Hold Breath While away from a very humid, foggy, misty, or generally wet area, the Ankai can hold its breath for 2 hours, unless it is in staff form, where it will only be required to be doused in water every 24 hours.
Spellcasting. The Ankai is a 9-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Dexterity (spell save DC 16, +1 to hit with spell attacks). The Ankai has the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): Eldritch Blast, Minor Illusion, Blade Ward, Gust, and Word of Radiance
1st level (4 slots): Armor of Agathys, hex, and Hellish Rebuke
2nd level (3 slots): Crown of Madness, and Misty Step
3rd level (3 slots): Hypnotic Pattern, and Aura of Vitality
4th level (3 slots): Blight, and Sickening Radiance
5th level (1 slot): Mordenkainen's Faithful Phantom Defenders
Ankai can return to dormant form
Spell and/or cantrip can be cast
Can choose one creature or itself to heal 2d6 damage (Aura of Vitality)
Description
The Ankai once was part of an animated staff, with it being the figurehead. The Ankai resembles a koi fish, but with the ability to fly and cast spells. The Ankai can be tamed by any spellcaster using an arcana or persuasion check. For every failed attempt, the Ankai will grow more destructive; and on the third failed attempt, the creature will create a large wave of pure energy dealing 1d10 radiant damage, 1d6 psychic damage, and 1d10+5 force damage within a 25-foot radius. If the creature is successfully tamed, it will revert to its dormant form (staff form). The item called the Ankrian staff can then only be held and used by a spellcaster.
Lair and Lair Actions
Full of plants, but no visible creatures are present in the lair or surrounding it. The borders of the lair are marked by 6 tall stone pillars with runic writing that is undecipherable. As soon as a creature enters the outer ring of pillars, a thick heavy fog will fill the swamp stretching up to 30 feet high. Any creature that enters the fog will become lost, but allowed to continue wandering around, but they will ultimately wander back to the stone pillars. The fog lasts for 2 hours before dissipating. In the center of the lair, there are 3 circles of writing that are written in celestial, draconic, and deep speech. When deciphered, a wave originating from the staff in the center will stun creatures within a 60-foot radius for 1 minute. The circle of writing begins to faintly glow after being deciphered; each circle says the same message regarding something possibly crucial to the adventurer's quest or random information that holds no significance, basically creative freedom for the DM here.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20(losing all ties), the Ankai takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Ankai can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- An invisible shockwave bursts from the Ankai detecting the presence of creature within a 60-foot radius
- The runes on the stone pillars start to glow brightly for 5 seconds before a barrier forms around the lair connecting each stone pillar to create a magical barrier that does 2d12 radiant damage to any creature within a 5-foot radius of the barrier, it also blinds any creature looking towards the pillars for 1 minute when the barrier first is created; the barrier lasts for 10 rounds and can only be used once
- The Ankrian staff awakens and the Ankai figurehead becomes animate and alive, with the full ability to cast spells and cantrips alike
- A tidal storm is created that darkens the sky, creatures must make a survival check before continuing; the storm then creates a heavy rain which reduces vision to 5 feet and movement speed reduced by 10 feet
- The Ankai returns to its dormant form and releases 3 blasts of magical energy towards 3 random targets, before reawakening; the blasts do 1d4 force damage and 1d4 radiant damage
If the Ankai dies, these effects fade over the course of 3 days.
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