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murder-mystery-oneshot/prints/the-guest.md

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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

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.