Hierophant Medusa

D&D 2024 monster: Hierophant Medusa. Source: The Book of Many Things. challenge rating 17, creature type Monstrosity, Large size, speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.,... Sometimes deeply devout people, usually either Humanoids or medusas, dedicate themselves to a cause and are transformed by a deity or magic into hierophant medusas-beings with powerful snakelike tails for their lower body, snakes for hair, and a petrifying gaze. The first hierophant medusa was transformed by the power of the Euryale card when that individual was inspired by Euryale's story and unwavering conviction. These medusas are divinely empowered champions, drawing their power from a cosmic truth, the will of a deity, or the primal forces of nature. They gather and inspire followers, protecting their people and guiding them to fulfill the medusa's divine purpose. The Divine Purpose table offers suggestions for motivations. Roll on the table, or use the entries as inspiration to create your own. 1 Protect a sanctuary that hides martyrs' remains until the martyrs are called back to life to oppose a world-changing foe. 2 Gather the lost shards of a dead god's petrified body, and reunite them on the altar in the medusa's lair. 3 Maintain a planar crossing from which great power flows while also curtailing the effects of that power as it infuses the world. 4 Seek out a new generation of champions, and train them to fight in a war. 5 Tend a sacred beacon fed by the Outer Planes, sending embers of that beacon to the corners of the world to maintain a divine shroud. 6 Watch the entrance to a slumbering titan's tomb for any sign the titan might awaken, and repel the forces that seek to break the tomb's seal. A Medusa's Lair A medusa's lair is often decorated with the petrified bodies of creatures that raised arms against the medusa or its followers. The lair is typically a rich repository of knowledge, with lore both worldly and esoteric filling books, scrolls, tablets, or stranger archives-such as magical c...