Ennui [Greater Dream Spawn]

In its natural shape an ennui is a big, man-tall creature with four arms and leathery bat wings, its gray, blank skin shifting and flowing at will into any other form. It speaks the common tongue of dream spawn and the main language of whichever dreamer or wanderer it borrows memories from. Ennui pass freely through the veil of sleep, stepping from the dreamscapes into the waking world and back with no difficulty.

An ennui strikes with all four clawed hands each round, 1d6 damage apiece, though all must target the same foe. Its signature move is a swoop: it plunges from on high with wings spread and rakes a single target with four hands and both clawed feet, all six blows dealing 1d6+2. Afterward it must land and rest its wings for two rounds. It may still fight in other ways, but cannot swoop again for at least two rounds.

Some 40% carry a dream slayer sword, which lets them attack twice per round against one or two foes. The blade deals 1d10+4 to dreamers and 1d10+1 to wanderers.

In natural form an ennui can turn invisible at will, becoming visible the moment it attacks. It often vanishes right after a swoop to leave its enemies guessing.

Ennui are wild and brutal by nature. They hate one another, dominate all lesser dream spawn and form no communities, wanting only to serve the court of nightmares. Those that have pledged themselves are vassals who run errands for particular court members and supervise the dreamscapes while their masters are busy. Each dreamer planted in a dreamscape as a seed is given an ennui keeper whose job is to make sure the nightmare never stops. Like prison wardens, they enforce their lords' rules and manage their assigned dreamscapes, and they would die before failing in the task.

Rogue ennui are those not yet bound to the court, or cast out of its service. Cut off from the fearful nightmares they crave, they are feral and extremely dangerous.

Ennui feed on the dream seeds they watch over. They can devour lesser dream spawn, but it is the sweet terror of a seed's nightmares that both nourishes them and keeps their wild side under control.