Coriana, warming to her new companions after the fight, offers to give Xanrym a more in-depth explanation of Navigation tools in order to free the captain up for captainy stuff.
And just a small detail, she’s been doing “exercises “ by cavorting about in the rigging, careful not to throw anything off, and making leaps impossible without magical assistance.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards. Corwin - A Dungeon-Delving Campaign Group C Sharinn - The Truth Beneath the Surface DM - The Old Keep
Coriana, warming to her new companions after the fight, offers to give Xanrym a more in-depth explanation of Navigation tools in order to free the captain up for captainy stuff.
Xanrym thanks her. He was mostly just interested in understanding how far they were (miles, days of sailing, etc.) from where they could expect to find the Emperor of the Waves. He understands the nautical charts themselves, and once someone can show him the approximate location of the Soul of Winter on the map, he quickly grasps the distances involved and where they are in relation to the Free City, for example. That gives him more context for their journey on the featureless waters.
Xanrym is a bit of a "sponge" for random information, and he loves learning about new things. He is fascinated to learn that Coriana (and Wolgar or his navigator, presumably) can determine where the ship is on the map when there are no visible landmarks. When he explains how he thought that it worked, you realize that he thought that big sailing vessels navigated by what you'd call "dead reckoning." Xanrym finds the use of a sextant and the stars to determine where the ship is on the map interesting but it's clear that he's not really following the details. The one thing that is clear to him is that if The Company is going to accept more jobs around Nyr Dyv, they should make sure to get one of those sextants for Coriana just in case they end up lost at sea on a ship with no captain.
Theldrin agrees with Xanrym that the party should start to keep a watch schedule at night from now on, and is also eager for any information from Wolgar as to how far away he thinks they are from the last known location of the Emperor of the Waves. If the rest of the night passes uneventfully he is up early studying his spellbook before heading up topside to scan the sea ahead from the forecastle.
Khessa has no objections to the idea of the watch schedule at night.
In her free time, the blonde arcane warrior often continues to study with Theldrin or train with Avery, but she is undoubtedly fascinated by Coriana's 'lesson' and joins Xanrym in following it. Or, when Syllen has time, she tries to get him to explain the nature of the stars and how he manages to channel their power... She regularly takes notes in her spellbook with its spider-web-like cover, noting not only purely magical notions, but also notions that are just fascinating and unknown to her (such as those on navigation instruments and the stars) and personal reflections.
Regarding the Sahuagin, the tall adventuress is suspending judgment for now, but surely the fact that the Emperor of the Waves disappeared precisely in this period in which the Sahuagin seem more likely to cause problems makes her think of the Sahuagin as excellent suspects.
After a morning of drinking and boasting, the dwarves get back to their job. They fix the parts of the ships that were damaged in the fight, scrub the deck and continue up to the north of the Nyr Dyv. After a few more days sailing, and a little bit of circling around, they eventually find a ship nearly matching the description of the Emperor of the Waves floating aimlessly one evening. Wolgar orders the Soul of Winter pulled up about 500ft from the Emperor so as to see the state of the ship. The ship is clearly derelict. Its masts have been shorn off, but the upper deck appears clear of debris, as though something had carried off the masts, sails, and rigging. Its figurehead, once a majestic angel in flight, has been hacked and disfigured.
Wolgar exclaims, "How is she afloat? And what has happened to the poor lass?" He and the rest of the crew are clearly surprised, and perhaps a little saddened.
(OOC: Sorry. A little late getting this posted, but I wanted to make sure that the new PCs feel like full members of the Company of the Grey Chain and have someone take possession of the Staff of the Python in time to attune to it before we find the Emperor of the Waves.)
The day after the attack, Xanrym would try to gather just Theldrin and Avery together to suggest "officially" inviting Coriana, Khessa, and Syllen to join the Company of the Grey Chain. At least for this specific job. If they agree, he also suggests that they offer Liarin's to the new members...assuming that one of them can attune to it. "If we face another attack, it would be good to have Asclepius fighting for us again!"
Assuming that Theldrin and Avery agree, Xanrym will find some free time during the day to gather the whole group together. He is holding a short wooden staff with a heard carved in the likeness of a snake. Xanrym speaks eloquently, praising the particular contributions of Coriana, Khessa, and Syllen the previous night. In introducing his proposal, Xanrym says, "It's clear that you all have experience and some knowledge of magic, and you know how to handle yourself in a fight. We saw in last night's fight that the six of us all work well together. That bodes well since we have all undertaken this mission to retrieve Aubrek Drallion's goods from the Emperor of the Waves. Most importantly, you did not hesitate to join the battle against the Sahuagin. That reminded me of how The Company of the Grey Chain first came together, forming after Avery, Liarin, Theldrin, and I jumped to the defense of a merchant who was attacked by monsters -- troglodytes, in that case. After last night's battle, Wolgar already implied that you were part of the Company of the Grey Chain last night, but we would like to make that official. We would like to invite you to join our Company."
Xanrym reassures them that if they accept, there's no obligation to remain members of the Company of the Grey Chain after they complete Aubrek's mission. (For example, Liarin departed the Company after they successfully defeated the naga and her cult.)
Assuming that Coriana, Khessa, and Syllen accept, Xanrym says that the Company owns one magical item that neither Avery, Theldrin, nor Xanrym can use. He holds out the Staff of the Python and explains its properties, "It turns into a giant snake whom we call Asclepius." He offers the staff to Coriana, if she can use it. Or to Syllen if Coriana does not or cannot use it.
Syllen seems very excited at the prospect of forming a schedule of night watches. During the next few days Syllen will use his Wild Companion ability to summon his Fey spirit Nav as an octopus that stays under the ship. (As a high elf 2024 rules, Syllen can change the wizard cantrip he gets at the end of a long rest. He will change it to mending.) During the next few days he will use his magic to help fix the ship or support the crew as much as possible.
When given the offer to join the Company of the Grey Chain he replies.
“I am always open to joining the pack of those I travel with. Normally packs have leaders. How do you all handle decisions within the group?”
When the ship is in sight Syllen will find the highest vantage point he can easily get to. Syllen would look in all directions in case this is a trap.
Syllen doesn't see anything in terms of a trap. In fact, it seems as though the area is void of life, almost as though aquatic creatures are staying away. After looking for a while, Coriana would notice heavy damage across the upper decks, like it was hit by a tidal wave or typhoon or similar. It lists noticeable to port, so the ballast has shifted, but not enough to make walking around too hazardous. Additionally, it rides very low, so it must be at least somewhat flooded.
Wolgar looks at you all, "Y'all still going in? We can turn around and tell Drallion the ship sank. Which it will do relatively soon, couple days maybe."
Khessa smiles smugly at the offer to become an official member of the company and pats Xanrym on the shoulder: "It will be a pleasure! We have already proven that we can cooperate quite well together... I'm with you!"
'And who knows...' the blonde arcane warrior thinks '...Maybe one day, when I can go back down into the Underdark to look for my family, if in the meantime I have proven myself useful enough to you, perhaps you will decide to reciprocate - and accompany me...'
In front of the recovered ship, the tall adventuress sighs: "It is important to make search the ship - but since that wreck could sink at any moment, even while we are exploring it... let me send my brother to take a look first, okay? If there is something particularly interesting, we will consider whether to risk going too. Now I will focus on Anator's senses - I will perceive the world through him and as long as I do that, I will not perceive anything with my body. But I will be back soon".
And with that, Khessa has Anator appear beside her, then sends him to scout the ship... She seems to stare into space, while focusing on the bat's senses, enjoying the pleasant sensation of flight, so similar to swimming... but done in the air. Also intriguing is the ability to perceive the world around not only with the eyes, but also with the familiar's Blindsight. And so, perceiving the world as her brother does, Khessa sends Anator flying to do a complete reconnaissance of the ship, both outside and inside. The little bat should be able to sneak in pretty much anywhere, except underwater, in any flooded parts of the ship, or in completely closed rooms, without any openings or portholes.
Avery looks over the ship for anything that could seem out of place, to be a sign of a trap or ambush-perception: 13. "Aye, the company took the job and we mean to see it through." He looks over to Khessa and nods. "Very prudent to scout ahead, if there are enemies in wait, they wouldn't suspect your Anator there."
(OOC: Am I misreading Find Familiar? I thought that Khessa would need to be within 100 ft of Anator to see through his senses. If so, we'd need to get much closer to the Emperor of the Waves for her to use Anator to scout it that way.)
Now that Xanrym has been on the Soul of Winter for a week, he has seen the masts of these ships up close. They rise, thick and strong, like the towering trees of an old forest, reaching their roots down into the belly of a ship. What kind of power could have broken the masts without sinking the ship? His first thought when the sailors identified the Emperor of the Waves was that some terrible storm struck the ship and broke off its masts, but then wouldn't there be debris, such as the massive sails and all of the rigging, on or around the ship? And if a storm were strong enough to break the masts and sweep away all sign of the debris, it seems like the ship would have foundered and sunk.
It's eerie to see the derelict ship floating in the vast sea like this. "Why are there no look-outs?", he wonders aloud. "What happened to the captain and crew?" He imagines some great sea giant -- like the ettin that the party faced in Orlane, but bigger and stronger and with scaly blue skin -- rising up out of the sea, snapping off the masts, and carrying off the crew.
Xanrym asks Coriana and Wolgar, "Do you think that the Emperor of the Waves can be saved? Could the Soul of Winter...I don't know...tie ropes to it and pull it to shore?" It seems like that would be their safest option if it's possible. If not, he reassures the sailors: "Prince Drallion did not charge us with recovering the ship: only the cargo. If his flagship cannot be saved, The Company of the Grey Chain will just have to board the ship and see whether the cargo is still in its hold." Xanrym is starting to feel more comfortable with the jargon of ships and sailors.
Xanrym asks how close to the other ship the Soul of Winter can get. He says that he has heard stories of sea battles and of pirates sailing right up next to a ship so that they can cross over on ropes or ladders. But after their encounter with the Sahuagin, he wonders whether they did this to the ship. Could those sea devils have left the derelict ship here as a trap? A way to lure pirates and scavengers close enough for them to attack?
Xanrym holds his Masks of the Sacred Beasts (Crocodile), but the thought of swimming the 500 ft between the ships fills him with fear. There's no knowing what lurks beneath the dark surface of the sea. He's relieved when Khessa offers to send Anator to scout the ship (once they're close enough). He tells her that it's a wonderful idea and thanks her for risking her familiar in an unknown and possibly dangerous situation.
As they approach, Xanrym will go ahead and perform a ritual casting of Comprehend Languages. He wants to have the benefit of that spell when they approach the ship in case they encounter more Sahuagin or even some foreign pirate who does not speak Common.
While the Soul of Winter maneuvers as close as they're willing, Xanrym gathers up his gear. He checks to make sure that they have the extra rope and torches that Aubrek left for them. Xanrym will leave behind most of his personal treasures and books, locked in his chest. He hands over the key to the chest to Wolgar for safe-keeping, in case Xanrym doesn't make it back from the other ship. He gives Heckle a friendly pat and makes sure that the horse has a full bucket of feed and fresh water.
(OOC: Normally I type my response in a text doc and copy it to here. Somehow I missed the part of my post that mentioned that every morning like an annoying preacher Syllen will ask for protection from Constha before everyone can fully wake up and give everyone 8 temporary HP.)
Theldrin is more than happy to have his new friends and allies become official members of the Company if they choose to, and stands next to Xanrym with an encouraging smile during the gathering. He hopes one of them will want to use the staff, since he didn't seem able to harness its powers. And he reflects, truth be told he prefers having his trustworthy quarterstaff in hand anyway, in case of a fight.
As Khessa sends out Anator to scout, he stands near her keeping a protective eye, knowing she will be tuned into the senses of her familiar and not conscious of what's happening around her.
“I am always open to joining the pack of those I travel with. Normally packs have leaders. How do you all handle decisions within the group?”
Theldrin nods thoughtfully as he rubs his beard for a moment, then replies, "That's an excellent question, my friend. I'd say that while Xanrym will often take the lead, especially in matters requiring diplomacy... that important decisions are put to a vote."
(OOC: Am I misreading Find Familiar? I thought that Khessa would need to be within 100 ft of Anator to see through his senses. If so, we'd need to get much closer to the Emperor of the Waves for her to use Anator to scout it that way.)
Oh, my bad then; I imagined us close to the wreck... If we are more than 100' away, then the first step of the plan proposed by Khessa is to cautiously approach the ship to the wreck - so that we can then proceed with the steps already outlined.
Xanrym ... . He's relieved when Khessa offers to send Anator to scout the ship (once they're close enough). He tells her that it's a wonderful idea and thanks her for risking her familiar in an unknown and possibly dangerous situation...
Khessa gives Xanrym a bittersweet smile: "Oh, my brother won't be in much danger... Most potential enemies shouldn't recognize him as a threat, and if I see anything trying to attack him, I can quickly temporarily dismiss him to his pocket dimension - think of it as a sort of extradimensional safe lair, accessible only to him".
"And anyway," the blonde arcane warrior points out, her expression unchanged "the worst that could happen to him has already happened. Anator is already dead. Murdered by that (not at all lamented) drow bastard Zrutt. Anator cannot be... 'killed further'. If his current body were to suffer mortal injury, Anator would simply disappear. But I would only need to perform an appropriate ritual to bring him back to me".
"This obviously doesn't mean I don't care about him..." the tall adventuress concludes "He's already suffered much more than he deserved. But in this case the risk is small, the possible consequences (from what I've just explained) are not irreversible... and the necessity seems real to me. Not to mention, I think he likes it, when he can make himself useful to me... ironically... his death has in a certain sense divided us... but the bond I had to establish with him to call him back has united us perhaps even more than before".
Xanrym smiles kindly and says, "That's a lovely story of the endurance of sibling affection -- and magic -- bridging the chasm of death. Your sororal concern for Anator's well-being, even in this form, does you both credit."
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Coriana, warming to her new companions after the fight, offers to give Xanrym a more in-depth explanation of Navigation tools in order to free the captain up for captainy stuff.
And just a small detail, she’s been doing “exercises “ by cavorting about in the rigging, careful not to throw anything off, and making leaps impossible without magical assistance.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
Corwin - A Dungeon-Delving Campaign Group C
Sharinn - The Truth Beneath the Surface
DM - The Old Keep
Xanrym thanks her. He was mostly just interested in understanding how far they were (miles, days of sailing, etc.) from where they could expect to find the Emperor of the Waves. He understands the nautical charts themselves, and once someone can show him the approximate location of the Soul of Winter on the map, he quickly grasps the distances involved and where they are in relation to the Free City, for example. That gives him more context for their journey on the featureless waters.
Xanrym is a bit of a "sponge" for random information, and he loves learning about new things. He is fascinated to learn that Coriana (and Wolgar or his navigator, presumably) can determine where the ship is on the map when there are no visible landmarks. When he explains how he thought that it worked, you realize that he thought that big sailing vessels navigated by what you'd call "dead reckoning." Xanrym finds the use of a sextant and the stars to determine where the ship is on the map interesting but it's clear that he's not really following the details. The one thing that is clear to him is that if The Company is going to accept more jobs around Nyr Dyv, they should make sure to get one of those sextants for Coriana just in case they end up lost at sea on a ship with no captain.
Theldrin agrees with Xanrym that the party should start to keep a watch schedule at night from now on, and is also eager for any information from Wolgar as to how far away he thinks they are from the last known location of the Emperor of the Waves. If the rest of the night passes uneventfully he is up early studying his spellbook before heading up topside to scan the sea ahead from the forecastle.
Coriana determines that the Sahuagin attack happened about half way between Greyhawk and the last known location of the Emperor.
Khessa has no objections to the idea of the watch schedule at night.
In her free time, the blonde arcane warrior often continues to study with Theldrin or train with Avery, but she is undoubtedly fascinated by Coriana's 'lesson' and joins Xanrym in following it. Or, when Syllen has time, she tries to get him to explain the nature of the stars and how he manages to channel their power... She regularly takes notes in her spellbook with its spider-web-like cover, noting not only purely magical notions, but also notions that are just fascinating and unknown to her (such as those on navigation instruments and the stars) and personal reflections.
Regarding the Sahuagin, the tall adventuress is suspending judgment for now, but surely the fact that the Emperor of the Waves disappeared precisely in this period in which the Sahuagin seem more likely to cause problems makes her think of the Sahuagin as excellent suspects.
After a morning of drinking and boasting, the dwarves get back to their job. They fix the parts of the ships that were damaged in the fight, scrub the deck and continue up to the north of the Nyr Dyv. After a few more days sailing, and a little bit of circling around, they eventually find a ship nearly matching the description of the Emperor of the Waves floating aimlessly one evening. Wolgar orders the Soul of Winter pulled up about 500ft from the Emperor so as to see the state of the ship. The ship is clearly derelict. Its masts have been shorn off, but the upper deck appears clear of debris, as though something had carried off the masts, sails, and rigging. Its figurehead, once a majestic angel in flight, has been hacked and disfigured.
Wolgar exclaims, "How is she afloat? And what has happened to the poor lass?" He and the rest of the crew are clearly surprised, and perhaps a little saddened.
(OOC: Sorry. A little late getting this posted, but I wanted to make sure that the new PCs feel like full members of the Company of the Grey Chain and have someone take possession of the Staff of the Python in time to attune to it before we find the Emperor of the Waves.)
The day after the attack, Xanrym would try to gather just Theldrin and Avery together to suggest "officially" inviting Coriana, Khessa, and Syllen to join the Company of the Grey Chain. At least for this specific job. If they agree, he also suggests that they offer Liarin's to the new members...assuming that one of them can attune to it. "If we face another attack, it would be good to have Asclepius fighting for us again!"
Assuming that Theldrin and Avery agree, Xanrym will find some free time during the day to gather the whole group together. He is holding a short wooden staff with a heard carved in the likeness of a snake. Xanrym speaks eloquently, praising the particular contributions of Coriana, Khessa, and Syllen the previous night. In introducing his proposal, Xanrym says, "It's clear that you all have experience and some knowledge of magic, and you know how to handle yourself in a fight. We saw in last night's fight that the six of us all work well together. That bodes well since we have all undertaken this mission to retrieve Aubrek Drallion's goods from the Emperor of the Waves. Most importantly, you did not hesitate to join the battle against the Sahuagin. That reminded me of how The Company of the Grey Chain first came together, forming after Avery, Liarin, Theldrin, and I jumped to the defense of a merchant who was attacked by monsters -- troglodytes, in that case. After last night's battle, Wolgar already implied that you were part of the Company of the Grey Chain last night, but we would like to make that official. We would like to invite you to join our Company."
Xanrym reassures them that if they accept, there's no obligation to remain members of the Company of the Grey Chain after they complete Aubrek's mission. (For example, Liarin departed the Company after they successfully defeated the naga and her cult.)
Assuming that Coriana, Khessa, and Syllen accept, Xanrym says that the Company owns one magical item that neither Avery, Theldrin, nor Xanrym can use. He holds out the Staff of the Python and explains its properties, "It turns into a giant snake whom we call Asclepius." He offers the staff to Coriana, if she can use it. Or to Syllen if Coriana does not or cannot use it.
Syllen seems very excited at the prospect of forming a schedule of night watches. During the next few days Syllen will use his Wild Companion ability to summon his Fey spirit Nav as an octopus that stays under the ship. (As a high elf 2024 rules, Syllen can change the wizard cantrip he gets at the end of a long rest. He will change it to mending.) During the next few days he will use his magic to help fix the ship or support the crew as much as possible.
When given the offer to join the Company of the Grey Chain he replies.
“I am always open to joining the pack of those I travel with. Normally packs have leaders. How do you all handle decisions within the group?”
When the ship is in sight Syllen will find the highest vantage point he can easily get to. Syllen would look in all directions in case this is a trap.
Syllen Perception check: 24
Syllen doesn't see anything in terms of a trap. In fact, it seems as though the area is void of life, almost as though aquatic creatures are staying away. After looking for a while, Coriana would notice heavy damage across the upper decks, like it was hit by a tidal wave or typhoon or similar. It lists noticeable to port, so the ballast has shifted, but not enough to make walking around too hazardous. Additionally, it rides very low, so it must be at least somewhat flooded.
Wolgar looks at you all, "Y'all still going in? We can turn around and tell Drallion the ship sank. Which it will do relatively soon, couple days maybe."
Khessa smiles smugly at the offer to become an official member of the company and pats Xanrym on the shoulder: "It will be a pleasure! We have already proven that we can cooperate quite well together... I'm with you!"
'And who knows...' the blonde arcane warrior thinks '...Maybe one day, when I can go back down into the Underdark to look for my family, if in the meantime I have proven myself useful enough to you, perhaps you will decide to reciprocate - and accompany me...'
In front of the recovered ship, the tall adventuress sighs: "It is important to make search the ship - but since that wreck could sink at any moment, even while we are exploring it... let me send my brother to take a look first, okay? If there is something particularly interesting, we will consider whether to risk going too. Now I will focus on Anator's senses - I will perceive the world through him and as long as I do that, I will not perceive anything with my body. But I will be back soon".
And with that, Khessa has Anator appear beside her, then sends him to scout the ship... She seems to stare into space, while focusing on the bat's senses, enjoying the pleasant sensation of flight, so similar to swimming... but done in the air. Also intriguing is the ability to perceive the world around not only with the eyes, but also with the familiar's Blindsight. And so, perceiving the world as her brother does, Khessa sends Anator flying to do a complete reconnaissance of the ship, both outside and inside. The little bat should be able to sneak in pretty much anywhere, except underwater, in any flooded parts of the ship, or in completely closed rooms, without any openings or portholes.
Avery looks over the ship for anything that could seem out of place, to be a sign of a trap or ambush-perception: 13. "Aye, the company took the job and we mean to see it through." He looks over to Khessa and nods. "Very prudent to scout ahead, if there are enemies in wait, they wouldn't suspect your Anator there."
(OOC: Am I misreading Find Familiar? I thought that Khessa would need to be within 100 ft of Anator to see through his senses. If so, we'd need to get much closer to the Emperor of the Waves for her to use Anator to scout it that way.)
Now that Xanrym has been on the Soul of Winter for a week, he has seen the masts of these ships up close. They rise, thick and strong, like the towering trees of an old forest, reaching their roots down into the belly of a ship. What kind of power could have broken the masts without sinking the ship? His first thought when the sailors identified the Emperor of the Waves was that some terrible storm struck the ship and broke off its masts, but then wouldn't there be debris, such as the massive sails and all of the rigging, on or around the ship? And if a storm were strong enough to break the masts and sweep away all sign of the debris, it seems like the ship would have foundered and sunk.
It's eerie to see the derelict ship floating in the vast sea like this. "Why are there no look-outs?", he wonders aloud. "What happened to the captain and crew?" He imagines some great sea giant -- like the ettin that the party faced in Orlane, but bigger and stronger and with scaly blue skin -- rising up out of the sea, snapping off the masts, and carrying off the crew.
While the Soul of Winter maneuvers as close as they're willing, Xanrym gathers up his gear. He checks to make sure that they have the extra rope and torches that Aubrek left for them. Xanrym will leave behind most of his personal treasures and books, locked in his chest. He hands over the key to the chest to Wolgar for safe-keeping, in case Xanrym doesn't make it back from the other ship. He gives Heckle a friendly pat and makes sure that the horse has a full bucket of feed and fresh water.
(OOC: Normally I type my response in a text doc and copy it to here. Somehow I missed the part of my post that mentioned that every morning like an annoying preacher Syllen will ask for protection from Constha before everyone can fully wake up and give everyone 8 temporary HP.)
Theldrin is more than happy to have his new friends and allies become official members of the Company if they choose to, and stands next to Xanrym with an encouraging smile during the gathering. He hopes one of them will want to use the staff, since he didn't seem able to harness its powers. And he reflects, truth be told he prefers having his trustworthy quarterstaff in hand anyway, in case of a fight.
As Khessa sends out Anator to scout, he stands near her keeping a protective eye, knowing she will be tuned into the senses of her familiar and not conscious of what's happening around her.
Theldrin nods thoughtfully as he rubs his beard for a moment, then replies, "That's an excellent question, my friend. I'd say that while Xanrym will often take the lead, especially in matters requiring diplomacy... that important decisions are put to a vote."
Oh, my bad then; I imagined us close to the wreck... If we are more than 100' away, then the first step of the plan proposed by Khessa is to cautiously approach the ship to the wreck - so that we can then proceed with the steps already outlined.
Khessa gives Xanrym a bittersweet smile: "Oh, my brother won't be in much danger... Most potential enemies shouldn't recognize him as a threat, and if I see anything trying to attack him, I can quickly temporarily dismiss him to his pocket dimension - think of it as a sort of extradimensional safe lair, accessible only to him".
"And anyway," the blonde arcane warrior points out, her expression unchanged "the worst that could happen to him has already happened. Anator is already dead. Murdered by that (not at all lamented) drow bastard Zrutt. Anator cannot be... 'killed further'. If his current body were to suffer mortal injury, Anator would simply disappear. But I would only need to perform an appropriate ritual to bring him back to me".
"This obviously doesn't mean I don't care about him..." the tall adventuress concludes "He's already suffered much more than he deserved. But in this case the risk is small, the possible consequences (from what I've just explained) are not irreversible... and the necessity seems real to me. Not to mention, I think he likes it, when he can make himself useful to me... ironically... his death has in a certain sense divided us... but the bond I had to establish with him to call him back has united us perhaps even more than before".
Xanrym smiles kindly and says, "That's a lovely story of the endurance of sibling affection -- and magic -- bridging the chasm of death. Your sororal concern for Anator's well-being, even in this form, does you both credit."