For what it's worth, if you're Regent your dying whether you get those defend now or on turn 3 when he attacks.

This would unironically be awesome at the end of a cosmic horror themed campaign. Some elder god the PCs have antagonized turns to the players and addresses them directly - not their characters, but the players - in a fourth-wall-breaking moment, acknowledging their existence and directly threatening them. Then the DM breaks out health and sanity bars for everyone at the table, and starts ticking off damage on them.