Tarys

*He awoke with a throbbing pain in his head. The last thing he remembered was attempting to rob the red-haired woman traveling alone in the forest, and next thing was him waking up here. The surrounding fauna was all manner of burnt orange and bright yellow, with crunchy brown and green leaves littering the floor. He only had a moment to gather himself before he heard the horn go off, and the drums beating loudly in his ear. Rushing past him were dozens of other creatures - not only animals such as moose and tigers, but hill giants, owlbears, satyrs, and a couple of other humanoid individuals, all sprinting past him into the forest. He stood to follow, but searing pain shot through his leg as an arrow pinned him to the floor.*

*He turned around and saw, standing fifty yards away, the red-haired woman he had tried to rob. However, now her hair was a vibrant orange, yellow, and brown, matching the surrounding wildlife, and she had another arrow nocked and aimed in his direction. In the distance, the other runners heard his screams echo through the forest.*

## Tarys, The Autumn Huntress

Tarys is an archfey who has dedicated her life to hunting rare and exotic creatures. She is seen as a mother to lycanthropes, often appearing to and helping those afflicted with the condition to make the most out of their newfound gift before inviting them to live forever hunting in her domain. Cold and calculated, Tarys' other excursions out of the Feywild are either to bring mortal prey back to her hunting grounds, or to approach individuals with offers of power.

When rounding up creatures to bring back to her domain, Tarys often poses as a helpless elderly traveler to bait out brigands on the side of the road. She will sometimes target larger creatures, such as giants, beholders, or even dragons, but only does this on nights with a full moon. Her armor is decorated with dozens of trophies from past kills, and she is always chasing after the thrill of a bigger target. Her mood changes immensely after a successful hunt of something big - any creature in her domain is invited to a massive feast in her banquet hall, where she happily brags about her personal accomplishments and feeds her own ego as much as her belly. Naysayers or challengers are often shot immediately after.

### As a Patron

Tarys offers powers to the very few individuals who survive her hunt, any lycanthropes looking to harness the power of their gift, or accomplished hunters she encounters in her excursions to the material plane. She wants her followers to prove themselves worthy to sit in her halls alongside her; as such, she demands they chase glory and trophies from dangerous game all throughout the world. As a DM, Tarys will designate targets for her warlocks that they must claim a trophy from - this could be something massive and threatening like a green dragon lording over a town, or at the least opportune moment, Tarys could divert her warlock's attention to a mouse scurrying through city streets. Whoever the target, the warlock knows they have a new hunt when the sound of war drums fills their ears.

The Autumn Huntress could also send her warlocks on excursions to feed and help towns under her watch, as well. She may demand them slay a vicious dinosaur to bring back food to a town she has grown fond of, or she may have them take out a rival hunter that has intruded on her grounds. Tarys does not stand for disrespect or any insinuation that she is not the best hunter alive, so she often sends her warlocks on complete suicide missions should they anger her in any way.

### Pact Boons

* *Pact of the Blade:* a large bowie knife with an orange blade and a warm hilt wrapped in animal fur, or a longbow woven from the branches of a large autumn tree with a unicorn hair bowstring
* *Pact of the Tome:* a small animal-skin journal with the pages written in the blood of different slain targets
* *Pact of the Chain:* a dove or swallow made entirely of orange and yellow leaves that Tarys can hear and speak through to make sure the warlock is respecting her properly

### Extra Gifts

* After a successful hunt, the warlock is granted one of the Hunter's Prey features from the Hunter subclass of Ranger
* A special invocation that, after hitting a creature with Eldritch Blast, allows the warlock to know the exact location of that creature for the next hour, including seeing through invisibility
* After slaying an appropriate creature of challenge rating 12 or higher (can be adjusted based on the campaign), at any point in the next week, the warlock can teleport themselves and their entire party to Tarys' banquet hall to have a Heroes' Feast once before needing to slay another appropriate creature

### Flavoring the Warlock

* I prefer to eat my meat raw. The fresher the better!
* My hair changes with the seasons: it may turn vibrant orange and yellow in the fall, and it may all fall out and make me bald in the winter
* I woke up one day and had knowledge of every single possible knot someone could tie, and can identify any animal just by smelling some of its droppings.

### Plot Hooks

* *(Low Level):* While traveling through a nearby forest, Tarys has tasked you with slaying a brontosaurus she has placed in the area. However, a centaur hunting party is also after the beast, and if they kill it before you do, Tarys will not be happy.
* *(Mid Level):* A tribe of frost giants has recently been hunting on some of Tarys' favorite hunting grounds, and she wants you to behead their chief to show them she is not to be trifled with.
* *(High Level):* For one reason or another, Tarys is either incredibly impressed with you or immensely upset with you. Either way, she has targeted an ancient red dragon for you to kill, but with a bonus: if you slay the creature without wearing any armor, she will grant you a special boon.