Grim Hollow Monster Grimoire: Anguisher

Feel the Pain!

Author Note: This is one of my favorite creatures, because it’s a much more palatable version of The Shadow from the Monster Manual. It isn’t as busted, but its’ still just as cool. (I have a soft spot for these types of monsters)

The Anguisher arises when a creature, any creature, dies in intense mental torment. The Aether Kindred, presumably, then bring an Anguisher into the world, melded from the soul of the tormented dead and something far more sinister. This has some very interesting implications: Because of the nature of the Aether Kindred, people would be much more terrified of dying at the hands of aberrations or other psychically powerful creatures. Because they rob you of your afterlife. Anguishers are horrifying therefore due to the transformation, and many would rather commit suicide than die due to intense psychic anguish, to prevent their soul from being lost forever and existing in such a state.

Anguishers would therefore be very infamous, and cause societal changes in the areas where the Beast has struck before. The Burach Empire is the primary example of this, Liesech, and the Charneault Kingdom also may serve this purpose as “common” breeding grounds of these creatures. Altenheim specifically for the Burach Empire, and the Valikan Clans above Altenheim might also experience such issues. In any case, this would lead to a general burning of corpses found in areas to prevent Anguishers from forming, though it would depend upon whether the corpse looks like it died peacefully or in great agony.

Funerary arrangements would therefore change drastically in Etharis:

1. Most Corpses would be burned to a Crisp, this shouldn’t matter for the vast majority of Undead in the book as they’re typically formed from bones, which take too much work to burn without jeopardizing wood supplies. This would be the “poor’s” arrangements and would be far more common for those in the lower class.

2. Burial Arrangements would be reserved for those who could afford to have their bodies interred in a crypt with Hallow protecting it. Since Hallow is a 5th Level spell, it would be quite expensive and rare, but definitely available in large and wealthy cities. Afterall, even in real life people are fairly divided on how Funerary arrangements should go.

How Anguishers Fight and Propagate. The Anguisher is an ambush predator that seeks to cause more mental anguish. it’s 8 intelligence and 17 Charisma give it an extreme understanding of how people work. It’s Charisma Score is the primary reason for this, it has an understanding of at least how it can generate fearful situations. It’s intelligence limits’ it to simple strategies such as waiting for a creature to be alone before attacking it.

Its abilities lend towards a “cruel” style of inflicting pain, its Anguish attack allows it to inflict the frightened condition which causes a creature to run away from it. Since Anguishers are generally propagating, you can have an infestation of them. An entire town may be converted overnight, or the creatures may take their time and relish the fear they may cause. The creatures were once human or otherwise a different creature, but their cruelty will manifest itself easily. Its invisibility means that it also has a means of escaping, and it doesn’t have to fight a creature, it can run away if its life is threatened.

This of course means that “getting the jump” on an Anguisher is necessary to fully destroy the psychic manifestation of pain. I would recommend not using the Commoner stat-block for communities as in Etharis the townsfolk of any town are likely much sturdier and may generally have the Bandit stat-block, only the old or defenseless (like Children) should have 4 Hit Points. Other creatures should have the health of youthful vigor or strength within. Blacksmiths would be particularly tough and any adult hoping to survive in Etharis would at the very least be a bit more resilient than a commoner of 4 hit points. Not to say that these individuals stand a chance of harming the Anguisher by themselves.

For an added challenge you can have a particularly powerful Aberration be commanding these creatures and instead have their lifeforce tied to this “horror”. It would make an interesting encounter to have an “army of pain” that a creature could be commanding.

Stories that the Anguisher is involved in. The Anguisher is spawned from intense psychic anguish and foes that inflict such an effect are very appropriate for this reason.

The Beast. The beast is a creature that has an amorphous set of abilities, its presence is a warping factor on the land. Anguishers are no stranger to this effect, and might follow in its wake as it robs the land of its life and the individuals there of their sanity. The Beast has origins in any of the descriptions listed in its’ entry in the Monster Grimoire, however, feel free to make it more Aetheric in origin if you want Anguishers to be more prominently created by it.

Grotesquerie. This aberrant treant consumes much and has the blood of the Aether Kindred’s kin running through it. Those eaten could easily find themselves being wretched up only for an Anguisher to form from their remains. The Anguishers aren’t under the command of this corrupted treant, but could easily be used in a story pointing towards its’ corruption.

Leeching Willow. The Leeching Willow is a creature that infects the minds of others, and if threatened can ignite those very spores in its carriers. This damage is 45, so most normal creatures are dead by 10-fold assuming the Commoner stat-block. With 4 Levels of Exhaustion, even a CR8 Humanoid would not be immune to being killed outright upon failing the saving throw. The Psychic Slam also causes a creatures’ head to explode, so this death is particularly violent and painful. The Leeching Willow doesn’t usually use this action, however, as it kills it’s hosts within the area. This means that any attempt to kill it could easily leave an entire town bereft of life, a community full of Anguishers would be what remains.

Parasite Warlock. Whenever the Blightworm changes hosts, its previous host loses its soul and is destroyed. This process could easily create an Anguisher if you wish.

Tachna. The Tachna and Tachna Gallery are some very interesting foes to have Anguishers be about. Their feeding process is an extremely odd one generated by another powerful aberration or aberrantly charged energetic effect. This could easily mean that a portal to the Aether Kindred’s Prison realm is open, and such portals could corrupt the deaths of the Tachna and Tachna Gallery. For an added challenge in both fights, consider having Anguishers be inside the painting with a number equal to the amount of creatures slain by the Tachna or Tachna Gallery.

Yggdrasili. These infected creatures use psychic energy to harm others. The Yggdrasili usually turn those reduced to 0 Hit Points into assimilated pawns or drones for their own twisted ends. But its’ easy to imagine that Anguishers would follow in the wake of botched assimilation attempts. These Anguishers, created by the “portal” between the Hive Mind and Pharazorthok, would serve the Yggdrasili as servants and protectors.

Other Aberrations. The Anguisher is a simple concept of “pain doesn’t easily die.” You can use them in conjunction to other creatures in other supplements: The Daelkyr (Dyrrn or Belashyrra specifically), Mind Flayers, Aboleths, Core Spawn, Star Spawn, Quori, Gith, or perhaps a specific Demon Lord involved with Mental Anguish. The story is yours but the general principle is that a creature died in intense psychic anguish.

Thanks for reading this article, I really appreciate it. If you want to have advice about D&D, comment below and I’ll respond succinctly.
I don’t own any of the names, photos, or content in this article, this article is my own thoughts and opinions on how these subjects should behave, and are therefore Non-Canon in relation to their own product licenses. I do not own the rights to the Grim Hollow Monster Grimoire or Eberron: Rising from the Last War, they belong to their respective owners.