Obann

Obann is a cambion and the leader of the Angel of Irons cult. As an NPC, Obann is played by Matthew Mercer.

Appearance
Obann is a red-skinned fiend with horns, yellow eyes, a tail, and leathery wings. In his appearance at the Overcrow Apothecary in Rosohna, he was disguised as a drow and wore an old, tattered black cloak over gray leather armor, as well as a hood and a blue cloth to hide his face. After his death at Yasha's hands, he became Obann the Punished, appearing as a monstrous creature with many eyes, teeth, and dark blue and green tentacles.

Personality
Obann seems to regard the Mighty Nein with amusement, despite the threat they pose, as evident in his voice before charming Nott, and his reactions to Jester's attempted deception and singing. He seemingly has no qualms with leaving his associates behind to die.

Obann had made a deal with Tharizdun in order to make himself stronger.

Before Campaign 2
The Valley Archive of the Cobalt Soul in Zadash stores a tome mentioning Obann. It says that he was once the Master of Wills of Graz'zt, the Dark Prince of the Argent Palace in the Abyssal domain of Azzatar. After an unknown catastrophic failure, he was "shamed and destroyed" by Graz'zt himself.

At some point after, Obann reached Material Plane, started worshipping Tharizdun, masking behind the Angel of Irons name, and following his commands. Obann was ordered to collect a group of undying warriors to corrupt and break the fanes that keep Tharizdun banished in the Abyss. Later he was given information that one such candidate, Yasha Nydoorin, was in the wastes of Xhorhas, where Obann charmed her, making her as his personal bodyguard and giving her orders who she should kill.

Campaign 2: The Mighty Nein
Obann appeared in Yasha's vision on the Balleater during a storm. She saw the Dolorav tribe's village, and Zuala walking towards her, before lightning flashed and the scene changed to show herself holding a bloodied sword, with the village destroyed and its people killed, and Obann by her side. He told her "Your anger is beautiful to behold, Orphan Maker." Obann appeared again during her dream-vision in the Braan fortress. He was surrounded by corpses, smiling and shaking his head at her, and Yasha recognized him as someone familiar and as a source of fear, but could not identify further.

Obann entered the Overcrow Apothecary along with a hobgoblin guard and was given a crest by a dragonborn messenger. As the fight broke out, he charmed Nott and used Dimension Door to escape. As he fled, Jester cast Sending using a fake voice, telling Obann that "eyes are on you. You've left the rendezvous. What happened to the mission?" He replied that he knew who he was speaking to but appreciated the attempt at deception, also adding that if Jester had an intent on following him, she should come north and bring Yasha.

Following Obann, the Mighty Nein came to a green island near the Arbor Exemplar and Jester successfully scried on Obann, seeing him search for nooks and crannies in the rock surface at the base of a mountain with a small stone crest. After the party arrived in Bazzoxan, Jester cast sending on Obann again, saying that the Orphanmaker has arrived and asking where can they find him? Obann responded impressed with Jester's expediency, reliability, and by her performer skills. He offered her to come to the spot five, six miles west of Bazzoxan and look for the hidden entrance, saying that he was waiting. After the Mighty Nein took a long rest by the bridge of the King's Cage, Jester sent saying that the dungeon was really scary, they have Yasha, asked how far they must continue on, and what is the King's Cage. Obann replied: "I've made my way as well. I'm glad you've kept up. Hope to see you soon. Just be careful. Wouldn't want you spoiled."

Obann confronted the Mighty Nein in the tomb chamber of the King's Cage, where he showed his cambion form and revealed some information of Yasha's past. He told the Mighty Nein that Yasha was traveling with him following the commands of the Angel of Irons and came to this temple to release one of the children of the angel. He then began reading out loud in Abyssal from a stone tablet. The Mighty Nein attacked to stop him, but Obann still managed to release The Laughing Hand. After a huge fight, he was eventually killed by Fjord but with his dying breath activated the mark at the back of Yasha's neck and told her to avenge him.

While scrying, Jester saw Yasha perform a ritual that brought Obann back to life. He then touched her shoulder and said, "Very good. Thank you for your patience. Now this has been one fine reunion. Let's go see if we can find the others." Jester scried on Yasha once more and saw her, along with Obann and The Laughing Hand attacking the Valley Archive of the Cobalt Soul in Zadash, securing information on Jourrael and the location of her remains. The Mighty Nein's research in Zadash informed them that Jourrael was an assassin of Lolth whose body was divided up, with the head in Veluthil Forest and the heart in the Lotusden Greenwood. While still in the library, Jester scryied and saw Obann, the Laughing Hand and Yasha on the outskirts of the Lotusden Greenwood. The Hand was uprooting trees and Obann seemed frustrated and unsure of his nex step. The Mighty Nein pursued them into the greenwoods.

After the party was teleported to the forest by Essek Thelyss and they caught the trail of Obann's group, Jester scried on Yasha. She saw her sitting around a fire with Obann who tried to grab Yasha's chin, and when she refused a sigil on the back of her neck flared and she stopped resisting. Jester noticed he had a skull-shaped object in a bag at his waist. When the Mighty Nein eventually caught up with them, Obann group darted from them in the grove with a wraithroot tree. Inside the tree Obann recovered a glowing blue stone, beating the party to it, and escaped with Yasha, leaving the Hand behind.

After the party destroyed the Permaheart in the Folding Halls of Halas, Allura Vysoren scried on the Laughing Hand and discovered him in poor condition, being berated by Obann for falling apart "near the finish line".

While scrying on Yasha, Pumat Sol saw her, Obann, Jourrael, and the Laughing Hand entering Rexxentrum. Jester later scried again seeing Obann group walking through the streets, soaked in the rain.

After the party killed Cardinal Respa of the Chantry of the Dawn and several other cultists, Obann, Yasha, Jourrael, and the Laughing Hand emerged from the basement. Yasha was freed from his control, and Obann himself was injured. He charmed Nott and told her to follow him below, then fled. After killing the Laughing Hand, the Mighty Nein followed him to a secret room hidden beneath the temple. They freed Nott, and Fjord used Star Razor's See Invisibility to find an invisible Obann flying above, then used Faerie Fire to make him visible to the others. Obann tried to charm Fjord to step into a ritual circle, but was thwarted by Caduceus. Eventually Yasha pulled off Obann's wings and stabed him through the chest. The voice of the Chained Oblivion condemned Obann for his failure, and transform his body into a horrifying monster.

The Mighty Nein engaged into the battle with Obann the Punished almost fully depleted of spell slots, and many party members were at very low health. At the low point of the ensuing battle, Beau went unconscious with two failed death saves, Jester went unconscious as well, and Caduceus was swallowed. However, the now-free from Obann's influence Caedogeist came to their aid, also attacking the creature, and struck the finishing blow that killed it, presumably ending the life of Obann permanently.



Yasha Nydoorin
Obann has a connection to Yasha's past, recognizing her on sight and addressing her as "Orphan Maker", which is her tribal name and not widely known. Yasha does not recognize him in return. Later, he is revealed to have been the fiend haunting Yasha's dreams, and the one who recruited her into the followers of the Angel of Irons during the time in her life she had forgotten. In his dying moments, Obann tells Yasha to "avenge him" and she falls under some form of magical influence which dictate her actions and return her forgotten memories. She becomes trapped within her mind, aware of what she is doing, but unable to control her body. After Yasha regains control of herself, she tears off his wings and strikes a final killing blow to him.

Notable items
Abyssal Longsword

Abilities
As a cambion, Obann had innate spellcasting abilities:
 * Alter Self
 * Fiendish Charm
 * Plane Shift (enhanced to bring additional passengers)

Obann also had access to spells uncommon for a cambion. Presumably, Obann was either a spellcaster (wizard or sorcerer) or was enhanced through his connection with Tharizdun:
 * Shield
 * Invisibility
 * Dimension Door

Abilities as Obann the Punished

 * Huge creature
 * Legendary Actions: three per turn
 * Inky Whip: Makes one Inky Whip attack
 * Shadow Slip: teleportation
 * Spill Darkness: (costs 2 actions) 20 foot radius around caster engulfed in magical darkness
 * Storm of Biting Shadow: 30 foot radius for necrotic damage and weakened condition, individually targeted, rolls to recover ability
 * Multiattack: on its turn, can make three tentacle attacks and a bite attack
 * Inky Whip: tentacle attack, does necrotic damage and pulls target 10 feet to a space adjacent to attacker
 * Jagged Bite: does piercing damage, and on failed strength saving throw, swallows target making them blind and restrained
 * Damage Immunities: poison
 * Senses: blindsight

Appearances and mentions

 * Campaign 2

Quotations

 * "Your anger is beautiful to behold, Orphan Maker."
 * Matt: (describing Obann's revealing his true form in the temple in the Penumbra Range) "You watch as his form begins to slightly shift. The drow dropping away- leaving behind red skin, yellow eyes, horns that curl up across the head, and a pair of red leathery wings that lie folded across the back."
 * "Angel of Irons... why have you abandoned me? I did everything you asked..."