b'The Painted Harlequin \n'b'  Family:   Mythic  \n'b'  Medium   mythic fey ,  chaotic neutral  \n'b'  Armor Class  26 (studded leather, Suave Defense)  Hit Points  714 (68d8 + 408)  Speed  50 ft.\n'b' STATS STR: 16 (+3) DEX:  26 (+8)  CON:  22 (+6)  INT:  18 (+4)  WIS:  12 (+1)  CHA:  26 (+8)  \n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'  Saving Throws   Str  +11,  Dex  +16,  Con  +14,  Int  +12,  Wis  +9,  Cha  +16  Skills   Acrobatics  +24,  Deception  +16,  Insight  +9,  Perception  +17,  Performance  +24,  Stealth  +24  Damage Resistances  bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-Epic creatures  Condition Immunities   charmed   Senses   darkvision  120 ft., blindsight 60 ft., passive  Perception  27  Languages  Common, Elvish, Sylvan  Challenge  Mythic 1 \n'b' SPECIAL TRAITS \n'b'\n'b'  Circus Acrobat . On each of her turns, the Harlequin can take a bonus action to take the  Dash ,  Disengage , or  Dodge  action. Additionally, the Harlequin can move along vertical surfaces and across liquids without falling. \n'b'  Mirthful Blades . The Harlequin\xe2\x80\x99s attacks are magical, and a creature that would be immune to damage dealt by the Harlequin is instead resistant. The Harlequin has a near-limitless number of knives on her person at all times. Some of the Harlequin\xe2\x80\x99s attacks and abilities leave knives embedded in affected creatures, as detailed in their description. The knives are magically enchanted to mock and torment the creature they are embedded in. When such a creature starts each of its turns, it takes 9 (2d8) psychic damage for each knife embedded in it. A creature can use an action to remove all knives embedded in its body or from the body of another creature within reach, or it can use a bonus action to remove a single knife. When removing the knives, a creature must speak a knife-related pun they have not heard within the last 24 hours as a part of the attempt or the knife cannot be removed. Mythic  Resistance . When the Harlequin fails a saving throw, she can expend one of her unspent legendary actions to succeed instead. \n'b'  Suave Defense . The harlequin adds her  Charisma  modifier to her Ac. Ultimate Evasion. When the Harlequin succeeds on a saving throw and suffers an effect on a success, she instead suffers no effect. \n'b'\n'b' MYTHIC ACTIONS \n'b' On  initiative  count 20 (losing  initiative  ties), the Harlequin takes one of the following mythic actions. The Harlequin cannot take the same action twice in a row. \n'b'\n'b'  Fan of Knives . The Harlequin unleashes a cloud of knives in a 30-foot radius centered on herself. Each enemy creature in the area must succeed on a DC 24  Dexterity  saving throw or take 35 (10d6) magical piercing damage, or half as much on a success. Additionally, creatures that fail the saving throw are embedded with two knives, or one knife on a success. \n'b'  Tragedy of the Night Troupe . The Harlequin begins performing an artistic dance that tells the tragedy that befell the Night Troupe. Each creature that can see the Harlequin begins to dance, mimicking her movements. On each of its turns, a dancing creature must spend its movement to move in a manner dictated by the Harlequin. At the end of each of its turns, an affected creature can attempt a DC 24  Wisdom  saving throw, ending the effect on a success. A creature immune to the  charmed  condition had Epic advantage on the saving throw \n'b'\n'b' ACTIONS \n'b'\n'b'  Multiattack . The Harlequin makes three attacks, or makes two attacks and takes one other action. \n'b'  Disarm . The Harlequin attempts to disarm a creature within reach, forcing it to attempt a DC 24  Strength  saving throw or drop one item it is holding (Harlequin\xe2\x80\x99s choice). When the target drops the object, the Harlequin may take a  reaction  to take possession of it. \n'b'  Escape Artist . Until the end of her turn, the Harlequin can move through any objects, non-Epic magical effects, or obstacles unimpeded as though they were not there. If the Harlequin is unable to take  actions , she can instead take this action, immediately ending any effects that are preventing her from taking  actions  when she does so (such as the  paralyzed  or  stunned  conditions). The Harlequin cannot end her turn inside a solid object or creature using this feature. \n'b'  Harlequin\xe2\x80\x99s Kiss (Recharge 5\xe2\x80\x936) .  Melee Weapon Attack : +16 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.  Hit : The Harlequin kisses the target, causing one of the following effects. Haunting Desires. The Harlequin attempts a  Charisma  ( Deception ) ability check opposed by a target\xe2\x80\x99s  Wisdom  ( Insight ) ability check. If the Harlequin succeeds, the creature becomes overwhelmingly attracted to her and will not willingly harm her for as long as it remains attracted. When a creature attracted to the Harlequin takes damage, it can attempt a DC 24  Wisdom  saving throw to end the effect. \n'b'  Laughing Venom . The creature must succeed on a DC 24  Constitution  saving throw or take 110 (20d10) poison damage and is  poisoned . While  poisoned  in this way, when the creature attempts to speak it instead laughs uncontrollably, unable to articulate any coherent words. \n'b'  Head Crack .  Melee Weapon Attack : +16 to hit, reach 5 ft. one creature.  Hit : 12 (1d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 24  Constitution  saving throw or be knocked  unconscious  until the start of its next turn. \n'b'  Shank .  Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack : +16 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target.  Hit : 29 (6d6 + 8) piercing damage and the Harlequin can choose to leave the knife embedded in the target. \n'b'\n'b' REACTIONS \n'b'\n'b'  Expert Dodge . When the Harlequin takes damage from an  attack  or spell that forced her to make a  Dexterity  saving throw, she can take a  reaction  to halve the damage. \n'b'\n'b' LEGENDARY ACTIONS \n'b' The Harlequin can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature\xe2\x80\x99s turn. The Harlequin regains spent legendary actions at the start of each of her turns. \n'b'\n'b'  Backstab . The Harlequin magically teleports to an unoccupied space next to a target she can see within 300 feet of her and makes a single Shank  attack . If the  attack  hits, it deals double damage. The Harlequin then magically teleports back to her original position. \n'b'  Flying Kick . The Harlequin jumps up to 30 feet vertically and/or horizontally and makes a single Head Crack  attack . \n'b'  Jack-in-the-Box . The Harlequin drops a jack-in-the-box on the ground in a space adjacent to her, which immediately begins ticking. When the Harlequin would make an  attack , she can choose to forgo making that  attack  and instead detonate the box. When detonated, the box explodes in a 20-foot-radius sphere of flame. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 24  Dexterity  saving throw or take 49 (14d6) fire damage, or half as much on a success. If a creature other than the Harlequin damages or touches the box, it immediately explodes. \n'b'  Stage Change (Costs 2 Actions) . The Harlequin recharges her Harlequin\xe2\x80\x99s Kiss action. If her Harlequin\xe2\x80\x99s Kiss action is already recharged, she instead takes that action. \n'b'\n'b' ABOUT \n'b' Darting between shadows, this lithe figure moves with unnatural speed. Her body is adorned with black-and-white harlequin\xe2\x80\x99s garb, ornately woven by fey hands. An ivory mask obscures her face, one half twisted into a mirthful smile, the other displaying a look of utter sadness. She juggles a collection of frightfully sharp knives, each blade magically cackling with the laughter of an audience in the throes of hilarity. \n'b' Two courts have ruled the fey realm since time immemorial: the mighty Seelie and Unseelie, forever entwined in a conflict of subterfuge and intrigue, but careful to never escalate into open war. Those whose memory stretches back for eons know the truth behind this uneasy truce. A third court once held an equal share of the realm, the Night Troupe. These fey dedicated their lives to the belief that all existence is a performance, and they relentlessly upset the status quo. These fey used violence and art to accomplish this task, united with an unrelenting, obnoxious comedy that only they found amusing. Eventually, the Seelie and Unseelie courts agreed to their first and only alliance to evict the Night Troupe from their plane. Armies poured forth and brutally drove the Night Troupe back, inflicting defeat after defeat until fewer than a hundred remained. As punishment for their crimes, the victors used terrible magic to permanently affix comedic masks to their faces. Forever cursed with an ironic smile, the Night Troupe can never outwardly mourn the tragedy that befell their people. \n'b' The leader of the Night Troupe survives to this day, now known as the Painted Harlequin to those unfortunate enough to cross her path. Pretending to be a traveling circus, the last of the Night Troupe preys on small, out-of-the-way villages. There, the locals are forced to perform a series of twisted acts, with survivors abducted by the desperate fey. These unfortunates are transformed by unknown magic into new members of the Night Troupe, trained by the Painted Harlequin in the arts of performance and death. Once her army is ready, she will return to the fey realm to reclaim her home. \n'b' A figure of tragedy and purpose, Scath-Lannach is evil by necessity. Only by subjecting the innocent to a variety of grueling tests and exploitations can she determine whether they are fit to join the Night Troupe. The Harlequin holds the other fey rulers ultimately responsible for the fates of those who suffer at her hands, believing that the injustice committed against the Night Troupe drove them to this life. Scath is not unreasonable, but she views humanoids as inferior beings who fail to appreciate exactly what she is trying to accomplish. Should her victims be defended by a power that threatens to slay many of her people, she will cease activities until the threat has passed. If confronted by agents of the fey rulers who wronged her people, the Harlequin spares no effort to slay them. Even those casually associated with the fey realm meet a swift death, their bodies desecrated as a reminder that Scath and her Night Troupe are still out there, building their strength. \n'b' Night Trouper Template \n'b' Humanoids are the only race fit to become night troupers; other creatures lack appropriately pliable bodies and minds. A creature that becomes a night trouper loses its original personality and background, and its alignment changes to chaotic evil. Each night trouper is unique, displaying an array of acrobatic and comedic talents in combination with deadly attacks and abilities. Night troupers always appear emaciated and starved, their bodies pushed to their physical limits through ceaseless practice in preparation for the day they will reclaim their home. Night troupers are infallibly loyal to the cause of reclaiming their place in the fey realm and will never willingly betray one of their own. A creature retains any statistics except the following. \n'b'  Type . The creature\xe2\x80\x99s type changes from humanoid to fey. \n'b'  Curse of Comedy . An ivory mask of a laughing smile is permanently affixed to the creature\xe2\x80\x99s face, which cannot be removed by any means short of cutting it off. The mask\xe2\x80\x99s magic makes the creature proficient in  Performance  and doubles its proficiency bonus on any  Charisma  ( Performance ) ability check it attempts. \n'b'  Magic Resistance . The creature has advantage on saving throws against non-Epic spells and other non-Epic magical effects, and takes half damage from non-Epic spells. \n'b'  Suave Defense . The creature adds its  Charisma  modifier to its Ac. \n'b' MYTHIC EFFECTS \n'b' As a mythic creature, Scath-Lannach causes the following effects. \n'b'  Joining the Night Troupe . When a humanoid creature survives 100 or more points of damage from Scath-Lannach or a member of the Night Troupe in a 24-hour period, that humanoid may be offered the chance to join the circus and become a night trouper. A creature that accepts gains the following template and forever becomes a member of the dark fey race. Only Epic magic can reverse this effect and restore an affected creature to its natural state. \n'b'  Traveling Circus . When Scath-Lannach finishes a short rest, she may magically transport herself and the entire traveling circus along with any guests, objects, and performers within it to a specific location anywhere on any plane, as long as it is not in the fey realm. This effect cannot be tracked or prevented by non-Deific means.'