Fantasy NPC: The Guardian Of Royal Crypts

You can now support Shaper Of Worlds on Patreon.

The Guardian Of Royal Crypts

A long, dark serpentine form, stained with cobwebs and dust. The vestigial wings are little more than stumps. The maw reveals an array of impressive teeth, while above multiple small eyes adorn the brows of this draconic entity. It slithers like a snake, its forelimbs used only while climbing or slashing at enemies.

CR 12; 19,200 XP

LN Large Dragon

Init +7; Senses darkvision 120 ft., memorized way, low-light vision, sense necromancy 120 ft., scent; Perception +21

Defense
AC 27, touch 12, flat-footed 24 (+3 Dex, +15 natural, –1 size)
hp 161 (14d12+70)
Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +15

Defensive Abilities half damage from necromantic spells and negative energy effects; Immune death, disease, energy drain, paralysis, sleep; Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10

Offense
Speed 30 ft., burrow 10 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.

Melee bite +21 (2d6+8), 2 claws +21 (1d8+8), and tail slap +21 (1d8+8)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with bite and tail slap)

Special Attacks breath weapon (60-ft. line, 10d10 damage, Fort DC 22 for half, useable every 1d4 rounds)

Statistics
Str 26, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 13, Wis 19, Cha 15
Base Atk +14; CMB +23; CMD 36 (can't be tripped)
Feats Acrobatic Step, Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Nimble Moves

Skills Acrobatics +19, Climb +14, Knowledge (nobility) +18, Knowledge (religion) +18, Perception +21, Profession (mortician) +21, Sense Motive +21, Stealth +15, Swim +14
Language Common, Draconic, Duc

SQ compression

Breath Weapon (Su) The Guardian Of Royal Crypts can exhale a 60 ft.-line of black necrotic lightning that decays flesh dealing 10d10 points of damage to living creatures and fleshy corporeal undead. A successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 22) halves the damage. The saving throw DC of this necromancy effect is Constitution-based. Wounds left by this attack have a very characteristic black and grey discoloration and a fetid stink.

Memorized Way (Ex) The Guardian Of Royal Crypts traversed their layout for centuries now, knowing every nook and cranny, even those who wouldn't seem to fit his significant size, but like all serpentine beings, The Guardian is nothing but flexible. The Guardian always knows his location within the crypt and can find his way when deprived of other sense by touch alone, and even if his intellect would be hampered and degraded to animalistic level. He can always find another way within his crypts.

Sense Necromancy (Su) The Guardian Of Royal Crypts can always sense auras of necromantic magic and undead creatures within 120 feet of himself, even through walls of his crypts. He can pin point location of a necromantic spell at the moment it is being cast.

The Guardian Of Royal Crypts, whose name remains secret and hidden from mortals, apart of the first monarch that bargained with him, is a serpentine wyrm who watches over countless generations of dead royalty. His mountain is riddled with caves, crypts, and corridors where the bones of long dead kings, queens, princess, princesses, and dukes lie, as well as their funeral regalia and mementos. According to the ancient oaths, they all form The Guardian's hoard and in return, he watches over their corporeal remains, wards off those who would try to bind them to servitude in death or steal their secrets.

The Guardian is rarely seen, only emerging during royal funeral, when he lets the morticians enter the crypts to inter his new property, and during certain ceremonies when young princesses are tasked with delivering him a feast (and a supply of herd animals to feed him and his servants for the next season)—while the far away lands might whisper that the locals are sacrificing the princesses to the dragon, that seems to be false... Though there are rumors that it did happen in the ancient past when extraordinary help was needed from The Guardian.

The Guardian is served by a tribe of kobolds, who worship him as an austere and stern but fair god. They work as menial laborers maintaining the crypts and expanding them with new corridors and alcoves as needed.