Greater Tyrant Shadow

D&D 2024 monster: Greater Tyrant Shadow. Source: Chains of Asmodeus. challenge rating 22, creature type Aberration, Gargantuan size, speed 30 ft. The nine hells can only dream of the perfect oppression which mortals bring upon each other. Alongside devils and monsters, the Nine Hells have given birth to more nebulous threats. Even raw negative emotion can be personified in the darkest reaches of the lower planes. Congealing into a shape that knows only hunger and the need to hunt. It stalks those filled with fears and insecurities that they refuse to acknowledge. Bred from Denial Tyrant shadows are a threat unique to the Nine Hells. Mortals in the Nine Hells dwell in agony and terror by definition. However, the life of a devil is seldom happier. The infernal hierarchy is harsh and those above constantly abuse the Fiends beneath them whilst fearing usurpation at every turn. In contrast to the unruly hosts of the Abyss, devils are never permitted to give vent to the bitterness that is their lot, bound to a show of discipline and obedience. This festering misery, given no other outlet, manifests as an independent creature that breaks from the devil who generated it to pursue its own malevolent life. Tyrant shadows most often appear as huge-mawed stalking reptiles made from writhing shadows, unless they take on specific forms to exploit the fears of their prey. Shifting Stalkers Tyrant shadows are strongly attracted to the kind of suppressed negative emotions that gave rise to them. The minds of strong mortals valiantly enduring the horrors of the Nine Hells without complaint draw them from far away, and they hunger both for the flesh and the fear such prey generate. A truly satisfying feast for the tyrants must be prepared properly. They stalk their targets over long hours, telepathically sensing what is most feared and shifting their forms to provide glimpses and hints of terror wherever their target looks. Mortals who break easily, giving swift vent to their fear...