Khelun Vrok

Khelun Vrok, the Priest Slow to Bless

A careful dwarf does not reopen a gallery, seal a union, or take to the road without the blessing of a Watcher of the Father-Mother. Khelun is the one people avoid when they are in a hurry, because he never blesses on the first asking. He asks questions, then more, and while you answer, you often end up hearing for yourself what was wrong. He almost never refuses. He only makes you wait, long enough for doubt to have its chance.

Describe him

A dwarf comes to meet you, apologizes, and knocks over the cup he meant to hand you. He looks for his book, finds it under his own hand, apologizes again. Then he sits, head slightly tilted, and hears you out to the end without ever cutting in. His voice is soft, hesitant. When you have finished, he lays both palms flat on the table and takes a long breath before he answers.

Play him

Never answer on the first asking. When someone asks for your blessing, start with two simple, almost naive questions: for whom, and what happens if it goes wrong. Let the players answer, and let them talk too much, because the problem shows up in their answers, never in yours. Your clumsiness helps: something drops, a silence settles, someone rushes to fill it and says more than they meant to. Then bless, carefully, without ever having said no. Everything you protect comes down to one thing: that no one regrets tomorrow what they swore today.

What he says (rarely)