Troll

Large Giant, Typically Chaotic Evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 94 (9d10 + 45)

Speed 40 ft.

Saving Throws Con +8

Skills Athletics +7, Perception +5

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15

Languages Giant

Proficiency Bonus +3

Traits

Relentless Hunger. When the troll is reduced to 0 hit points by any damage other than acid or fire damage, they don’t die or fall unconscious and can continue moving and taking actions as usual. The troll only dies if they end their turn with 0 hit points, if acid or fire damage reduces them to 0 hit points, or if they take acid or fire damage while they have 0 hit points.

The Weaver

• Chaotic evil elf wizard and master illusionist who leads the Cult of the Eclipse
• Responsible for the tragedy of Shad’s village — he conjured an illusion of Nidhogg so convincing and fearsome that the villagers literally died of fright
• His stronghold is a tower in the Feywild, hidden behind a Mirage Arcane spell that makes it appear balanced on a spire at the center of a massive sinkhole — unreachable
• Originally not interested in freeing Nidhogg — he thought the dragon’s image would make for a “fantastic illusion” — but his ambitions grew to unraveling the barrier entirely
• An 18th-level spellcaster (spell save DC 19) with mastery over illusion magic; his illusion spells function as one level higher than the slot used
• Willing to work with Serenity and other agents to further his experiments and cult operations

Philosophy & Motivation

• Driven by the conviction that reality itself is malleable — through illusion, he can reshape truth and domination
• Believes the leyline barrier imprisoning Nidhogg is a “false light” born from fear, and that the Order of Seasons blindly tend “a crumbling dam without questioning why the waters rise”
• Views the world through the metaphor of a loom — everything is threads that can be woven, unraveled, or re-threaded
• His journal documents his evolution from illusionist prodigy to would-be world-shaper: discovering that fear is more powerful than substance, that belief shapes reality, and that “there is no truth but what I weave”
• Fascination with fear is not merely tactical — it is his ultimate expression of power

The Destruction of Shadicar’s Village

• Created an illusion of Nidhogg so horrifyingly realistic that Shad’s entire village died of terror
• When interrogated via Speak with Dead, Serenity confirmed the Weaver did this “for amusement”
• This atrocity is the emotional anchor of Shad’s personal vendetta against the Weaver
• Proved his philosophy that belief shapes reality — an image alone killed an entire community

Cult of the Eclipse

• Leads the Cult of the Eclipse, which seeks to free Nidhogg by corrupting the leyline temples
• Taught Serenity the curse ritual she used on the village of Tannis
• Created Hollow Thresholds — tears in reality that siphon leyline power and weaken the barrier while pulling shadow creatures into the Material Plane
• His intercepted letter to Xolthos confirmed the strategy: “The Shadow Dragon’s freedom hinges on the weakening of the barrier”
• Key subordinates:
  • Serenity (Night Hag) — field agent who cursed Tannis; defeated by the party
  • Xolthos (Black Dragonborn Sorcerer) — herald who proclaimed Nidhogg’s return at the Autumn Court festival; defeated by the party
  • Kharvex, the Shadow Caller — cult mage who tested summoning magic at the ancient battlefield; defeated by the party
  • Manus (CR 17 Shapechanger) — enigmatic warrior who openly mocks the Weaver and appears motivated by testing himself rather than ideology; stole the Summer Court’s leyline crystal and planted the Bodak in the Spring Temple; still at large

The Leyline Barrier Plot

• The interplanar barrier imprisoning Nidhogg is anchored by four seasonal leyline temples — one in each court (Winter, Autumn, Summer, Spring)
• The Weaver’s strategy is to systematically damage or corrupt these temples to weaken the entire barrier
• Leyline temple status as discovered by the party:
  • Winter: One of six focus crystals cracked and flickering
  • Summer: Breached; two guardian constructs destroyed; one rune crystal stolen by Manus
  • Spring: Most heavily corrupted; Bodak planted in crystal chamber; multiple Hollow Thresholds siphoning power nearby
  • Autumn: Intact and stable (the only undamaged temple)
• Accelerated his timeline — moved the final ritual to the next new moon rather than waiting for the winter solstice

The Final Ritual

• Plans to execute his summoning ritual at the ancient battlefield where Nidhogg was sealed centuries ago
• The ritual tears open a portal to the Shadowfell, progressing through phases:
  • Phase 1-2: Gathering power, portal forming
  • Phase 3: Nidhogg approaches — his whispers can charm creatures, his presence radiates fear
  • Phase 4: Breakthrough imminent — Nidhogg’s shadow becomes visible through the portal
• During the ritual, he maintains concentration and gains resistance to non-magical weapons — but cannot flee effectively, making him a stationary target
• If the ritual completes, Nidhogg would be freed and eternal darkness would reign

The Weaver’s Journal

• His journal, called “Silmirien” (silmi = gleam/light, rien = woven), chronicles his evolution from illusionist to world-shaper
• Contains his true name written in invisible ink, visible only under moonlight, in an elven script that “almost sings itself into the night air”
• Speaking his name aloud activates a recorded message bound into the journal
• The journal is tethered to his soul — if burned, the smoke will call him home, suggesting deep paranoia about being unmade or forgotten

Ancestral Home

• Before his Feywild tower, maintained an elegant elven castle now fallen into ruin
• The castle became infused with his magic — mirrors that forced visitors to confront personal fears, an Echo of his own soul bound to the throne room
• Contains a hidden underground chamber with an obsidian standing stone and dormant teleportation circle older than the castle itself
• A garden of “Living Echoes” — plants and pathways suffused with fading illusion magic showing visions of regret and the Weaver at his loom

Vulnerabilities

• Vulnerability to Truth: When affected by True Sight or divination magic, he loses his damage resistances and has disadvantage on spell attack rolls
• Summer’s Edge (the legendary blade reforged by the party) can target him through any illusion as if he were visible
• Ritual Dependency: Must maintain concentration during the summoning — stationary and exposed
• True Name: Speaking it aloud may reveal his location or create a magical connection the party can exploit
• Manus’s Disloyalty: His lieutenant openly mocks him and may not defend the ritual

Weeping Willow

Huge Plant, Typically Neutral

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 84 (8d12 + 32)

Speed 15 ft.

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12

Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan

Proficiency Bonus +2

Traits

False Appearance. While the willow remains motionless, they are indistinguishable from a normal willow tree.

Tiny undead, chaotic evil

• Armor Class 19
• Hit Points 22 (9d4)
• Speed 0 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover)

• Damage Resistances Acid, Cold, Fire, Necrotic, Thunder; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Lightning, Poison
• Condition Immunities Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Unconscious
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 12
• Languages The languages it knew in life
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)
• Proficiency Bonus +2

• Consume Life. As a bonus action, the will-o’-wisp can target one creature it can see within 5 feet of it that has 0 hit points and is still alive. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw against this magic or die. If the target dies, the will-o’-wisp regains 10 (3d6) hit points.
• Ephemeral. The will-o’-wisp can’t wear or carry anything.
• Incorporeal Movement. The will-o’-wisp can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
• Variable Illumination. The will-o’-wisp sheds bright light in a 5- to 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional number of feet equal to the chosen radius. The will-o’-wisp can alter the radius as a bonus action.

• Shock. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (2d8) lightning damage.
• Invisibility. The will-o’-wisp and its light magically become invisible until it attacks or uses its Consume Life, or until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell).

[!tip] D&D Beyond Sheet https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/125398669/7WTtub

• Herald of the Weaver and the Cult of the Eclipse
• Black dragonborn sorcerer
• The omen bearer observes natural phenomenon, like a flock of crows circling a dead tree. He twists things like this as a sign of the dragon’s impending return and paints a doomsday picture, urging people to join the cult for salvation.

The Herald of the Eclipse is a figure both fearsome and enigmatic, embodying the dark power and malevolent intent of the Cult of the Eclipse. As one of the cult’s main lieutenants, he commands respect and fear among his followers and strikes terror into the hearts of those who oppose him.