Cacophonic Collective

The **Cacophonic Collective** is the final boss of the campaign *Broken Bonds*.

## Description

The Cacophonic Collective is a creature with an amalgamation of inky black skulls and screaming faces.

## History

### *Strange Roads*

The Cacophonic Collective briefly appeared in a monastery on the mountains near Ladrig's Rest to aid in ascension of Ricardo into the Violet Sonata.

### *Broken Bonds*

The Cacophonic Collective first appeared in the cave near Ladrig's Rest as an unnamed Violet Servant that the party hides from with the help of Tomen. It was summoned as a result of the Herald gaining a foothold after the Heroes of Kalkatesh gained strength.

It reappears again in the Crimson Citadel, during the celebration of Bryan's induction into the Night Guard. During the celebrations, Remag’s right eye begins to ache and he goes outside for some fresh air. While out on the courtyard by himself, something whispers to Remag filling him with pure fear. Nox’s violet detecting scales on her tail light up, and her instincts sharpen. Noticing Remag is missing, Nox rounds up the rest of the party to find him.

Regrouping, the party hears the whispers of something malicious, and it rounds off it’s sentence with a sharp “Die!”. The Violet Servant, the Cacophonic Collective, appears. The battle begins by the servant immediately putting Nox in stasis, unable to be harmed but also incapable of aiding the party.

Clashes are exchanged and the party discovers that their enemy is able to create shadow duplicates of them, and once marked, these shadows themselves can also be duplicated. The Collective can also mark the party members so that if one gets hit, all of them get hit.

The party manages to come out on top, by being nimble enough to avoid multiple crucial attacks from the servant, and dishing out quick serious punishment for it in return with Li'lu striking it last. At the servant’s dying breath, it sacrifices one of its shadows to revive itself. However, the party downs the servant enough times until it is out of duplicates and fades away. They stand victorious.

## Traits

* **Combo**: This Enemy has abilities that inherently synergize and can trigger each other.
* **Martial Adept**: This enemy is a Martial Weapon Specialist, and can engage/be engaged in martial clashes.
* **Ruthless**: This enemy will target players after they are down attempting to finish them off.
* **Violet**: Should this enemy kill a player character, all of that player’s characters will be destroyed. This character cannot be resurrected. This is known as Violet Death.

## Abilities

* **Asunder:** This enemy attack an opponent. If it hits, they take 3d10+4 damage and must roll an opposed Athletics check. If they fail the check, then they are grappled.
* **Black Ice:** As a bonus action, this creature begins to envelop itself in Black Ice. For one round, it is encased in black ice and gains resistance to all damage types and gains 20 temporary hit points.
* **Deafening Blast:** As an action, this creature can target a spellcaster. The spellcaster must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. If they fail, they take 5d6 Thunder damage and be deafened for one round .
* **Despair:** Whenever The Herald Watches has been active for 3 or more rounds, Despair automatically triggers. At the start of the creature's turn, a random enemy is selected. That enemy is filled with despair, creating a Chaos Reflection.
* **The Herald Watches:** At the beginning of the creature's turn, if there is a Chaos Reflection, the number of Chaos Reflections double. In addition, if an enemy of the creature is defeated, a Chaos Reflection is created.
* **Chaos Reflection:** As an action, the creature selects a single enemy within 60 feet. That enemy must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. If they fail, a shadowy reflection of that creature is created. If the reflection is destroyed, the creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. If they fail, the creature is stunned for one round. The shadow gains effects that are applied to its original, and able to sacrifice itself and gives health to the Cacophonic Collective.
* **The Maze:** The creature selects an enemy within 120 feet, that enemy must make a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw. If they fail, they are teleported to an extradimensional space that is an infinite maze that they are lost within. The enemy can make an Intelligence saving throw at the end of each of it's turn to try to escape.
* **Edenfaust:** As a reaction, whenever an enemy attacks the creature, they must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails, they must redirect that attack to a nearby ally.
* **Crimson Tears:** As an action, this creature can select an enemy. That enemy, at the start of each of their turn, takes 2d6 bleed damage. For every point of bleed damage dealt, the Cacophonic Collective heals for an equal amount.
* **Turmoil:** Select three opponents. They must make a DC 15 Wisdom Saving throw. If they fail, they enter Turmoil. All characters under Turmoil take damage whenever one of them take damage. In addition, at the start of the Collective's turn, it is healed for 8d6 hit points, minus 2d6 hit points for each enemy in turmoil.
* It has two unidentified abilities called **Shatter Confidence**, and **Grasping Shadows**.

## External Links

* Google Docs for the Cacophonic Collective encounter, created by Morgeta

## References

1. ↑ As depicted in Strange Roads: Episode 15
2. ↑ As depicted in Broken Bonds: Episode 06
3. ↑ As depicted in Shattered Crowns Season 2: Episode 08
4. ↑ As depicted in Broken Bonds: Episode 12