Worldwound GM's page

Awesome armor for Merixia! Since it already magically adjusts itself to the wearer, and is intended for religious characters, I see no balance reason why it shouldn't attune itself to a cleric as well as a paladin, making the MP ability work straight-up. As for the extra Lay on Hands vs. extra channel, channeling definitely provides more total HP of healing, but Lay on Hands can be used as a swift action (for the paladin) and at higher levels can remove conditions as well, which is extremely valuable. To me it's kind of a wash. But if you want, possibly a less powerful replacement might be one extra cure spell per day of the highest level the cleric can cast, to preserve the scaling?

That sounds fine to me.

Also, it is hilarious and fits well with Verene's whole deal that she saw (through the arcane eye) this incredibly flashy and unique gold-washed mithral full plate covered in sacred Iomedaean designs, and was like "Eh, there's some armor too I guess," instead of insisting we come in here ASAP.

I totally didn't realize how fancy it was, but it absolutely fits her, yeah.

Hm... how do they measure up, mechanically speaking? I'm disinclined to go with it by my gut, because I feel like the channel energy is more advantageous than lay on hands for multiple people.

Azira, fortunately, finds no indication of any evils in the room whatsoever - neither on the armor nor anywhere else.

Verene's bolts bounce off of the statues with nothing more than the spark of the metal head striking stone - no response from any potential mimics.

After spending some time examining the armor, Verene realizes that it's somewhat unique. It's armor of the pious, which means it has an Iomedaen symbol on it at the moment, but that'll change when Merixia dons it.

There is a great deal of cleaning that the Chapel itself needs, from the blood of the Keystones to other equally unsavory fluids. Fortunately, Thesius and Azira are able to make good progress while the others identify the armor.

Nurah looks over the statues, her lips twisted in a faint frown. "I wonder where they went. I'd be careful about the Sword of Valor when you find it. One of them might've been disguised as it before."

Sorry- had another burst of busyness at work. Just got a gameplay post up (before the GM messaged me, I think, but my phone is weird about PMs so maybe not). I really like Thesius’ idea about posting everyday in discussion just to get back into the rhythm (I feel like I was also really struggling with that), so I’m going to shamelessly steal it (though, I may skip posting here on days that I post in gameplay).

You did, indeed, preempt me! I totally didn't forget what I said I was going to do. That idea sounds good to me. I might try it, but I'm not sure it'd work for me as much. So many things to juggle...

Understood.

Elliot shoots three of the suits of armor before Verene is able to mark that one of them is magical. Presumably he stops at that point. Are you going to study the armor? They're all masterwork full plate, except for the one that's enchanted.

Nurah nods slightly at Thesius' suggestion, looking around the room again. "Probably."

Have fun, Thesius!

Unfortunate about Azira. I'll try to reach out to them today.

Their captive firmly bound and left behind and locked inside, the heroes venture back out into the hallways, navigating with Verene's help (and the help of the map that Aron filled out for them). Soon, they arrive on the western side of the Inheritor's Chapel, now blessedly free of orgiastic crusaders and their succubus overlord.

Following the map, they throw open the tapestry at the back of the room, uncovering the hidden door with ease. Beyond lies what Aron described as the false vault. Two statues stand midway into this room. They each depict an armored woman with her sword raised - Iomedae, of course. Numerous smashed and empty chests sit on the floor.

Another few moments of surveying reveals the secret door on the west side of the room - this one swings open silently, revealing the true vault. Four life-sized statues flank the room, each wearing a gleaming suit of armor that seems real, while at the north end stands a fifth statue, this one of a woman with a metal rod.

Nurah frowns. "The mimics must've moved after we killed Staunton. No point in keeping them around here since they know I'm fighting alongside you." She brushes blond hair out of her eyes. "Or they're in some other shapes."

Understood! I shall kick us forwards shortly, then!

Has anyone heard from Azira recently? It's been awhile since we've heard from her.

Thanks for your thoughtful words! I do appreciate it.

I also appreciate the RP going on. Do you want me to move you guys forwards, or shall we keep chatting however long?

Nurah smirks at Verene's question, though the expression has more than a hint of exhaustion to it. "We're all prisoners one way or another. How willingly do you serve the crusade? You were raised to believe in the things it does, one way or another." She shakes her head. "But to answer the question you were actually asking - a prisoner doesn't get to keep her weapons unsupervised." The hafling points at the greatsword which is considerably larger than she is.

Glad to hear from you, Thesius. I understand losing the routine - that sucks, but I've had it happen to me, too.

Also, ouch, Verene. That's never fun.

Verene's magical scan of the room is quick enough, noting only the auras of her companions, as well as two potions on Jestak, one magical effect on her, and her armor and sword. The greatsword is, in fact, forged from adamantine, and well-forged, while the hide armor is equally impressively crafted, despite its seeming primitive construction.

The potions are barkskin +5 and cure serious wounds, while the armor is +2 hide armor and the greatsword is a +1 adamantine greatsword. The magical effect on Jestak is the barkskin enchantment above.

Nurah shakes her head at Verene's question. "Only once, and by sight." She looks around the room. "Pretty sure those are her clansfolk, though." The halfling woman shrugs. "Anyways, I doubt anyone would try to heal her if they found her alive. Maybe if they were desperate?"

Round 2 Wrap-Up

Verene unleashes a burst of magical projectiles from her wand, which whirl around her allies and strike the Kellid woman in the chest, staggering her momentarily, just in time for the grippli-shaped magus to slash at her with his glowing black blade.

Though Azira's presence between Elliot and his target prevents him from striking home the first few times, his weapon thwacks repeatedly against Jestak's head and shoulders, until she finally staggers and falls unconscious with the last blow, which sends blood streaming down her face. The web is now the only thing keeping her upright.

Combat Over

If you'd hit with the first attack, you'd have done much more lethal damage to her, amusingly. Consequences of a crit-heavy build.

Nurah sighs, shaking her head. "Wonder what got her so furious."

Yes, I'll need to double-check, because she does have soft cover from Elliot at the moment.

I'll give Thesius the chance to post today, and failing that, I'll bot him later.

Huh, I didn't remember that about the grappled condition.

Round 1 Wrap-Up

As Wulfric begins his stirring speech, Azira lashes out with Radiance which sings a note of affirmation to her comment. The blade slices through the web and woman alike, carving deep into her flesh as she howls her fury.

Despite the wall being slightly in the way of Merixia's attack, her bastard sword slips around and cuts into the Kellid woman's arm, sending her thrashing in the web as she pulls away. Nevertheless, she remains upright and furious.

Nurah sighs heavily, then sings out a quick spell. "You should give up... Jestak. These people have killed Staunton, and they'll be merciful if you surrender."
Jestak Will: 1d20 + 8 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 8 + 4 = 25

Despite the spell woven into her recommendation, the Kellid woman - Jestak, presumably - screams defiance. "You will pay for everything!"

Round 2

Verene, Thesius, and Elliot are up.

Yeah, she got some pretty unlucky rolls there.

You are correct in assuming that you don't recognize any of the corpses at a glance, but a glance is all you have time for at the moment.

Round 1 Midpoint

Thesius (with Elliot's aid) emphasizes how outmatched the Kellid woman is in the battlefield, while the siblings both prepare to deal with her in their own way.

Note that you can't aid another and ready an action simultaneously - both are standard actions. Given Thesius' impressive roll, I'll assume Verene went with the latter.

The woman hesitates for half a moment before roaring her defiance, lifting her greatsword and hacking away at Azira, who is closest. This prompts Verene to unleash her web at the woman, conjuring sticky threads to hinder her action. She roars, tugging at the thick webs, but fails to accomplish much of anything.
Reflex vs. DC 21: 1d20 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 6 + 4 = 20 Alas for her.
Attack vs. Azira, Flat-Footed, Grappled, Shaken, protection from evil: 1d20 + 15 - 4 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 15 - 4 - 2 = 10 Double alas.

Azira & Merixia are up.

With a swift click, Thesius unlocks the door and gently pushes it open.

Combat Start

Within, the party sees what must be a barracks - dozens of beds fill this wide room, jammed together with little space between them. A dozen decapitated human bodies lie in a heap to the west, while a dozen human heads sit to the east. A stocky Kellid woman with a jagged greatsword stands ready, and at the sight of the champions, she howls. "You! You killed them!"

Round 1

Initiative Order is Verene, Thesius, Elliot, Kellid, Azira, Merixia, Nurah. Bolded characters are up.

I always thought scry and die was a tabletop classic, but apparently not if the writers didn't include teleportation wards on the ground floor!

Notably, as Verene says, you can't teleport into the basement! Just the ground floor.

Hitting Staunton first really made this dungeon easier on you folks. I'm amused by the fact that they didn't really account for the super-mythic spells, but it makes sense.

Huh. Well, it looks all fixed up now, so thanks for helping, Verene. Nurah will be along for the ride, it looks like, unless one of you strongly objects to it.

There are five ways you could go, so I'll assume the first two rolls of perception are going in clockwise direction.

I'm assuming that someone's casting light - probably Wulfric, but if he doesn't, Nurah will, since everything is still entirely dark outside of where the light is shining through the big hole in the wall.

Nurah looks around the hallway warily. "I'm not actually sure what anyone will do now that he's dead. They might retreat downstairs or gather somewhere I'm not familiar with."

Sorry for the delay, folks. Just... time slipped away from me. I do intend to post today, whatever happens.

After they agree to head back into the Citadel and finish casting their spells, the heroes enter over the rubble-filled external wall, passing inside without any challenges. However, once they pass through the rubble-filled room and into the small hallway, they find that every door they try to open is locked - though they're reasonably certain Staunton's key will open them.

Last call for buffing spells and effects. Also, are you inviting Nurah back in? Also, the hole in the wall isn't where the images were placed, so I adjusted them to where it is. The previous holes are, I think, arrow slits or the like.

Feeling a bit better. I hope to get a post up tomorrow, see where things stand then.

I'll try to get things together soon, but I'm just rather burnt-out recently. I probably do need to drop at least one of these games, because it's becoming untenable, unfortunately. I'll consider it for a bit before making that decision.

Uh, you're right, Verene. I'll just say he's not particularly interested in going, though he'd be evasive as to why.

Now

The funeral is... not exactly a celebration, but neither is it terribly solemn or even excessively respectful. The former prisoners - the soldiers - are still viscerally furious with the dwarf's behavior, and even the relatively professional paladins look... stern, at best. Staunton had played himself as a paladin of Torag for too long, and it's entirely possible some of the Knights of Kenabres remember his activities at the time.

After the Dwarven-speaking paladin finishes the ceremony, Irabeth speaks. "Thanks to our champions, we have won a great victory." She begins. "But they alone would not have sufficed. You all have done far more than anyone could reasonably have asked of you, riding through the Worldwound - or," she looks at the soldiers, "enduring the torment of being prisoners to the demons for so long. You've fought against Sarkorians, against demons, and against undead. You've kept the enemies of all Golarion on the back foot, and with Vhane's death, we grow ever closer to reclaiming Drezen and the Sword of Valor."

She looks over the audience solemnly. "But our work is not yet over. There are still more demons and their slaves within the Citadel. While I trust our champions to deal with the greatest threats, there may yet be attempts to attack us. I must ask you all now to continue the fight, remain vigilant against any signs of attack, and stay strong against any fears that our enemies might use against us. We have struck a great blow against the demons. Let's keep them off-balance, shall we?"

The soldiers and Knights alike lift their voices, crying out the victory that they had taken part in. With that, the ceremony is dismissed, and the command staff reunites to speak with one another.

"So. We've done a fair bit of... administrative work." Irabeth says to the heroes. "Do you think you're ready to strike at the demons today?"

Blah, sorry for the delay. Lots of weirdness in my life nowadays.

Now

I'll handle the funeral next post.

That's about right, but it's also... down, not only in. That is, it's below the ground, too.

1) Aravashnial finds one scroll - of Baphomet's blessing. He also finds four potions: diminished detection, protection from arrows, false life, and bestow weapon proficiency (glaive).

2) There's some things that Verene leans about the corruption forge, but it's mostly abstract - how to use it and such - and not terribly relevant. It does give her some ideas on how to invert the process, but it's nothing immediately relevant. He does, however, give her a sense of the dungeon below. Uh, I'd actually like to do that IC, so ask me in spoilers over there, please.

3) The Keystones don't really know much - if anything - other than that Janeamine likes roleplaying as a goddess and has powers greater than the average succubus. They were more or less kept isolated in their chapel.

4) I'd say subtract it from your gold reserves - representing some sort of barter or the like?

5) Uh... Let me check... There's something towards the southeastern edge of the Citadel, assuming you're far enough away from the wardstone fragments and Radiance... and whatever other artifacts you have? I think you've got a few more. Oh, the scales.

Uh, I'll try to get back to you on this, because I don't have the answers at the moment, but let me know to do so if I forget.

The rituals and spells cast to communicate with high command go fairly well, with a mostly complete report going through. The Queen does, however, request that they send further reports to one of her staff members, whom she trusts. Nurah's betrayal clearly troubles her, but the halfling's confirmation that she was the highest-placed agent of the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth and the heroes relative trust in her leads the monarch to accept the information as factual.

Dealing with the Keystones is harder, but between both Merixia and Verene, they are able to be cleansed of the succubus' influence - and most of them don't even fall unconscious! Of course, this is because she doesn't seem to have retracted their gifts, meaning they're still potentially compromised.

They do offer a bit of insight into the status of the Citadel, but it's not a lot - they were mostly kept in the chapel of the Inheritor as Janeamine's playthings. They do warn the heroes that she's more than she seems - more powerful than most succubi.

I'm going to let you guys decide whether or not to push onwards before or after Staunton's funeral here.

Summary it is, it seems.

I hope everything improves for you, Azira.

Feel free to RP in spoilers, as you see fit.

Oathday, 18th of Rova, 4713 AR

The next morning, Irabeth summons the champions to the command center in order to begin the efforts of sending word to the Queen and her staff. She, along with Anevia, Sosiel, and Aravashnial are waiting there to hammer out the final details.

Ready to start talking with Irahai?

Glad to hear Merixa is feeling better, and that you're still around, Elliot. It's also on me, since I've not pushed very hard on any of my games recently. Hopefully, Azira will post soonish. If not, I'm willing to try to move us onwards to the next day.

Hm... I'd say that Spellcraft should reasonably cover that. Targeting the Keystones would result in a (slightly) lower DC for the dispel roll.

I'll move us forwards once everyone's had the chance to post, as they're able.

Verene, with regard to the auras that isn't... quite correct, now that I look at it. I'm not sure whether a succubus' profane gift (and/or any other Supernatural abilities) actually leaves magical auras. Does anyone know if there's an FAQ about this, because it's not clear from the PRD?

Oh, whoops. I forgot. They're still there - the dominate person spells.

Irabeth considers the tiefling's request with regards to Staunton's funerary procedures, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You can bring Joran to the site of his pyre, but the soldiers are going to want to see it. Gods know I am. We're doing well here, but this? This will definitely help steady our freed prisoners' morale. A lot of them probably saw him personally, so knowing Vhane's gone'll do them good."

Sosiel thinks. "We should do our little funeral tomorrow afternoon or the like. Make a bit of a to-do about it, you know? That'd be the best way of getting everyone together. It might also help sway our prisoners a bit, help them see that even the worst tyrants can fall."

The Knight-Captain nods firmly. "Good. All of you are dismissed, then. Go get what rest you can. We'll need you prepared tomorrow."

Sorry, short post. Kind of feeling drained.

Irabeth allows the trio to speak their pieces without interruption, though she does occasionally nod. "I think that alerting the camp to new faces is wise, although, as you say, there's a definite chance that any demon attempting to infiltrate us would masquerade as one of our number. I'll trust you seven to organize a regular scan for illusions." She looks at the four spell casting champions, Riftun, Sosiel, and Aravashnial.

"Sosiel," she continues, "give me your assessment of the risk that a demon will try to infiltrate us, given what you know of demonic tactics and what our friends have said."

The Shelynite rubs his chin - remarkably well-groomed even after all that has happened since the army left Kenabres. "Staunton is dead, and with him the one with the most personal drive to get rid of us. Even though the rest of the demons probably won't teleport out, that is an option for them. For him - well, he knew you were here, and he would've had to fly off on his familiar, absent greater magic than we think they have available.

"Shadow demons are typically very keen on infiltration, though. I'm not sure how many there are in the Citadel, but Eustoyriax might come out to do so... assuming he's willing to abandon the Sword of Valor for any length of time. He might not be - another demon might use such a choice to discredit him in his superiors' eyes." Sosiel frowns. "But we don't know how potent he actually is from Vhane's journal. Still, I'd hazard that it won't be more than a single demon who tries - and that whatever this Janeamine did to hide her evil aura, it's probably unique to her."

Irabeth nods. "Alright. Is there anything else you want to report?" She asks the champions.

Most magical armor wouldn't resize to fit Merixia - definitely not changing size categories, at the very least. That said, there are absolutely smiths and folks who could help resize the armors you do pick up. Like Staunton's.

"I'm somewhat familiar with the name, if not with the specifics..." Aravashnial acknowledges, sounding irritated with himself. "But if your speculation is correct, Verene, that leaves us with a few questions - why use the term murdered, how is it different than merely 'killed' and... which demon lord - or lords - were 'murdered' to create the crystals that were used on Vhane and this chimera?"

Irabeth looks at the two wizards. "I'd like you two to do what research you can when you're able on that - it's not an immediate concern, but it is something that we should look into when we have the chance. But for now, it's mostly academic."

She nods at Verene's comment - invitation? - about the spell. Clearly, she'd expected she would be present, though at least she doesn't seem annoyed that Verene felt the need to invite her.

"Try getting rid of the enchantments on the Keystones, then." She continues. "If you can't, well-"

"Whatever information you'd get would be suspect." Anevia interrupts her wife, who looks at her. "Sorry, but it's true. A succubus could be feeding them information telepathically even now." Sosiel and Aravashnial nod their agreement.

The Knight-Commander sighs. "Well, I trust you to do what you can, but keep in mind the source." She winces at Azira's realization. "Dammit, you're right. Did you sense anything evil on her?" She asks the other paladin. When Azira indicates that she didn't, the half-orc grimaces. "We don't have a lot of people who can sense magic here. Most of us who can use spells are paladins."

"Creating such a spell wouldn't be terribly practical, if we could do it at all." Aravashnial says. "Though it wouldn't be a bad idea to set up magic circles around the more critical areas..." He sighs.

"Would she risk coming out here?" Aron asks. "Especially with all of us on alert and the Keystones rescued?"

Thanks for the advice, folks. I really appreciate it. I'll definitely be taking a bit of a step back from the PbP realm, and I think I might try Merixia's suggestion for a week or two, feel out how it ends up going.

I will try to respond to these very helpful posts on my next visit here, but I just want to give a bit of insight into my current thought processes: I'm currently trying to get into doing productive and meaningful things for the first time in a while. This means that I'm pushing myself a bit since I've gotten into a variety of bad habits when it comes to mental exertion.

These games I run via PbP are enjoyable - sometimes exhausting, but enjoyable overall. However, it does take a lot out of me, drawing from the same sort of focus/emotional wherewithal that the aforementioned efforts do. This means that when I attempt to pursue those things, I'm left with the distinct sense that I don't really want to post, as it's too exhausting to contemplate. In other words, it's not something I can do to relax, per se. It requires effort to post (obviously), and that effort is rewarded, but I just don't have the effort to give so regularly.

This has been going on for a bit - a few weeks or so - but I'm beginning to fear that it's untenable to keep going on with one post every weekday, which leads to my next concern. Specifically, that if I lose the habit of posting daily, I'm going to lose that habit and become disengaged from the plot - it's hard enough to remember who the NPCs are, what their quirks are, etc. after a single weekend of not posting, which can only get worse if I take longer breaks between posts.

I do enjoy these games, I think, but I'm not sure how easy it'll be to balance them with my increasingly involved schedule.

I'm honestly not sure where I'll end up. I don't think this game would be the first I'd drop, because, combat notwithstanding, it's not the hardest one to find motivation for. When you are fighting, it's easily the worst. These last few combats have been brutal on my energy.

Beyond that, I'm going to think on it some more, and see if I come up with anything. Though I do, of course, appreciate suggestions.

The biggest concern I have with going slower is that the passion for the game might die - specifically my passion for it. I'll try to see if I can get a post up today or tomorrow, but if not, I'll return on Monday.

Okay, so I've got some bad news for everyone. I'm not sure how effectively I can continue doing all of the games I'm running. I've got a lot more going on nowadays than I used to, and juggling everything with the games that I'm running is getting harder and harder.

I've been wrestling with this difficulty for a while - since the end of 2024, but it's only going to get harder to get full, thoughtful posts in every weekday as I reengage with life once again. I'm not quite sure how I want to proceed, whether that's posting less often (which will definitely lose some of the momentum and engagement from everyone involved) to dropping some of the games that are ongoing (which isn't something I'm eager to do, either). If anyone has any thoughts, I welcome them.

"If the Councilor is a spy, then our efforts are likely already doomed." Anevia agrees with Merixia. "I don't disagree with your mistrust of the high ranks, Verene, but I also agree that we shouldn't allow mistrust to poison our efforts."

Irabeth nods. "I hate how deeply Kenabres was compromised, but I think Nurah was the exception rather than the rule... though we should probably ask her in more detail. Unless we already have?" She looks at her wife, who winces.

"I'd... honestly forgotten to ask about that too much. I figured that the names wouldn't be very important at the moment, given that we've been, well..."

"That is quite understandable." Aravashnial says gently. "But I think now would be a good time to ask."

The Knight-Commander nods gravely. "Do so before the sending tomorrow." She commands, and Anevia salutes, still abashed.

Sosiel chuckles, nodding at Merixia's explanation. "True. I suppose anything is possible nowadays."

"Certainly more than it has been since before the death of Aroden." Aravashnial agrees, and there's a moment of silence as the comment reminds the entire command staff that he alone among them remembers the Age of Enthronement. He continues. "That being said, I am not certain we should send out the message about this Arueshalae. The main armies are not this far north, and given that she cannot teleport, it seems likely that she'll remain within however many days' flight range of Drezen as it takes us to capture the Citadel."

"It could cause confusion, and I'd really rather not give any non-heretical succubi that advantage." Aron points out.

Sosiel looks thoughtful. "If she has, indeed, somehow turned against the Abyss, we should do everything we can to preserve her safety." The Shelynite says slowly. "But as Aravashnial and Aron say, I don't think we want to spread word of her too far just yet."

Irabeth looks thoughtful. "We'll table that thought until after we take Drezen." She decides. "But keep in mind, Verene, that the Queen is in the field at the moment. She may not have a lot of time to discuss what information we've discovered."

Not an unreasonable choice.

With regards to scrying and message, I'd say that it's a 40% chance for message to work if you cast it through the spell. That feels more intuitive to me, anyways. And yes, you may roll for the Nyhandrian crystal, as you've studied up on things since, I feel.

"A demon seeking redemption?" Anevia looks seriously dubious. "I... is that even possible? No offense to you or Ragathiel, Merixia, it just seems... he's a demigod, isn't he? Are the rules different?"

"The average demon is the soul of an evil mortal - or a collection thereof - who has been made into a creature formed from the chaos and evil of the Abyss." Aravashnial muses. "It seems incredibly unlikely that one would want to seek a way out, even assuming it is possible."

Sosiel looks shrewdly at Merixia. "Ragathiel is an extreme exception, Merixia." He says gently. "Nevertheless, I can't imagine what else a 'heretic' might refer to in this context. One that serves an archdevil or daemon harbinger?"

Irabeth shakes her head. "Whatever this Arueshalae is, she's not our problem at the moment. Talking with Joran is a good idea, especially with regards to this corruption forge, but we should discuss all of the potentially sensitive information before we send for him." Verene's description of her plans prompts the half-orc to nod. "No, wait. Reach out to Irahai, instead. Her Majesty is likely protected by a number of enchantments and is busy besides. Let's not bypass all the proper channels."

Anevia suppresses a chuckle, and Irabeth cocks a brow at her, but whatever their private joke is, they don't share it.

"Our order's interest in the Blackwing wasn't commonly known, but neither was it a secret." Aravashnial nods at Verene. "But while we can't be sure that this leader is directly involved with the processing of this elixir, it is essential that we find and destroy the Ivory Sanctum - if not personally, then certainly via other crusaders." He looks seriously at Irabeth. "I cannot stress enough the dangers that the Adepts pose even on their own. If they are able to induce power such as our friends wield in themselves, other demonic slaves, and possibly even demons, it could change the course of the war even further against us."

"None of that now." Irabeth says decisively. "I won't hold it against you here, but we don't need the morale dropping from our own command staff expressing doubts." Aravashnial pauses, then nods apologetically.

Oh, thanks. Somehow I missed that post, Verene. Just a busy week last week, and kind of unpleasant. Mostly better now.

Also, if you haven't thought of asking Joran about any of this, you may want to. He did, after all, know his brother fairly well, and might have more insight into things.