When a balor tortures, it is because doing so brings them joy. When a pit fiend tortures, it is because doing so furthers a larger plot or scheme. When a baernaloth tortures, it is because doing so makes them better at torturing others.
All things have desires or they wouldn't do a thing. The horror of baernaloth is how detached they are from their own selfdom. Happiness or sadness has the same value to a being that doesn't value either. Does bringing pain make them happy? Probably. But does that matter to what they will do? Not in the slightest. Their only guiding principle is to expand evil to all things. Whether the recipient is willing or violated matters not. Evil has been done. Doing and partaking in evil is their goal. Enjoying your suffering is secondary to the evil of that enjoyment. That is what should be focused on with 'loths. Not that they feel nothing. That Evil is the filter by which they feel and self motivate. If there is no evil in it then it might as well not be real to a 'loth. That, maybe, the less evil something is the less real it is to them and thus doesn't matter what they do to it. That you are only real when you are just as horrifying as they are.
I may well have commented on this video multiple times, but I continue to enjoy the abstract chaos that is the baernaloth. There's nothing like a truly soulless antagonist, one that doesn't even want to do wrong, it just is wrong, and doesn't even have the ability to grasp anything but, well, doing wrong. And the concept of them simply acting horribly, just to witness the reaction, for some unknown reason, is by far the most terrifying feature of any dungeons and dragons creature to date in my opinion.
"Why do I keep torturing you? You're not real, so it doesn't matter. Watching your reactions may help me find better ways to destroy other creatures like you."
Ultroloths sometimes seek out these ancient monsters for their wisdom. Some fail, some never return, some return with a renewed sense of purpose from having met their ancient creators, who set the Blood War in motion. Also, there's a limited, though unknown number of baernaloths hidden throughout the multiverse
Baernaloths are beings of suffering. When they were born no god took notice of them; and so no god gave them meaning or purpose. Being born surrounded only by people suffering and given no meaning in life, they had to find meaning for themselves. However being born highly intelligent and unable to empathize, they quickly came to a grim conclusion. That being, "Given that life has no meaning, and its only constant is suffering; then the only action that would have meaning is to inflict more suffering." So now they go out and inflict suffering on anyone and anything. Not because they enjoy it like Demons. Not because they are rewarded for it like Devils. They do it because nothing else in the world has meaning for them. Given what is above, I suggest this ability to be linked with them- Suffer With Me: When a Baernaloth receives damage, it may use its Reaction to cause all creatures with 30ft of the Baernaloth to take that damage as well. In addition a Baernaloth may use one of its Legendary Actions in order to regain its Reaction.
I love lore that depicts the dimensions as being so vast and rich and full of horrors that you realize the human world is basically just that one little box in your storage closet labeled "miscellaneous". We're just a tiny demiplane full of fragile short-lived bacteria, surrounded by dimensions full of hardy apex predators.
Wait a minute. They’re Neutral Evil and entirely lack any sort of desire? That makes them a polar opposite to the succubi who are also neutral evil, right? I think we found why the succubus is fiendish, but neither a devil or demon.
I can normally exhaust most TH-cam channels in a single bout of insomnia. Three bouts was the previous record. Been here for five, plus some time between and still finding more.
You mentioned the heart of darkness in the yugoloth video. Some sages speculate that when the general of Gehenna purged the loths of law & chaos, forcing those undesirable traits into nearby larvae, the loths broke something in the species
I keep coming back to all of these fiend videos late at night when I'm trying to get rest, and honestly it's about the best thing since Lovecraft. Thank you so much AJ, you give the Mind purchase to wonder.
Thank you for making this video, I wanted to include more powerful, truly evil creatures for a pretty dark campaign I want to get back to running and this was perfect. I also love your channel and have easily spent hundreds of hours listening to it.
LOL - at 4:32 -"In some ways, it's best to think of them as robots...who took one look at other forms of life ... and decided that it was weak, stupid and pointless." I immediately thought of Bender from Futurama - "You meatbags had your chance!"
Man, is there ever a lot of BBEG's out there! I'd love to see a video on schemes of creatures like this. We now know their motivations, but more of a set of examples of the kind of web a true master of evil like this creates. What evil keeps a mind like this from becoming bored?
Ah, nothing like starting off your morning with some of the most disgusting vile notoriously evil lore you have to offer Great Sage. I'm fairly confident I'm going to re-watch your entire demon series every Halloween. Now that's a binge-watch I can get behind.
These are the kinds of friends that would scare the shit out villains like Darkseid and the Joker. They're level of evil is never enough for a Baernaloth.
I dunno what's fucking me up more, the fact that you slipped in a couple pictures of SCP-1471 in or that my mind thinks that 1471 is implied to be a Baernaloth in the log file.
"While they scurry to and fro, I am. While they cherish their petty deities, idols, and false lords, I am. While they fight their trivial wars, live and die for mortal kings and scoundrels, I am. All priests of false gods kneel to Me. All kings of empires great and small kneel to Me. Life kneels to Me. Death kneels to Me."
I swear, if I come to rewatch a video of yours ooone more time and I have an inexplicable Dislike recorded, I’m buying one of those unwieldy bigger phones that I have trouble holding in one hand. (Great work, AJ.)
Wow. Such a cool monster, and one I've never even heard of! Those demon and devil attention hogs forever overshadow their equally wicked neutral evil cohorts. :3
Honestly, from my understanding, the emotional detachment thing seems to *mostly* be a thing for Baernaloths, as compared to Yugoloths as a whole. Example: Shemeshka the Marauder, from Planescape. On one hand, asking Shemeshka why it is referred to as the "king" of the crossroads, and not the "queen," is a surefire way to get yourself ginsu'd, and on the other, a specific tiefling has countless times disrespected Shemeshka only to come out unharmed -- and seems to be under her protection, for some reason or another. Buuut then again, this *is* Sigil. Where pretty much not a single being can be considered wholly normal.
Remember that story of the elves sealing 3 creatures away in a endless floating prison? and the only way they get free is if a RED DRAGON with NO greed in their heart and is good flies above it 3 times? that exact shit happened and the seal broke and they got loose. goes to show you things arent cut and dry.
@@thespeedkingomega6357 Very much so. I bet those elves must have wondered just what they did to annoy the universe itself, for one, and for two...... ESPECIALLY in Sigil.
@@thespeedkingomega6357 Oh, and sorry for the double comment, but that particular story is not familiar to me, off the top of my head. Goes to show, however, just where the limits are for a "reasonable" event to come to pass for the prison spell lie.
@@thespeedkingomega6357 step one kill a red dragon. Step two remove its heart. Step three animate the heartless dragon corpse. Step four have it fly the circles. Conditions have been met.
@@megatroymega That is technically true but misses the spirit of what the conditions actually were. Which was a red dragon who was good and selfless would fly above that point. Something the makers of that prison thought were unlikely. But nothing is unlikely when beings of such power and cunning are imprisoned. Just a question of time.
I know I am kind of late to the party. But I really like to thank you for making this video AJ. It is really nice of you to do request for your audience. It is much appreciated.
@@AJPickett You will make a lot of people very happy. And judging by the comments people really enjoyed this one. Excellent work my dude. I'm sure to repay you somehow.
I’m just trying to figure out how this thing would interact with a Warlock on the regular. I’m guessing it would appear as some kind of projection but it would have to take on the form of a humanoid claiming to be the patron, making the warlock believe they contacted some kind of immortal wizard or something.
They could just not tell them what they are. Just, hey I'm here, I'll give you power if you do this stuff. All the while manipulating them into ruining everything because it's what they do.
5 things: 1- Baernaloth VS Ancient Baatorians.... which ones are more evil? if they can even be compared 2- There was a demon you mentioned a long time that looked like a sphere and had something written all over it do you remember what's it called? 3- Is it realistic to have a warlock of these guys? 4- Can we get their stats 5- Thank you for being this awesome!
1- The Baernaloths. 2- Written on it? You are not talking about the Undead Planet called Atropus are you? 3- I would say no, but, as always, your table, your rules. 4- The stats are part of the script (you can either note them down from the video, or get access by becoming a patron for a minimum of $1 per month) 5- You are welcome.
@@frostdragonking5336 fiend. Fiends are evil. Full stop. Great old ones are...well, they are alien and distant to the point of apathy. They may not even "know" you exist. Or the concerns of a protozoa like you is beneath their notice normally. Not really hostile so much as normally you wouldn't even enter their consciousness when they make decisions. You just don't matter to them. Much how we wouldn't consider if we are stepping on or avoiding ants. So to my way of thinking they are one of those beings who define fiends.
For the mind frame of these creatures because it's so foreign and alien the easiest way to Envision it and imagine it is an extremely apathetic sociopath
Yugolths can't feel pleasure? Rotting meat tastes the same as the finest steak? That sounds like chronic depression. The poor things are just lashing out in their pain. Although i guess thinking that is just another of their manipulations.
It isn't that it tastes the same. It is that they lack the ability to feel any pleasure or satisfaction. So it doesn't matter that there is a difference. They cannot care if the rotten meat is different than the perfectly cooked steak. They are beings of pure, cold reason and their point of view is informed by terrible circumstances.
If their only goal is gaining control and have no emotions supporting it, would they then equivalently practice modes of good? Like it may torture people to get better at torturing, but does it volunteer at soup kitchens to get a better reputation among the populace? Some of the people with the most control over others get it willingly from their supporters and forcefully from their opponents to the point where they may be so far wedged into their position of control that they no longer need supporters. Surely, it's much easier to win over a crowd of likeminded people and convince them to give you more control than forcing them to do what you want when they're actively resisting it, right? At least in some environments. Edit after watching the last half of the video: I suppose it's just how they're built, I guess. Seems like the only emotion they feel is curiosity for suffering.
This is probably going to bum you out and weird you out but when I'm feeling down or out of energy or like I'm feeling rudderless I listen to this video and to particularly the first 8 to 10 minutes of it where you describe how the the eagle off think and act and their long-term goals thank you
btw, you forgot to discuss the Deviants; rare baernoloth who *do* take pleasure in what they do, and a great degree at that, and who are thus the most likely baernoloth to actually meet the party face-to-face, despite being a minority.
@@AJPickett they're still worth mentioning. the material I've read states that they're *so* much more likely to meet the party face-to-face that there's a case of survivorship bias going on here, meaning that those who regularly engage with baernoloth are likely to think deviants are the norm.
I thought it was more that the Demented feel a sense of "aspiration" not present in their kin motivated by the presence of madness rather than that of emotion. That being said, the lore is ambiguous enough that it can be interpreted in different ways for sure! :)
So did Lucius the Eternal take a page from their book or vice versa with the whole becoming them if you slay them thing? Or are there older versions of that horrid fate that escape me?
Talking about they do not possess a left hand or right hand to be able to choose but you know there is gonna be crazy ass wizard thats gonna try to somehow magically grant this thing the ability to feel emotions and if they succeed I have a strange feeling it will become even more evil. Will be like it opens its eyes for the first time. I mean do you want something thats this naturally evil to feel and experience things on a deeper level? They are this evil without a reason wtf will they do when they finally get a reason? I doubt they will choose to be cute. And if a wizard miraculously changes its alignment to good it can at best become a horrific and twisted version of Dexter. Some monsters will become more evil if granted emotions
Good point. If they had a choice about the moral compass of their actions they definitely would just become much more evil. Because they would have the option of doing something for a reason beyond their incomprehensible evil reasons. You could only be more confused and horrified by them.
It's this video I decided to subscribe to you. 3rd video in a row. All of them are at least 15 minutes and I've been watching them start to finish. Figured I must love what you're doing if I have been nonstop watching for an hour. Thanks
you could probably strip the guts out of a toaster and replace them with a heat pump (or something) to make an individual bread slice freezer, if you wanted to. it would only look like a toaster, but not make toast at all. so I suppose you COULD fundamentally change a loth but it would then no longer be a loth.
@AJ Pickett i find this monster fascinating, however i got a question, it regards the ability "as i die" you're telling me there is NO WAY to permanently kill a rare Baernaloth with this unique ability? A wish only slows it? Im gonna put some scenarios and let you decide their likelihood of success (of course these can be influence by the DM ) 1. I can see players getting some kind of artifact that captures its essence when it uses that ability and let it slowly rot away inside said item till its nothing (oddly a fitting fate for such a creature) 2. a Cleric,preferably one that worships deities like kelemvor , the Raven queen or some other dnd deity in charge of the passing of life. Who uses divine intervention to rip the clinging soul of the Baernaloth and permanently kill it, since it is in a weaken state and is, as you stated "feeding off the victim" forcefully removing it and eradicating it (by said god or just one last holy attack) should be doable. (and if you have two clerics with a successful divine intervention, well... that should work honestly, if more than one god wants you eradicated, than its basically over for you and reward those players that have a good relationship with them) 3. Having said player inside of a Hallow (with the Everlasting Rest bonus trait, for flavor) spell while on consecrated ground, have the pc kills themselves while in a casket filled with holly water while keeping the body submerge.cast Gentle Repose on the body and seal it. left there for 30 days. repeat the hallow spell,Gentle Repose, every 10 days till the last 30th day. Once the last day arrives, unseal the casket, the holy water is now reduced to mundane water, then cast true resurrection. since the Baernaloth essence could no longer feed on the pc and the hallow/gentle repose hindering its efforts to escape. unable to restore itself int the consecrated ground and being burned away from the holy water, it is destroyed. 4. I would say this is cheeky but having the spell Divine Word instantly kill it would negate its "as i die" ability and id argue it kills it before it is send back to its home plane. is this a bit too easy? maybe, but considering you had the patience to save a 7th level spell (this is no enemy to be stingy on btw) and wait till it reaches bellow *20* HP out of its 400 (700 potentially) and their possible minions, id say its reasonable. 5. this a joke answer but. Dispel Evil and Good? to remove the lingering essence while its on consecrated ground?. i mean it can remove possessions. i can see it removing a creatures essence, can eject a spirit from a giant statue its possessing so i can see it working. I mean Death ward can block POWERWORD KILL for Pete's sake (i love this btw). verified that a 4th level spell can negate a 9th level one. so its not unfounded. i like to her you opinions on these individual point, others are welcome to chime in
1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. Absolutely yes. 4. It would probably leap out of the body as a Ghost.. they have seen this sort of spell before. 5. Yes, it would force the spirit of the Baernaloth out of the body as the form of a high powered ghost.
For me I always thought of the Yugoloths as the purest embodiment of nihilism. Not raw destructive indifference sometimes attributed to it, but cruel, joyless, empty existence. Campaigns set in the Grey Wastes are best avoided for those suffering from depression.
These things remind me of the character Elias Ainsworth the second protagonist from the manga Ancient Magus Bride. I'm not just talking about the near identical appearance they have very similar emotionless nature but with opposite goals the Baernaloth want to make everything as ruinous as themselves while Elias wants to become more emotional and gain humanity.
Exactly why they make no sense to me, in high school we watched a video about someone with damage to their emotion centers of the brain. They were fully cognitive full able to see, hear, touch, taste but they had no reaction to horror films, they did not worry about anything, they were never happy nor sad. But they as a person felt something was a miss, they knew what they were living was a white wash of their nature they actively wanted emotion because they knew logically that to have no emotions was wrong.
I'm imagining a story exhibiting the love or dedication between two immensely powerful paladins or clerics who work together to keep a Baenoloth at bay, without powerful consecrated ground to fully kill the Baenoloth. One kills it, slowly transforms, then the other kills that and revives their partner before also transforming, telling their partner to chop off their limbs so as a Baenoloth they may be able to kill it alone. I doubt it would work as an amazing story, but as a fable explaining the wretchedness of Baenoloth and how strength of faith is their only "weakness"
Then have it the Baenoloth was the source of the idea to do this, if by a few degrees of separation. Just so it could make some do gooders torture themselves for its clinical observation
What is the source of the baernaloth stat block?!?! I love this creature and have always wanted to use it and learn more about it. Thank you so much for covering it....I’ve been waiting patiently for some time hahah
I find the idea of an evil creature doing nothing but following its nature very interesting! What happens if a good aligned party discovers an infant Yugaloth? Will a discussion of nature vs nurture arise? Will they see the being as having any free will at all? Could they kill an infant? So many questions.
DEEPFOXJUDE could be that they don’t raise their kids, maybe they create and infant fiend, disguise it with magic, send it to some unsuspecting family, and let the infant fiend’s innate ability to manipulate and take advantage of things develop as they grow up. Perhaps after reaching a certain age it’s able to shed its disguise and make some horrible mark on the world.
DEEPFOXJUDE maybe, haven’t used a hag yet in my campaign, so I still need to look into them. But hey, night haha must have learned it from somewhere, right mate? Haha! Point is, if it’s your world, you do what you think is interesting, and what your players find fun!
I do not like to discuss such things. However these are problems that must be fixed with taste, and care.. That said I like to put them in sacks, and beat the sack with my hammer.....
The section on Yugoloths in “Faces of Evil: The Fiends” suggests that they ~can~ reproduce with each other to some degree (all lesser yugoloths can produce mezzoloth offspring; greater yugoloths mate only within their rank and produce offspring of that rank with the exception of ultroloths, who can produce arcanaloth offspring on their own / without a mate), but they are discouraged against mating due to a preference that members of a rank are there by their own merit through promotion rather than being born. That said, I imagine it’s less of a problem when the resulting offspring is a mezzoloth versus, say, an arcanaloth. Mezzoloths are already basically the lowest of the lesser yugoloths, so things mostly can only go up for them. Yugoloths born as arcanaloths, on the other hand, are specifically mentioned as not being as skilled as those who reached the rank through promotion and, hence, tend to be mostly consigned to serving as scribes in the Tower of the Arcanaloths.
You have a great knowledge of D and D. Are you planning on doing the Gray Waste? It seems like a hard plane to explain. It supposedly the most evil plane, despite the nightmares of the Abyse or the Orwellian hellscape of the Nine Hells. I had a thought that may explain why the Baernaloths are the most evil fiend, and the Gray Waste is the most evil plane. It maybe this, Good has appreation and aspirations. When a good character do good they do it as they have some appreation on things that make living nice and the aspirations to expand that. Lawful character do things with obligations the lawful plane may have conscriptions but Elysium does not as enough partitioners aspire to be in the ranks. The Devils have a sense of duty and royalty (all be twisted) Capten Vedal from Pans Labyrinth is a good mortal candidade The Demons have (passion also in a twisted way) Alex from A Clockwork Orange is a good candidate for a demon. Anton from No Country for Old Men may be the closest human characters to a Bearn another is the one kid from Sin City. Beatrice from Bokack Horseman is on her way to be a Night Hag. Other friend stay away from them not because of new forms of torture but because they even can feel the emotional void just being in the the presences suck any emotions you have leaving you wishing for death as you have a void in your heart. That why you stay away from the Gray Waste and and Bearnaloths. The Negative Plane is about sucking out life force and Gray Waste is about sucking out your will to live. Do the Baernaloth have the ultimate omnisidal goal to destroy the multiverse? Maybe, but they may just be working away with their energy slowly on the multiverse, just like heat death is slowly killing our Universe. Demons blowing up a crystals sphere to a Baernaloth would be in the grandeur skeem just rearranging its atoms. Sure great deal of suffering but overtime new worlds would form and grow from the ashes. Chaos is not just distrustion but also creation. When they bring the end it may look like a world that is devoid of any will to live and and gods gave up long time ago. Good news is they are apathetic and are not driven, say they take their time. It how their evil is counterintuitive to itself. Like the demons impulsive nature cause distraction and infighting, the devil are slowed down by bureaucracy, and the Yegaloth are stabbing each other in the back for some of the pettiest gains.
Its the sucking despair of the place, so, it drains away all hope, love, laughter and vitality... that is why it is so evil, it just slowly murders good.
Am I confused or did auto correct turn "Kyuss" into the south-westernmost island in japan? I suppose there's always the possibility that another worm that walks exists and coincidentally shares it's name with Kyushu.
I’ve always liked Yugoloths, but I’m amazed by how deep their lore actually goes. Thank you for giving me a better understanding of them. It’s sad how 5e brushes them off.
I love the idea of a particularly strong and intelligent baernaloth essentially looking at all others of his kind as nothing more than pathetic amateurs who don't even realize the ultimate truth which is all physical torture one can inflict on another being is absolutely nothing compared to the torture one can inflict on the minds of it's victims. Meaning to him such garish displays of physical torture on mortal beings is akin to a mere child playing in the domain of masters where the greatest symphonies of anguish and misery are all played out within the confines of there victim's minds while always making sure to allow them the very faintest glimmer of hope but a hope that can never be realized no matter how hard they chase it. He would say such things as "without hope pain has no real context for how can a mortal feel true existential misery when it knows it's already doomed."
“ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER HERE.” […] “Most people think the words on these gates were written by demons to sound foreboding, but that’s not quite right. This is the outside of the gates, where the demons’ sway is lesser. This warning was written as helpful advice by some friendly power.” […] The inside of the gates said “KEEP HOPING, SUCKERS.” - Unsong
I am planning on running Ruins of Adventure and Pool of Radiance in 5e. As there is a theory that Tyranthraxus is a yugoloth, I was considering making him a baernoloth. I'd be interested in everyone's thoughts on how to develop this.
I have a little theory that yugoloths are law tainted in the same way demodands are chaos tainted. Both were created by the baernaloths, and yugoloths live mostly on Gehenna.
In some ways the Baernaloth remind me of the Neverborn from Wraith The Oblivion, but with LESS motivation. The Neverborn were created out of The Void as a reaction to creation. To quote Douglas Adams: "The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.” The Neverborn have been created, well not exactly created, as they are the opposite of Creation, but Spawned in order to do something about it. That's at least SOME kind of a motive, granted most of them have been put to sleep like Great Old Ones, the incomprehensible view point is kind of the same. If you did want to introduce something like The Neverborn, they'd be more appropriate in the Negative Energy Plane than The Grey Wastes.
Excellent as always thank you a very interesting monster. Maybe one created mind flayers wow that's a good one. Have a good evening and please keep up the good work.😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊.
Hey AJ! Greetings from Tulsa Oklahoma. Can you tell me where I can find the image at 15:12? It's the creepiest and I would love to check out the site. It would make a great mask
I was at that part of the video after reopening (and my 3rd watch) as I read this. But, its likely a wendigo/goat man/dog man type of thing. Ironic considering where you are.
I do Wonder though what would happen if a group of adventurers somehow yeeted a Baernloth into sigil, would it resist the neutral effect, or would it become neutral, and therefor no longer be a Baernloth?
@@AJPickett thank you. Gotta say, these guys are one of my favorit things in dnd. Yugoloths overall are my favorit fiends, but Baeroloth are just, I guess pure. In a sense, they can be considered one of the purest creatures that exist. Perfect, flawless and pure evil.
@@charlottewalnut3118 I'd argue he looks and acts way more like a fey creature, luring in and controlling children to feed off their parents' wallets. I was wrong, Ben was right.
This is a fantastic video. However, something doesn't add up philosophically, in the description of the Yugoloths. If they don't have any emotions, have any hope or even feel satisfaction, how do they even act? Evil beings typically crave power, and when they get it, they feel at least a brief moment of satisfaction, before the craving for even more power returns. Otherwise, why even seek for power? If torture is fascinating to Yugoloths, isn't fascination a kind of emotion. The reason it fascinates you is because when you engage with it, you are experiencing a combination of satisfaction, pleasure, and a little awe. Your brain is being stimulated in a way that feels at least a little pleasurable, and makes you want more as long as the fascination persists. If they desire to control the cosmos, then they must have hope they can eventually achieve this. In this sense, they also have hope. Unless you are saying that they are literally robots simply acting on programming, then they must be experiencing some kind of basic emotions, or at the very least, they can experience pleasure and pain, if not joy and misery. Even base biological urges (like hunger and sex) produce good emotions when they are met. Are you saying that Yugoloths have no biological urges whatsoever? In that case, my first question is begged, how do they even act?
I believe the insinuation is that the yugoloths operate on the greater will of the Baernaloths instilled into their creation, whatever drive that is instilled into them isn’t their own. And like you had said they are in a way a machine operating on desire of baernaloths rather than their own, the torture isn’t something that they want but rather the baernaloths who desire the torment of life and dominance of the universe as that is their own ascertained purpose from the beginning of their being. This leaving the yugoloths rather tragic showing them as an extension of the baernaloths’ schemes rather than their own beings, puppets who try their hardest to exist even though they are puppets on strings in a cosmic game of chess only the most elder of creatures from the purest alignments would understand.
This cognitive dissonance is the point. We, as sentient creatures who are steeped with emotions, can’t so much as empathize with or conceptualize a being like this. We can only project some shallowly similar feeling that would bring us to act like it does.
Great point! Way I like to see it, Yugoloths are kind of like... instinct-driven medical researchers. They instinctively know that all non-Yugoloth life needs to be destroyed, but it's abstract, like fighting a virus or solving a puzzle, instead of fighting an enemy. Their curiosity ("how do these unpleasant creatures react under stimuli?") leads them to torment other life. Other Yugoloths must eventually be destroyed as well... they're "real" in some sense, hence may someday pose a threat.
If devils are paladins and demons are barbarians then yugoloths are monks or maybe druids, and they're on a constant enlightenment journey. They pursue power because that's the most worthy goal and emotion or nonsense like honor gets in the way of that. Acquiring power is the only worthy goal and if you're sitting around being satisfied then you aren't getting more power. Torture is similarly like a sort of meditation, a way to act out the meaning of existence, like someone hunting not because they have to but because it's "the right way" to get food to them. Of course this is just their ideal and the vast majority can't live up to it, but in general they try to move towards absolute psychopathy and personal power without limit, and will not let even themselves get in the way.
So, these guys are OP natives of Hades and they are what most people imagine sociopaths to be. Got it. ;) You grabbed me when I was considering switching to gaming... not a complaint and no regrets. I love your videos.
Dude, you want to feed that to a very good actor and have them be a guest at a filmed d&d. Hell pick 83 parts get that many great actors and have the players be the clueless ones. Imagine a really good actor being allowed to run with that.
![The Complete Story of Destiny! From origins to Shadowkeep [Timeline and Lore explained]](/img/n.gif)
Unless buried in consecrated ground it comes back to life after 6d6+6 days... because of course it does.
42 max. #HitchHiking
Satanic Panic much?
@@tysondennis1016considering they are very much inspired.. not really satanic panic, but an unsurprising “ahh yes, duh” moment
When a balor tortures, it is because doing so brings them joy.
When a pit fiend tortures, it is because doing so furthers a larger plot or scheme.
When a baernaloth tortures, it is because doing so makes them better at torturing others.
Exactly
All things have desires or they wouldn't do a thing. The horror of baernaloth is how detached they are from their own selfdom. Happiness or sadness has the same value to a being that doesn't value either. Does bringing pain make them happy? Probably. But does that matter to what they will do? Not in the slightest. Their only guiding principle is to expand evil to all things. Whether the recipient is willing or violated matters not. Evil has been done. Doing and partaking in evil is their goal. Enjoying your suffering is secondary to the evil of that enjoyment. That is what should be focused on with 'loths. Not that they feel nothing. That Evil is the filter by which they feel and self motivate. If there is no evil in it then it might as well not be real to a 'loth.
That, maybe, the less evil something is the less real it is to them and thus doesn't matter what they do to it. That you are only real when you are just as horrifying as they are.
It’s on its grindset.
I may well have commented on this video multiple times, but I continue to enjoy the abstract chaos that is the baernaloth. There's nothing like a truly soulless antagonist, one that doesn't even want to do wrong, it just is wrong, and doesn't even have the ability to grasp anything but, well, doing wrong. And the concept of them simply acting horribly, just to witness the reaction, for some unknown reason, is by far the most terrifying feature of any dungeons and dragons creature to date in my opinion.
"Why do I keep torturing you? You're not real, so it doesn't matter. Watching your reactions may help me find better ways to destroy other creatures like you."
Ultroloths sometimes seek out these ancient monsters for their wisdom. Some fail, some never return, some return with a renewed sense of purpose from having met their ancient creators, who set the Blood War in motion. Also, there's a limited, though unknown number of baernaloths hidden throughout the multiverse
Baernaloths are beings of suffering. When they were born no god took notice of them; and so no god gave them meaning or purpose. Being born surrounded only by people suffering and given no meaning in life, they had to find meaning for themselves. However being born highly intelligent and unable to empathize, they quickly came to a grim conclusion. That being, "Given that life has no meaning, and its only constant is suffering; then the only action that would have meaning is to inflict more suffering." So now they go out and inflict suffering on anyone and anything. Not because they enjoy it like Demons. Not because they are rewarded for it like Devils. They do it because nothing else in the world has meaning for them.
Given what is above, I suggest this ability to be linked with them-
Suffer With Me: When a Baernaloth receives damage, it may use its Reaction to cause all creatures with 30ft of the Baernaloth to take that damage as well. In addition a Baernaloth may use one of its Legendary Actions in order to regain its Reaction.
LOL! “Go ahead and hug your toaster as much as you want, it’s not going to stop burning your bread” 😂😂😂
This is why we keep listening. AJ is a master writer. Big ole Brain 🧠
I love lore that depicts the dimensions as being so vast and rich and full of horrors that you realize the human world is basically just that one little box in your storage closet labeled "miscellaneous".
We're just a tiny demiplane full of fragile short-lived bacteria, surrounded by dimensions full of hardy apex predators.
"In order to go from left to right handed, you must first have hands." That is DEEP
Maybe they only have fists. The implications are terrible.
love this monster also 5:55 nice try trying to sneak this SCP 0-96 pic past me Mr. AJ!!!!!!!
(:
great work AJ
Wait a minute.
They’re Neutral Evil and entirely lack any sort of desire? That makes them a polar opposite to the succubi who are also neutral evil, right? I think we found why the succubus is fiendish, but neither a devil or demon.
I can normally exhaust most TH-cam channels in a single bout of insomnia. Three bouts was the previous record. Been here for five, plus some time between and still finding more.
I am mighty.
You mentioned the heart of darkness in the yugoloth video. Some sages speculate that when the general of Gehenna purged the loths of law & chaos, forcing those undesirable traits into nearby larvae, the loths broke something in the species
I keep coming back to all of these fiend videos late at night when I'm trying to get rest, and honestly it's about the best thing since Lovecraft. Thank you so much AJ, you give the Mind purchase to wonder.
As the kids say, facts.
What a cool species. I've never heard of them before but they're one of my new favourite evil things in fantasy now
"As I Die" their ability to become their killer just sounds like a better version of Lucius the eternal from Warhammer
This is one of my favorite video so far on my journey in AJ's archives.
"You dropped this- catch." *Casually tosses you your arms back*
But I have no arms to hold them with.
Really enjoyed the small rp section in the shop. Your videos only get better and better.
Thank you for making this video, I wanted to include more powerful, truly evil creatures for a pretty dark campaign I want to get back to running and this was perfect. I also love your channel and have easily spent hundreds of hours listening to it.
LOL - at 4:32 -"In some ways, it's best to think of them as robots...who took one look at other forms of life ... and decided that it was weak, stupid and pointless." I immediately thought of Bender from Futurama - "You meatbags had your chance!"
I like the idea that these guys are the origin of evil in the d&d multiverse. That not all original spirits were of elemental or astral origin.
Read crystal shard trilogy like 20 something yrs ago and im still reading Drizzt to this day. Amazing series. MUST READ.
Man, is there ever a lot of BBEG's out there!
I'd love to see a video on schemes of creatures like this. We now know their motivations, but more of a set of examples of the kind of web a true master of evil like this creates.
What evil keeps a mind like this from becoming bored?
That line on going from left to right handed was excellent
"Dude, you have too many powers."
~Martian Manhunter, to a Baernaloth
I am now contemplating Paladin-Batman observing a Baernaloth in action, and trying to figure it out. Preferably the Thomas Wayne Paladin-Batman.
Ah, nothing like starting off your morning with some of the most disgusting vile notoriously evil lore you have to offer Great Sage. I'm fairly confident I'm going to re-watch your entire demon series every Halloween. Now that's a binge-watch I can get behind.
These are the kinds of friends that would scare the shit out villains like Darkseid and the Joker. They're level of evil is never enough for a Baernaloth.
Why is the idea of a baernoloth accidentally summoning Obox-Ob so funny to me?
Your videos are fantastic. Thanks.
I dunno what's fucking me up more, the fact that you slipped in a couple pictures of SCP-1471 in or that my mind thinks that 1471 is implied to be a Baernaloth in the log file.
"While they scurry to and fro, I am.
While they cherish their petty deities, idols, and false lords, I am.
While they fight their trivial wars, live and die for mortal kings and scoundrels, I am.
All priests of false gods kneel to Me.
All kings of empires great and small kneel to Me.
Life kneels to Me.
Death kneels to Me."
Are you excited for the sequel of salt and sanctuary?
@@edendemarlo You bet I am! :D
Its wild, I was looking to find another view on these, and not only are you the only one but only your videos pop up.
I swear, if I come to rewatch a video of yours ooone more time and I have an inexplicable Dislike recorded, I’m buying one of those unwieldy bigger phones that I have trouble holding in one hand. (Great work, AJ.)
Yes, I’m here because of today’s video on Demodands.
Wow. Such a cool monster, and one I've never even heard of! Those demon and devil attention hogs forever overshadow their equally wicked neutral evil cohorts. :3
Love the shy guy pick in there
would the summon child ability work on an obyrith, even though they're from another great wheel and thus have no connection to the baernoloth?
Hmmmm... no.
Honestly, from my understanding, the emotional detachment thing seems to *mostly* be a thing for Baernaloths, as compared to Yugoloths as a whole. Example: Shemeshka the Marauder, from Planescape. On one hand, asking Shemeshka why it is referred to as the "king" of the crossroads, and not the "queen," is a surefire way to get yourself ginsu'd, and on the other, a specific tiefling has countless times disrespected Shemeshka only to come out unharmed -- and seems to be under her protection, for some reason or another. Buuut then again, this *is* Sigil. Where pretty much not a single being can be considered wholly normal.
Remember that story of the elves sealing 3 creatures away in a endless floating prison? and the only way they get free is if a RED DRAGON with NO greed in their heart and is good flies above it 3 times? that exact shit happened and the seal broke and they got loose. goes to show you things arent cut and dry.
@@thespeedkingomega6357 Very much so. I bet those elves must have wondered just what they did to annoy the universe itself, for one, and for two...... ESPECIALLY in Sigil.
@@thespeedkingomega6357 Oh, and sorry for the double comment, but that particular story is not familiar to me, off the top of my head. Goes to show, however, just where the limits are for a "reasonable" event to come to pass for the prison spell lie.
@@thespeedkingomega6357 step one kill a red dragon. Step two remove its heart. Step three animate the heartless dragon corpse. Step four have it fly the circles. Conditions have been met.
@@megatroymega That is technically true but misses the spirit of what the conditions actually were. Which was a red dragon who was good and selfless would fly above that point. Something the makers of that prison thought were unlikely. But nothing is unlikely when beings of such power and cunning are imprisoned. Just a question of time.
I know I am kind of late to the party. But I really like to thank you for making this video AJ. It is really nice of you to do request for your audience. It is much appreciated.
I seem to do a lot more of them these days than I used to :)
@@AJPickett You will make a lot of people very happy. And judging by the comments people really enjoyed this one. Excellent work my dude. I'm sure to repay you somehow.
@@Sebasti44n You've been with the channel a long time my friend, I certainly appreciate it :)
I’m just trying to figure out how this thing would interact with a Warlock on the regular. I’m guessing it would appear as some kind of projection but it would have to take on the form of a humanoid claiming to be the patron, making the warlock believe they contacted some kind of immortal wizard or something.
Or a different type of fiend
They could just not tell them what they are. Just, hey I'm here, I'll give you power if you do this stuff. All the while manipulating them into ruining everything because it's what they do.
This was a awesome video and can’t wait as you dive into other elder evils for more villainous ideas for epic adventures of D&D💯😎
5 things:
1- Baernaloth VS Ancient Baatorians.... which ones are more evil? if they can even be compared
2- There was a demon you mentioned a long time that looked like a sphere and had something written all over it do you remember what's it called?
3- Is it realistic to have a warlock of these guys?
4- Can we get their stats
5- Thank you for being this awesome!
I would think you can make a pact with them but given their nature they definitely work to ruin the warlock. Basically the same as pacting with a hag.
@@jacobfreeman5444 Now the question is, is it a Great old one or a fiend that represent it the most?
1- The Baernaloths.
2- Written on it? You are not talking about the Undead Planet called Atropus are you?
3- I would say no, but, as always, your table, your rules.
4- The stats are part of the script (you can either note them down from the video, or get access by becoming a patron for a minimum of $1 per month)
5- You are welcome.
@@AJPickett I don't think so, it was mentioned once in one of the demons videos, it had a word written on it in all languages or something of sort.
@@frostdragonking5336 fiend. Fiends are evil. Full stop. Great old ones are...well, they are alien and distant to the point of apathy. They may not even "know" you exist. Or the concerns of a protozoa like you is beneath their notice normally. Not really hostile so much as normally you wouldn't even enter their consciousness when they make decisions. You just don't matter to them. Much how we wouldn't consider if we are stepping on or avoiding ants.
So to my way of thinking they are one of those beings who define fiends.
For the mind frame of these creatures because it's so foreign and alien the easiest way to Envision it and imagine it is an extremely apathetic sociopath
Or a toaster
@@Sebasti44n Nah, Toasters are Chaotic Evil, haven’t you played Fallout New Vegas?
Yugolths can't feel pleasure? Rotting meat tastes the same as the finest steak? That sounds like chronic depression. The poor things are just lashing out in their pain.
Although i guess thinking that is just another of their manipulations.
It isn't that it tastes the same. It is that they lack the ability to feel any pleasure or satisfaction. So it doesn't matter that there is a difference. They cannot care if the rotten meat is different than the perfectly cooked steak. They are beings of pure, cold reason and their point of view is informed by terrible circumstances.
If their only goal is gaining control and have no emotions supporting it, would they then equivalently practice modes of good? Like it may torture people to get better at torturing, but does it volunteer at soup kitchens to get a better reputation among the populace? Some of the people with the most control over others get it willingly from their supporters and forcefully from their opponents to the point where they may be so far wedged into their position of control that they no longer need supporters. Surely, it's much easier to win over a crowd of likeminded people and convince them to give you more control than forcing them to do what you want when they're actively resisting it, right? At least in some environments.
Edit after watching the last half of the video: I suppose it's just how they're built, I guess. Seems like the only emotion they feel is curiosity for suffering.
This is probably going to bum you out and weird you out but when I'm feeling down or out of energy or like I'm feeling rudderless I listen to this video and to particularly the first 8 to 10 minutes of it where you describe how the the eagle off think and act and their long-term goals thank you
Happy to help
btw, you forgot to discuss the Deviants; rare baernoloth who *do* take pleasure in what they do, and a great degree at that, and who are thus the most likely baernoloth to actually meet the party face-to-face, despite being a minority.
The Deviants are a crazy sect or group, yes, but we know that Baernaloths can become different sorts of beings.. gods, domain lords, etc.
@@AJPickett they're still worth mentioning. the material I've read states that they're *so* much more likely to meet the party face-to-face that there's a case of survivorship bias going on here, meaning that those who regularly engage with baernoloth are likely to think deviants are the norm.
@@benthomason3307 That is an excellent point.
I thought it was more that the Demented feel a sense of "aspiration" not present in their kin motivated by the presence of madness rather than that of emotion. That being said, the lore is ambiguous enough that it can be interpreted in different ways for sure! :)
@Ben Thomason Where did you find this information? I'd love to check it out myself. Good information about Yugoloths can be difficult to track down.
So did Lucius the Eternal take a page from their book or vice versa with the whole becoming them if you slay them thing? Or are there older versions of that horrid fate that escape me?
Many Baernaloths have become *other things* over the eons...
Nearly 60 thousand!!! Congrats!!
I know! So cool :)
Very cool AJ! Thank you!
another great video AJ!
Talking about they do not possess a left hand or right hand to be able to choose but you know there is gonna be crazy ass wizard thats gonna try to somehow magically grant this thing the ability to feel emotions and if they succeed I have a strange feeling it will become even more evil. Will be like it opens its eyes for the first time. I mean do you want something thats this naturally evil to feel and experience things on a deeper level? They are this evil without a reason wtf will they do when they finally get a reason? I doubt they will choose to be cute. And if a wizard miraculously changes its alignment to good it can at best become a horrific and twisted version of Dexter. Some monsters will become more evil if granted emotions
Very good point
Good point. If they had a choice about the moral compass of their actions they definitely would just become much more evil. Because they would have the option of doing something for a reason beyond their incomprehensible evil reasons. You could only be more confused and horrified by them.
It's this video I decided to subscribe to you. 3rd video in a row. All of them are at least 15 minutes and I've been watching them start to finish. Figured I must love what you're doing if I have been nonstop watching for an hour. Thanks
Visually the baernaloth seems to be a lot like the wendigo.
you could probably strip the guts out of a toaster and replace them with a heat pump (or something) to make an individual bread slice freezer, if you wanted to. it would only look like a toaster, but not make toast at all. so I suppose you COULD fundamentally change a loth but it would then no longer be a loth.
Exactly so.
@AJ Pickett
i find this monster fascinating, however i got a question, it regards the ability "as i die"
you're telling me there is NO WAY to permanently kill a rare Baernaloth with this unique ability? A wish only slows it?
Im gonna put some scenarios and let you decide their likelihood of success
(of course these can be influence by the DM )
1. I can see players getting some kind of artifact that captures its essence when it uses that ability and let it slowly rot away inside said item till its nothing (oddly a fitting fate for such a creature)
2. a Cleric,preferably one that worships deities like kelemvor , the Raven queen or some other dnd deity in charge of the passing of life. Who uses divine intervention to rip the clinging soul of the Baernaloth and permanently kill it, since it is in a weaken state and is, as you stated "feeding off the victim" forcefully removing it and eradicating it (by said god or just one last holy attack) should be doable.
(and if you have two clerics with a successful divine intervention, well... that should work honestly, if more than one god wants you eradicated, than its basically over for you and reward those players that have a good relationship with them)
3. Having said player inside of a Hallow (with the Everlasting Rest bonus trait, for flavor) spell while on consecrated ground, have the pc kills themselves while in a casket filled with holly water while keeping the body submerge.cast Gentle Repose on the body and seal it. left there for 30 days. repeat the hallow spell,Gentle Repose, every 10 days till the last 30th day.
Once the last day arrives, unseal the casket, the holy water is now reduced to mundane water, then cast true resurrection.
since the Baernaloth essence could no longer feed on the pc and the hallow/gentle repose hindering its efforts to escape. unable to restore itself int the consecrated ground and being burned away from the holy water, it is destroyed.
4. I would say this is cheeky but having the spell Divine Word
instantly kill it would negate its "as i die" ability and id argue it kills it before it is send back to its home plane. is this a bit too easy? maybe, but considering you had the patience to save a 7th level spell (this is no enemy to be stingy on btw) and wait till it reaches bellow *20* HP out of its 400 (700 potentially) and their possible minions, id say its reasonable.
5. this a joke answer but. Dispel Evil and Good? to remove the lingering essence while its on consecrated ground?. i mean it can remove possessions. i can see it removing a creatures essence, can eject a spirit from a giant statue its possessing so i can see it working.
I mean Death ward can block POWERWORD KILL for Pete's sake (i love this btw). verified that a 4th level spell can negate a 9th level one. so its not unfounded.
i like to her you opinions on these individual point, others are welcome to chime in
1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. Absolutely yes.
4. It would probably leap out of the body as a Ghost.. they have seen this sort of spell before.
5. Yes, it would force the spirit of the Baernaloth out of the body as the form of a high powered ghost.
These creatures are so cool they would make a great campaign.
Super cool
What is the droning spooky music called at the 7 minute mark? I want is quite badly.
Background music by EPIDEMIC SOUND
Always exciting to see a new upload. Keep up the good work! (Maybe a rukarazyll video?)
Respect!
Added to my to-do list :)
@@AJPickett 🤘🏻
Great vid and great stats!
(just a minor clerical error at 23:47 it's "Demodands of Carceri" not Gehenna)
Thank you!
What God governs these clerics? Lol
8:10 The Mechanicus would like to have a word
For me I always thought of the Yugoloths as the purest embodiment of nihilism. Not raw destructive indifference sometimes attributed to it, but cruel, joyless, empty existence. Campaigns set in the Grey Wastes are best avoided for those suffering from depression.
These things remind me of the character Elias Ainsworth the second protagonist from the manga Ancient Magus Bride. I'm not just talking about the near identical appearance they have very similar emotionless nature but with opposite goals the Baernaloth want to make everything as ruinous as themselves while Elias wants to become more emotional and gain humanity.
Exactly why they make no sense to me, in high school we watched a video about someone with damage to their emotion centers of the brain. They were fully cognitive full able to see, hear, touch, taste but they had no reaction to horror films, they did not worry about anything, they were never happy nor sad. But they as a person felt something was a miss, they knew what they were living was a white wash of their nature they actively wanted emotion because they knew logically that to have no emotions was wrong.
There are few other D&D creatures that can still inspire a such sense of dark, foreboding dread in me. 😱
It feels very interesting, i thought the aboliths were the oldest race but apparently there is always someone older
Time is a twisted and confusing mess in a multiverse that allows for time travel.
I compare D&D chronology to a reverse orgy, everyone's claiming that they came first.
@@empoleonmaster6709 I mean it's accurate.
Theyre finally adapting this legendary creature to 5e!
WHAT? FINALLY. They're my favorite monster.
Source?
@@LordOfFlies it's in the bestiary for the planescape book. I saw it in some of the previews.
@@skippy9273 oh cool, hope they make a gnarly miniature for it!
Oh dear.
Welp. I think I found the main BBEG for my eventual homebrew campaign (with a few minor tweaks for lore purposes)
The Balance Card of the Deck of Many Things accepts your challenge.
I'm imagining a story exhibiting the love or dedication between two immensely powerful paladins or clerics who work together to keep a Baenoloth at bay, without powerful consecrated ground to fully kill the Baenoloth.
One kills it, slowly transforms, then the other kills that and revives their partner before also transforming, telling their partner to chop off their limbs so as a Baenoloth they may be able to kill it alone.
I doubt it would work as an amazing story, but as a fable explaining the wretchedness of Baenoloth and how strength of faith is their only "weakness"
Then have it the Baenoloth was the source of the idea to do this, if by a few degrees of separation. Just so it could make some do gooders torture themselves for its clinical observation
What is the source of the baernaloth stat block?!?! I love this creature and have always wanted to use it and learn more about it. Thank you so much for covering it....I’ve been waiting patiently for some time hahah
Well, sometimes one has to take matters into one's own hands.. here you go www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/646586-baernaloth
AJ Thank you so much!
Question AJ, what is your favorite aberration that *isn’t* an Illithid, a Beholder, or an Aboleth?
The Flumph
I find the idea of an evil creature doing nothing but following its nature very interesting! What happens if a good aligned party discovers an infant Yugaloth? Will a discussion of nature vs nurture arise? Will they see the being as having any free will at all? Could they kill an infant? So many questions.
DEEPFOXJUDE if we’re going by WotC lore then probably not, but if you’re the DM then maybe in your world they do.
DEEPFOXJUDE could be that they don’t raise their kids, maybe they create and infant fiend, disguise it with magic, send it to some unsuspecting family, and let the infant fiend’s innate ability to manipulate and take advantage of things develop as they grow up. Perhaps after reaching a certain age it’s able to shed its disguise and make some horrible mark on the world.
DEEPFOXJUDE maybe, haven’t used a hag yet in my campaign, so I still need to look into them. But hey, night haha must have learned it from somewhere, right mate? Haha!
Point is, if it’s your world, you do what you think is interesting, and what your players find fun!
I do not like to discuss such things. However these are problems that must be fixed with taste, and care..
That said I like to put them in sacks, and beat the sack with my hammer.....
The section on Yugoloths in “Faces of Evil: The Fiends” suggests that they ~can~ reproduce with each other to some degree (all lesser yugoloths can produce mezzoloth offspring; greater yugoloths mate only within their rank and produce offspring of that rank with the exception of ultroloths, who can produce arcanaloth offspring on their own / without a mate), but they are discouraged against mating due to a preference that members of a rank are there by their own merit through promotion rather than being born.
That said, I imagine it’s less of a problem when the resulting offspring is a mezzoloth versus, say, an arcanaloth. Mezzoloths are already basically the lowest of the lesser yugoloths, so things mostly can only go up for them. Yugoloths born as arcanaloths, on the other hand, are specifically mentioned as not being as skilled as those who reached the rank through promotion and, hence, tend to be mostly consigned to serving as scribes in the Tower of the Arcanaloths.
You have a great knowledge of D and D. Are you planning on doing the Gray Waste? It seems like a hard plane to explain. It supposedly the most evil plane, despite the nightmares of the Abyse or the Orwellian hellscape of the Nine Hells.
I had a thought that may explain why the Baernaloths are the most evil fiend, and the Gray Waste is the most evil plane. It maybe this, Good has appreation and aspirations. When a good character do good they do it as they have some appreation on things that make living nice and the aspirations to expand that. Lawful character do things with obligations the lawful plane may have conscriptions but Elysium does not as enough partitioners aspire to be in the ranks.
The Devils have a sense of duty and royalty (all be twisted) Capten Vedal from Pans Labyrinth is a good mortal candidade The Demons have (passion also in a twisted way) Alex from A Clockwork Orange is a good candidate for a demon.
Anton from No Country for Old Men may be the closest human characters to a Bearn another is the one kid from Sin City. Beatrice from Bokack Horseman is on her way to be a Night Hag. Other friend stay away from them not because of new forms of torture but because they even can feel the emotional void just being in the the presences suck any emotions you have leaving you wishing for death as you have a void in your heart. That why you stay away from the Gray Waste and and Bearnaloths. The Negative Plane is about sucking out life force and Gray Waste is about sucking out your will to live.
Do the Baernaloth have the ultimate omnisidal goal to destroy the multiverse? Maybe, but they may just be working away with their energy slowly on the multiverse, just like heat death is slowly killing our Universe. Demons blowing up a crystals sphere to a Baernaloth would be in the grandeur skeem just rearranging its atoms. Sure great deal of suffering but overtime new worlds would form and grow from the ashes. Chaos is not just distrustion but also creation. When they bring the end it may look like a world that is devoid of any will to live and and gods gave up long time ago. Good news is they are apathetic and are not driven, say they take their time. It how their evil is counterintuitive to itself. Like the demons impulsive nature cause distraction and infighting, the devil are slowed down by bureaucracy, and the Yegaloth are stabbing each other in the back for some of the pettiest gains.
Its the sucking despair of the place, so, it drains away all hope, love, laughter and vitality... that is why it is so evil, it just slowly murders good.
@@AJPickett thanks for the reply. Love your videos.
The Worm that walks(Kyuss) would be a cool to see a video, I know this isn’t the place to request which one you do
Anywhere I am paying attention is as good a place as any :)
That one is already on my to-do list.
Ok cool 👍
Am I confused or did auto correct turn "Kyuss" into the south-westernmost island in japan? I suppose there's always the possibility that another worm that walks exists and coincidentally shares it's name with Kyushu.
Woah, I think you just topped your false hydra video in the volume of absolute nightmare fuel!
I loved the video! I can’t wait to see what’s next!
I’ve always liked Yugoloths, but I’m amazed by how deep their lore actually goes. Thank you for giving me a better understanding of them. It’s sad how 5e brushes them off.
I love the idea of a particularly strong and intelligent baernaloth essentially looking at all others of his kind as nothing more than pathetic amateurs who don't even realize the ultimate truth which is all physical torture one can inflict on another being is absolutely nothing compared to the torture one can inflict on the minds of it's victims. Meaning to him such garish displays of physical torture on mortal beings is akin to a mere child playing in the domain of masters where the greatest symphonies of anguish and misery are all played out within the confines of there victim's minds while always making sure to allow them the very faintest glimmer of hope but a hope that can never be realized no matter how hard they chase it. He would say such things as "without hope pain has no real context for how can a mortal feel true existential misery when it knows it's already doomed."
"The pain of Flesh is fleeting; True Torment lasts Forever...." - Il'gynoth the Heart of Corruption, Emerald Nightmare Raid, WoW: Legion
These are the guys that would laugh at the Joker because he wasn't evil enough.
“ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER HERE.”
[…]
“Most people think the words on these gates were written by demons to sound foreboding, but that’s not quite right. This is the outside of the gates, where the demons’ sway is lesser. This warning was written as helpful advice by some friendly power.”
[…]
The inside of the gates said “KEEP HOPING, SUCKERS.”
- Unsong
I am planning on running Ruins of Adventure and Pool of Radiance in 5e. As there is a theory that Tyranthraxus is a yugoloth, I was considering making him a baernoloth. I'd be interested in everyone's thoughts on how to develop this.
I believe that recipe goes Hubble bubble, toil and trouble...
Ayo. Another spicy morning video. Thanks, Aj. These are the highlight of my overnight shifts lmao.
These creatures are psychopaths by default, and that’s horrific.
*Sociopaths. Not that it makes much difference since every fiend in the Lower Planes is also a psychopath, just in a different way.
I'm surprised you didn't mention 5:44 or 15:09 Doctor.
I really enjoy these lore videos!
I have a little theory that yugoloths are law tainted in the same way demodands are chaos tainted. Both were created by the baernaloths, and yugoloths live mostly on Gehenna.
I took a bath with my toaster. The results were shocking.
In some ways the Baernaloth remind me of the Neverborn from Wraith The Oblivion, but with LESS motivation. The Neverborn were created out of The Void as a reaction to creation. To quote Douglas Adams: "The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.” The Neverborn have been created, well not exactly created, as they are the opposite of Creation, but Spawned in order to do something about it. That's at least SOME kind of a motive, granted most of them have been put to sleep like Great Old Ones, the incomprehensible view point is kind of the same. If you did want to introduce something like The Neverborn, they'd be more appropriate in the Negative Energy Plane than The Grey Wastes.
Great pull! Loves me som wraith and orpheus
The Baernaloth reminds me strongly of Doom's Icon of Sin, for some reason.
these guys have a lot of really cool properties
Wow what a frightening monster to throw at a party.
Well, there's another Warlock concept rattling around in my brain now. Great!
Excellent as always thank you a very interesting monster. Maybe one created mind flayers wow that's a good one. Have a good evening and please keep up the good work.😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊.
Corrrection, demodants are native to Carceri. Apomps is indeed a baernaloth, and dislikes lesser yugoloths, though.
Yes, my apologies, until a make a video on Demodands, I will keep making mistakes... I make videos to help me learn :)
Hey AJ! Greetings from Tulsa Oklahoma. Can you tell me where I can find the image at 15:12? It's the creepiest and I would love to check out the site. It would make a great mask
It's SCP 1471
I was at that part of the video after reopening (and my 3rd watch) as I read this.
But, its likely a wendigo/goat man/dog man type of thing.
Ironic considering where you are.
@@flunkiebubs2002 the Volgun has entered the chat:
Thanks for a truly cool video.
My goblin assassin wouldn't stand a chance against this guy.
5:46 AJ you just killed thousands of people (that's scp 096)
Naaah don't worry it's just a artists rendition we'll be fine.
Plus it was terminated after Dr Redacted's request.
I do Wonder though what would happen if a group of adventurers somehow yeeted a Baernloth into sigil, would it resist the neutral effect, or would it become neutral, and therefor no longer be a Baernloth?
Baernaloths are Neutral... Neutral Evil.
@@AJPickett but would they not become True neutral if they where set in sigil?
@@mis.astrid2635 No.
@@AJPickett thank you. Gotta say, these guys are one of my favorit things in dnd. Yugoloths overall are my favorit fiends, but Baeroloth are just, I guess pure. In a sense, they can be considered one of the purest creatures that exist. Perfect, flawless and pure evil.
Often confused for the Barneyloth, which is rotund, purple, and demonically annoying. Known for gathering charmed children to use as minions.
no, that's a fey, not a demon
@@benthomason3307 Huh.... yeah, that makes way more sense.
Ben Thomason no just no
@@charlottewalnut3118 I'd argue he looks and acts way more like a fey creature, luring in and controlling children to feed off their parents' wallets. I was wrong, Ben was right.
This is a fantastic video. However, something doesn't add up philosophically, in the description of the Yugoloths. If they don't have any emotions, have any hope or even feel satisfaction, how do they even act? Evil beings typically crave power, and when they get it, they feel at least a brief moment of satisfaction, before the craving for even more power returns. Otherwise, why even seek for power? If torture is fascinating to Yugoloths, isn't fascination a kind of emotion. The reason it fascinates you is because when you engage with it, you are experiencing a combination of satisfaction, pleasure, and a little awe. Your brain is being stimulated in a way that feels at least a little pleasurable, and makes you want more as long as the fascination persists. If they desire to control the cosmos, then they must have hope they can eventually achieve this. In this sense, they also have hope. Unless you are saying that they are literally robots simply acting on programming, then they must be experiencing some kind of basic emotions, or at the very least, they can experience pleasure and pain, if not joy and misery. Even base biological urges (like hunger and sex) produce good emotions when they are met. Are you saying that Yugoloths have no biological urges whatsoever? In that case, my first question is begged, how do they even act?
I believe the insinuation is that the yugoloths operate on the greater will of the Baernaloths instilled into their creation, whatever drive that is instilled into them isn’t their own. And like you had said they are in a way a machine operating on desire of baernaloths rather than their own, the torture isn’t something that they want but rather the baernaloths who desire the torment of life and dominance of the universe as that is their own ascertained purpose from the beginning of their being. This leaving the yugoloths rather tragic showing them as an extension of the baernaloths’ schemes rather than their own beings, puppets who try their hardest to exist even though they are puppets on strings in a cosmic game of chess only the most elder of creatures from the purest alignments would understand.
This cognitive dissonance is the point. We, as sentient creatures who are steeped with emotions, can’t so much as empathize with or conceptualize a being like this. We can only project some shallowly similar feeling that would bring us to act like it does.
Sometimes when you pretend for long enough you forget that you are pretending.
Great point! Way I like to see it, Yugoloths are kind of like... instinct-driven medical researchers. They instinctively know that all non-Yugoloth life needs to be destroyed, but it's abstract, like fighting a virus or solving a puzzle, instead of fighting an enemy. Their curiosity ("how do these unpleasant creatures react under stimuli?") leads them to torment other life. Other Yugoloths must eventually be destroyed as well... they're "real" in some sense, hence may someday pose a threat.
If devils are paladins and demons are barbarians then yugoloths are monks or maybe druids, and they're on a constant enlightenment journey. They pursue power because that's the most worthy goal and emotion or nonsense like honor gets in the way of that. Acquiring power is the only worthy goal and if you're sitting around being satisfied then you aren't getting more power. Torture is similarly like a sort of meditation, a way to act out the meaning of existence, like someone hunting not because they have to but because it's "the right way" to get food to them. Of course this is just their ideal and the vast majority can't live up to it, but in general they try to move towards absolute psychopathy and personal power without limit, and will not let even themselves get in the way.
So, these guys are OP natives of Hades and they are what most people imagine sociopaths to be. Got it. ;)
You grabbed me when I was considering switching to gaming... not a complaint and no regrets. I love your videos.
Much like a Yugoloth, I regret nothing.
Dude, you want to feed that to a very good actor and have them be a guest at a filmed d&d.
Hell pick 83 parts get that many great actors and have the players be the clueless ones.
Imagine a really good actor being allowed to run with that.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!?!, TRANSMITTING A PHOTO OF SCP-096 OVER THE INTERNET, YOU WILL CAUSE AN XK-CLASS END OF THE WORLD SCENARIO
Unlikely other existing SCPs will interfere to stop 096 as they utilize the world for their own ends as well
Amazing video!
You are so kind, thank you!