Sootmother Yreleth, the Chimney Widow

Traits

• Soot Form. While in dim light or darkness, the Sootmother can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing, and she can end her turn inside an occupied chimney, stove or kiln without being detected.
• Hearth-Bound. At the start of each of her turns, if a fire is burning within 30 feet of her, the Sootmother regains 10 hit points. If she takes cold damage, this trait does not function at the start of her next turn.
• Widow’s Bargain. The Sootmother always knows the wording of any bargain she has struck. A creature that knowingly breaks a bargain with her has disadvantage on saving throws against her abilities until the bargain is settled or a remove curse spell is cast upon it.

Innate Spellcasting

Their spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks).

• At will. Dancing Lights, Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation
• 1/day each. Dream, Geas, Polymorph

Actions

• Multiattack. The Sootmother makes three attacks: one Cinder Talons attack and two Ashen Bolt attacks.
• Cinder Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage. The target is smeared with clinging soot. Until the soot is scrubbed away with a full minute of effort, the Sootmother knows the target’s direction and distance while they share a plane of existence.
• Ashen Bolt. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 60/120 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) necrotic damage. A fist of packed cinders hurled from the flue. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this attack crumbles to a person-shaped pile of warm ash.
• Flue-Whisper (Recharge 5-6). Every hearth, stove and chimney within 30 feet of the Sootmother speaks at once in the voices of people the targets have failed. Each creature in the area must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On a failed save, a creature is also frightened for 1 round.

Bonus Actions

• Chimney Step. The Sootmother steps into any flame, flue or chimney within 5 feet of her and steps out of another one she has visited before, up to 60 feet away. She cannot carry an unwilling creature with her.

Reactions

• Cinderward. Trigger: A creature the Sootmother can see hits her with a melee attack. A sheath of banked embers bursts outward. The triggering creature must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 14 (4d6) fire damage and be blinded by stinging ash until the end of its next turn.

Legendary Actions

Sootmother Yreleth, the Chimney Widow 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's turn. Sootmother regains spent legendary actions at the start of their turn.

• Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2d6 + 4 slashing damage.
• Soot Veil. Greasy smoke pours from the Sootmother’s sleeves. Until the start of her next turn, she is heavily obscured to any creature that is not currently on fire.
• Call the Kettle (Costs 2 Actions). The Sootmother’s iron kettle boils over somewhere out of sight. Each creature of her choice within 20 feet of her must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or take 17 (5d6) fire damage, or half as much on a success.

Lair Actions

• Downdraft. Every chimney in the lair exhales at once. Each creature standing on a floor within 60 feet of a hearth must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone and pushed 10 feet toward the nearest fireplace.
• The Soot Remembers. Ash lifts from the floor in the shape of someone the target has wronged. One creature the Sootmother can see must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of that ashen figure until the end of its next turn, and it cannot willingly move closer to the Sootmother while frightened this way. (One creature within 60 feet)

Regional Effects

• Everything Tastes of Ash. Food cooked within the region turns grey and flavourless within an hour. Creatures that eat it gain no benefit from a short rest that day unless the meal was prepared over a fire the Sootmother has never touched. The effect extends 1 mile from the lair.
• Chimneys Listen. Any conversation held within 10 feet of a lit hearth in the region is heard by the Sootmother, wherever she is, though she learns only the words and not who spoke them. The effect extends 1 mile from the lair.