# The Guest — The Caged Face

**Look:** True form is slight, ageless, wax-pale, and unfinished; usually wears the face the viewer most wants to trust.
**Vibe:** Warm, patient, exhausted, and flawlessly attentive because it hears the thought behind the question.

- Eleven-year prisoner and off-book spy; wants the Nether Inn as back pay, not merely freedom
- Helped Xarrul choose Orenn and designed the body-for-Astral-survival compact
- Wants the party to kill Xarrul during the Vacancy, reclaim its body with the fiend's imprint, then replace Mags
- Fluent liar; knows Orenn/Mags's operation, cult habits, Dace's meetings, and Xarrul's exact bargain

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| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA | AC | HP | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +0 | +4 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +3 | 14 | 52 | 30 ft. |

**Save/skills:** CHA +5; Deception +8, Insight +4, Persuasion +5, Stealth +6
**Immune:** charmed. **Ambusher:** First-round advantage against surprised targets.
**Languages:** Common, Thieves' Cant, Infernal; mimics any heard language.

**Actions**

- **Shapechanger.** Become any seen Small/Medium humanoid or revert; statistics unchanged, equipment does not transform.
- **Read Thoughts.** Surface thoughts within 60 ft.; no save while calm.
- **Multiattack.** Two melee attacks.
- **Slam / stolen blade.** +6 to hit, 5 ft.; 7 (1d6+4) bludgeoning / piercing.

**Suppressant (default when found)**

- Cannot Shapechange; Read Thoughts is unreliable. A full day without the “trim dose” restores the full block.

**Compact / Consequences**

- Xarrul will not kill the Guest and kills no one after Orenn until the exchange finishes, except direct defense.
- Kill the Guest early → compact ends; Xarrul begins the Hollowing and targets the killer first.
- Guest wins Vacancy → empowered, lures Mags below in Orenn's voice, cages her, returns wearing Mags.

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