# Xarrul — The Unbound Fiend

**Look:** Material: tall smoke-shadow with amber eyes and surgical claws. Ethereal: charred-paper skin, orange cracks, aristocratic face, patient half-smile.
**Vibe:** Dry, amused, exact; manipulates perception and context but never makes a false factual statement or breaks a promise.

- Killed Orenn to trigger lockdown, remove the watcher, and open the house's internal seals
- Wants the Guest's mutable body so it can become a permanent resident of the world
- Compact forbids another kill before the exchange finishes except direct defense; it pushes mortals to kill instead
- One HP pool across planes; only reducing it to 0 while Ethereal destroys it permanently

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| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA | AC | HP | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +1 | +3 | +2 | +3 | +2 | +4 | 15 | 78 | 30 ft., fly 30 ft. |

**CR 5. Saves:** DEX +6, CHA +7, WIS +5. **Skills:** Stealth +9, Deception +7, Perception/Insight +5.
**Resist:** cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning/piercing/slashing. **Immune:** poison; poisoned, exhaustion.
**Senses:** darkvision 120 ft., passive 15. **Telepathy:** 60 ft.

**Planar Traits**

- **Ethereal Jaunt (bonus action).** Shift Material ↔ Ethereal after lockdown begins.
- **Ethereal Restoration.** Start Ethereal turn: regain 1d4 HP.
- **Deathless Slip.** At 0 Material HP: instead 1 HP and shift Ethereal; cannot be stopped. No protection at 0 Ethereal HP.
- **Slip Between (reaction).** After Material damage, shift Ethereal; Jaunt unavailable until next turn.
- **Stored Incursion (pre-lockdown, 1 charge).** Manifest Material for 3 rounds without Jaunt/Slip, then snap back Ethereal. Tonight's charge is spent killing Orenn.
- **Shadow Cloak.** In dim light/darkness: advantage Stealth and bonus-action Hide.
- **Voice Thief.** Perfectly mimic a recently heard voice; project it to one creature within 30 ft. (DC 15 WIS or it believes Xarrul's chosen source/direction).
- **Cunning Predator.** Advantage against frightened, charmed, or surprised creatures.

**Actions**

- **Multiattack.** Two Claws.
- **Claw.** +6 to hit, 5 ft.; 10 (2d6+3) slashing + 3 (1d6) necrotic.
- **Brand of Spite (Recharge 5–6).** +7 to hit, 5 ft.; 7 (2d6) necrotic and branded. Xarrul knows location across planes, has advantage, and Claws add 1d6 necrotic. One target; *Remove Curse*, *Greater Restoration*, or Xarrul's death ends.
- **Visions of Spite.** Branded target seen within 30 ft.; DC 15 WIS. Fail: 7 (2d6) psychic + paralyzed through end of its next turn; success half.
- **Waking Dream.** Branded target in sight; rewrite memory of last minute, no save/damage. Hard evidence, curse removal, restoration, or Xarrul's death breaks it.
- **Whisper of Ruin (Recharge 6).** Heard within 30 ft.; DC 15 WIS or frightened 1 minute and compelled to one named next-turn action; repeat save end of turn; success grants 24-hour immunity.

**Kill Chain:** Brand → Visions → two adjacent auto-crit Claws. Break with curse removal, paralysis removal, forced distance, or planar pressure.

**Lair Action (initiative 20; choose one)**

- **Veil Flicker:** Encounter area DC 13 WIS or disadvantage on attacks until next initiative 20.
- **Ethereal Pull:** One target DC 14 CHA or partially shifted; disadvantage on attacks and saves until its next turn.
- **Shadow Surge:** All encounter lights become darkness for 1 round; Xarrul Hides.

**Against Rebinding**

- **Before capture:** attack Litany readers and the planar anchor. Shadow Surge breaks sightlines; Whisper makes a reader drop a leaf; move sideways through any open angle.
- **After capture:** no physical attacks or fresh hostile effects cross the adapted circle. Voice Thief and speech remain; an existing Brand still carries Visions/Waking Dream.
- Bargain at the stations: **Dalla—Nessa is still being drained; Haddon—Bren and “the living weight comes first”; Rennt—Haddon knew the command line was dead.** One break deals 2d6 psychic to the other active ritualists and may cascade.

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