Baron Urik von Kharkov
Urik is the former darklord that continues to haunt Valachan, his heart devoured & body destroyed. From a hidden dungeon within Pantera Lodge, his dismembered head utters curses against Chakuna. He will also divulge secrets of the jungle to those he believes have the potential to overthrow his rival.
History
The origins of the former darklord of Valachan is bizarre & complicated. Urik was a human noble that fell in love with a powerful Red Wizard of Thay named Selena. The pair had a whirlwind courtship, both falling deeply in love with each other. But during an intimate moment alone with Selena, he transformed into a crazed panther and ripped her to shreds.
Upon being returned to his human form, he was told that he had merely been a tool used by a rival of Selena, a fellow Red Wizard named Morphayus. Urik was actually an animal that had been polymorphed and had its memories modified to become the ideal sleeper agent. To make matters worse, Morphayus intended to continue to use Urik as an assassin, repeatedly wiping his memories & remaking his identity to be the ideal lure for the next target. Upon this discovery, Urik fled & was taken by the Mists.
He proceeded to have a series of misadventures throughout the domains of dread, eventually spending a significant amount of time as an agent of the Kargat in Darkon. As a member of Azalin Rex's secret police, he was exposed to an elite cadre of vampires, nosferatu, & other undead that enforced the lich's laws & preyed on the denizens of the kingdom. From them he perfected the facade of gentle aristocrat while honing his predatory instincts as a panther-were.
Urik eventually learned that his former creator Morphayus had also entered the Mists. The wizard had been unable to recreate a sleeper agent as successful as Urik, so he ventured into the dread domains in a bid to reclaim him. He attempted to entrap the panther-were with a woman named Malika that bore a striking resemblance to Selena. Urik did not fall for the trap, instead hunting down the wizard & ripping him to shreds. He also killed the woman before realizing that she had just been an innocent slave forced to do the wizard's bidding. Shortly afterwards, Urik was fully taken by the Dark Powers & given the dread domain of Valachan.
As darklord of Valachan, Urik's bloodthirsty tendencies were reflected in nature of the land. He could go for periods of time pretending to be the noble among savage natives, but eventually he would have to surrender to beastly impulses & hunt his subjects.
Combat
Deep within the abandoned dungeons of Castle Pantera, the severed head of Baron Urik von Kharkov is sealed away. Normally, the floating head is sealed under a magical bell jar that prevents him from escaping. In the event that he is set free, he prefers to take charge of what allies he can gather & coordinate their tactics. Years in isolation have also driven him to the brink of insanity, & he is willing to share that eldritch knowledge with his victims.
Homebrew
Baron Urik von Kharkov CR: 5
STR
1 -5
DEX
20 +5
CON
10 +0
INT
17 +3
WIS
15 +2
CHA
16 +3
Avoidance. If the baron is subjected to an effect that allows him to make a saving throw to take only half damage, he instead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw, & only half damage if he fails.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the baron fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Turn Immunity. The baron is immune to effects that turn undead.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack +8 to hit, 5' reach, one target. Hit 6 piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with werepanther lycanthropy.
Whispers of Madness. The baron chooses up to three creatures he can see within 60' of him. Each target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw, or it takes 7 (1d8 + 3) psychic damage & must use its reaction to make a melee weapon attack against one creature of the baron's choice that the baron can see. Constructs & undead are immune to this effect.
Howling Babble (Recharge 6). Each creature within 30' of the baron that can hear it must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 12 (2d8 + 3) psychic damage, & it is stunned until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage & isn't stunned. Constructs & undead are immune to this effect.
Legendary Actions
The baron can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time & only at the end of another creature's turn. The baron regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Flight. The baron flies up to half his flying speed.
- Cloud of Dust. The baron magically swirls his dusty remains. Each creature within 10' of the baron, including around a corner, must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of the baron's next turn. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to this effect until the end of the baron's next turn.
- Command Minion (Costs 2 Actions). The baron commands one ally creature that he can see & can hear him to use its reaction to cast a spell or take the attack action.
Suggested Environments
Subterranean; Forest, Swamp, Urban
Homebrew
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