The fiend lets out a squeak and telepaths 'Hey, if you're not up for self-improvement, I can offer other things! I can fight! And very well at that! If you just let me down, I'll act as your loyal servant until I find something better to do, how about that? That way I'm keeping to myself and helping you out until I've found a way to be out of your hair!' It's clear that at this point, the fiend is willing to bargain anything for it's freedom and life.
Eggo Lass shares what's she's gleaned from the fiend. "So you hope your ghouls, whom we've killed, are nearby. Or just how many ghouls do you have?" She smiles as Bilyur and Xarkris intimidate the fiend and then adds some leading telepathic questions to see if an answer rises to the surface. (Three ghouls? Five? Ten? Though surely weak if they haven't gotten you from your confinement.)
At this point she's ceased having any interest in truly bargaining with the demon and instead takes delight from its desperate attempts to con the party with the hopes to gain some information before it's exterminated.
The fiend writhes in its cuffs and you all get a harsh buzz of 'The ghouls you've seen are the ghouls you'll get.' It seems very irritated with you all now, and once again relays a message, yet this time with more anger. 'If you have no interest in helping me, then at least kill me with honour. It would be the greatest stain on your legacy to murder a restrained being. I will allow you to fight me fairly, on two conditions. 1. I get let down. 2. We move to the open chambers so things aren't so cramped. I promise that I will not attack as I relocate, and I hope you won't do the same.' It waits impatiently for a response to its final ultimatum, having exhausted all options other than a direct conflict for freedom.
Bilyur looks down, anger in his eyes. "For what you have done, you deserve death... however, you speak truly. Once challenged to combat, I cannot allow the combat to begin unfairly. I am willing to start a fair fight in the yonder chamber, on one condition. We carry you to the chamber in your chains, then release you for the battle. I will begin the fight as soon as you are no longer chained, so you're only other option would be to fight us here. And I should warn you, if you fight us, you will lose. I would also be willing to leave you in your chains, if you would prefer that."
As an action, you can either shift your attention to another creature’s thoughts or attempt to probe deeper into the same creature’s mind. If you probe deeper, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, you gain insight into its reasoning (if any), its emotional state, and something that looms large in its mind (such as something it worries over, loves, or hates).
...
the target knows that you are probing into its mind, and unless you shift your attention to another creature’s thoughts, the creature can use its action on its turn to make an Intelligence check contested by your Intelligence check
The fiend nods along to Bilyur's request, responding 'Fine. I will let you drag me through restrained and then fight when I am released. However it is foolish to believe that I would fight chained; it is only fair that you release me when we do battle.' However, before then, Eggo starts to probe it with her mind sliver cantrip. The Maurezhi's mind seems particularly resistant to the spell, and it takes over half a minute of Eggo constantly prodding and probing it's brain, the fiend cursing and writhing the entire time, until it finally penetrates and inflicts the wound she aimed to create. [DC 15 Intelligence Saving Throw with Advantage: Had to make 6 separate checks until it failed with an 11! Maurezhi has -4 to next saving throw, and takes 4 psychic damage, for a total of -19 now] Eggo then tries to utilise this mental wound as an opening to gain further insight into the fiend's thoughts through her already active detect thoughts, although just as soon as the gap in the Maurezhi's consciousness opens, it seals, blocking her out. [DC 15 Wisdom Saving Throw with advantage: 9 and Nat 20 + 1, then - 4 from mind sliver = 18] The fiend then gives a psychic mutter of 'I hope you thought that was worth it, fool.' [I'd say that the minute duration of detect thoughts is now over as Eggo spent 36 seconds using mind sliver and some conversation happened before that too.]
Eggo Lass shrugs, trying to hide her annoyance at the fiend. She looks at Xarkris and Bilyur, "I have no further use for this thing. So have at it."
[[ In another PM Rhino had mentioned he was taking a break. That was in regards to DMing but might also be in regards to here too, so not sure how we'd want to proceed with Bilyur vs Fiend duel in that context. ]]
[Mmhm, considering that Rhino said they were going to be taking a break for at least a week or two, and because they seemed most up for the battle, as a party it might not be a bad idea for to you move onto another area and then come back later to fight the Maurezhi, since it isn’t going anywhere! Just thinking that since this is a pretty large dungeon with quite a few combats still to come, having some more progress under your belt before returning to this area later on could be wise to allow things to keep flowing, although I may have to rebalance some things if we’re going to be down to 3 players for a little while! Basically, it’s up to you guys what you want to do now, you can move on and return or we could even take a bit of a break overall, I don’t mind!]
I’m for whatever. I will say that it is against Xarkris’s Paladin Oath to kill a creature, even a FIEND, while chained up. He will want to have a fair fight, but he knows this creature will be a BOSS and tough to defeat. It would probably be wise to heed the DM’s suggestion and come back to this room later. Perhaps we can pretend to just leave him there chained up, possibly for eternity, then show up again and say “PSYCHE!!” and kill him.
Sly is ambivalent about this and would be just fine leaving the creature chained up. If a fight breaks out, she will be as far away as possible that still allows for casting spells.
[Leaving and returning was just a suggestion because I didn’t know if Rhino was going to be about, but since they are it’s completely up to you as a party on whether you handle it now, return later or simply just leave it, I really don’t mind!]
[[ Alrighty. If you're here Rhino then I'm excited to see your fight. >:D ]]
Eggo Lass acquiesces to the desire to fight the demon fairly. Though not her preference to give up the advantage, she's willing to honor promises made. (But be ready if it doesn't honor its word.) she telepaths. (And if we're intent on killing it, need the restraints be intact anymore? I've got a spell that could do some damage to them from a distance.)
"Let's move to the other room. Then we can destroy the Fiend." Bilyur, still shifted into half werebear, picks up the fiend in its chains and carries it to the room."
Bilyur uncuffs the Fiend, and it carelessly drops to the floor in it's chains. He then drags it through into the far room, and dumps it in the centre, the rest of the party lining up around it. By now it is clear that the elves 'infected wounds' were in fact decaying and rotten flesh from the corpse disguise, and these great flaps of peeling flesh easily snag on the chains and rough floor as Bilyur manhandles the Maurezhi through, meaning by the time it's into position, most of it's disguise has been torn away to reveal the pallid, ghoulish, yet still rather thin and sinewy form below. The fiend's dark, vermin eyes flit about the room, stopping for a moment to linger on the scattered corpses of it's comrades, but doesn't say anything.
Removing the chains from Maurezhi to begin the combat requires an action, though combat won't begin until that's done, so whoever is wants to can do that and then everyone can roll initiative!
The fiend lets out a squeak and telepaths 'Hey, if you're not up for self-improvement, I can offer other things! I can fight! And very well at that! If you just let me down, I'll act as your loyal servant until I find something better to do, how about that? That way I'm keeping to myself and helping you out until I've found a way to be out of your hair!' It's clear that at this point, the fiend is willing to bargain anything for it's freedom and life.
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Sparkles: Aasimar Monk: Drakkenheim: What's in the Here and Now
Lith Ja’mas: Githyanki Sorcerer: Ghosts Of Saltmarsh
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist! and The Hunt for the Balowang!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!
"Why should we listen to you? You're friends just tried to kill us."
[A paper drops out of a flash of light and drifts to the ground at your feet] -(extended sig)-
Xarkris responds, “I am a Knight of Vengeance! I don’t work with FIENDS! I DESTROY THEM!”
Eggo Lass shares what's she's gleaned from the fiend. "So you hope your ghouls, whom we've killed, are nearby. Or just how many ghouls do you have?" She smiles as Bilyur and Xarkris intimidate the fiend and then adds some leading telepathic questions to see if an answer rises to the surface. (Three ghouls? Five? Ten? Though surely weak if they haven't gotten you from your confinement.)
At this point she's ceased having any interest in truly bargaining with the demon and instead takes delight from its desperate attempts to con the party with the hopes to gain some information before it's exterminated.
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
Let's Test Monsters! | We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 45, 2/3/25, Adiemus
The fiend writhes in its cuffs and you all get a harsh buzz of 'The ghouls you've seen are the ghouls you'll get.' It seems very irritated with you all now, and once again relays a message, yet this time with more anger. 'If you have no interest in helping me, then at least kill me with honour. It would be the greatest stain on your legacy to murder a restrained being. I will allow you to fight me fairly, on two conditions. 1. I get let down. 2. We move to the open chambers so things aren't so cramped. I promise that I will not attack as I relocate, and I hope you won't do the same.' It waits impatiently for a response to its final ultimatum, having exhausted all options other than a direct conflict for freedom.
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Sparkles: Aasimar Monk: Drakkenheim: What's in the Here and Now
Lith Ja’mas: Githyanki Sorcerer: Ghosts Of Saltmarsh
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist! and The Hunt for the Balowang!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!
Bilyur looks down, anger in his eyes. "For what you have done, you deserve death... however, you speak truly. Once challenged to combat, I cannot allow the combat to begin unfairly. I am willing to start a fair fight in the yonder chamber, on one condition. We carry you to the chamber in your chains, then release you for the battle. I will begin the fight as soon as you are no longer chained, so you're only other option would be to fight us here. And I should warn you, if you fight us, you will lose. I would also be willing to leave you in your chains, if you would prefer that."
[A paper drops out of a flash of light and drifts to the ground at your feet] -(extended sig)-
Eggo Lass raises an eye at Bilyur's willingness to accept the challenge. Well if he insisted...
"One thing first though," she says before turning to the fiend. She then speaks a work to drive a spike in its mind.
Mind Sliver
Damage: 2+2 = 4 psychic
Save DC INT 15 and -1d4 to next saving throw
[[ would try this until she saw it fail the saving throw, unless Bilyur would be aggressively trying to stop it after the first time ]]
Following up with probing deeper via detect thoughts.
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
Let's Test Monsters! | We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 45, 2/3/25, Adiemus
The fiend nods along to Bilyur's request, responding 'Fine. I will let you drag me through restrained and then fight when I am released. However it is foolish to believe that I would fight chained; it is only fair that you release me when we do battle.' However, before then, Eggo starts to probe it with her mind sliver cantrip. The Maurezhi's mind seems particularly resistant to the spell, and it takes over half a minute of Eggo constantly prodding and probing it's brain, the fiend cursing and writhing the entire time, until it finally penetrates and inflicts the wound she aimed to create. [DC 15 Intelligence Saving Throw with Advantage: Had to make 6 separate checks until it failed with an 11! Maurezhi has -4 to next saving throw, and takes 4 psychic damage, for a total of -19 now] Eggo then tries to utilise this mental wound as an opening to gain further insight into the fiend's thoughts through her already active detect thoughts, although just as soon as the gap in the Maurezhi's consciousness opens, it seals, blocking her out. [DC 15 Wisdom Saving Throw with advantage: 9 and Nat 20 + 1, then - 4 from mind sliver = 18] The fiend then gives a psychic mutter of 'I hope you thought that was worth it, fool.' [I'd say that the minute duration of detect thoughts is now over as Eggo spent 36 seconds using mind sliver and some conversation happened before that too.]
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Sparkles: Aasimar Monk: Drakkenheim: What's in the Here and Now
Lith Ja’mas: Githyanki Sorcerer: Ghosts Of Saltmarsh
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist! and The Hunt for the Balowang!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!
[[ Darn! ]]
Eggo Lass shrugs, trying to hide her annoyance at the fiend. She looks at Xarkris and Bilyur, "I have no further use for this thing. So have at it."
[[ In another PM Rhino had mentioned he was taking a break. That was in regards to DMing but might also be in regards to here too, so not sure how we'd want to proceed with Bilyur vs Fiend duel in that context. ]]
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
Let's Test Monsters! | We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 45, 2/3/25, Adiemus
[Mmhm, considering that Rhino said they were going to be taking a break for at least a week or two, and because they seemed most up for the battle, as a party it might not be a bad idea for to you move onto another area and then come back later to fight the Maurezhi, since it isn’t going anywhere! Just thinking that since this is a pretty large dungeon with quite a few combats still to come, having some more progress under your belt before returning to this area later on could be wise to allow things to keep flowing, although I may have to rebalance some things if we’re going to be down to 3 players for a little while! Basically, it’s up to you guys what you want to do now, you can move on and return or we could even take a bit of a break overall, I don’t mind!]
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Sparkles: Aasimar Monk: Drakkenheim: What's in the Here and Now
Lith Ja’mas: Githyanki Sorcerer: Ghosts Of Saltmarsh
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist! and The Hunt for the Balowang!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!
{{I'll still be posting, I just don't have time to organize my thoughts as a DM.}}
[A paper drops out of a flash of light and drifts to the ground at your feet] -(extended sig)-
I’m for whatever. I will say that it is against Xarkris’s Paladin Oath to kill a creature, even a FIEND, while chained up. He will want to have a fair fight, but he knows this creature will be a BOSS and tough to defeat. It would probably be wise to heed the DM’s suggestion and come back to this room later. Perhaps we can pretend to just leave him there chained up, possibly for eternity, then show up again and say “PSYCHE!!” and kill him.
Sly is ambivalent about this and would be just fine leaving the creature chained up. If a fight breaks out, she will be as far away as possible that still allows for casting spells.
[Leaving and returning was just a suggestion because I didn’t know if Rhino was going to be about, but since they are it’s completely up to you as a party on whether you handle it now, return later or simply just leave it, I really don’t mind!]
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Sparkles: Aasimar Monk: Drakkenheim: What's in the Here and Now
Lith Ja’mas: Githyanki Sorcerer: Ghosts Of Saltmarsh
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist! and The Hunt for the Balowang!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!
[[ Alrighty. If you're here Rhino then I'm excited to see your fight. >:D ]]
Eggo Lass acquiesces to the desire to fight the demon fairly. Though not her preference to give up the advantage, she's willing to honor promises made. (But be ready if it doesn't honor its word.) she telepaths. (And if we're intent on killing it, need the restraints be intact anymore? I've got a spell that could do some damage to them from a distance.)
[[ thorn whip; 30ft, 2d6 magical piercing damage ]]
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
Let's Test Monsters! | We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 45, 2/3/25, Adiemus
"Let's move to the other room. Then we can destroy the Fiend." Bilyur, still shifted into half werebear, picks up the fiend in its chains and carries it to the room."
[A paper drops out of a flash of light and drifts to the ground at your feet] -(extended sig)-
Xarkris follows Bilyur out, glaring at the Fiend when he is not searching for traps and doors.
Eggo Lass will cast guidance on Xarkris.
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
Let's Test Monsters! | We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 45, 2/3/25, Adiemus
Bilyur uncuffs the Fiend, and it carelessly drops to the floor in it's chains. He then drags it through into the far room, and dumps it in the centre, the rest of the party lining up around it. By now it is clear that the elves 'infected wounds' were in fact decaying and rotten flesh from the corpse disguise, and these great flaps of peeling flesh easily snag on the chains and rough floor as Bilyur manhandles the Maurezhi through, meaning by the time it's into position, most of it's disguise has been torn away to reveal the pallid, ghoulish, yet still rather thin and sinewy form below. The fiend's dark, vermin eyes flit about the room, stopping for a moment to linger on the scattered corpses of it's comrades, but doesn't say anything.

Removing the chains from Maurezhi to begin the combat requires an action, though combat won't begin until that's done, so whoever is wants to can do that and then everyone can roll initiative!
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Sparkles: Aasimar Monk: Drakkenheim: What's in the Here and Now
Lith Ja’mas: Githyanki Sorcerer: Ghosts Of Saltmarsh
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist! and The Hunt for the Balowang!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!
{{ which color is which character again?}}
[A paper drops out of a flash of light and drifts to the ground at your feet] -(extended sig)-