#supposedly

its my own heartbreaking headcannon that they were sick at the same time, and Jan took advantage of wylan's disorientation to get rid of his mother. maybe he woke up one day, finally feeling better, only to be told that he had survived, but his mother hadnt.

On top of that, lung infections can cause lasting effects, and maybe he was left with some chronic effects, constantly leaving him scared of dying like his mother did. I can only imagine how terrified he would have been working in the tannery, breathing fumes that exacerbated the symptoms, remembering how his mother had died.

I cant with these supposedly quick lighting studies taking me hours bc my painting skills are ass OTL

Pendant

Lucien Gaillard

gold, enamel, diamond, garnet, c. 1900

Yanessa supposedly casts a Zone of Truth on him. Zone of Truth can be cast by bards, clerics, paladins, and druids. Yanessa is none of these. Even if she secretly were, the following means she either faked the casting, or simply held her tongue about Primus not actually submitting to it.

“It was never my intention to slaughter any who sit now at this table.” Past tense. And there are more ways to kill than a slaughter. Questionable.

“The window has closed. We were running out of time. […] It is no longer a threat.” Tannesar has been gathering sand and dust for ages. Tansul made it in his ancient lifetime. What tight schedule was your undead angel project possibly on, Primus? Lie.

Lore drop about the Royal House of Obridai, to which all the currently Sundered Houses once knelt as vassals. The ancestors of Einfasen, Cormoray and Royce only acquired the lands they did because their ancestors knelt to the kings of Obridimia and the Shapers, despite being of more ancient magic lineage to Aramán. A historical point that none of the houses can refute. Truth.

‘Royce quarrels with Einfasen, Einfasen with Cormoray.’ Aranessa went to Otto as an ally. Otto said his house had friends with House Cormoray who they’d speak to about commending Murray. Primus is trying to tilt a narrative that doesn’t align with his speech. Lie/Questionable.

“Seventy years ago, we had an emperor.” More history. There was an emperor still ruling at the time of Tansul’s slaying. Truth.

“I speak truth to you now. My plan with the Deva Vindicta was the same as always.” Cue a reveal of broad real estate plans with the other Sundered Houses’ names staked out on them. “Western Telmora to the Einfasen. Eastern Telmora to the Cormoray. The Golden Orchard moved from its proximity to the closed doors of Faerie into the Tenebral Reaches for use by my family, and Yanessa, the razing of Telmora’s druid groves. Plenty of real estate to build cathedrals. We are true allies to all of you here. The Deva Vindicta was not meant to slaughter you. It was meant to make you kneel. […] The Vindicta would’ve been our winning gambit in the game that we all play here.” House Tachonis is not playing the same game, full stop. They don’t care about the Material Plane or its politics except as an obstacle prior to dying away to their growing empire in the Tenebral Reaches, where all souls bow to them. The Sepulchral Lord business with Grandpa Nullus is sign enough. The Deva Vindicta might have an extra use of making other lords bow to the Tachonis in life, but that’s secondary. The focus is on an existential scale, not a mortal one. It’s believable that the Golden Orchard is a coveted target. It’s believable that they’d want the druids to lose some of their foothold. It’s a shrug as to whether Tachonis cares enough about living Aramán to divvy it up to fellow lords or not. Lie/Questionable.

“Lord Einfasen, how goes the search for the Jotunøks? My Lord Cormoray, I understand that your grant at the Pentevral has gone through. Congratulations. I heard there was some celebration at the old Kalystra quarries? And I’m glad you’re well, Lady Halovar. Terrible case of bellows fever going around, wouldn’t you say? And of course, your wonderful Aspirants. How exceptional that these demons are here because they have been…saved.” Translation: Tachonis has eyes and ears aware of all the other Sundered Houses’ secret projects. Those same Sundered Houses had only guesswork to go off of with Tachonis, if that. It took all our heroes risking their lives and working overtime to dredge up enough evidence to reveal a fraction of what Tachonis, the house that works in shadow, was actually working on. Primus was caught off guard at the meeting’s start because he was shocked that any secret of his house could leak at all, let alone through the mystery of the reconstituted candle. Even so. Tachonis knows much more about the other houses than any of them even suspect of Tachonis. Truth.

[INSERT ARISTO ASSHOLE CLASSIST SPIEL HERE.] Part sales pitch. Part earnest shitty belief. It means nothing for House Tachonis to kneel to another house in life when they still rule in death. Questionable.

When questioned, Primus insists his push to have Thjazi Fang executed was only to bait Aranessa and her company to rush into range. Mentions the Candle of Slaughter requires noble blood to be spilled for it to work. The former is a good cover, entirely leaving out the significance of the Tachonis scar on Thjazi, intended to force him into servitude in death. The latter is a unique confession to make about how the spell components of your murder candle work in a room full of nobles. An admission so unflattering it would be taken for a grudging truth by his audience. (And possibly a good protection for later, if or when the second Tachandle is lit and used to kill off a bunch of nobodies for another slaughter.) Lie and a (Questionable) Truth.

“That is the sum total of it. I’ve told you all I can.” LIE. LIE. LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE.

Petra and Ryah, behind him: “We have much to discuss, my lords and lady, of the Revolutionary Council and its weakness following the assassination attempt on the Timmonish king and the Photarch.” An assassination attempt they knew was coming. Possibly all of them knew it and/or had a hand in it. They all wanted King Gus dead and the Council weakened. “There have been heated words exchanged. We need not make a decision tonight. Let us calm ourselves and let cooler heads prevail.” That the same line you sold to Amadah before you went hunting for Occtis on Altradler? “Come. We have laid a feast for you as a token of our apologies.”

Ma’ams. Ladies. My heroin chic skeletal gals. I know the “Zone of Truth” wasn’t “”cast”” on you, but come on. Your dad spent half his time here openly lying to everyone’s face about the Royce and Occtis killing and had to have his apology*** dragged out of him like pulling teeth. That Fantasy Doordash buffet was not laid for any apology. Either you’re up to some Red Wedding poisoning shit—thanks for mentioning the need for noble blood to spill, Primus!—or House Tachonis is simply incapable of opening its mouths and telling the truth at the same time.

And what a surprise. Primus and Yanessa want a private ‘just us priestly houses~’ chat while the other houses (plus a Termina!) get herded to the dinner table. Shocking.