The Scrouch
Medium Humanoid (avian), Lawful Evil
The Scrouch is a strange creature that lives in the Red Waste, waiting for unprepared travelers to pass. When they do, he follows at a distance until some trouble arises. A dangerous animal, a hazard of the terrain, a treacherous pathway, he waits until just the moment the travelers need his help. And then he comes in. And he fixes the situation. He calms the jackal, extricates them from the quicksand, guides them back to the road. And he makes a mark in his little list, and tells them where to go next.
And his advice always seems so good. A well of clean water refreshes them, a hidden cache of food sustains them. Their travels go nice and smoothly.
But his guidance invariably leads the same place, in the middle of the waste. A box canyon with many clever traps. And it's here that he makes his demands. Not just for whatever valuables the traveler has (he could have those just by waiting a bit). But for things from outside the waste. Gold, jewels, fine foods and wine. His demands are always proportionate to the help he has given them. If they argue, he points to his list, and tells them that everything has its cost.
If they agree, the Scrouch puts a magical compulsion on their mind, and they have a year to meet his demand, bringing the spoils back to the desert, at which point he will guide them back out of the Waste and wish them luck on the rest of their journeys. If they fail, they go mad, and join the hermits on the edges of the waste, building cairns of shiny rocks and bits of bone until they die of thirst.
Armor Class 16
Hit Points 182 28d8+56
Speed 30 ft., Climb 20 ft.
Initiative +3
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 8 (-1) | 17 (+3) | 15 (+2) | 20 (+5) | 12 (+1) | 10 (+0) |
Saving Throws Dex +6, Wis +4
Skills Acrobatics +6, Athletics +2, Deception +3, Insight +4, Nature +8, Perception +4, Persuasion +3, Stealth +6, Survival +4
Senses Darkvision, Passive Perception 14
Languages Common
Challenge 8 (3900XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Wasteland Walker. The Scrouch ignores all difficult terrain within the Red Waste.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d8+3) piercing damage.
Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) slashing damage.
Multi-Attack. The Scrouch makes two talon and one bite attack against a target.
Master of the Waste. The Scrouch has become such a part of the Red Waste that it can make it obey him. As an action, he can create a 10 foot by 10 foot square of ground into quicksand for one minute. Any creatures other than the Scrouch that start their turn in this area or enter it must make a DC 16 Strength save or be unable to move.
Call in the Debt. The Scrouch recounts the services he has done for a creature traveling through the waste and then tells them what he feels they owe him (it must be a cost the Scrouch believes is fair, even the target would disagree). The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed. While charmed, the target is compelled to complete the task given to it by the Scrouch. If they have an opportunity to take steps toward completing the task, but deliberately fail to do so, they take 5d6 psychic damage (but no more than once per day). If they have not completed the task within a year, the compulsion changes to building cairns in the edges of the waste, using the nicest materials they can find (typically shiny rocks and polished bone).
A Greater Restoration or Wish spell can end the enchantment.
Bonus Actions
Pay it in Blood. As a bonus action, the Scrouch can call in the debt owed by a target in blood. It scratches out one service it did for a creature, and then deals an extra d6 damage on each attack it makes against that target.