Iron Maiden

Note: This lore comes from a campaign setting I am working on, it does have to apply to your character*

All enforcers of the world’s law require the information to act upon, from the simplest guardsmen to the Inquisition, however, there are many to extract suspects and whatever intelligence they may have, the Iron Maiden investigators of the Inquisition of the Weave are more fond of a rather… inhumane method of investigation. 

The Iron Maidens is seen as the Inquisition of the Weave’s dirty little open secret. Many suspected targets of the Inquisition are willing to come in quietly, some require force, but those more unwilling or unnegotiable become prey for the Iron Maidens. Despite the female-orientated title, it was not chosen to reflect the gender of these members of the inquisition, more for intimidation tactics by basing it of a fictional torture device. While many try to keep their practice to themselves, some actively seek for adventuring parties as cover to hunt down their targets as public knowledge of their role in the Inquisition is highly forbidden. From few unredacted accounts of seeing an Iron Maiden in the throws of combat, it is described a terrifying sight, even for on-lookers. They focus on getting information by torturous means, shattering bone and sinew, tearing cartilage, it is not the pain that compels the person to reveal their secrets, it is the act of causing pain that allows the Iron Maiden to telepathically connect to another, rending flesh along with mind and memory for its knowledge. This process usually grants mercy by killing most in the process, others are left in a cold catatonic state, only wishing for some form of release from their mental prison...

Iron Maidens are usually finely picked by the Inquisition, they require one of stable sanity and sadistic tendencies, preferably one with a natural connection to The Weave, a very narrow margin of candidates sit in that bracket and even fewer are willing to join. 

Those who are, are taught heavy meditation to help build their psychic connection to the Weave before learning their instruments of extraction, allowing them to even turn their words in weapons. It is believed that it is this connection to The Weave that allows them to extract aspects of a person’s intelligence using the other person’s physical being as the material component to allow them to consume another’s mental being. 

Others fear-mong that the Iron Maidens can able to read a person’s mind and the “method” of gathering information is merely to satiate their supposed psychotic desires and are simply the equivalent to letting dogs on a convicted criminal; Though this is heavily implied to be not true.

Mental Quarry

At 3rd level, you begin the development of your skills to force your chosen target into submission to extract information. As a bonus action on your turn, you choose one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you to become your Mental Quarry for one minute once per short rest when roll for an attack you can use your Intelligence Modifier instead of your Strength or Dexterity Modifier as you carve pass the flesh into their thoughts.

If your intelligence score is greater than the target creature’s intelligence score, you gain advantage on attack rolls against that creature until your Mental Quarry ends.

Drain Intelligence

At 7th level, your strikes sap your opponents of their mind through their blood and flesh, leaving them a hollowed husk. Whenever you damage a living creature, that creature must roll a constitution throw (DC: 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Intelligence Modifier)

On a failed save, you drain 1 point from the creature’s Intelligence Score, by 2 on a critical hit and absorb it yourself (Increasing your Intelligence Score up to a maximum of 22 Intelligence at level seven) until your next short or long rest. Creatures brought to a 0 intelligence score by this feature, the creature’s body begins to shrivel and decay, mentally tearing itself apart as it deforms into waxy husk of the form it once was and are immediately slain.

At 15th level, your Intelligence Score can reach a max of 24, at 17h level this limit increases to 28.

Absorb Memory

You learn to begin to make sense of the mental voices of the chosen quarry as their memories become part of your collective consciousness. At 10th level, when you reduce a living creature to 0 hit points, you absorb some of the memories of the dead. Within the next day, you may ask a question (no action required) related to the creature’s life into the void that souls travel between our world and the afterlife, receiving a brief telepathic answer that you can understand regardless of the language used or spoken by the creature as they are forced to answer.

Also, you learn to bend the Weave to bring the truth forward out of someone and cut them down with your voice. You may cast the ‘Zone of Truth’ spell once per long rest and the gain the ‘Vicious Mockery’ cantrip ( (DC: 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Intelligence Modifier).

Thought Render

Your mind grows stronger, giving you strength in return for your enemies weakness. At 15th level, when you successfully hit your Mental Quarry, your attack deals a number of additional points of psychic damage equal to the difference between your intelligence score and the targeted creature’s intelligence score as the creature’s sanity begin to slip, damaging itself in the process. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier before requiring a long rest.

In addition, once per short rest, if the target of your Mental Quarry dies before one minute had passed, you can expend a bonus action on a subsequent turn of yours to choose a new Mental Quarry.

Enfeebling Might

Many of your foes try to retain their mental stance against you, you now will make sure that will never happen. At 18th level, if your mental Quarry’s Intelligence Score drops below 10 from your ‘Drain Intelligence’ feature, the creature has disadvantage on ability checks and Intelligence, Charisma and Wisdom Saving Throws.

If your Mental Quarry’s Intelligence drops below a score of 5, the creature loses the ability to speak coherently and cannot understand any spoken or written language.