You can store the survivor's of the ambush either in crates nearby or carry them with you to Bruthwol's warehouse.
When you get there, you are greeted by the duergar merchant, who looks very surprised if you're carrying the assassins with you. He tentatively takes them off your hands and into his offices if you promise they will be removed straight after your meeting. Assuming you're still going ahead with the plan to get rid of your weapons, Bruthwol will take them and put them into another office next door to the warehouse, and promises he will ensure the Inheritors do the same. He then takes you into the warehouse proper and has you wait for the others to arrive. He adds, "Many, many, many waves your making in the city it seems. I wonder if your stay in Pedestal will be seen as one of the most auspicious in the city's history."
What do you do while you wait here in the warehouse? At the very least you have time for a Short Rest if you wish.
Khessa is happy to take a breather before another meeting—given how the last one went. She lets Anator fly near the ceiling like a common bat (and report telepathically if he sees any approaching creatures).
The blonde arcane warrior, meanwhile, regains her strength and relaxes her mind by opening her spellbook with its spider-web-like cover and reviewing the latest magical discoveries she's recorded there.
[[ OOC: At the end of the Short Rest, Khessa uses her Arcane Recovery feature to recover two 1st-level spell slots. ]]
Theldrin greets Bruthwol warmly, reluctantly surrendering his weapons, his hesitation more out of principle than he expects to need to use them. He then takes a moment to sit down and prepare for the meeting.
(OOC: Arcane Recovery to recover one 3rd level slot)
Syllen will have Nav search the warehouse to understand how many ways there are to leave. Syllen will have Nav stay at one of the exits to keep watch. Syllen will also take a moment to ask for the cosmos protection giving Coriana, Khessa, Nav, Anator, Syllen and Es Sarch 10 Temp HP. If Es Sarch does not seem open to Syllen words he won't press the issue.
(OOC: I think everyone else has the temp HP already. Also Syllen still plans to cast detect magic when the other group arrives.)
Khessa looks around for crates large enough to hold the survivors.
A) If she finds them: The blonde arcane warrior suggests: "They won't recover for a while... let's tie them up and hide them in these crates. We'll come back for them later."
Xanrym would really like to try to get any information about Fadheela from Regrak, but carrying multiple Duergar to Bruthwol's warehouse or separating Regrak from the other surviving Duergar both seem like poor options. He's also concerned about what happens if the duergar wake up during the meeting with the Inheritors. They may be in no shape to fight, but they may still cause trouble. Since no one else seems enthusiastic about taking the Duergar to Bruthwol's warehouse, he relents and agrees to Khessa's idea to tie up the few survivors and hide then in crates.
Xanrym takes a moment to search the duergar for valuables, badges, or anything written (a letter, written orders, etc.). Investigation: 25, searching the Duergar
In case the Duergar recover and leave this alley before The Company can return, Xanrym also takes out his pen and ink and scribbles a short note / warning on a scrap of paper and puts it where Regrak will find it (e.g., in his belt, stuck in his beard, in a pouch, etc.):
Regrak et al., give thanks that you yet live. The Company's patience wears thin: do not expect such mercy if you cross us again. ~ X.
You can store the survivor's of the ambush either in crates
(OOC: We'll go with that option so that we do not arrive at Bruthwol with the unconscious duergar.)
When you get there, you are greeted by the duergar merchant, who looks very surprised if you're carrying the assassins with you. He tentatively takes them off your hands and into his offices if you promise they will be removed straight after your meeting. Assuming you're still going ahead with the plan to get rid of your weapons, Bruthwol will take them and put them into another office next door to the warehouse, and promises he will ensure the Inheritors do the same. He then takes you into the warehouse proper and has you wait for the others to arrive. He adds, "Many, many, many waves your making in the city it seems. I wonder if your stay in Pedestal will be seen as one of the most auspicious in the city's history."
What do you do while you wait here in the warehouse? At the very least you have time for a Short Rest if you wish.
Xanrym carries mostly simply weapons that would be inexpensive to replace. He surrenders his various weapons to Bruthwol: daggers, mace, spear, hand-axes, and crossbow & bolts. Unless Bruthwol or someone else points it out, he does not open or hand over the case of darts that's strapped to his backpack. He keeps his books and harp and [Tooltip Not Found], of course.
Xanrym suggests that Khessa cast a ward on the room where he plans to keep the weapons. That way, if anyone other than Bruthwol enters the room, The Company will know. They'll have to tell Bruthwol, of course, but Xanrym explains that they ran into some trouble on the way over from the Dripstone Inn. He wouldn't want anyone to steal their weapons while they're meeting with the Inheritors.
Persuasion: 17 (Silver Tongue feature), if Xanrym has to persuade Bruthwol to let us set an Alarm on the weapon storage office
Since they left the assassins in the alley, Xanrym will pass the time until the meeting chatting with Bruthwol (if he's available) and Es Sarch (if he's willing).
Xanrym was uninjured, so he'll just take the Short Rest to recover his 1 use of Bardic Inspiration.
Xanrym finds nothing, not even money, on the Assassins, and must roll a DC 15 Stealth check to keep the darts, otherwise Bruthwol takes them: 26 . Bruthwol is fine with you casting Alarm on his offices and will leave them alone, making sure to put the Inheritors weapons elsewhere, so it doesn't go off.
You're able to see that there are multiple exits from the warehouse, both through the back where you're set up and through the front where Bruthwol will be bringing the Inheritors. (I've updated the Owlbear Rodeo map so you can place your tokens for the meeting.) Coriana looks through Bruthwol's goods, and is able to surmise that he is indeed a merchant. A fairly successful and capable, but otherwise generalist merchant. As she is searching through the crates, Bruthwol enters the room and jabs at her, "Leave all that alone!" Then turns to Es Sarch, "They are here Mr. Sarch, I have taken their weapons and will now lead them in." He then leaves and comes back with the Inheritors.
You recognize the 7 figures that walk into the room. The Blueknight, Bloobbloum, and Lord Vuglomax all enter, The Blueknight in his blue tinged Plate Armour and Vuglomax in a long cloak. The other four figures are the group of humanoids you met on the street attacking Irennaste the first time you met him: The Spiderhunters. Clearly the Inheritors have brought in some backup. Their leader, a Troglodyte, whispers under his breath as the Blueknight steps forward "Spider lovers." The other Spiderhunters are a goblin, a quaggoth, and a deep gnome who keeps pawing at her ear.
The Blueknight addresses Es Sarch in the voice of a young man in Undercommon, "Es Sarch, for too long we have both labored in obscurity beneath the House Dusklorn and the Assassin's Guild. Now that both are under pressure, we have a chance to form a legitimate third party, one based on our might and your knowledge. I look forward to a long talk tonight, one in which this new union may be formed."
As Es Sarch begins to go into his own greeting, the Blueknight looks up to you all, and visibly starts when his helmet turns to Khessa. He is quiet for a moment before whispering, "Sister?" The Blueknight takes off his helm, and beneath you see the slightly older but still rebellious face of your younger brother Rethos. He looks completely stunned.
Khessa is overcome with emotion at the sight of Rethos, but she manages to maintain enough clarity to remember that Inheritors have mental powers, according to Xanrym; so this could as well be an elaborate ruse...
"Brother!" Khessa exclaims, opening her arms with a dazzling smile—and rushes to hug him tightly. "Oh, holy goodness... How did you manage to free yourself? I'm so happy to see you again! If only you knew how scared I was for you and the others! Like that time you were lost in the forest and our father found you just before the hungry wolf you encountered could attack you..."
This last circumstance is invented—nothing like this has ever happened to Rethos. The blone arcane warrior studies her "brother's" reaction. If he appears (justifiably) surprised and doesn't remember the anecdote, she explains that she simply wanted to make sure it was him; If, however, he doesn't react, as if the event Khessa invented had actually happened... then Khessa continues to pretend to believe he is Rethos, but she is well aware he isn't.
Anyway, the tall adventuress asks "Rethos" for details on how he freed himself and if he knows anything about the rest of the family—simply, her trust in what he tells her depends on whether or not her "brother" has passed the little "test."
Since they left the assassins in the alley, Xanrym will pass the time until the meeting chatting with Bruthwol (if he's available) and Es Sarch (if he's willing).
(OOC: It's been a while since we made the original plan for the meeting, but as the time for the Inheritors' arrival nears, we were planning to cast Detect Magic and Comprehend Languages for the meeting with the Inheritors. In particular, Xanrym would ritual cast Comprehend Languages shortly after their Short Rest and should still be concentrating on the spell when the Inheritors arrive.)
The Blueknight addresses Es Sarch in the voice of a young man in Undercommon, "Es Sarch, for too long we have both labored in obscurity beneath the House Dusklorn and the Assassin's Guild. Now that both are under pressure, we have a chance to form a legitimate third party, one based on our might and your knowledge. I look forward to a long talk tonight, one in which this new union may be formed."
Xanrym has heard the Blueknight on two separate occasions: after the fight at the Dripstone Inn and then later at the Temple of Berei in the Riddle. Does he recognize the voice? That is, does this Blueknight's voice sound the same as the voice her heard behind the Bllueknight's helmet in the Temple of Berei?
As Es Sarch begins to go into his own greeting, the Blueknight looks up to you all, and visibly starts when his helmet turns to Khessa. He is quiet for a moment before whispering, "Sister?" The Blueknight takes off his helm, and beneath you see the slightly older but still rebellious face of your younger brother Rethos. He looks completely stunned.
Xanrym is astonished to learn that the Blueknight is Khessa'slong-lost brother. He's torn. On the one hand, he was expecting a trick by the Inheritors and is immediately suspicious at this improbable turn of events. He had already observed that Lord Vuglomax had some telepathic powers, and he wonders whether the Inheritors learned of her inquiries about her family and somehow figured out how to present her with a face that she would implicitly trust. On the other hand, as Khessa's friend, he hopes that this really is Rethos.
And as a storyteller, Xanrym has his own reasons for hoping that's it's really Khessa's brother. If Xanrym could learn Rethos's history, what a fantastic tale he could tell of the man's capture, his escape from the Drow, and his eventual rise to become a leader of the Inheritors in Pedestal!
Xanrym quickly looks at each of the Inheritors to see how they react to this connection between the Blueknight and The Company.
As the Inheritors arrived at the warehouse Syllen would cast Detect Magic. First he would look for any types of magic Syllen could discern on any of the individuals. At the revelation of Khessa’s brother being among the Inheritors, Syllen will take a good look at Rethos for any hints of disguise/illusion magic and then to Khessa's for any enchantment magic that might have been applied. Almost talking to himself.
“When the stairs align strange events tend to happen”
Theldrin's jaw drops as he suddenlty realizes that the Blueknight is apparently Khessa's brother. His battle training overcomes his shock after a few seconds however, and he quickly scans the Inheritors to see if he can glean any insight as to how they what they might be thinking or planning.
To Khessa, Rethos responds, "Wolf, forest? What are you talking about? Khessa what are you doing here? This is not the place for us to reunite, I have an important job to do." He looks at everyone else again and Es Sarch, "Are you his muscle!? Ahh, we'll talk later." He doesn't have time to answer any more questions as he composes himself and redirects his attention to Es Sarch. To Xanrym, this seems to be the same Blueknight you've encountered before, Bloobbloum looks incredibly surprised at this revelation, but quickly goes back to eyeing you all with malice. It is hard to gauge Lord Vuglomax' thoughts, but he does move slightly when Rethos mentions his family. Syllen nor Theldrin notice anything they wouldn't expect, this situation seems to be what it is, the alignment of the stars.
How do you all plan to effect the negotiation between the Blueknight and Es Sarch? It seems as though both individuals are open to an alliance and are simply hashing out the details, which for the Blueknight seems to be focused on both groups remaining opposed to House Dusklorn. So if you wish to wait, we can cut to the end of that discussion.
Khessa smiles: it's Rethos himself. Not only has he passed the "test," but also his behavior, his attitude... Always ready to play the tough guy. Always ready to get himself into bigger trouble than he is. And always slightly disdainful, almost a tad contemptuous. Only he could argue that he has an important job to do, upon reuniting with his sister, after both of them had known nothing of each other for so long. Nothing, except that the other could very well have died in the Underdark, or been subjected to who knows what abuse by the drow.
"Rethos!" The blonde arcane warrior's heart melts and, regardless of any other "job", she hugs and kisses her newfound brother, while tears of emotion flow from her blue eyes. "You haven't changed a bit! And you don't know how much I missed you! I love you as much as before! Yes, I invented the forest, it was a proof - I had to be sure it was really you and not a cruel trick! Oh, and he is our brother Anator..." she adds, while the bat approaches, leans on the Blue Knight's shoulder and affectionately nuzzles his cheek. "...Yes, I know, you saw him die pierced by a drow's blade. But he's back. You know how Anator is, right? He couldn't help but try to defend us from the drow, even though he had no hope and paid with his life. And he couldn't help but stay away from us even after death. His spirit now has this new body. He's with us again! Oh, Rethos, little by little the our family is reuniting!"
Finally breaking away from her reunited brother, the tall adventuress says: "Of course, you'll have to tell me everything right after we're done here," and ruffles his hair. "And just forget about acting tough to your big sister who always got you out of trouble! I don't know what you've gotten yourself into, but obviously we're in this together now" she winks.
Khessa turns to the others before finally letting the negotiations continue: "It's not my place to speak for Es Sarch, but with my brother vouching for the Inheritors' loyalty, I think we truly have a rare opportunity to forge an alliance with a lot of benefits and without any nasty surprises."
[[ OOC: That said, it's ok for me to cut to the end of the discussion.
We can also summarize whar Rethos tells Khessa later about what happened to him and the rest of the family. As much as I like to role-play Khessa speaking with Rethos, I don't want to monopolize the thread and bore all the others. So to summarize it's fine by me. ]]
Avery will raise his eyebrow in learning that the Blue Knight is Khessa's brother and mumbles to himself, "Well, that's about normal from what I have seen so far down here."
Khessa turns to the others before finally letting the negotiations continue: "It's not my place to speak for Es Sarch, but with my brother vouching for the Inheritors' loyalty, I think we truly have a rare opportunity to forge an alliance full of benefits and no nasty surprises."
To Xanrym, this seems to be the same Blueknight you've encountered before, Bloobbloum looks incredibly surprised at this revelation, but quickly goes back to eyeing you all with malice. It is hard to gauge Lord Vuglomax' thoughts, but he does move slightly when Rethos mentions his family.
Xanrym moves forward toward Es Sarch and Khessa. He takes a moment to recover from his shock at this revelation, smiling at Khessaand Rethos. Once he feels he is in command of his voice, he speaks first to them, "Let us thank the gods for this long-sought reunion! I praise Fharlanghn for keeping you both safe on your long and winding paths to this reunion. Your sister Khessa has been part of our company, The Company of the Grey Chain, for a few months now. It is good to meet you, Rethos Cabbagefield. I am Xanrym."
Xanrym's mind is racing, and he starts with pleasantries to buy time while he settles himself. He remembers the improbable way Rethos killed the Drow outside the Dripstone Inn. He reminds himself that Rethos is not some innocent kid: he has long been separated from Khessa for many years, and he was the one who found and maimed Irrenaste at their Townhouse. Why? Was there some personal vendetta there? Or has Rethos simply suffered so much at the hands of the Drow that he's willing to inflict torture on a Drow whom he has never met? He also reminds himself that Rethos is now aligned with the Inheritors, and Xanrym still does not trust that faction. They may profess to wanting an alliance with Es Sarch, but who knows what their real agenda is? Is Rethos really a leader of that faction, or is he simply being used? He wonders whether Rethos's relationship with Khessa will help them discover more about what the Inheritors are up to.
How do you all plan to effect the negotiation between the Blueknight and Es Sarch? It seems as though both individuals are open to an alliance and are simply hashing out the details, which for the Blueknight seems to be focused on both groups remaining opposed to House Dusklorn. So if you wish to wait, we can cut to the end of that discussion.
Xanrym came here largely out of concern for Es Sarch. As he said before, their patron is one of the only people they've met in Pedestal who has not tried to kill them. Now that The Company has a personal connection into The Inheritors, he wonders whether they can use that relationship to influence these negotiations and perhaps learn something of value to them. He starts by trying to smooth out The Company's relationship with the Inheritors first.
Turning to Bloobbloum, Xanrym says (in Common), "I apologize for the 'misunderstanding' at the South Gate last week. We were merely seeking entrance to the city, but I'm afraid that our conversation was hampered by language barriers. I am sorry for the loss of your comrades in that battle."
Looking at each of the Spiderhunters in turn, Xanrym says, "You are that group we saw near the docks last week? The 'Spiderhunters'? Know The Company has no love for the Drow. Far from it! But we are on an errand here in Pedestal -- an important errand that reaches far beyond this city and its fate. We cannot afford to ignore any of the current factions here in Pedestal, and we will treat with anyone who could help us achieve our goal."
Xanrym turns to Es Sarch to say, "This is your meeting, Es Sarch, and I do not wish to interfere. But the hardest part of forming an alliance is building that initial trust. And here," gesturing to Rethos and Khessa, "the gods of given us this filial connection. The bonds of family are strong, forged in a loving home, watched over by Berei. Perhaps The Company can be of some help here, if you will have it, providing that initial bond of trust, an initial foundation for the building an alliance."
Finally, Xanrym turns to the the one whose face is obscured by the cloak. He says, "You...I don't think that we've been introduced. Are you with the Spiderhunters, or are you the leader of the Inheritors?"
Theldrin stands by quietly, content to let Xanrym do the talking for the Company for now while he considers the implications of the recent developments at the meeting.
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You can store the survivor's of the ambush either in crates nearby or carry them with you to Bruthwol's warehouse.
When you get there, you are greeted by the duergar merchant, who looks very surprised if you're carrying the assassins with you. He tentatively takes them off your hands and into his offices if you promise they will be removed straight after your meeting. Assuming you're still going ahead with the plan to get rid of your weapons, Bruthwol will take them and put them into another office next door to the warehouse, and promises he will ensure the Inheritors do the same. He then takes you into the warehouse proper and has you wait for the others to arrive. He adds, "Many, many, many waves your making in the city it seems. I wonder if your stay in Pedestal will be seen as one of the most auspicious in the city's history."
What do you do while you wait here in the warehouse? At the very least you have time for a Short Rest if you wish.
Khessa is happy to take a breather before another meeting—given how the last one went. She lets Anator fly near the ceiling like a common bat (and report telepathically if he sees any approaching creatures).
The blonde arcane warrior, meanwhile, regains her strength and relaxes her mind by opening her spellbook with its spider-web-like cover and reviewing the latest magical discoveries she's recorded there.
[[ OOC: At the end of the Short Rest, Khessa uses her Arcane Recovery feature to recover two 1st-level spell slots. ]]
Theldrin greets Bruthwol warmly, reluctantly surrendering his weapons, his hesitation more out of principle than he expects to need to use them. He then takes a moment to sit down and prepare for the meeting.
(OOC: Arcane Recovery to recover one 3rd level slot)
Syllen will have Nav search the warehouse to understand how many ways there are to leave. Syllen will have Nav stay at one of the exits to keep watch. Syllen will also take a moment to ask for the cosmos protection giving Coriana, Khessa, Nav, Anator, Syllen and Es Sarch 10 Temp HP. If Es Sarch does not seem open to Syllen words he won't press the issue.
(OOC: I think everyone else has the temp HP already. Also Syllen still plans to cast detect magic when the other group arrives.)
Coriana pokes around the warehouse and into Bruthwol's merchandise trying to get a sense of just how big of a deal he really is.
Stealth: 9
Perception: 18
Investigation: 4
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Avery will take a short rest as well, then looks around the warehouse as well. Perception 4
Xanrym would really like to try to get any information about Fadheela from Regrak, but carrying multiple Duergar to Bruthwol's warehouse or separating Regrak from the other surviving Duergar both seem like poor options. He's also concerned about what happens if the duergar wake up during the meeting with the Inheritors. They may be in no shape to fight, but they may still cause trouble. Since no one else seems enthusiastic about taking the Duergar to Bruthwol's warehouse, he relents and agrees to Khessa's idea to tie up the few survivors and hide then in crates.
Xanrym takes a moment to search the duergar for valuables, badges, or anything written (a letter, written orders, etc.).
Investigation: 25, searching the Duergar
In case the Duergar recover and leave this alley before The Company can return, Xanrym also takes out his pen and ink and scribbles a short note / warning on a scrap of paper and puts it where Regrak will find it (e.g., in his belt, stuck in his beard, in a pouch, etc.):
(OOC: We'll go with that option so that we do not arrive at Bruthwol with the unconscious duergar.)
Xanrym carries mostly simply weapons that would be inexpensive to replace. He surrenders his various weapons to Bruthwol: daggers, mace, spear, hand-axes, and crossbow & bolts. Unless Bruthwol or someone else points it out, he does not open or hand over the case of darts that's strapped to his backpack. He keeps his books and harp and [Tooltip Not Found], of course.
Xanrym suggests that Khessa cast a ward on the room where he plans to keep the weapons. That way, if anyone other than Bruthwol enters the room, The Company will know. They'll have to tell Bruthwol, of course, but Xanrym explains that they ran into some trouble on the way over from the Dripstone Inn. He wouldn't want anyone to steal their weapons while they're meeting with the Inheritors.
Persuasion: 17 (Silver Tongue feature), if Xanrym has to persuade Bruthwol to let us set an Alarm on the weapon storage office
Since they left the assassins in the alley, Xanrym will pass the time until the meeting chatting with Bruthwol (if he's available) and Es Sarch (if he's willing).
Xanrym finds nothing, not even money, on the Assassins, and must roll a DC 15 Stealth check to keep the darts, otherwise Bruthwol takes them: 26 . Bruthwol is fine with you casting Alarm on his offices and will leave them alone, making sure to put the Inheritors weapons elsewhere, so it doesn't go off.
You're able to see that there are multiple exits from the warehouse, both through the back where you're set up and through the front where Bruthwol will be bringing the Inheritors. (I've updated the Owlbear Rodeo map so you can place your tokens for the meeting.) Coriana looks through Bruthwol's goods, and is able to surmise that he is indeed a merchant. A fairly successful and capable, but otherwise generalist merchant. As she is searching through the crates, Bruthwol enters the room and jabs at her, "Leave all that alone!" Then turns to Es Sarch, "They are here Mr. Sarch, I have taken their weapons and will now lead them in." He then leaves and comes back with the Inheritors.
You recognize the 7 figures that walk into the room. The Blueknight, Bloobbloum, and Lord Vuglomax all enter, The Blueknight in his blue tinged Plate Armour and Vuglomax in a long cloak. The other four figures are the group of humanoids you met on the street attacking Irennaste the first time you met him: The Spiderhunters. Clearly the Inheritors have brought in some backup. Their leader, a Troglodyte, whispers under his breath as the Blueknight steps forward "Spider lovers." The other Spiderhunters are a goblin, a quaggoth, and a deep gnome who keeps pawing at her ear.
The Blueknight addresses Es Sarch in the voice of a young man in Undercommon, "Es Sarch, for too long we have both labored in obscurity beneath the House Dusklorn and the Assassin's Guild. Now that both are under pressure, we have a chance to form a legitimate third party, one based on our might and your knowledge. I look forward to a long talk tonight, one in which this new union may be formed."
Khessa Insight check: 4
As Es Sarch begins to go into his own greeting, the Blueknight looks up to you all, and visibly starts when his helmet turns to Khessa. He is quiet for a moment before whispering, "Sister?" The Blueknight takes off his helm, and beneath you see the slightly older but still rebellious face of your younger brother Rethos. He looks completely stunned.
Khessa is overcome with emotion at the sight of Rethos, but she manages to maintain enough clarity to remember that Inheritors have mental powers, according to Xanrym; so this could as well be an elaborate ruse...
"Brother!" Khessa exclaims, opening her arms with a dazzling smile—and rushes to hug him tightly. "Oh, holy goodness... How did you manage to free yourself? I'm so happy to see you again! If only you knew how scared I was for you and the others! Like that time you were lost in the forest and our father found you just before the hungry wolf you encountered could attack you..."
This last circumstance is invented—nothing like this has ever happened to Rethos. The blone arcane warrior studies her "brother's" reaction. If he appears (justifiably) surprised and doesn't remember the anecdote, she explains that she simply wanted to make sure it was him; If, however, he doesn't react, as if the event Khessa invented had actually happened... then Khessa continues to pretend to believe he is Rethos, but she is well aware he isn't.
Anyway, the tall adventuress asks "Rethos" for details on how he freed himself and if he knows anything about the rest of the family—simply, her trust in what he tells her depends on whether or not her "brother" has passed the little "test."
(OOC: It's been a while since we made the original plan for the meeting, but as the time for the Inheritors' arrival nears, we were planning to cast Detect Magic and Comprehend Languages for the meeting with the Inheritors. In particular, Xanrym would ritual cast Comprehend Languages shortly after their Short Rest and should still be concentrating on the spell when the Inheritors arrive.)
Xanrym has heard the Blueknight on two separate occasions: after the fight at the Dripstone Inn and then later at the Temple of Berei in the Riddle. Does he recognize the voice? That is, does this Blueknight's voice sound the same as the voice her heard behind the Bllueknight's helmet in the Temple of Berei?
Xanrym is astonished to learn that the Blueknight is Khessa's long-lost brother. He's torn. On the one hand, he was expecting a trick by the Inheritors and is immediately suspicious at this improbable turn of events. He had already observed that Lord Vuglomax had some telepathic powers, and he wonders whether the Inheritors learned of her inquiries about her family and somehow figured out how to present her with a face that she would implicitly trust. On the other hand, as Khessa's friend, he hopes that this really is Rethos.
And as a storyteller, Xanrym has his own reasons for hoping that's it's really Khessa's brother. If Xanrym could learn Rethos's history, what a fantastic tale he could tell of the man's capture, his escape from the Drow, and his eventual rise to become a leader of the Inheritors in Pedestal!
Xanrym quickly looks at each of the Inheritors to see how they react to this connection between the Blueknight and The Company.
As the Inheritors arrived at the warehouse Syllen would cast Detect Magic. First he would look for any types of magic Syllen could discern on any of the individuals. At the revelation of Khessa’s brother being among the Inheritors, Syllen will take a good look at Rethos for any hints of disguise/illusion magic and then to Khessa's for any enchantment magic that might have been applied. Almost talking to himself.
“When the stairs align strange events tend to happen”
Theldrin's jaw drops as he suddenlty realizes that the Blueknight is apparently Khessa's brother. His battle training overcomes his shock after a few seconds however, and he quickly scans the Inheritors to see if he can glean any insight as to how they what they might be thinking or planning.
Insight: 8
To Khessa, Rethos responds, "Wolf, forest? What are you talking about? Khessa what are you doing here? This is not the place for us to reunite, I have an important job to do." He looks at everyone else again and Es Sarch, "Are you his muscle!? Ahh, we'll talk later." He doesn't have time to answer any more questions as he composes himself and redirects his attention to Es Sarch. To Xanrym, this seems to be the same Blueknight you've encountered before, Bloobbloum looks incredibly surprised at this revelation, but quickly goes back to eyeing you all with malice. It is hard to gauge Lord Vuglomax' thoughts, but he does move slightly when Rethos mentions his family. Syllen nor Theldrin notice anything they wouldn't expect, this situation seems to be what it is, the alignment of the stars.
How do you all plan to effect the negotiation between the Blueknight and Es Sarch? It seems as though both individuals are open to an alliance and are simply hashing out the details, which for the Blueknight seems to be focused on both groups remaining opposed to House Dusklorn. So if you wish to wait, we can cut to the end of that discussion.
Khessa smiles: it's Rethos himself. Not only has he passed the "test," but also his behavior, his attitude... Always ready to play the tough guy. Always ready to get himself into bigger trouble than he is. And always slightly disdainful, almost a tad contemptuous. Only he could argue that he has an important job to do, upon reuniting with his sister, after both of them had known nothing of each other for so long. Nothing, except that the other could very well have died in the Underdark, or been subjected to who knows what abuse by the drow.
"Rethos!" The blonde arcane warrior's heart melts and, regardless of any other "job", she hugs and kisses her newfound brother, while tears of emotion flow from her blue eyes. "You haven't changed a bit! And you don't know how much I missed you! I love you as much as before! Yes, I invented the forest, it was a proof - I had to be sure it was really you and not a cruel trick! Oh, and he is our brother Anator..." she adds, while the bat approaches, leans on the Blue Knight's shoulder and affectionately nuzzles his cheek. "...Yes, I know, you saw him die pierced by a drow's blade. But he's back. You know how Anator is, right? He couldn't help but try to defend us from the drow, even though he had no hope and paid with his life. And he couldn't help but stay away from us even after death. His spirit now has this new body. He's with us again! Oh, Rethos, little by little the our family is reuniting!"
Finally breaking away from her reunited brother, the tall adventuress says: "Of course, you'll have to tell me everything right after we're done here," and ruffles his hair. "And just forget about acting tough to your big sister who always got you out of trouble! I don't know what you've gotten yourself into, but obviously we're in this together now" she winks.
Khessa turns to the others before finally letting the negotiations continue: "It's not my place to speak for Es Sarch, but with my brother vouching for the Inheritors' loyalty, I think we truly have a rare opportunity to forge an alliance with a lot of benefits and without any nasty surprises."
[[ OOC: That said, it's ok for me to cut to the end of the discussion.
We can also summarize whar Rethos tells Khessa later about what happened to him and the rest of the family. As much as I like to role-play Khessa speaking with Rethos, I don't want to monopolize the thread and bore all the others. So to summarize it's fine by me. ]]
Avery will raise his eyebrow in learning that the Blue Knight is Khessa's brother and mumbles to himself, "Well, that's about normal from what I have seen so far down here."
Xanrym moves forward toward Es Sarch and Khessa. He takes a moment to recover from his shock at this revelation, smiling at Khessa and Rethos. Once he feels he is in command of his voice, he speaks first to them, "Let us thank the gods for this long-sought reunion! I praise Fharlanghn for keeping you both safe on your long and winding paths to this reunion. Your sister Khessa has been part of our company, The Company of the Grey Chain, for a few months now. It is good to meet you, Rethos Cabbagefield. I am Xanrym."
Xanrym's mind is racing, and he starts with pleasantries to buy time while he settles himself. He remembers the improbable way Rethos killed the Drow outside the Dripstone Inn. He reminds himself that Rethos is not some innocent kid: he has long been separated from Khessa for many years, and he was the one who found and maimed Irrenaste at their Townhouse. Why? Was there some personal vendetta there? Or has Rethos simply suffered so much at the hands of the Drow that he's willing to inflict torture on a Drow whom he has never met? He also reminds himself that Rethos is now aligned with the Inheritors, and Xanrym still does not trust that faction. They may profess to wanting an alliance with Es Sarch, but who knows what their real agenda is? Is Rethos really a leader of that faction, or is he simply being used? He wonders whether Rethos's relationship with Khessa will help them discover more about what the Inheritors are up to.
Xanrym came here largely out of concern for Es Sarch. As he said before, their patron is one of the only people they've met in Pedestal who has not tried to kill them. Now that The Company has a personal connection into The Inheritors, he wonders whether they can use that relationship to influence these negotiations and perhaps learn something of value to them. He starts by trying to smooth out The Company's relationship with the Inheritors first.
Turning to Bloobbloum, Xanrym says (in Common), "I apologize for the 'misunderstanding' at the South Gate last week. We were merely seeking entrance to the city, but I'm afraid that our conversation was hampered by language barriers. I am sorry for the loss of your comrades in that battle."
Looking at each of the Spiderhunters in turn, Xanrym says, "You are that group we saw near the docks last week? The 'Spiderhunters'? Know The Company has no love for the Drow. Far from it! But we are on an errand here in Pedestal -- an important errand that reaches far beyond this city and its fate. We cannot afford to ignore any of the current factions here in Pedestal, and we will treat with anyone who could help us achieve our goal."
Xanrym turns to Es Sarch to say, "This is your meeting, Es Sarch, and I do not wish to interfere. But the hardest part of forming an alliance is building that initial trust. And here," gesturing to Rethos and Khessa, "the gods of given us this filial connection. The bonds of family are strong, forged in a loving home, watched over by Berei. Perhaps The Company can be of some help here, if you will have it, providing that initial bond of trust, an initial foundation for the building an alliance."
Finally, Xanrym turns to the the one whose face is obscured by the cloak. He says, "You...I don't think that we've been introduced. Are you with the Spiderhunters, or are you the leader of the Inheritors?"
Theldrin stands by quietly, content to let Xanrym do the talking for the Company for now while he considers the implications of the recent developments at the meeting.