Corpsewing

Forest

Mountain

Bite

Claw

Tail

A corpsewing is the result of a dragon’s failed attempt at lichdom.  Instead of successfully storing its soul in a soul cage during the ascension ritual, the dragon’s soul becomes dulled, broken, and trapped in its body, which is twisted by necrosis and dark magic through the failed ritual. Caught between life and death, it is trapped within its own rotted corpse, retaining only a dim light of its former consciousness. 

Corpsewings have only vague instincts of the great beings that they used to be. They may be drawn to their original lairs and feel familiarity in their old hunting grounds, but that is the extent of their connection to their thoughts and motivations in life. In undeath, the corpsewing’s only motivation is to feed — exclusively on rotting flesh. Corpsewings often raze villages to the ground, but wait to feast until the corpses are sufficiently decayed. They will lurk in the vicinity of their carnage to ward off any who would attempt to recover the dead until they are ready to feed. 

The bile belched by a corpsewing rots the ground it touches; it blackens soil, withers plant life, and leaves a strong acidic scent in the air that persists for days. Corpsewings never consume skulls. Skulls will be cracked open so that the corpsewing can swallow the innards, but the bones of the head will not be eaten. Corpsewings do, however, eat all other bones. 

Unpolluted rainwater is corrosive to the form of a corpsewing; the creatures will never fly in the rain. Addressing a corpsewing by the name it used in life causes it great, primal anguish that it only subconsciously understands. 

Corpsewings often retain the lairs that they occupied in life, though their necrotic presence has transformed them. A red-dragon-turned-corpsewing might lair at a great volcano, within ancient dwarven halls full of corroded and disfigured sculptures and statues that pulse with unholy magic. A former green dragon might lair in a once-lush grove, now choked by vines blackened and browned and dotted by flowers that look and smell like rotting flesh. 

In combat, the corpsewing uses its rotting breath as often as it can, positioning itself to hit at least two targets, if possible. Using its fly speed, it will attempt to retreat after using its breath to create distance until the breath recharges. It will only land and remain on the ground at the end of its turn if it thinks it can avoid taking attacks from three or more enemies before its next turn. It does everything it can to prevent itself from becoming grounded or surrounded, and would prefer to focus down one enemy at a time before moving on to new targets. It attacks downed characters immediately, and uses its Corpse Eater ability as soon as it can, disengaging from combat if necessary to allow its health to regenerate.

It is said that if they can weather the nightmares that follow, those who consume the heart of a corpsewing reduce their physical age by ten years. Its excrement, when smeared on the skin, protects the wearer from evocation spells. A PC can make a 

 Wisdom (Survival) check, or other check the GM deems appropriate, to obtain loot from the 

. On a successful check, the GM chooses one piece of loot, or has the PC roll a d4 to determine what they get. On a failed check, the PC gets one corpsewing oil. A PC can choose to have another make their skill check if they so choose.

The oil can cover a Medium or smaller creature, along with the equipment it's wearing and carrying (one additional vial is required for each size category above Medium). Applying the oil takes 10 minutes. The affected creature is immune to the damage and effects of evocation spells for 1 hour.

When you consume this heart raw you must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a successful save your reduce your physical age by 10 years. On a failed save, you throw up heart chunks and are poisoned for 1 minute. If you cook the heart before you consume it, your physical age is reduced by 1 year.

This material can be carved into a wand by making a DC 16 Dexterity check using Woodcarver's Tools. On a successful check it becomes a Wand of Vampiric Touch. This wand has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to cast the 

spell (save DC 15) from it. The wand regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the wand's last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles into ashes and is destroyed. 

This material can be inset in any nonmagical armor by making a DC 16 Strength, Intelligence, or Wisdom check using Smith's Tools. On a success, you have resistance to necrotic damage while attuned to the armor. On a fail, the armor crumbles to dust, but the eye remains.

Corpsewing

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