TEXT: EN World EN5IDER | Servants of the Winter Court
  EN World EN5IDER | Servants of the Winter Court
   
  writing James J. Haeck
   color art Ellis Goodson
   
   Egil Thompson
   
  editing James J. Haeck
   
  layout Eric Life-Putnam
  T
  he Allies And AdversAries series 
  provides GMs with NPCs that can be 
  quickly and easily inserted into any 
  adventure or ongoing campaign. Each NPC 
  receives a detailed treatment of character 
  traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws, as well as game 
  statistics, physical description, backstory, and 
  tips on how this NPC may be used in play.
   The dead of winter has passed, as have the 
  twinkling fairy lights of the holidays. Though 
  the land is chill and dun, the passing of the 
  winter solstice has opened a door for the fey 
  folk to once more cross over into our world. 
  This time, it is not the cheer and merry trickery 
  of the Summer Court that has seeped across 
  the veil of worlds. Past Midwinter, the Queen 
  Allies and ADverSarIeS
  Servants of 
  the 
  Winter Court
  of Air and Darkness reigns. Her rule is devoid 
  of love, and her every action seeds the world 
  with misfortune. Most PCs, however, will never 
  confront this Unseelie monarch themselves. 
  Instead, they see her malice enacted by servants, 
  some who are certainly enemies, and others 
  who may be interested in a mutually beneficial 
  arrangement.
  
  Servants of the Winter Court | EN World EN5IDER
  Servants of the Winter Court | EN World EN5IDER
  Grimillo the Voice-Thief 
  You try to speak, but the words catch in your throat. Or 
  rather, the words flew right out of your mouth before 
  your breath could reach them. Wordless air wheezes 
  pitifully out of your mouth, and all you are left with is 
  silence and a vague sense of unease.
  Statistics
  Traits: I cannot be seen, I cannot be heard. I travel on 
  the wind and steal it from your lungs. What am I? I’m 
  the cat that’s got your tongue, ya big mousey.
  Ideal: Let’s! Cause! Some! Chaos! (But with a bit of 
  style, of course.)
  Bond: My voiceless mother. I would do anything for 
  her, and she’s a great excuse to steal!
  Flaw: Deep down, I feel guilty about the sadness my 
  theft causes. I try not to dwell on it. 
  Small humanoid (unseelie gnome), chaotic evil
  Str 9 (–1) 
  Dex 14 (+2) 
  Con 11 (+0) 
  Int 17 (+3) 
  Wis 12 (+1) 
  Cha 11 (+0)
  Notes: Grimillo the Voice-Thief is an unseelie gnome* 
  mage (AC 16, 40 hit points). His art of voice-stealing 
  gives him the following additional traits; these traits 
  do not affect his challenge rating:
  Purloin Words. As a reaction after a creature within 
  30 feet says a word or phrase aloud, Grimillo can 
  steal the phrase, preventing the target from say-
  ing anything using those words until the target 
  completes a long rest. If the purloined phrase is the 
  verbal component to a spell, the spell cannot be 
  cast again until the target completes a long rest, 
  and Grimillo cannot use this feature again until he 
  completes a long rest.
  Snap Silence. As a reaction when a creature within 
  30 feet is about to speak or otherwise make vo-
  cal noise, Grimillo may force it to make a DC 14 
  Charisma saving throw. On a failure, the creature 
  cannot speak until the end of its next turn (or for 6 
  seconds, if the target is not in combat). If this trait 
  is used to prevent a spellcaster from performing a 
  verbal component, the spell fails, consuming a spell 
  slot, and Grimillo cannot use this feature again until 
  he completes a short or long rest.
  Possessions: Grimillo wears elven chain and wields a 
  simple dagger. He carries a magic key that can unlock 
  any lock, but disintegrates after one use, and has 100 
  gold pieces on his person.
  Physical Description
  Grimillo is short, only about 3 feet tall, and his 
  features have are soft and androgynous. His skin 
  is the color and temperature of ice, his golden 
  eyes are constantly in motion, and his hair is long 
  and silvery. A keen smile usually plays around his 
  lips—but his scowl is terrifying to behold.
  Background
  The Voice-Thief is a mercenary with few morals 
  and a love for spreading misfortune. If he cares 
  Open Game Content
  The game rule information in this article is designated Open Game Content. All of the other material in this article, 
  including maps and illustrations (including illustrations in the public domain), narrative and descriptive 
  text, character and place names, trade dress, “EN Publishing,” “EN World,” “EN5ider,” EN Publishing 
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   * Brandes Stoddard, “The Fey Kindred,” EN World EN5ider, 
  https://www.patreon.com/posts/fey-kindred-6587945
  
  EN World EN5IDER | Servants of the Winter Court
  EN World EN5IDER | Servants of the Winter Court
  Missus Silverbeak
  First is the rushing of wind. You look—and see nothing. 
  The air is still. Then it lands with a thud, right behind 
  you. A massive owl looms over you, nearly twenty 
  feet tall, with golden eyes that illuminate you like 
  spotlights. It straightens, turns its head slightly, and 
  in a deep, resonant voice asks: “Would you care for a 
  glass of sweet tea? I couldn’t possibly finish it all by 
  myself.”
  Statistics
  Traits: I am a giant talking fairy owl. I imagine for most 
  mortals, that alone would be enough?
  Ideal: People deserve to be happy. I don’t give a hoot if 
  they’re safe. Or healthy. Or mentally stable. Just point 
  me towards the unhappy people and I will take care 
  of the rest! 
  Bond: You, my little owlet! I care about you most of all. 
  (But don’t let any of the others know.)
  Flaw: Hoo hoo, I don’t have any flaws! Except maybe 
  the compulsive lying. Hoo! No! Not a single flaw!
  Large beast (fey), lawful evil
  Str  13 (+1)  
  Dex  15 (+2)  
  Con 12 (+1) 
  Int  8 (–1)  
  Wis  13 (+1)  
  Cha 10 (+0)
  Notes: Missus Silverbeak is a fey-touched giant owl 
  (AC 12, 19 hit points), with the following additional 
  traits; these traits increase her challenge rating to 2 
  (450 XP):
  Concealing Blizzard. As an action, Missus Silverbeak 
  may call a blizzard to surround her for 1 minute. This 
  blizzard counts as three-quarters cover and deals 
  2d6 cold damage to any creature within 10 feet of 
  her. This damage is dealt when a creature begins its 
  turn within the blizzard or enters it for the first time 
  on their turn. 
  Hypnotic Gaze. Missus Silverbeak may cast hypnotic 
  pattern 3/day.
  Plane Shift. Missus Silverbeak may travel between 
  the Material Plane and the Feywild as an action. She 
  must choose a location in her destination plane that 
  she is “very familiar” with (as the teleport spell).
  Possessions: The owl matron carries a feather of invis-
  ibility that, when snapped, turns the user invisible 
  (as the invisibility spell). She also carries a small coin 
  purse containing 50 gp and 20 sweet peppermints. 
  about anyone in this world, it is his ailing mother, 
  whose own voice was stolen by agents of the 
  Summer Court. When Grimillo first developed 
  his unusual art, he did so for the noble purpose 
  of stealing words to return to his mother, and for 
  years he did so, giving words back to her one-by-
  one. Grimillo’s work allowed her to speak again, 
  even if her vocabulary was sparse, and the many 
  voices with which she spoke unsettled most who 
  listened to her. 
   But for all his altruism, the thief loves the 
  journey as much as the destination. Grimillo’s 
  voice-theft is a tool for chaos, for the misery of 
  others, but most importantly, “just for a good 
  frecklin’ larf.”
  Roleplaying Grimillo
  Grimillo is likely to surprise PCs by stealing their 
  words or spells where it counts the most. He 
  is an unassuming gnome, despite his unusual 
  appearance, and can easily blend into a crowd—
  at least until he strikes. After he purloins a few 
  choice words, Grimillo tries to flee, but he can 
  hardly keep from cackling as he sprints between 
  the legs of nearby bystanders. When cornered, 
  Grimillo is a constant joker, cracking as many 
  lewd and nonsensical jokes as he can. Meanwhile, 
  he is coolly calculating his escape angle. 
  
  Servants of the Winter Court | EN World EN5IDER
  Servants of the Winter Court | EN World EN5IDER
  Physical Description
  Missus Silverbeak is a massive horned owl with 
  a shining silver beak and lamp-like golden eyes. 
  Her feathers are a plain brown-and-white pattern. 
  Silverbeak often gesticulates with her wings and 
  talons in a strange facsimile of human behavior. 
  Background
  Many legends surround the origin of the great 
  Missus Silverbeak. She is known far and wide 
  throughout the Feywild as a bringer of great 
  joy and comfort to Unseelie fey, and a deathly 
  charming corruptor of the Seelie. Some say she 
  was once a normal owl that found its way from 
  the Material Plane to the Feywild. Others believe 
  that she is a malign spirit from the Shadowfell 
  that has assumed the form of a giant owl, and 
  is merely biding her time until she unleashes 
  destruction upon the realm of fairies. Few 
  denizens of the Feywild know that she is actually 
  an independent agent of the Queen of Air and 
  Darkness. The Queen of Winter often calls upon 
  Silverbeak’s talents to lure mortals into indolence, 
  either for her own amusement or as the prelude to 
  conquest.  
   Silverbeak now spends most of her time in 
  the Material Plane. She truly believes that she is 
  helping mortals by making them happy, no matter 
  the cost. She is keenly aware that she leads them 
  to their doom, but she doesn’t quite have a grasp 
  on how long a normal human being’s lifespan is; 
  it’s all just an instant compared to her immortal 
  life, anyway. 
  Roleplaying Missus Silverbeak
  Missus Silverbeak has a voice like poisoned honey, 
  but she need not be the PCs’ enemies. In fact, 
  she can be a valuable ally if the PCs are able to 
  convince her that their own enemies are a group 
  of miserable wretches who need a bit more wintry 
  cheer in their lives.  
  Snowblind, Knight of 
  the Winter Wastes
  You feel the temperature drop as a tall man appears 
  before you. He is clad in frost-rimed armor and two 
  weathered antlers grow from his brow. His eyes are 
  cloudy, and he does not meet your gaze. He instead 
  looks with steely focus at a point in the distance. But 
  when he speaks, you know he is speaking directly to 
  you.
  Statistics
  Traits: Though my old eyes cannot see, I can feel the 
  heat of all things around me.
  Ideal: I must return to my queen. How have I been 
  away from her side for so long?
  Bond: I care for the safety of the winter realm over all 
  things. Any who threaten my queen, her homeland, or 
  the lands she has conquered, will be eviscerated by 
  my blade.
  Flaw: I remember something … barely. The memories 
  of my old life torment me, and when I see things that 
  remind me of it, I cannot control my anger. 
  Medium humanoid (fey), lawful neutral
  Str  16 (+3)  
  Dex  11 (+0)  
  Con 14 (+2) 
  Int  11 (+0)  
  Wis  11 (+0) 
  Cha 15 (+2)
  Notes: Snowblind is a fey-blessed human knight (AC20, 
  52 hit points). The double-edged blessing of the 
  Unseelie fey gives him the following additional traits; 
  these traits and his possessions increase his chal-
  lenge rating to 5 (1,800 XP).
  Blind. Snowblind cannot see. If he is ever deprived of 
  his Wintersight feature, he gains the blinded condi-
  tion until his Wintersight is restored. 
  Wintersight. Though his eyes are frozen and sight-
  less, Snowblind can sense heat. This infravision 
  allows him to see through invisibility effects, and 
  allows him to otherwise “see” as if he were not 
  blind. Casting remove curse or greater restoration 
  on Snowblind suppresses this effect for 1d4 rounds. 
  This effect is also suppressed while Snowblind is 
  within areas of extreme heat (over 110 degrees 
  Farenheit) or while within an antimagic field. 
  
  EN World EN5IDER | Servants of the Winter Court
  EN World EN5IDER | Servants of the Winter Court
  Possessions: Snowblind wears a suit of +1 plate armor, 
  and wields a frost brand and a +1 shield. He also 
  carries a wand of enemy detection with 3 charges 
  remaining. In addition to his magical gear, Snowblind 
  carries a ridged stone that he rubs when he is trying 
  to remember home, his signet ring, and an amulet 
  containing a lock of the Queen of Air and Darkness’s 
  hair.
  Physical Description
  This imposing knight of the Winter Court returns 
  to his humanoid form while in the Material Plane. 
  The many-pronged antlers that sprout from 
  his brow are a reminder of his fey curse, and a 
  warning to all humans that Snowblind is not one 
  of them. He has spent decades trapped in the 
  mortal world, searching for a way to return to 
  his queen’s side, and his weathered face and ice-
  flecked beard show his age.
   Snowblind’s armor is scarred and pitted from 
  countless battles across the wastes, and his blade 
  is almost always coated in blood, be it dry or fresh. 
  Background
  He was human, once. A knight of some kingdom—
  with a name even he can’t remember. He thinks he 
  had a family. A husband. Two daughters with fire 
  in their hearts. But they’re gone now. The winter 
  claimed them, and when he offered himself to the 
  winter’s terrible queen in exchange for their lives, 
  his service eventually claimed him, too. He traded 
  his sight for them. He traded his name for them. 
  He traded his humanity for them. Yet she would 
  not reward him with the lives he wished to save. 
   He is called Snowblind now. He is the eternal 
  watcher of the winter wastes, and the few 
  memories he still has of his old life are distant 
  and strange, like a melody heard in a dream. 
  Snowblind’s devotion to the Queen of Air and 
  Darkness is all that drives him, and even the 
  Unseelie Queen herself is unsure what would 
  happen if his memory were restored.
  Roleplaying Snowblind
  Snowblind speaks plainly, though he never looks 
  directly at anyone he speaks to. Every action he 
  takes is in the service of the Winter Queen or is 
  intended to help him find a way back to her side, 
  even if he cannot fully recall why he was stranded 
  on the Material Plane in the first place. He will 
  readily join forces with anyone whose goals 
  he believes align with those of his queen, or if 
  something about them stirs a distant memory. 
   Though he is quick to make alliances, 
  Snowblind is also quick to break them. His 
  demeanor is unpredictable as a winter storm, and 
  any suggestion of an ally’s duplicity or allegiance 
  to the Summer Court triggers his bloodlust. If 
  Snowblind is provoked, reminding him of the 
  ridged stone he carries with him or trying to stir 
  memories of his old life is enough to give him 
  pause and allow him to be dissuaded from further 
  violence. e
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/EN World EN5ider/EN5ider 122 - Servants of the Winter Court.pdf