Kashnur

Medium humanoid (human), Lawful Evil

Armor Class 16 (magical warding)

Hit Points 171 (18d8 + 90)

Speed 30 ft.

STR 10 (+0) · DEX 14 (+2) · CON 16 (+3) · INT 20 (+5) · WIS 16 (+3) · CHA 14 (+2)

Saving Throws Con +7, Int +9, Wis +7

Skills Arcana +9, Deception +6, History +9, Insight +7

Gear Kashnur’s Snuff Box (contains 3 uses of magical black powder), Jeweled Dagger

Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13

Languages Common, Draconic, Primordial

Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Traits

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Kashnur fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Actions

Multiattack. Kashnur makes three Magic Attacks. He can replace one attack with a use of Spellcasting.

Staff of the Cabal (Melee Attack). +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) Bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) Necrotic damage.

Hexing Bolt (Magic Attack). +9 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) Force damage, and the target is Poisoned until the start of Kashnur's next turn.

Curse of the Beast (Recharge 5–6). Kashnur hurls a cloud of enchanted black powder in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 36 (8d8) Necrotic damage and is Paralyzed for 1 round as their body painfully attempts to shift into an avian form. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and is not Paralyzed.

Spellcasting. Kashnur casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (Spell Save DC 17):

At Will: Detect Magic (PHB, p. 262), Mage Hand (PHB, p. 293), Prestidigitation (PHB, p. 307)

2/Day Each: Counterspell (PHB, p. 258), Dispel Magic (PHB, p. 264), Fireball (PHB, p. 274), Polymorph (PHB, p. 306)

1/Day Each: Mass Suggestion (PHB, p. 296), Wall of Force (PHB, p. 338)

Lore

The protagonist of Wilhelm Hauff's Eastern fairy tale "Caliph Stork" who transforms into a bird using a magical powder and the word "mutabor" but becomes trapped in that form after breaking a sacred taboo.

No one remembers exactly when it happened, but sometime long ago in Baghdad Caliph Hasid and his grand vizier Mansur bought a small box filled with black powder and a parchment from a wandering peddler. At the Caliph’s command the scholar Selim translated the Latin words on the scroll. They read: “He who inhales this powder and speaks the word ’Mutabor’ will turn into any animal he chooses and will understand the speech of beasts. To regain his human form he must bow three times to the east and repeat the same word. But beware—if he laughs while in animal shape he will instantly forget the magic word and stay a beast forever.”

The very next morning the Caliph and the vizier went down to a pond, sniffed the powder, spoke the spell, and turned into storks. Watching two lady storks—one of whom began to dance—they forgot themselves and burst out laughing. When they tried to change back, the word had slipped their minds, and they remained birds. Unable to return to the palace, they roamed the fields in despair.

From The Fairy Tale Compendium · Fern Flower Press