Project WENDIGO-2

## Stats

**Project WENDIGO-2**, also known as **The** **Wendigo**, is an experiment created by Ahgregoil in Alexandria.

## Description

### Appearance

The Wendigo is a large, giant-like beast with its large, deer-like skull exposed and red glowing flares for eyes. Long, black hair hangs from its scalp, and its limbs and skull are soaked in blood. Its skin is muscled, but pulled thin and taught against itself, revealing its long spine and ribcage, along with a plethora of stiched scars across its body. A blood-stained loincloth hangs from its waist, and it has dark gray fur across most of its body. On its exposed skull drawn in blood is the mark of the Remnants. Bone spikes jut out of its body in various places as well, similar to Herrik. Its blood-stained hands and feet are also coated in black and red necrotic vapor. Wires and tubes protrude from its body as well, hanging curved and limp out of its arms, legs, and back.

When under the effects of its Blood Frenzy, the Wendigo’s bloodstained antlers protrude even further, and its muscles and bone spikes bulge and flex more noticeably. The necrotic vapor covering its hands and feet now spreads completely over its arms and legs, and large spikes of blood also begin to protrude from its back like quills in addition to the bone ones.

### Behavior

In combat, the Wendigo typically locked down single targets or waited for them to cluster together to utilize its Blood Thorns ability. When it approached around half its hit points, it ran outside of Alexandria, temporarily stalling the Forsaken by destroying part of the spinal staircase.

When they saw it for the next time, the Wendigo was staring at the purple nebulous sky of The Other Side, it seemed more at peace and enraptured by the beauty of the sky rather than relying on primal instinct. It telepathically talked to several members of the party, seemingly recognizing them.

After its forced Blood Frenzy, the Wendigo returned to its feral state, albeit more ferocious than before. Its attention was turned to the largest or seemingly most dangerous thing outside Alexandria, in the form of Herrik's T-Rex Polymorph form and Sceldran after his successful Divine Intervention.

## Synopsis

### Background

Midway through working on Project WENDIGO, Ahgregoil's possession over Julius Morrow was discovered, and the original Project was destroyed before he could transport it to the Shadowfell. However, once he constructed Alexandria, he began to work on Project WENDIGO-2. Some time later, the Remnants kidnapped Halima Natura, and Ahgregoil killed her and harvested her vital parts to make the basis of Project WENDIGO-2. In Julius' diary, he also noted that other members of the Remnants, like Sister Faustia, Sister Irene, Brother Finic, and others, offered their bodies to contribute to the creation of Ahgregoil's first proper prototype of Project WENDIGO-2. After it was finished, it was placed in stasis inside Alexandria behind a large curtain near the center of the labratory.

### Campaign 1: The Forsaken

The Forsaken passed by Project WENDIGO-2, and after Alexandria's gravity shifted, Project WENDIGO-2 broke out of its stasis, now awake, and let out a raspy howl as Ahgregoil taunted the party telepathically. When they entered the room where it was, the Wendigo was invisible, and destroyed Cragmaw's Lantern of Revealing before snatching him in its grasp, as the Forsaken saw him disappear. After Sceldran's ghouls (reanimated corpses of Ahgregoil's test subjects) managed to remove its invisibility, the Wendigo was revealed, along with Cragmaw in its grasp. After knocking Sceldran and Elaric unconscious and after a powerful Disintegrate from Rue which exposed its ribcage, the Wendigo fled towards the exit of Alexandria, with Herrik and Rue's hound on hot pursuit. It also destroyed part of the spinal staircase in an attempt to cut them off, allowing the party to heal and regroup.

Once they pursued it, the Wendigo was hunched over, staring at the beautiful purple sky, not paying attention to the party at all. In a moment of calm, the party walked up to it, still on guard, but stopped when it seemingly recognized several members of the party. For Rue, it called her "Regret" and "Fallen," to which she greeted the creature by calling it "Faustia." For Willow, it said "Irene" and "Guilt." For Elaric, it said "Old friend." And for Herrik, it called him by name, and said "I'm sorry" and "Forgive me." Soon after, Ahgregoil's voice echoed in its head, mixing with the Wendigo's telepathy and broadcasting it to the Forsaken. Ahgregoil forced the Wendigo into a Blood Frenzy, and phase 2 of the fight began as Ahgregoil's magic boxed in the Wendigo and Forsaken.

During the second phase of the fight, the Wendigo was much more feral, attacking anyone and everyone it could. It managed to cave in Rue's body and gut Sceldran, but in the end, Herrik in his T-Rex Polymorphed form managed to bite off the top half of its body, throwing it over the side of Alexandria as the barriers faded upon its death. The top half of its body disappeared beneath the smoke as its fiery eyes were snuffed, leaving nothing but the lower half of its body on Alexandria. After Rue and Sceldran were resurrected, Sceldran performed a Ritual to put its souls to rest.

In the aftermath of the final battle with Ahgregoil, Sceldran used Halima's soul, taken from the Wendigo, to resurrect Halima in a new body.

## Abilities

### General Abilities

* Resistant to Necrotic damage
* Immune to Poison and nonmagical Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing damage
* Immune to being Charmed/Frightened/Poisoned/Stunned
* 3 Legendary Resistances per day (1 used against Herrik's Contagion spell)
* Feral Instinct: The Wendigo has advantage on initiative rolls, and can add its Proficiency Bonus to them (total bonus of +10).
* Fragmented Shard: As an action or bonus action, other creatures with a connection to the Wendigo may make a Charisma (Persuasion) check to remind the Wendigo of the people used to create it. On a success, the Wendigo reduces its unspent Legendary Actions by 1. Whether the check succeeds or fails, the DC for future attempts increases by 1.
* Immutable Form: The Wendigo is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
* Keen Senses: The Wendigo is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
* Magic Resistance: The Wendigo has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
* Rampage: When the Wendigo reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, it can take a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make a Smash or Claw attack.
* Siege Monster: The Wendigo deals double damage to objects and structures.

### Blood Frenzy

* If the Wendigo is under half its maximum hit points, it can enter a Blood Frenzy until its next rest. While in a Blood Frenzy, the Wendigo gains advantage on Strength checks and saving throws, its DC increases to 20, its Blood Thorns ability deals an extra two damage dice, and it gains a +5 bonus to most melee damage rolls (stated in the attack).

### Actions

* Multiattack: Two Claws (one Crush if grappling a creature, one Slam
	+ Claw: 3d6+7 slashing damage plus 2d6 necrotic damage (or 3d6+12 slashing damage plus 2d8 necrotic damage while in a Blood Frenzy). Grapples a target on hit, which can use an action to make an escape check against the Wendigo's DC to break free. It can only grapple a Medium or smaller creature, and can only have one creature grappled at a time.
		- Crush: Same stats as Claw, but can only target a creature the Wendigo is grappling.
	+ Slam: 3d8+7 bludgeoning damage plus 2d6 necrotic damage (or 3d8+12 bludgeoning damage plus 2d8 necrotic damage while in a Blood Frenzy). The target must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
* Blood Thorns (Recharge 5-6): The Wendigo slams its fists onto the ground, as large spikes of solid, hardened blood begin to rapidly erupt from the ground facing it. Each creature in a 20-foot long, 60-foot wide line must make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 10d10 piercing damage (or 12d10 piercing damage while under the effects of Blood Frenzy), and be restrained until the end of their next turn. At the end of a restrained creature’s next turn, the thorns impaling them begin to crumble into harmless shards on the ground.

### Bonus Actions

* Invisibility: The Wendigo, along with everything and everyone it is wearing or carrying, turns invisible, as if by the Greater Invisibility spell cast at 8th level. If it is hit by an attack or spell that causes it to lose blood or if it becomes incapacitated, the Wendigo becomes visible until it uses this ability again. As part of this bonus action, the Wendigo can move up to half its speed (stacking with its regular walking or climbing speed, without provoking opportunity attacks).
	+ A creature the Wendigo is carrying cannot speak, as the Wendigo muffles its voice, and they cannot perform the verbal or somatic components of spells.
	+ The Wendigo’s invisibility is magical in nature, and can be dispelled by a Dispel Magic spell or similar magic (DC 18/20). However, magical items cannot reveal or remove the Wendigo’s invisibility.
	+ Any creature not grappled by the Wendigo can use their action to make a DC 18/20 Wisdom (Perception) check, designating the Wendigo’s position to their allies. However, the creature’s allies still attack with disadvantage if they are within the Wendigo’s proximity, as it still is invisible.

Any creature not grappled by the Wendigo can use their action to make a DC 18/20 Wisdom (Perception) check, designating the Wendigo’s position to their allies. However, the creature’s allies still attack with disadvantage if they are within the Wendigo’s proximity, as it still is invisible.

### Legendary Actions (4/round)

* Attack (1): The Wendigo makes one Claw or Slam attack (its choice).
* Ravenous Rush (1): The Wendigo moves up to its speed, not provoking opportunity attacks (regardless if it is visible or not).
* Blood Howl (2): The Wendigo lets out a bloodcurdling scream. Each creature of its choice within 120 feet of it must make a Wisdom saving throw or take 4d6 psychic damage (or 6d6 psychic damage if the Wendigo is under the effects of Blood Frenzy), or half as much on a successful save, and be frightened of it and stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns or if the Wendigo deals any damage to it (immediately after the damage is dealt), ending the effects on themselves on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature has advantage against the Wendigo’s Blood Howl saving throw for the next 24 hours, or until it activates its Blood Frenzy ability.
	+ The Wendigo can use this Legendary Action while visible or invisible.
* Stare of Penance (2): The Wendigo’s red wisp eyes flare into erupting fire as it glares at a creature. One creature the Wendigo can see must make a Constitution saving throw, or the creature has disadvantage on ability checks and saving throws for 1 minute (can repeat save at the end of their turns), and takes 4d6 psychic damage (or 6d6 psychic damage if the Wendigo is under the effects of Blood Frenzy) when it makes an attack roll or casts a spell at the Wendigo. While in this way, the target is wracked with despair and guilt, their mind only thinking of the horrors and sins they are powerless to prevent and the sins they made in their past. On a successful saving throw, the target is immune to the Wendigo’s Stare of Penance for 24 hours.
	+ The Wendigo can use this Legendary Action ONLY if it is visible.

### Lair Actions (inside)

* Bloodthirst Gas: A canister filled with red and black vapor suddenly shatters in Alexandria. Each creature within 20 feet of a wall of the Wendigo’s choice must make a Wisdom saving throw (with advantage if they have some sort of facial covering), or the creature must use its reaction to move up to its speed (if necessary) and make a melee or ranged attack, or cast a spell of 3rd level or lower (which has a casting time of one action or bonus action) against a random target it can see within 30 feet of it. While afflicted, the creature’s eyes turn red and fiery like the Wendigo’s, they deal an extra 2d6 damage of the weapon’s greater damage type when making a melee or ranged attack (if their weapon has multiple damage types), and they cannot perceive the gas. Once the attacks are finished, the creatures are no longer afflicted, and the gas fades. Other creatures perceive the gas as lightly obscured terrain. On a successful or failed saving throw, they take 3d6 poison damage.
	+ If the Wendigo is in this gas, it must also make the saving throw, and its presence is highlighted by the gas if it is invisible.
* Gravity Warp: The gravity in Alexandria shifts to turn around, similar to the Reverse Gravity spell, until initiative count 20 of the next round (the room itself turns on its left/right side, the Wendigo’s choice). Each creature in the Wendigo’s lair (including the Wendigo) must make a Strength saving throw, or they are pulled to the nearest wall, and are restrained until the next initiative count 20 or until the Wendigo dies, taking 4d6 bludgeoning damage from the impact and equipment crushing it. The restrained creatures can use an action to make a DC 15 Strength check, freeing themselves. On the next initiative count 20, the gravity changes back to normal, causing all creatures on the walls to fall down and take 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage, unless they make a Dexterity saving throw to try and grab onto something near them.

### Lair Actions (outside)

* Nebulae Rain: Parts of the sky begin to fall down in nebulous clumps onto the outside of Alexandria. Each creature in three 10-foot radius spheres of the Wendigo’s choice must make a Constitution saving throw, or take 6d6 cold damage and take one level of exhaustion, or only take half damage on a successful saving throw. They must also make the saving throw if they start their turn within a nebula cloud. The clouds of vapor persist until the next initiative count 20, and other creatures perceive them as lightly obscured terrain. All stacks of exhaustion are not removed when the clouds disappear, and the target can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of their turns per level of exhaustion, removing one level on a success.
* Wails of the Damned: The souls of Julius Morrow’s family by the grave-like obelisks in Alexandria suddenly cry in torturous agony around the accursed laboratory. The Wendigo and each creature outside Alexandria able to hear the screams must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, taking 12d6 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. The wails then cease. If the Wendigo fails this saving throw, the next attack against it has advantage, or the next saving throw it is forced to make has disadvantage.
	+ If the Wendigo uses this Lair Action, there is a 50% chance that it does not use a Lair Action during the next round.

### Special Lair Action (regardless of location)

* Chronal Shift: The flow of time around Alexandria begins to warp and convulse, distorting movements inside/around the lab. The Wendigo chooses whether or not to reroll its initiative. Any creature below the Wendigo in its new or current initiative count must make a Constitution saving throw, or take 3d6 force damage and is incapacitated until the end of their next turn. Until each creature is no longer incapacitated, the Wendigo cannot use another Lair Action. The magic around Alexandria also attempts to dispel up to 1d4 active spells (if applicable) of the DM’s choice or 1d6 spells if the Wendigo rolls above everyone’s initiative, as if Dispel Magic was casted on them. The Wendigo rolls Dispel Checks for those instances of magic, using its Strength modifier (+7) to add to the roll. On a success, the active spells are dispelled, rewinded to a time where they didn’t exist. If the total number of spells attempted to be dispelled (whether on a success or failure) is less than the number the Wendigo rolled, the Wendigo must roll a dispel check against its own invisibility (DC 18/20), if it is invisible at the time this Lair Action goes into effect.

## Trivia

* The Wendigo's statblock and appearance were based on the enemy of the same name from *DUSK*, the *Ten Piedad* boss from *Blasphemous*, and the *Cleric Beast* from *Bloodborne*.
* The Wendigo's Lair Actions noticeably affected it negatively as well. This was an intentional design choice, as Ahgregoil is actually manipulating them, not the Wendigo itself.
* The Wendigo's battle theme was *The Laughing Hand* by Hunter Rogerson.