Sanadara Palace, a gloriously overblown monument to the ego of Ravana Samraat, as designed by the elderfiend himself. Here, the first of all rakshasas, self-proclaimed Avatar of the Eighth Sin, carouses in endless merriment in defiance of the Darkest God, inciting his equally arrogant children to do the same in mocking response to the increasing anger of Vornoth.
At his encouragement, rakshasas and evil weretigers fill the halls with their adulation of the godking who made them all. The Sanadara Palace is also the only place outside of Malor where mariliths willingly congregate, finding perverse joy in the company of rakshasas. As Ravana Samraat grows ever more powerful despite his isolation, perhaps through exploitation of the Worship Mechanism as some whisper, ever greater numbers of these demons gather to him in interest.
Gennax
The fortress of Gennax is all that still belongs to Grlarshh, God of Death. Even so, it is all but abandoned, with even the vast majority of souls dedicated to Grlarshh in life being snatched up before they can reach his domain. Only a few of those souls which are carried on the Phlegethos ever reach Gennax, and these are inevitably taken by Nergal to be turned into more of his qutrub fiends. Once they leave Gennax however, even the qutrub are prevented from passing back through the wards established around it by Dekk and Neltak.
Inexplicably, impossibly, some shades of the dead appear to manifest within Gennax without having actually passed through the Five Rivers, though they are not wholly present and are of no use to the struggling god. Qutrub, being knowledgeable in these affairs, theorizes that there is a power within Gennax trying to draw these souls to itself, but is not strong enough to fully bypass the need for the Five Rivers. If true, the fact that this feat has been considered impossible raises many worrying questions.
Iconoclast Spire
Iconoclasts roam Carcus almost freely, barred only from Gennax and, until recently, Horribus. The souls they gather up are taken to one of the six great spires of the plane to be stripped of their former lives. Most are dissolved into the fabric of the plane as a result of the harvesting, to become nothing but moaning shades drifting endlessly and without hope. A few are instead subjected to a far more grotesque depersonalization that ultimately results in a new iconoclast.
Access to the interior of an Iconoclast Spire is greatly limited, and was historically almost unheard-of. It has only been since the progenitors of the iconoclasts—the sibling trio of Minos, Rhadamanthys, and Sarpedon—allied themselves with Vornoth that this has changed. Initial reports suggest that each spire is filled with torture rooms of mirrored walls that enable the iconoclasts to perform their foul art across a multitude of iterations of their victims simultaneously.
Dormant Portal
One of the few true mysteries of Carcus is the small cave wherein a dormant portal lies, unresponsive to any attempt to wake it once more. The origins and destination of the portal are wholly unknown, and even the most powerful divinatory magic has failed to shed any light on the mystery. Only a single clue exists: mortals killed nearby immediately rise as ghouls or ghasts. What this clue points towards, however, is just as unknown as everything else to do with this portal.
Fiendish Aristocracy of Carcus
Samael
Domain: None, current location is possibly somewhere in the Penumbra
Position: Unbowed Prince
Significant Titles: Defier of Gods, Angelsguide, He Who Dissents, Scorner of Sin
A Brief Overview
Samael is the last surviving Godsliver Fiend of Grlarshh, and the reason for Vornoth finally decreeing that they too must all perish. At the behest of Baphomet, he stole power from Vornoth's armies during the assaults on Gennax, but whilst it was this which aroused the suspicions of Adramelech, it was not his ultimate treachery. That came when he was seen leading one of the angelic hosts which broke the siege of Gennax at the moment of its apparent triumph.
Knowing this discovery meant he could do no more to help his maker in the Hells, Samael retreated and has not been seen since. Communications to both the Heavens and certain agents on the Material Plane have been intercepted which purport to be authored by Samael, but following the trail back only led to investigative dead-ends.
Vornoth considers the execution of Samael to be a priority second only to that of Grlarshh himself, and has a standing order that all operations may be immediately ceased to pursue Samael should his discovery be confirmed. A similar order pervades the Heavens, who wish to make more complete use of him, but they too are finding it impossible to track him down.
A dubious report came in scarcely ten years past, pointing to Samael hiding out in the Penumbra, but it has not been verified or repeated since. Events on the Material Plane coincidentally interfered with the search, as three of the Lords of Sin were killed by the Lords of the West. A courier marked with Samael's symbol was later reported to have delivered a missive directly to the hand of King Baranwe the Tall. From all quarters, silence on this renegade fell again.
Astaroth
Domain: Hall of Recriminations, within Horribus
Position: Archdevil Tertius
Significant Titles: The Convincing, He of Perverse Rationality, Master of Doubts
A Brief Overview
A mighty fiend carved by Moloch out of the Confinements of Carcus, Astaroth serves as a way for Adramelech to keep an eye on things over in Carcus, just in case the situation with Gennax changes. Astaroth, not being a fool, stays safely away from the front line and lets his underlings report back to him, whilst emulating his master’s work of tempting others—that these others also happen to be fiends, most of them fellow native Carcusites, is merely a pleasing challenge, for over the centuries Astaroth has become a master of his craft.
His speciality lies in seizing upon the slightest hesitation and gently plucking at it, as he might at a loose thread, until everything that his adversary believes starts to come crashing down around them. At the moment of greatest doubt, Astaroth remorsefully suggests solutions that could never work unmodified, so that his opponent works through the problems for themselves—and have, therefore, freely chosen to pursue the path he set before them.
One of the few stumbling blocks he faces with any regularity is that of the yugoloth fiend-mercenaries, who have almost no interest in anything save the acquisition of wealth. Astaroth even went to the personal expense of hiring a team of devils trained personally by Paimon, specifically to educate him on the intricacies of fiendish finance, but this investment has yet to be proved worthwhile.
He maintains an almost-friendly rivalry with Sarpedon, who amusingly remains convinced that corrupted souls from the Material Plane are worth far more than those of fiends who have merely switched loyalties. The two often exchange communications detailing their respective conquests, supplemented by invoices from Mammon's Vaults of Usury to prove that the one or the other is currently winning their wager.
Garuda
Domain: The Winds of Pain, across Carcus
Position: Archdevil Tertius
Significant Titles: Seeker of the Wayward, Mother of Rocs, Devourer of Trolls
A Brief Overview
Whilst officially reckoned as one of the great archdevils, being in the employ of Abraxus, Garuda is technically one of the unaligned fiends native to Carcus, and spends much of her time there, soaring endlessly on the Winds of Pain that travel the plane entire. The wake of her passage is enough to flatten fortifications many miles below, and it is intended for her to be in the vanguard when the renewed siege of Gennax finally comes to an end.
Garuda knows that may well be her end, but cares not, pining over the loss of her children to the temptations of the Material Plane. The loss of the rocs is traced back to the original breaking of the siege of Gennax, and is popularly blamed on another scheme of Samael's, but nobody knows the truth for certain. Garuda curses herself more than any other, though she continues to kill any lesser fiend foolish enough to deliver news of rocs continuing to aid the inhabitants of the Material Plane.
Her constant circling of Carcus stems from the ironic hope that the soul of any evil roc will end up here, and allow her the chance to gather it up and teach it what it truly means to soar upon the Winds of Pain. Garuda has even attempted to breach into the Material Plane in person, without being summoned, but is guarded against by the Teregnaven of Forntol. Garuda has thus sworn the extinction of all trolls, regardless of which side they are on.
Unbeknownst to her, the rocs still remember from whence they came, and acknowledge her as the mother of their species. However, to them, Garuda is the archetype of evil that must be avoided at all costs, and her name is never spoken lest it draws her attention. From time to time a roc has fallen from the light but is always carried to the Feywild by the agents of Ziz, so that Garuda never claims a single one of their souls, no matter how tainted.
Minos
Domain: Anywhere within Carcus
Position: Archdevil Tertius
Notable Status: Progenitor Elderfiend (Iconoclast)
Significant Titles: The Stubborn, Pathfinder, Adjudicator of Impulse, Wielder of the Dawncleaver
A Brief Overview
One of the three most recent, and most promising additions, to the Carcusite forces aligned with Vornoth, having long maintained a strict and impenetrable neutrality as with the rest of their peculiar type of fiend. Quite why this sibling trio has decided to break from tradition and devote themselves to Vornoth, instead of simply getting on with the business of breaking down new souls ready, is a mystery.
Minos specializes in extracting power from those souls damned to Carcus for opportunistic evil, as well as encouraging a typically self-destructive spontaneity in others. Appropriately, of the three he is the most impulsive and least likely to consider the consequences of his actions. That said, when he does pause to deliberate a decision, Minos is almost impossible to turn away from it once he actually chooses a course of action.
Being an Elderfiend comes with certain benefits, not least the right to travel anywhere within Carcus in order to claim and divest a wayward soul of its energy. Given that the plane is still one of the Hells, however, Minos is armed with one of the Dominions to reinforce his right of free movement. His Dominion is the Dawncleaver. In theory, he may even enter Gennax, but has not done so since nearly the beginning of time.
There are also certain pyramids in the strange land of Ishia, shunned by native and foreigner alike for no explicable reason, which contain his symbol inscribed clearly among the more impenetrable glyphs, usually alongside an unknown other that has been completely and deliberately destroyed. Whatever the reason for this, it is interesting to note that the pronunciation of his symbol, in the Old Ishian dialect, is also the name that those monstrosities called minotaurs give to themselves.
Rhadamanthys
Domain: Anywhere within Carcus
Position: Archdevil Tertius
Notable Status: Progenitor Elderfiend (Iconoclast)
Significant Titles: The Grim, The Punitive One, Adjudicator of Forethought, Wielder of the Noonbreaker
A Brief Overview
Like Minos, he is one of the three most recent, and most promising additions, to the Carcusite forces aligned with Vornoth, having long maintained a strict and impenetrable neutrality as with the rest of their peculiar type of fiend. Quite why this sibling trio has decided to break from tradition and devote themselves to Vornoth, instead of simply getting on with the business of breaking down new souls ready, is a mystery.
Rhadamanthys specializes in extracting power from those souls damned to Carcus for premeditated evil, as well as imposing a certain degree of cooperation on the normally independent fiends of the plane. As expected, of the three he is the slowest to act, always trying to consider every possible outcome. This is not to say that Rhadamanthys is lazy, for if all else fails he will simply revert to carrying out his original solemn duty.
Being an Elderfiend comes with certain benefits, not least the right to travel anywhere within Carcus in order to claim and divest a wayward soul of its energy. Given that the plane is still one of the Hells, however, Rhadamanthys is armed with one of the Dominions to reinforce his right of free movement. His Dominion is the mace Gloombreaker. In theory, he may even enter Gennax, but like Minos has not done so since nearly the beginning of time.
Unlike his peers, Rhadamanthys is independent of oversight, having made that a precondition of his submission. It is rumored that Belial is interested in acquiring his services, but the archdevil has yet to make any offer at all—never mind one Rhadamanthys may even accept. Strangely enough, most archdevils sufficiently mighty to command him are very vocal about having perfectly adequate servants from the ranks of true Barathean fiends.
Sarpedon
Domain: Anywhere within Carcus
Position: Archdevil Tertius
Notable Status: Progenitor Elderfiend (Iconoclast)
Significant Titles: Fatechanger, Doom Diviner, Adjudicator of Dispassion, Wielder of the Dusklasher
A Brief Overview
Like his two bretheren, he is one of the three most recent, and most promising additions, to the Carcusite forces aligned with Vornoth, having long maintained a strict and impenetrable neutrality as with the rest of their peculiar type of fiend. Quite why this sibling trio has decided to break from tradition and devote themselves to Vornoth, instead of simply getting on with the business of breaking down new souls ready, is a mystery.
Sarpedon specializes in extracting power from those souls damned to Carcus for evil performed for its own sake, and is known for being able to induce a fatally apathetic state in others. Ironically, he is the most personable of the three, and enjoys the company of intellectuals who can debate morality with him on an equal footing. More reckless clerics of Bel are known to summon him specifically for this reason, and Sarpedon has never yet declined a communion.
Being an Elderfiend comes with certain benefits, not least the right to travel anywhere within Carcus in order to claim and divest a wayward soul of its energy. Given that the plane is still one of the Hells, however, Sarpedon is armed with one of the Dominions to reinforce his right of free movement. His Dominion is the whip Dusklasher. Like the other two, in theory, he may even enter Gennax, but has not done so since nearly the beginning of time.
Sarpedon is currently embroiled in a wager with Astaroth over which is the more valuable, damned souls or fiendish loyalties, with Sarpedon championing the former. To prove his point, he even negotiates directly with Paimon's merchant-devils, selling them his gathered souls and presenting the invoices to Astaroth. The two are on fairly even footing at the moment, which really only encourages them.
Ulupi
Domain: Despondence Reach, in the shadow of Sanadara Palace
Position: Archdevil Tertius
Notable Status: Progenitor Elderfiend (Apophian)
Significant Titles: Worldeater, Sunswallower, She Who Renews, The Moonsbane Serpent
A Brief Overview
Despite her prominence in the Hells having been usurped by Salystra, Ulupi retains much of her influence among those creatures which are descended from her, especially mariliths. Most notably, on the Material Plane, the yuan-ti revere her as their creator and work tirelessly to do her bidding, which comes straight from Lamashtu; whereas coatls and naga dourly acknowledge her as their creator and work tirelessly to sabotage her efforts.
She is also responsible for more singular entities that have slithered out into the planes and caused all manner of havoc. Writhing Azhdahak is one of her most horrific progeny, as is spiteful Bakunawa and deceitful Uurm; yet opposing them are such as beatific Tapyera and noble Bahamut, and even timid Awanyu who finds courage when others most need him to.
The drow have been taught that she is a rival to Salystra and consequently view everything she is responsible for as something that simply must go, no matter how useful it might have been otherwise. They are careful to keep this from yuan-ti, and marilith demons, in particular, but everybody is aware that some kind of betrayal is imminent whenever any of those are working together. As far as Ulupi is concerned, the drow are irrelevant, which would probably drive them to apoplexy if they ever found out.
Ulupi herself is currently coiled around the Sanadara Palace, keeping watch on it for Vornoth and making sure that its arrogant ruler does not attempt to escape anywhere. She has been there so long, patient and unmoving, that she is very nearly part of the landscape, and uninformed newcomers to the Despondence Reach will often travel over her for many miles before realizing just what they are walking on.
Nergal
Domain: The Dismal Overlook, atop Gennax
Position: None (see below)
Notable Status: Progenitor Elderfiend (Qutrub)
Significant Titles: The Resigned Watcher, Seneschal of Inevitability, Lichbane
A Brief Overview
One of only two surviving Godsliver Fiends of Tormossh, Nergal has the dubious honor of being the last great fiend still by Grlarshh's side. This is less due to personal loyalty, for Nergal was ever the practical one in the family, but more because he was unlucky enough to be inside the boundaries of Gennax when it was sealed off from Vornoth by Dekk and Neltak.
Nergal would have been quite happy to defect to the Darkest God, had he not discovered that he was considered as much an enemy as Grlarshh himself. This put him in something of a quandary, since he knew he was scarcely more welcome in Gennax at this point, having vocally championed Vornoth's plan to create the Book of Seven, and therefore was now an accessory to the entire situation. He was able to save himself through creative and sincere begging that convinced Grlarshh even a pathetic servant is still a servant, especially now that so many others were lost.
Over the passing of millennia, he has almost been forgotten by the rest of the universe, not as much to his chagrin as he used to believe it would be, but every so often a senior yugoloth will pass along a message reminding him that Vornoth still wants him dead just on principle. Nergal is particularly irked by their tendency to stroll through Gennax, and indeed almost anywhere else in Carcus, as though nothing was wrong, but knows better than to kill them out of spite.
One of the few things Nergal has been able to accomplish in his prison is the spreading of his qutrub creations outside of Gennax, hiring yugoloths at exorbitant prices to transport them off-plane. Though these fiends are still extremely rare, they are showing every sign of thriving in the Penumbra and especially around Orcus' stronghold of Necrotus over in Malor. Grlarshh is hesitant to test them out on the Material Plane, for some of his most effective servants remaining there are undead, but as the majority belong to Vornoth, he recognizes that sacrifices might have to be made.
Ravana Samraat
Domain: Sanadara Palace, overlooking Despondence Reach
Position: Unbowed Prince
Notable Status: Progenitor Elderfiend (Rakshasa)
Significant Titles: The Lone Walker, He of Unbearable Majesty, Avatar of the Eighth Sin
A Brief Overview
Though the name Ravana is a very popular one among rakshasas, the first and mightiest to bear it continues to do so, ruling over them all as a godking beholden to none. Even more so than the Demon Princes of Malor, Ravana Samraat is one who walks alone, meeting the eye of any who might dare command him, and instructing instead that they kneel before a true ruler.
That he has done this to envoys of god and archfiend alike mark him out as more than merely prideful. On the one occasion Ravana Samraat was in a talkative mood on the subject, he made the astonishing claim that, just as there were once eight Gods of Evil, so too are there Eight Sins in the universe and he stole away the last from Vornoth himself. The name of this Sin, some believe, is Hubris. How this is distinct from Pride none can explain, but Ravana maintains that it is.
Vornoth holds a fierce grudge against him for this claim, and for insultingly listing each of the repeated failures of Vornoth's war against Grlarshh (in alphabetical and chronological order). The Darkest God has ordered his forces to spare Ravana Samraat specifically so that they can drag the Elderfiend before the empty throne of Grlarshh. Then, and only then, is he to be flayed alive over many centuries to decorate that same throne. The great serpent-fiend Ulupi has been set to watch over his palace until that time comes, not that he intends to flee.
Even though he is merely the offspring of a Godsliver Fiend, Ravana Samraat has tapped into a mysterious source of power that has made him nearly the equal of any of them. The Hells have been scoured for explanation to no avail, and it is growing increasingly apparent that the source is likely hidden on the Material Plane. Worried whispers, quickly silenced, suggest it may even be related to the Worship Mechanism.
Fiends Native to Carcus
Apophian
Serpentine fiends spawned by the immeasurably vast Ulupi, the apophians are perpetually wreathed in a toxic smoke that conceals all but their eyes, blazing whitely out of this light-swallowing gloom. Should this cover be dispersed, the apophian is revealed to be a night-black sliver of malice; its only other distinguishing features being a fanged maw aglow with the sickly green of decay, and two thick bony ridges running parallel along its brow.
Apophians are especially deadly constrictors, using their speed to outmanoeuvre enemies before enveloping them in their crushing embrace. An apophian will typically try to remain in the midst of its enemies, subjecting as many as possible to its choking smoke, aiming to keep the strongest of them in their jaws or coils, and battering at the rest with its bony ridges. Should the fight clearly start to go against it, an apophian will immediately shed its skin in an explosive distraction and attempt to flee, ideally by burrowing through the ground where most foes cannot follow—though still trying to drag anything in their jaws with them.
Apophian
Large fiend, neutral evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 90 (12d10+24)
Speed 40 ft., Burrow 20 ft.
STR 17 (+3) DEX 18 (+4) CON 14 (+2) INT 12 (+1) WIS 13 (+1) CHR 10 (+0)
Saves Dex +7
Skills Perception+4, Stealth+7
Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Tremorsense 30 ft.; passive Perception 14
Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Adept Constrictor. An apophian has advantage on all grapple checks. It may simultaneously grapple two creatures of Medium or smaller size, one in its coils and the other in its mouth.
Choking Vapors. An apophian constantly exudes a cloud of toxic smoke for 10 ft. in all directions, which spreads around corners and heavily obscures the area. The cloud moves with it. The apophian's sight is not impeded by this cloud. The cloud can be dispersed for one round by moderate or strong winds (10+mph), by the gust of wind spell, or by being dispelled, counting as a 3rd-level spell for this purpose. Any creature entering or starting its turn in the cloud must immediately make a Constitution saving throw, suffering 5 (2d8) poison damage and gaining the poisoned condition until the start of their next turn on a failure. Creatures are affected even if they hold their breath or do not need to breathe. If multiple Choking Vapors are close enough for their affected areas to touch or overlap, they count as a single one for the purpose of creatures entering or leaving them.
Heaven Scourge. An apophian's attacks count as magical when targeting celestials.
Magic Resistance. An apophian has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Multiattack. The apophian attacks three times, once with its bite and twice with its headbutts. Alternatively, it may choose to attack once with its bite and once with its constrict attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage and 5 (1d10) necrotic damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, the apophian may immediately attempt to grapple and restrain them (escape DC 13), forgoing any further Bite attacks against other targets whilst the creature is still in its mouth. If it is not already constricting an enemy, the apophian may transfer the bitten creature to its coils as a bonus action.
Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d12+3) bludgeoning damage, and the apophian immediately attempts to grapple and restrain the target (escape DC 13). If an apophian has an enemy constricted, it must attempt this attack against them whenever possible, even in preference over other attacks.
Headbutt. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage.
Reactions
Evasive Shedding. If the apophian is reduced to 30 or fewer hit points, it will burst from its wounded skin and attempt to flee under cover of smoke and flesh. It immediately suffers a -2 penalty to Armor Class and cannot use its Choking Vapors ability, but heals 13 (2d12) damage and has its land and burrow speeds increased by 10 ft. A 15 foot radius around the apophian is affected as if by Choking Vapors for two turns. Every grapple with the apophian, except for a creature in its jaws, immediately ends. When the apophian returns to full Hit Points, it stops suffering a penalty to its armor class, can again use its Choking Vapors, and regains the use of Evasive Shedding.
Iconoclasts
Iconoclasts, sometimes nicknamed mirror demons, are especially bizarre Carcusite fiends, built symmetrically with four faces and eight spindly arms emerging out of a single bulbous body supported by six crab-like legs. Each face is as a colorless pane of glass except when placed before another creature, at which point it shifts to reflect that creature’s face twisted into a mask of horror, screaming in endless agony. The psychic trauma inflicted by this assault more than compensates for an iconoclast's lack of physical expertise, especially since prolonged exposure increases the effect – even if the victim cannot see its reflected face.
An iconoclast is entirely specialized for stripping away the emotional and spiritual components of souls—such as courage, faith, self-respect, virtue and so forth—so as to make it easier to harvest them for energy or transformation into new fiends. The iconoclast manages this by literally splitting souls apart and binding the fragments into reflective surfaces, rendering them helpless to the iconoclast's own reflection. If cornered by a living creature, a desperate iconoclast may attempt to forcibly transport its foe into a nearby reflection.
Iconoclast
Medium fiend, neutral evil
Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
Hit Points 26 (7d6+5)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 8 (-1) DEX 15 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 15 (+2) WIS 12 (+1) CHR 18 (+4)
Saves Cha +6
Skills Deception +6, Insight +3, Persuasion +6
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
Damage Immunities psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages telepathy 120 ft., all languages known by creature reflected in one of its faces
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Innate Spellcasting. The iconoclast’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
3/day each: expeditious retreat
1/day: blur
Symmetrical Form. The iconoclast cannot be flanked.
Actions
Multiattack. The iconoclast makes an Introspective Trauma attack and 4 claw attacks. However, its physical shape means that it can only target one creature in each cardinal direction; for instance, if an iconoclast is facing three enemies, two of which are in front and one behind it, it must choose which of the two in front to target as well as targeting the one behind it.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d8-1) piercing damage.
Introspective Trauma. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 15 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) psychic damage, and the target must succeed at a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn. Each additional time the same iconoclast successfully hits the same target with Introspective Trauma within 24 hours, that target takes an additional 2 (1d4) psychic damage.
Mirror Match. (1/day) A target that the iconoclast can see and that is within 30 ft. of any reflective surface, such as a mirror, polished shield, or even a puddle of water, must make a DC 14 Charisma saving throw. If the target fails, it disappears and is stuck in the reflection until the end of its next turn. It cannot affect anything, nor can anything affect it. If the reflective surface is broken or disrupted, the target returns but is stunned until it would otherwise have returned anyway. When the iconoclast sends a creature into a reflection, it regains all lost hit points. When a creature succeeds on its saving throw against Mirror Match, the iconoclast regains a use of Mirror Match.
Qutrub
Qutrubs are extremely rare horrors native to Carcus, standing some 20 feet tall. They resemble starved, hairless wolves that walk on their hind legs, their mottled skin stretched so tightly across the bones that it seems ready to split apart at any moment, but is nevertheless as tough as steel. They carry an immense stone maul inscribed with esoteric runes that start to glow in the presence of undeath. Qutrubs have the smell of tomb air about them, as if only recently released from a mausoleum long ago sealed shut.
The first qutrub is believed to have been created a little over three centuries ago, but already this newest type of fiend has developed a dire reputation in necromantic circles for, unlike most fiends, it is not the living which concern it, but the dead—or rather, the undead. Qutrubs are impossible to divert from their course if they know the location of necromancers or undead to hunt, the mightier the better, and might even be tempted into offering a reward in exchange for information. Whilst they will still torture and kill the living out of boredom, qutrubs do not do so with any real malice, and abandon all such distractions without hesitation when their real quarry appears.
Qutrub
Huge fiend, neutral evil
Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 242 (22d12+110)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 23 (+6) DEX 10 (+0) CON 20 (+5) INT 16 (+3) WIS 14 (+2) CHR 8 (-1)
Saves Str +11, Con +10
Skills Perception+7, Religion +7
Damage Resistances cold, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed
Senses darkvision 60 ft., truesight 30 ft., passive Perception 17br />
Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)
Dead Slayer. A qutrub's maul glows when a spell or magical effect from the necromancy school is cast or active within 60 ft. of it, or when an undead creature is within the same area. A qutrub's attacks count as magical when targeting undead creatures, and it rolls an additional damage die when it inflicts a critical hit against an undead creature.
Lichbane. A qutrub has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects used by undead creatures. If a qutrub inflicts a critical hit against an undead creature with spellcasting abilities, that creature must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be unable to cast a spell until the end of its next turn.
Death Taint. A creature that has been within 30 ft. of an undead creature within the last 24 hours suffers disadvantage on the first attack roll it makes against the qutrub and the first saving throw it makes against the qutrub’s Maul attack.
Actions
Multiattack. The qutrub attacks twice with its bite and once with its maul.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d10+7) piercing damage.
Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6+7) bludgeoning damage and the creature must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of the qutrub until the end of its next turn. An undead creature hit by this attack suffers an additional 13 (2d12) radiant damage.
Mortuary Howl (Recharge 6). All enemies within 60 ft. of the qutrub must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be stunned for 1 minute. Creatures stunned by this effect may repeat the saving throw at the end of each turns, ending the effect on a success. If a target fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it also takes 27 (6d8) psychic damage. Undead save with disadvantage against Mortuary Howl. Once a creature has successfully saved against Mortuary howl, it may not be affected by it again for 24 hours.
